EYE 2025: Youth, New Connections, Debating, Workshops and a Valuable Experience

When we submitted our application to participate in this initiative at the end of last year, we had certain expectations, plans, and a clear vision. The outcome, however, exceeded all of them. Following several months of preparation, we were proud to take part in the EYE event.

Before the event itself, we attended multiple preparatory meetings where we deepen our understanding of inclusion, diversity, youth work, and the ethical standards for NGOs in Europe. Upon arriving in Strasbourg, we participated in a welcome cocktail reception in the city centre, where we had the opportunity to meet local politics, other activity organisers, and event volunteers. These interactions helped initiate new partnerships and strengthen existing ones.

We also took part in final organisational meeting at the European Youth Centre, a branch of the Council of Europe, where we finalised our responsibilities and coordinated logistics for the event. We contributed to the event setup, supported the installation of tents and structures, and took part in key planning activities. While this behind-the-scenes work may have appeared minor, it was essential to ensuring a smooth and successful programme and to promoting IDEA’s mission effectively.

On the first official day of the event, we organised a workshop “THE LOGIC LAB: CRAFTING STRONG ARGUMENTS”. This workshop introduced participants to the fundamentals of argument construction, debate principles, and the practical using of debating skills. We were pleasantly surprised by the level of interest and active participation by participants. In addition, we connected attendees with local debating organisations, primarily our members, and offered guidance on how to found debate club or strengthen debate activities in their school, cities and communities. This would not have been possible without the support of volunteers from Finland, Italy, and Slovakia, whose contributions were vital for providing our workshop for such a big amount of participants. We even wxceeded the tent limit and instead of 76 participants we delivered workshop to around 90 participant every time! 

During the second day of the event, we organised two showcase debates, featuring teams from Latvia and Italy, who debated about the future of nuclear energy in the European Union. Following these debates, participants in the audience took part in a debate too, especially in a public debate, where they asked our debaters questions, shared their perspectives, and discussed the implications of the topic. We also provided information about national debating networks and how young people could become active members of the debating community.

Throughout the event, we had the opportunity to visit the European Parliament and gain insight into the institutional functioning of the European Union. This experience deepened our understanding of European values, policy-making, and civic engagement.

We look forward to future collaboration and hopefully, in a two years we will meet again at the EYE event!

For more pictures from this event (and others event too) do not forget to follow IDEA on Facebook & Instagram.