Welcome Words from Anya Suprunenko, the New Executive Director of EYP

Today marks the first day in my new role – a new chapter for me professionally and for EYP.

It is an incredible honour for me to lead and to serve this organisation as much as I am excited about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for all of us.

Over the last years, we have focused a lot of our energy inwards – developing our youth-led governance structures, putting together the strategy and building the systems and processes to support our work and allow the National Committees as well as the International Office to run effectively and efficiently. This was an essential part of our development and we are now seeing the fruits of our effort – a well-structured and well-functioning, dynamic organisation. Of course, the recent Covid-19 crisis is challenging us all. It affects the very core of our work which is bringing many young people closely together. However, the agility displayed in the past weeks and months, namely organising our first ever digital session, digital alumni reunion, gives me confidence that we will master this crisis together and emerge stronger.

As we develop, I believe as an organisation we must now begin to turn our attention outwards and more thoroughly engage our stakeholders alongside the wider public. Together, with all the National Committees, we could focus more on the impact, on the results, highlighting the crucial role EYP plays in society as well as its relevance as an actor in addressing the numerous challenges faced by the countries across our continent. Above all we should keep on staying true to our core mission, to inspire young people into becoming active citizens. We should broaden our reach to engage communities we may not have activated before. Our new digital formats may also prove to be of help. 

Over the coming months, I am looking forward to meeting with many of you to discuss your own thoughts on the challenges and opportunities for EYP. 

I am excited to engage with you in the virtual world as well as the real world!

Anya

Anya Suprunenko is the “Future of Europe” scholar of the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin. She graduated with a Master of Public Policy. She holds a degree in International Economics from the Kyiv National Economic University in Ukraine. Anya has known EYP for 13 years. She served on the Governing Body (2015-2016), and head-organised an International Session in Kyiv (2014). She joined the EYP Office four years ago as Senior Project Manager.