On November 1st and 2nd, 2024, the hybrid event corresponding to the International Youth Nework Conference of the project took place at the JEF headquarters in Brussels.
The conference was organized along three main axes:
- Synergies (Strand 1): Youth organizations were facilitated to share project results and establish synergies related to inclusion, social justice and integration of immigrants and refugees.
- Network added value and sustainability (Strand 2): It focused on fostering a coherent and coordinated network among youth organizations dealing with migrant and refugee issues, exploring activities, communication, funding sources and future program proposals.
- Network Policy Development and Advocacy (Strand 3): It focused on refining and promoting collective policy statements based on the views of the participants, which will be distributed to the youth organizations on the map for final input and endorsement.
The agenda of the event was distributed among the days as follows:
Day 1, November 1st:
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- Welcoming remarks by JEF and VYRE as responsible for the event.
- Presentation of the MyCOMM project by OBREAL, sharing its deliverables and promoting the website from which to access the materials and tools that should facilitate synergies.
- Presentation and discussion of Strand 1 by OBREAL and APEDV, detailing the results of the project.
- Networking event at JEF office.
Day 2, November 2nd:
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- Introduction to the day, by OBREAL.
- Presentation and discussion of Strand 2, by JEF, GIF and CARDET, on added value of the network and sustainability.
- Presentation and discussion of Strand 3, by VYRE, KOKEN and The Rural Hub, on policy development and advocacy.
- Closing remarks by OBREAL and JEF.
In the first part of the event, related with Strand 1, the results of the project that could generate synergies with other projects and with other organizations working with young migrants and refugees were presented. In addition, the project’s web page, the MyCOMM development roadmap and even its introductory video were presented.
For Strand 2, a networking session focused on exploring the added value and sustainability of organizations working with migrant and refugee youth. Participants from various organizations discussed their approaches to sustainability, sharing their thoughts on both internal organizational policies and external advocacy efforts. The session consisted of group discussions in Zoom rooms, in which participants presented their organizations, explored networking objectives, and shared best practices related to sustainability. Key takeaways included the importance of sharing resources, developing internal sustainability guidelines, building professional networks, and recognizing sustainable development as a crucial tool for organizational growth and impact.
In the part of the conference focused on policy development and advocacy for young migrants and refugees (Strand 3), the session began with a presentation on three main themes: education, health, and inclusion. Participants then engaged in interactive discussions using Mentimeter and Zoom breakout rooms to address key policy questions, including target audiences, areas of concern, and potential recommendations. The discussions highlighted the interconnected nature of the initial themes and led to a refocusing of the policy briefs. As a result, three new policy briefs were developed, addressing persistent integration challenges, fostering intercultural dialogue, and promoting European values and citizenship for migrant and refugee youth integration. These results plus the work of the following weeks refined the work until the final Policy Briefs were produced.
By involving the organizations in the various activities, the conference also served to bring them into contact with each other and to generate new opportunities for cooperation in their work with young migrants and refugees.