Beyond Berlin 2011

It's over. A four day intensive course on Europe, half a day or so exploring the city at leisure, and i was on my way home.

As with most subjects, having now gained a fuller understanding of the issues involved, the picture has gotten anything but clearer. We've learned about the EU, The CoE, YFJ, The CDEJ, and a long list of other subjects with untold combinations of letters for names. Unlike a lot of other subjects however, now I know more about EU Youth Politics, I feel I need to actually do more; especially because, we within the YMCA really do have the capability. From allowing our young people to access grate scemes, such as the European Volunteer Service, to implementing participatory models like that of structurd dialogue, it can be done. Crucially, to those completing work like we do in my local YMCA, it can be done, whilst actually strengthening our position.

I'll not ramble on about the details of the seminar any longer, for fear of alienating you from what is a really interesting topic. What i will do however, is urge you to find out a little about who's representing you in your National Youth Forum, or Youth Parliament, or if you're really interested in youth representation, in the European Youth Forum (YFJ). Many of us have meetings, forums, and consultations taking place on a local level. If we collectively dare, sharing a bit of information with these brilliant young people might allow us to contribute on levels we often fail to give any consideration, and help us together achieve some amazing things. Berlin in this sense, has always and will always been about what happens beyond it, about how we choose to contribute, once we know the methods out there.

I thought as a final part of my entry, I'd leave you with just one more photo I snapped. In a city as historical, and as awe inspiring as Berlin Berlin, it's impossible not to come into the contact with the legacy of human action, and inaction; both have led to misery and the destruction of lives at some point in its both beautiful and tortured history. For the members of a fellowship as old, vast, and diverse as the YMCA, exactly whose responsibility it is to act is not always clear when we meet challenges outside of our normal responsibilities. Our continued positive impact however, requires that we all contribute however possible, whenever the opportunity arises. We at the conference committed ourselves to pushing for decision makers to actively consider young people when forming policy that affects them. These are the faces of some of the people from the 13 national movements that took part and made that commitment. I hope upon seeing the faces of strangers joined despite difference for the good of their fellows, you will also commit to helping the people that matter get their voice heard, where it matters.