DAY 3: Finalizing the conclusions of the Youth Event and visit of Bambiriáda

Published: Saturday, 6 June 2009, 01:58

The last day of the Youth Event began in the morning in the congress hall of the Hotel Pyramida by discussing the outcomes of the working groups in plenary. After adopting the final document the participants were transported by coaches to the Střelecký Island located on the national Vltava River, where the Czech Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Mrs Miroslava Kopicová warmly welcomed not only the participants of the Youth Event, but also the Directors General responsible for Youth from EU Member States and held a speech about the Ministry´s mission in the field of youth in the Czech Republic.

participants of the Youth Event

Afterwards the President of the Czech Council of Children and Youth Mr Aleš Sedláček said a few words about the reason the young people from various European countries were brought to the island. It was thanks to “Bambiriáda” – the biggest opportunity for Children & Youth Associations and Leisure Time Centres in the Czech Republic to introduce their activities – currently taking place there. In this year more than hundred of Children and Youth Associations and Children and Youth Centres and similar initiatives in at least fourteen towns can show to visitors how they contribute to the joy, personal growth and meaningful use of leisure time of children and young people. Over the ten years the event has gained a high recognition. The eleventh year has a specific title: “We are involved”, linked to the cross-border European commitment of the young people. The participants had enough time to take a look at presentations of the work of different organisations, to try some funny games and even canoeing around the island against a stunning background of the Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge or the National Theatre.

Full of joy took the youth representatives and DGs a boat to the Children´s Island, where they had lunch. Afterwards, both groups went to the Hotel Diplomat where the welcome speeches of hosts of the conference – Mrs Jana Heřmanová, Director General for Youth in the Czech Republic and Mr Aleš Sedláček, the President of the Czech Council of Children and Youth opened the last plenary session. He an Mr Libor Bezděk, President of the Association of the Leisure Time Centres in the Czech Republic presented their organisations and their experience with youth work. The rapporteurs of the workshops presented to other participants and DGs the conclusions of every single working group of the Youth Event including their comments on the new EU Youth Strategy. Round tables, which brought active youth workers together with DGs followed. They enabled a very fruitful and beneficial mutual exchange of experience and views. The DGs moved around all the workshops and had the opportunity to reflect their outcomes. In the debate was present also Mr Pierre Mairesse, Director for Youth, Sport and Citizenship from the European Commission who after its end addressed together with Mr Tine Radinja, President of the European Youth Forum, the audience with their comments on the conclusions of the Youth Event. Mr Mairesse pointed out, that youth work is really essential, because it is a way how to implement not only EU youth policy. He also expressed the importance of non-formal education recognition or mentioned the Commission´s aim to push the issue of youth unemployment, which should be according to him given a priority in the so-called Post Lisbon Strategy. Mr Radinja likened the conclusions of the Youth Event to the model of tree as used in accordance with the new EU Youth Strategy. He considered the summary of the general comments of the working groups to be the tree´s trunk and the workshops results to be its five main braches. He warned that we cannot take the tree for granted, we must take care of it, assure it has got deep roots and lifeblood represented by the youth organisations.

Find attached Final Conclusions of the Youth Event.

The three-day-event was closed in the evening in the Martinic Palace in the surroundings of the Prague Castle, where was held a joint dinner of DG meeting and Youth Event.

The Czech EU Presidency Youth Event has already come to its end. However, The most important part of it – the implementation of the outcomes on various levels is coming now…!

Attached files

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