Case study
Title of the case study: The Young European Ambassadors
Description of the case study: The Young European Ambassadors Initiative (YEAs) creates a vibrant network of young people, between 16 and 26 years old and from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, the EU Member States and the UK, who are raising awareness of the cooperation of the EU in the Region.
The Young European Ambassadors also help with developing youth policies and are working together for realizing a better future. This Initiative started already in June 2016 being part of the ‘EU NEIGHBOURS east’ Project under the Open Neighbourhood Program of the EU. Now in 2021 there are already hundreds of Young European Ambassadors in the six mentioned countries from the EU’s eastern partnership, the 27 EU Member States and the UK which means that there are now already Young European Ambassadors from more than 30 different countries. The YEAs are volunteering students, young professionals and leaders who are undertaking more than hundreds of activities across the involved countries and also online. Through the Initiative the YEAs gain opportunities of volunteering, career building and young leadership. They are taking part in and contributing to EU Events like European Youth Forums; Expert trainings in which they gain first-hand and detailed knowledge about the EU from Experts in EU Affairs (EU Officials, Diplomats, Journalists, Leaders of Civil Society and Companies); YEA trainings in which they learn to transfer their gained knowledge to peers while keeping up the high level of knowledge quality; community events and online activities. Through the Initiative the YEAs find the opportunity to meet new people who are like-minded while coming from so many different countries, and to develop further their personal skills. The Initiative also offers to the YEAs the opportunity to travel through their countries and to interact and exchange ideas with many others from their countries about the European Union, about the partnership their specific country is having with the European Union and about all the opportunities that are connected to the partnership between the European Union and their specific country. While being active in their communities, the YEAs are having the chance of showing their friends, family and country through spoken and written (e-)word the society and world they would like to live in and about which they are dreaming. In this way the YEAs are having a strong impact on the people around them and so always gradually further on their fellow countrymen, on all their lives and finally on the future of their country.