October 30, 2019

“Remember. Reflect. React.” International Session in Hamburg

The 91st International Session of the European Youth Parliament in Hamburg has been a remarkable chapter of EYP’s history! For 10 days, more than 250 participants from 34 countries across Europe gathered in Hamburg, Germany to engage in intercultural encounters and to explore ways to be active citizens.

The International Session was organised by EYP Germany, a national member organisation of the EYP network. The session was an entirely youth-driven project, organised by young volunteers aged between 18 and 26.

The motto of the session was: “Remember. Reflect. React.” inspired by the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain in 2019 as well as the anniversaries of the three German constitutions of 1849, 1919, and 1949. Session’s topic aimed at drawing attention of participants from across Europe to the importance of remembrance culture and reflection on the past as well as the need to react and develop solutions for ongoing challenges in Europe. The event took place under the patronage of Dr. Peter Tschentscher, First Mayor of the Free Hanseatic City of Hamburg, and Heiko Maas, Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany.

Interacting with experts

15 experts from a variety of sectors provided background knowledge and shared hands-on experience with the 15 working groups.

Thanks to Friedrich Shculte, Head of Corporate Technology at innogy SE, the participants had a unique opportunity to engage in close-up conversations and gain valuable insights on the status of technological innovations in the energy sector.

Julia Mosser from UNHCR Germany, introduced the participants to the issue of diverse reception standards for asylum seekers across EU. Participants received an in-depth insight by Jennifer Hecht from Mercator Foundation on remembrance culture and the necessity of educational system to address the current challenges. Severin Ettl from BUND – Friends of the Earth Germany joined one of the working group for a talk and Q&A on the international climate justice. 

Furthermore, Sean Harrold and Grant Welstead from Editas Medicine based in Boston dialled in from across the ocean to provide participants of ENVI II Committee with the expert input on CRISPR and the future of gene modification as an effective treatment and prevention tool. 

“This international session was really eye-opening for me. We all know that there’s many countries with different cultures but you never really realize it or appreciate it until you’re actually immersed in all that beautiful chaos that it individuality. Overall, it was a truly life-changing experience.”

Participant from Cyprus,17 years old

Congratulations to EYP Germany and the organising team of Hamburg for making this event a big success.

You can reach the resolution booklet here and for more information on our International Sessions, please see our page here.