European Youth Speak

EU Youth Speak is an on-line project of International Debate Education Association – IDEA, organization whose mission is to promote mutual understanding and democracy globally by supporting discussion and active citizenship locally.

Recognizing the potential of young people in building a better future for Europe and the world IDEA would like has launched an online advocacy and discussion project aimed at young people in EU as well as outside of its borders. The project aims at achieving the following goals:

• Encouraging young people to participate in a discussion and debate on vital European issues and become promoters of European debates in their communities;
• Providing technical support and expertise to young people engaged in European debates by disseminating information on European issues in a user friendly manner;
• Collecting information on young people’s views on Europe, its values and policies and feeding it to decision maker, media as well as civil society organizations engaged in European and global cooperation.

In true spirit of its international character and presence in over 40 countries all over the World, IDEA would like to promote discussion and debates that concern issues related to Europe’s relationship with the rest of the world and its foreign policy.

Through this project IDEA would also like to support the mission and efforts of recently established European Council of Foreign Relations (ECFR) to promote discussion and debate on the European foreign policy. IDEA would like to present current international issues in a youth–friendly manner and give young people an opportunity to express their views on the future of Europe and the world.

European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)

The European Council on Foreign Relations was launched in October 2007. Its mission is to promote a more integrated European foreign policy in support of shared European interests and values. ECFR was founded by a council whose members include serving and former ministers and parliamentarians, business leaders, academics, journalists and intellectuals.

ECFR has offices in: Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Rome, Sofia and Warsaw. ECFR’s advocacy and campaigns use internet and the media and aim at combining innovative political thinking, policy-making and civic activism.
Anyone who agrees to sign ECFR’s Statement of Principles can become an ECFR Associate Member. Associate Members will receive copies of publications, will be invited to take part in telephone briefings with leading foreign policy practitioners and will be consulted on the future direction of ECFR’s research agenda through online polls.