As the President of Associazione Il Vergante, I am thrilled to share my journey with Europe Goes Local, which started back in 2017. Having participated in the events in Ljubljana, Cascais, Cluj-Napoca, Brussels, Prague, and now here in Tromsø, Norway, I can confidently say that EGL has been a turning point for my professional and personal life. In the last three editions (Brussels, Prague, and Tromsø), we also had the honor of presenting our good practices.
From a professional perspective, EGL provided concrete tools—such as the European Charter on Local Youth Work—that completely shaped how we design and develop youth work at a local, national, and international level. However, the greatest impact has been human. EGL didn’t just connect me with colleagues from the Italian and European delegations; it brought lifelong friends into my life. For ten years, I have been working with a team of people I deeply care about. EGL did not only change my approach to youth work through its tools, but it truly enriched my life through these meaningful connections.
What started as a professional collaboration has evolved over the last ten years into deep, meaningful friendships. What represents the heart of EGL is building bridges, sharing good practices, and creating a supportive community that shapes youth work both locally and internationally
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The author of the article is Ilaria Zocco, President of Il Vergante, a youth organization from Italy, and a Learning Designer and Senior Project Manager. Ilaria’s organization has been involved in the EGL network project since its beginning and, throughout the years, contributed with its good practices to the global knowledge database and further built our community of practice. Associazione Il Vergante.