What's the meaning of cohesion? How the EU is implementing this concept on the ground? How do these institutions and bodies work? All these questions and more were addressed by the Youth4Regions programme for aspiring journalists, which is being held in Brussels (Belgium) from October 8th to 14th.
This culturally rich experience gathers young professionals coming from more than 20 countries from the EU and beyond. Workshops and intensive courses are being held, as well as networking sessions in different locations like the EU Parliament and Commissions' headquarters or the Square Brussels’ Convention Centre, in the heart of the capital of Europe.
Among many young promising participants from the European continent, the program has also selected some journalists from non-EU states to embrace the concept of participatory learning and sharing experiences in both Mediterranean and Black Sea regions, which also reflect the important roles that the EU initiatives are playing in these territories considered as its' geopolitical perimeters.
Samia, 20, from Morocco, expressed her excitement to visit Europe for the first time and get to know the EU institutions and policies. She is very proud to represent Moroccan young journalists in this programme, as she perceives her participation as a step forward in the path of journalism she has taken. Samia strongly believes that taking part in such a selective programme is a life-changing experience at a professional but also at a personal level, as it allows an intercultural exchange that enriches our perceptions of the world.
Youth4Regions has opened its' doors to young journalists from Libya, Egypt, Ukraine, and Georgia, and involved them in a special session alongside the Interreg programmes, which were established to support cooperation across borders through project funding. It aims to jointly tackle common challenges and find shared solutions in fields such as health, environment, transport and more.
Members who are in charge of this cooperation programmes, which are co-funded by the EU, gave specific and detailed information to the participants regarding the activities of the projects and how their countries can benefit from them in the future. They described the mechanism of funding to thestates and how they assure that the living conditions of millions of people are improving thanks to the relief funds that are offered.
The team also shared some of the success stories of many partners inside the European regions. They encouraged young journalists to engage in its activities and develop their ideas and projects, since the fields of the fund vary from green economy to education and social inclusion or policy governance.
Maryam, a journalist from Egypt, was particularly interested in this session. She said that this opportunity gave her a closer look at the nature of the EU's policy, and she is looking forward to benefiting from the connections she made in Brussels.
Maryam is also impressed by the diversity of the EU communities and institutions, where several languages and nationalities work in harmony and tandem, and encouraged all her colleagues from the EU and neighbouring states to apply for the next edition to have the opportunity of enriching their networks and build more skills and experience.
Ali Mahfoud | Edited by Xoel Rodríguez Poy
