Youth conference organizers berate high-profile no-shows

Date:25/09/03

ORGANIZERS of a youth conference in Brussels have hit out at the "total indifference" shown to the event by MEPs and commissioners.

More than 250 people were invited to the debates, focusing on bridging the generation gap, which sought to bring together senior figures from politics and academia with the leaders of tomorrow.

But only 20 people turned up, with not a single MEP or commissioner among them.

One of the organizers, Martin Viehover, described the absence of any high-profile figures from the EU as "very disappointing".

He added: "We invited 250 and expected maybe about 50 to attend. So for only 20 to turn up was disappointing and even more so when no MEPs came, even though the Parliament is just a short walk away from where part of the conference was held. You can only assume that they simply didn't take us, or what we have to say, seriously and this is something which clearly needs addressing."

The conference was set up by Hamburg-based non-governmental organization called Youth for Inter-Generational Justice and Sustainability.

More than 70 delegates, aged from 16-33, attended the four-day event, which concluded last Friday. They represented 22 mostly European countries and were selected after responding to an invitation, published online, which asked them to provide reasons why they should be picked. Many of the participants had to pay their own travel costs.

The main topic was how young people can become more closely involved in EU decision-making and help bridge the generation gap.

Professor Raoul Weiler, president of the Brussels/EU branch of the Club of Rome think-tank and one of the few invited "wise heads" who did attend the event, said: "It's a shame we didn't have more adult participants because what these young people had to saying was worth hearing."

Organisers of a youth conference held in Brussels in September 2003 and focusing on bridging the generation gap, were disappointed at the low attendance and the fact that no MEPs or European Commissioners attended.