Youth convention gets participants on their bikes
Combining theory with practice was the aim of the youth work convention in Ghent. So on Friday afternoon each participant was given a bike so that they could set out on a voyage of discovery around 18 different youth work projects in Ghent.
The places they could visit included the de Centrale world culture house which brings people of different cultures together around music, and the Kinky Star music centre which gives teenagers the opportunity to get their first experience on the stage or in a music studio.
Infectious enthusiasm
The participants were all very enthusiastic about this outing. Ildikó Ferencsik (Hungary): "It is very interesting for us to really see and experience how youth work is approached here in Ghent. The energy of the people that I meet here is infectious!" As a national delegate for the youth work sector from Hungary, Ferencsik is already busy preparing for the Hungarian presidency of the EU which starts on 1 January 2011. "I have made a lot of new contacts with experts from all over Europe. Of course, the meetings with the Council of Europe delegation are of great interest to me."
Epaminondas Marios (Cyprus) found that alternating theory and practice really gave the convention added value. "I work for the Ministry of Education and it is particularly interesting for me to see how youth policy is implemented in practice in other countries. I have learnt a lot from the people I have met here, particularly about the interaction between youth organisations and the government. And of course it has been great to get outside the meeting room, particularly as we have had such lovely weather here in Ghent."
