2022 has been declared the European Year of Youth by the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of Europe. Following the announcement by the President of the European Union von der Leyen in her 2021 State of the Union address, the European Commission’s proposal has been welcomed and celebrated as an opportunity to place young people in the spotlight while praising their resilience through the very challenging years of the pandemic.
In a bid to impulse a vision for a greener and more inclusive future, the European Year of Youth 2022 shall pursue the completion of four mayor objectives as described by the European Commission:
- Renewing the positive perspectives for young people, with a particular focus on the negative effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on them, while highlighting how the green transitions and other European Union policies offer opportunities for young people and for the society at large;
- Supporting young people, especially those with fewer opportunities, from disadvantaged and diverse backgrounds or belonging to vulnerable and marginalised groups, to acquire relevant knowledge and competences and thus become active and engaged citizens, inspired by a European sense of belonging;
- Supporting young people to acquire a better understanding of, and actively promoting the various opportunities available to them, be it from the European Union, national, regional or local level, to support their personal, social, economic and professional development.
- Mainstreaming youth policy across all relevant European Union policy fields in line with the European Union’s Youth Strategy 2019 – 2027 to encourage that a youth perspective is brought into policy-making at all levels.
The impact and legacy of all activities and engagement opportunities should be long-lasting, beyond 2022.
European Heritage Volunteers stands at the vanguard of youth engagement in Europe, promoting spaces for intercultural exchange and transboundary cooperation that align with the objectives set out for the European Year of Youth 2022.
The European Year of Youth 2022 is the moment to move forward with confidence and hope in a post-pandemic perspective. By organising European Heritage Training Courses and European Heritage Volunteers Projects targeting at young heritage professionals and young heritage activists with the aims to support sustainable conservation interventions to cultural heritage and to promote the importance of civil society’s involvement in the preservation of the shared heritage of Europeans, European Heritage Volunteers is ready to contribute to the success of the European Year of Youth 2022!
