EDYS2024: 100+ participants, 20+ countries

On the 18 and 19th of July was the long-awaited 6th edition of the EDYS conference in Bucharest, ahappening once in two years. This edition proved to be particularly rich in memories and emotions, attentive participants, ready to seize this opportunity. The three tracks on which this year's conference focused - social issues, digital transformation, and sustainability - particularly inspired the participants, who were guided and mentored by experts in each of these fields.

Young people from all over Europe joined the conference, kicking off on the 17th of July with thematic workshops and a Bucharest guided tour led by EDYS24 volunteers.

On the following day, the participants, accompanied by young Romanians selected for the conference, had the chance to deepen their knowledge in one of the three tracks (social, green or digital) for a thematic visit.

For the digital track, the young people went to the Politehnica University of Bucharest to discover the wonders of 3D printing, using the university's state-of-the-art equipment. 

The youth choosing the social track had the chance to interact with volunteers from the association “Împreună” and discover more about the Roma community in Romania. Their inspiring stories raised awareness of a subject that is becoming increasingly worrying, and which demands a great deal of empathy.

Finally, the green track participants visited EFdeN, the sustainable houses - the place where innovation meets creativity and sustainability with deep awareness towards the environmental issues. The young people had the opportunity to learn about issues such as energy saving, waste management and the traceability of materials, all of which are central to tackling the climate challenges.

Finally, the conference itself took place on the 19th, with speakers including Raluca Negulescu-Balaci, Tudor Andronic, Elena-Alexandra Miron, Stefan Dobre, Ioana Morovan, Simona Musteata and the moderator Sabina Spatariu. Deep appreciation to our esteemed speakers, without whom this conference would not have been possible and who inspired the participants with their own experiences and expertise. In the afternoon, the participants were once again grouped by tracks, to take part in workshops, guided by experts.

At the end of the day, EDYS inspired through knowledge and motivation. This year, EDYS was a great success, and we hope that the seeds of the conference will germinate into great ideas, and that, why not, today's participants become tomorrow's speakers!

Event organized by GEYC with the support of the Capital City Hall, through ARCUB - the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Bucharest and co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union within GEYC’s Erasmus+ 2023 Youth Accreditation 2023-1-RO01-KA151-YOU-000138290. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

EDYS24 is an event organized under the High Patronage of the European Parliament.

"EDYS24 Takeaways: Unlocking youth potential" is dedicated to all youth workers who aim to foster youth participation on three dimensions: green, digital and social. The insights and practical outputs presented were developed during the EDYS24 mobility of youth workers, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, as part of the Erasmus+ 2023 Youth Accreditation 2023-1-RO01-KA151-YOU-000138290. The event was attended by 42 youth workers from 16 countries.