To shape the future of the Alpine Region, the ideas of young people are needed. EUSALP is therefore working to embed the voice of young people in EUSALP activities in the long term.
In November 2017, the Bavarian EUSALP presidency organised a Youth Congress at the 1st Annual Forum in Munich. The Tyrolean EUSALP presidency took over and made the topic of youth involvement its priority. It invited young people to the 2nd Annual Forum in Innsbruck under the motto “shaping.future.together. with the next generation”. Based on the initiative of the Tyrolean presidency, the EUSALP General Assembly committed on its meeting on 20 November 2018 in Innsbruck to involving young people in the activities of EUSALP (Joint declaration on the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP), Innsbruck, 20 November 2018).
Initiated by the Tyrol and supported by the Swiss Federal Office for Spatial Development, the Office for Foreign Affairs of Liechtenstein, the Association Alpine Town of the Year and CIPRA International, the process “youth.shaping.EUSALP” was kicked off. True to its motto, co-determination is taken seriously from the very beginning. In the context of two workshops on 19 November 2018 in Innsbruck and on 29 and 30 March 2019 in Liechtenstein, 30 young people from all seven EUSALP states developed together with EUSALP representatives concrete proposals on how they want to participate in EUSALP. The young people elaborated three proposals:
- Inform and connect. Young people see the need for communication that reaches them through various channels. They propose direct information in schools, an interactive online platform on EUSALP (“WikiAlps”) and communication via social media (especially Instagram).
- Meet and share. Young people want to meet to share common experiences. EUSALP should therefore offer meeting opportunities related to EUSALP projects and topics.
- Act together. Young people do not only want to discuss or participate in meetings, but also act together and with EUSALP stakeholders to create tangible results.