One Week in Europe – An Article from the Veliko Tarnovo National Session of EYP Bulgaria

As I arrived for the first time into a National Selection Conference (NSC) for EYP, as well as my first travel to this town in Bulgaria called Veliko Tarnovo and lastly my first impression with a whole new learning ideology about Europe which EYP opens you with, I could only think about the nervousness which was creeping my bones the whole morning of the first day. All of this didn’t disappear after my first day but I can assure that after meeting new people from completely different backgrounds but still in the same age group as me and with the same shared interests that put us together in this small place of Europe, my view and feeling changed from nervous to excited and eager to learn more. Because this same group of people who were attending maybe their third to fifth NSC had more knowledge of it as me. Why do I say this? Because I of course could to nothing but compare it to Iceland where nothing like this seems to exist.

A network for young people run by young people that creates opportunities for young people to meet other (young) people from Europe. I am sorry in advance for my repeated use of the words “young people” but there is no other way to put it. It was unthinkable but there I was, enjoying my days by meeting and learning from new people from all over the continent, Italy, Turkey, Poland, Belgium, Portugal, Spain and many more…

The funniest thing is this wasn’t even an international conference and still it was as diverse and multicultural as anything I could have imagined, still there was one thing that seemed to unite most of the people. The feeling of Europe. I know it sounds crazy, but everyone knew that the reason for them being there was the idea of a united Europe. Not in the sense of a one country under one flag, but over a heterogeneous idea in which even with different views over diverse concepts we could sit down and discuss them in an equal way. In a world where it seems we could not be more different from one another and the polarization of issues seems to be daily news, a group of around 120 youths from mixed backgrounds could deliberate about different problems, such as the effect of globalisation on indigenous people and traditions or the increased shortage of labour in the workforce. The themes were so far away from each other in the spectrum that it took my breath away and put me to work and study as much as I was socializing all this week.

Looking back, I still do not know how all these experiences were compressed into just one week. And to think that this type of events happen in different countries all year round is completely abnormal for me, but as I said before my views on multicultural associations and the way youth can operate and run this type of organization of events is completely changed after my trip to the conference. Right now, I can only wait eagerly to participate in my next one. As a delegate or an organiser, taking part in this opens so many different doors you didn’t even know existed before and that is why I recommend it with all my heart.

Thanks a lot.

– Salvador Di Marzio Láruson

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This publication is part of the EU-funded Youth Together for Arctic Futures project. The project is led by the WWF Global Arctic Programme, in cooperation with the Arctic Youth Network, European Youth Parliament, Saami Council, Arctic Mayors’ Forum, Tromsø Kommune, University of Tromsø, and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists. This publication was funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the European Youth Parliament and partners and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.