On June 20-21, 80 children aged between 10-17 gathered in Brussels at our 2nd General Assembly. What did they do? Discussed and agreed on a Call to Action for EU and national decision-makers. Hear their voices!
The meeting was co-created together with our Children's Panel. Facilitation over the two days was shared with the adults, with some sessions run fully by the children! We were also joined by four young experts, who were previously with the Platform.
| "I like this event because young people get to express their opinions, exchange different information and interact together to make Europe better for young people." James, 17 |
Day 1: Getting started and workshops
- We started with a welcome from European Commissioner Glenn Micallef and Deputy Director Irena Moozová, who encouraged everyone to keep speaking up, learning and helping adults to make things better.
- We had a fun session to think about intergenerational fairness, by imagining what life was like 150 years back and what it could be 150 years forward!
The rest of the morning was spent working in groups on two topics:
- Well-being in schools: how schools can support inclusion, mental health and equal chances for all children
- Safety online and cyberbullying: how to prevent and respond to cyberbullying, and how to make the internet a safer and kinder place for everyone
After lunch, there were two sessions, run for and by children:
- Games session: an energising games session run by the Children's Panel to help everyone get to know each other through fun and laughter
- Young voices, big changes: a chance for children from 17 member organisations to share the amazing work they are doing, facilitated by the Communications Co-creation Team
The day ended with a guided bus tour of Brussels and dinner in the city centre.
Day 2: From workshops to actions
After a morning circle to reconnect, and reflect on Day 1, children joined workshops on two new topics:
- Together against hate: working together to create a Code of Kindness to help address hate speech
- Climate action & the decline of pollinators: discussing the decline of wild pollinating insects and share ideas on how to help protect them
In the afternoon, there was an interactive session:
- Festival of Fairness: to review all proposed actions from the workshops and choose the ones that matter most. These actions will be presented to EU decision-makers at the European Forum on the Rights of the Child.
And just like that, it was time to say goodbye to new friends until next time.
| "It’s amazing to be able to feel like I'm making a difference. I get quite anxious about the future sometimes because I feel I can't do anything about it, but this event gave me a voice and I felt that I was being listened to - something I am incredibly grateful for. Amy, 16 |