Affordable housing, fair wages, measures against loneliness, education, climate and energy policy: the topics that the young people of the local group from Bochum in the network of Generation Europe – The Academy care about are diverse. To make their voices heard and highlight the questions they have for Europe, they have organised a photo exhibition. As part of Bochum’s European Weeks, they welcomed a special guest: Mayor Jörg Lukat visited the exhibition together with the young activists. They talked about Bochum, local politics, and European values in everyday life.
Since the beginning of the year, the Bochum group has been intensively exploring Europe and its future. They discussed their hopes and expectations of politics, formulated critical perspectives on current challenges, and developed their own ideas for solutions. Based on these discussions, the youngsters have now created photographic works that show their perspectives on democracy, politics, and social cohesion. The pictures connect European issues with concrete everyday experiences. They show what it means for young people when housing becomes unaffordable, when educational opportunities are blocked, or when they feel that political decision-makers do not take them seriously.
Making the Most of the Spotlight
The Bochum group deliberately scheduled their event to happen during the city’s Europe Weeks. This allowed the participants to present their concerns in a public setting where Europe is not just celebrated, but also discussed. For their event, they didn’t just invite political decision-makers and other stakeholders from the local community, but also their peers and anyone else who wanted to join the conversation.
The local group is supported and guided by the Department for International Youth Work of the City of Bochum in cooperation with the youth organisation Falken Bochum. Within the network of Generation Europe – The Academy, they work in a trilateral partnership with Càlam. Art, Educació, Sostenibilitat from Barcelona and Meta Cooperativa Sociale Onlus from Rome. This connection was also visible at the exhibition: the youngsters from Bochum showed how they discussed and developed their perspectives together with their peers from Spain and Italy.
Europe Starts Locally
Overall, the evening was a perfect example of how local youth work and European cooperation connect at Generation Europe – The Academy. Young people tackle topics from their own daily lives, exchange ideas with partner groups from other countries, and then present their results to the public.
On the day of the event, the photo exhibition was accompanied not only by great conversations. In addition to a music-filled opening to the event, the band My Demon’s Best Friend also took to the stage later on, inviting everyone to stay and enjoy the evening with their blend of indie and alternative rock, spiced with blues, funk and pop. This was a perfect way to round off a day on which young people could share their views on politics, democracy, and the future in many different ways – with the public, and also with the people in charge of their city.
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