Between the 19th and 20th of November 2024, the "Social Cohesion in the Digital Transition" event gathered representatives of 14 youth and social work organisations across Europe, as well as some of the young people they support, in Brussels. The event was organised in partnership with the European Economic and Social Committee and YES Forum's founder member BAG EJSA.

Throughout the two day-event, participants grappled with how youth and social workers can contribute to ensuring social cohesion in the digital age, and the risks and opportunities posed by digitalisation in relation to disadvantaged young people.  

One of the central aims was for young people themselves to participate in civil dialogue at the EU level, and through the sharing of their perspectives, to grow in confidence and build skills. Professionals and young people alike benefited from the opportunity to share their experience, meet and network with key EU stakeholders. Over the course of the event, participants heard from a brilliant line-up of speakers on a range of relevant topics.  

Dialoguing at the European Economic and Social Committee

The European Economic and Social Committee hosted the first day of the programme. Neža Repanšek, Member of the EESC; Guillaume Hemmert, Policy Officer at Fair Green and Digital Transitions Research Unit at the European Commission; and Cornelia Kramsall, Responsible for International Education Projects at ipcenter dialogued with participants on the impact of digitalisation on social cohesion and the different actions undertaken by EU institutions and training and education centres.

In the afternoon, Mirco Trielli, from Zefiro (Italy) and Felix Neumann, from Diakonie Offenburg (Germany) showcased innovative ways that they have applied digital tools to a youth and social work context. They further shared their thoughts on what skills were needed for the future and provided some practical tips for engaging with AI. 

During an interactive dinner, participants experimented with making origami envelopes, each one containing a message from the YES Forum to Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). The envelopes were sent directly to decision-makers to set the scene for continued engagement in 2025.

At the heart of European policy-making

On November 20th, participants visited the European Parliament, where besides visiting the premises, they had the opportunity to meet with Johann Vohn and Hannah Gohlke, Spokesperson and Policy Advisor of the Parliament's Vice-president Katarina Barley. The exchange covered a range of important topics related to AI and digitalisation, and responses from Barley’s office stressed the importance of digital literacy and ensuring young people have a say in the policies that affect their lives, all of which are complimentary to the recommendations made in YES Forum’s ‘Navigating the digital transition: New Technologies in Youth and Social Work’ policy paper.  

Later, participants split in 3 groups to meet with civil society organisations based in Brussels, to learn more about their work. Robert Ranson and Katja Reuter welcomed a group and introduced Social Platform's advocacy work in Brussels. A second group met Sofie Amalie Stage, Secretary General of the Young European Socialists, while the third one visited Caritas Europa's premises to exchange with Agnieszka Zarzyńska, Youth Engagement and Institutional Development Officer, on how to promote youth participation within organisations.