European Conference on local youth work
and democracy

The European Conference on Local Youth Work and Democracy gathered more than 300 participants in Brussels from 20-23 February 2024. Building on the synergies deriving from the Strategic National Agencies Cooperation projects “Europe Goes Local” and “Democracy Reloading”, this event focused on enhancing the quality of youth work and the participation of young people at the local and municipal levels.

What was this event about?

The European conference had four keynotes, 30 workshops and 15 field visits in Brussels which:

• inspired the participants with opportunities to learn about the different contexts across Europe in which local youth work takes place,
• showcased good practices in local youth work and youth participation,
• imagined how different stakeholders can provide quality youth work and meaningful participation.

We did this by:

• taking stock of what has been achieved in local youth work and youth participation,
• identifying links between quality local youth work, meaningful youth participation and the provision of public space,
• exploring youth work as a continuum, involving and addressing young people from an early age with a focus on the right to play,
• discussing the role, tasks and needs of local and regional authorities in the provision of quality youth work and youth participation, paying special attention to the inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities.

Photos

By Freedom Photography and Sanad Latifa.

DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 3

DAY 4

Visual outputs

The various panels and workshops during the 4-day conference were captured by Visuality.

DAY 01

DAY 02

Day 03

DAY 04

A team of youth editors reported on this event. Find out more about them here.

For more information about the event, please visit the dedicated Belgian EU-Presidency website for the field of youth.