Youth in Action

During three intensive and interesting days in September 2007 the Commission on Youth Issues and the EU project Different History Common Future organized the third UBC youth conference, entitled "Under the Surface", in Parnu, Estonia. More than 100 young people, civil servants and politicians from ten UBC countries participated in the conference.

The conference consisted of lectures, workshops and social activities. During the conference participants had the opportunity to "dive under the surface" and discuss issues such as tolerance, intercultural learning, power and youth influence, NGOs and learn more about the opportunities for European Voluntary Services.

During the youth conference the participants had also the opportunity to take part in development of local micro-projects. The idea behind micro-project is to let the youth participants come up with ideas and to apply for money for doing a micro-project on the local level.

The conference took place alongside the UBC General Conference, during which the common workshop "Youth involvement in democracy and the life of society" was organised. Politicians and civil servants participating in the General Conference had the opportunity to meet and to talk with the youth representatives.

The results of the conference will be published in the "Book of Possibilities" as a continuation to the "Book of Demands" from the Vilnius conference.The "Book of Possibilities" will contain different methods, tools for municipalities, organizations and young people on how to get involved and how to influence the development of the society.

During the conference the Deputy Mayor of City of Kalmar, Ms. Birgitta Elfstrom handed over the chair of the Commission on Youth Issues to Tallinn and Deputy Mayor Ms. Kaia Jappinen. Kalmar will still have the vice chair and the secretariat of the Commission.