Highlights
CYF 2021
- Events
- October 16, 2021
Quick Recap & Overview
On the 16th of October 2021, the first-ever Changemakers Youth Forum (CYF) took place in Budapest amidst an enthusiastic group of young leaders, youth organisations, stakeholders, and a lot of curious young people in Hungary who were there to learn, network and discuss solutions to youth-related challenges.
After several months of planning and organising, the GiLE Foundation facilitated the co-creation of the CYF, together with Pact4Youth Hungary, International Diplomatic Student Association (IDSA), V4SDG, and Erasmus Student Network Hungary. Our core organising team was further supported by AIESEC in Hungary and Simonyi Károly Szakkollégium, as strategic youth partners of the CYF.
We collectively brought to life an international platform that offers plenty of skills development opportunities and which provides young leaders and youth in Hungary with safe spaces to share their opinions and engage stakeholders on youth-related challenges.
The highlights for CYF 2021 is shared under the following headings:
(Tap on any of the above headings to jump straight to the relevant section)
(Click on any of the above headings
to jump straight to the relevant section)
1. Opening Plenary + Keynotes
After much anticipation, the Chairperson of the Changemakers Youth Forum (CYF), Mr Craig V. Johnson, officially opened the forum. Mr Johnson touched on the purpose and long term strategy of the forum, and he also elaborated on why it’s crucial to have platforms that promote youth engagement and youth participation.
Mr Johnson noted that the forum is under the patronage of the Hungarian National Commission for UNESCO, and he thanked the forum’s co-creators and strategic youth partners for their contributions and efforts.
Keynotes:
Jan Peloza
President at the European Youth Card Association.
Ambassador Katalin Bogyay
Diplomat, President of the United Nations Association of Hungary.
Jacques Spelkens
Board member of CSR Europe.
Ambassador Katalin Bogyay
Diplomat, President of the United Nations Association of Hungary.
Jan Peloza
President at the European Youth Card Association.
Jacques Spelkens
Board member of CSR Europe.
During the opening plenary session we were treated to inspiring keynotes from:
- Ambassador Katalin Bogyay, President of the United Nations Association of Hungary, spoke about youth empowerment, youth training and leadership programs at the United Nations. The Ambassador elaborated on the importance of having young people contribute to creating innovative solutions and driving social progress.
- Jan Peloza, President at the European Youth Card Association (EYCA), joined us virtually from Slovenia to speak about why young people should make an impact. Mr Peloza introduced EYCA, discussed the European Union’s young engagement campaign, #StandForSomething, and emphasised the role of youth in changing the future to a more sustainable one.
- Jacques Spelkens, a Board member of CSR Europe, shared several insights about corporate social responsibility from a CSR Europe perspective as well as internally from within companies who need young people to develop. Mr Spelkens emphasised the important need for change and why we need to work together, through co-elaboration, to collectively develop solutions.
2. The Presidents' Roundtable
Another feature event that took place at the CYF was The Presidents’ Roundtable when several young leaders from impactful youth organisations shared the stage to discuss social issues and youth-related challenges in Hungary.
Each leader elaborated on the specific challenges that impact their organisation, and how stakeholders can get involved to play a meaningful role to address them.
See Key Findings 2021 below for more information.
Participants:
Daniel Al-Nuwaihi – President of AIESEC in Hungary
Lilla Bartuszek – Secretary-General of V4SDG
Craig V. Johnson – Chairperson of the Changemakers Youth Forum (Moderator)
István Kárász – President of the Pact4Youth Association Hungary
Bernadett Pintér – President of the Erasmus Student Network Hungary
Tereza Suk – President of the International Diplomatic Students Association (IDSA)
Pál Weisz – President of the Simonyi Károly Szakkollégium
3. The Conference on the Future of Europe: The role of Youth in shaping the Future
The Conference on the Future of Europe is a year-long dialogue between citizens and the European Union. It represents a huge opportunity for young people to actively participate in shaping their future by sharing their ideas, concerns and suggestions when it comes to addressing youth-related challenges and priorities.
István Kárász, moderated a panel discussion and World Cafe session which covered topics such as Corporate Social Responsibility, Circular Economy, Youth in Policymaking, Innovation and Sustainable economy, Quality Education, and many more.
Zsófia Rácz also delivered a talk on the role of youth in the decision-making process. The Deputy State Secretary gave examples on how she engages young people to successfully incorporate their ideas and criticisms into youth policy.
Participants:
István Kárász – President of Pact4Youth Hungary (Moderator)
Tamás Rentz – Head of Sustainable Development Department at the Hungarian Ministry for Innovation and Technology
Nóra Rodek – Senior Lecturer at University of Pannonia & Founder of The Rodek Method (CSR EMAT)
4. Career Fair & Exhibition Area
The Career Fair and Exhibition area was a fantastic opportunity that wasn’t missed by attendees. The atmosphere was buzzing and interactive, and it provided young people with a meaningful opportunity to connect with youth organisations and companies looking for volunteers or entry-level professionals.
Attendees gained unique insights into the skill sets that are required by businesses nowadays. They discovered what HR managers are looking for in potential employees, and they also had the chance to engage with the co-creators and strategic youth partners of the forum.
The various youth organisations that were present also shed light on their activities and the causes they stand for.
Exhibitors:
- AIESEC in Hungary
- EIT Health Alumni
- Erasmus Students Network Hungary
- GE Gas Power
- GiLE Foundation
- Global Shapers Hungary
- Greenwill
- International Diplomatic Students Association
- MYCOlive
- Pact4Youth Hungary Association
- Simonyi Károly Szakkollégium
- Sustainaware
- V4SDG
5. Skills Development & Presentation Sessions
The following sessions were hosted at the CYF 2021:
How to Become a Changemaker
Session Hosts: GiLE Foundation & Erasmus Student Network Hungary
GenZ Diplomacy
Session Host: International Diplomatic Students Association (IDSA)
The Future of Leadership
Session Host: GE Gas Power
The Future of Freelancing
Session Host: Briefly
Youth for Sustainability
Session Host: V4SDG
Learn to Code
Session Host: Simonyi Károly Szakkollégium
The Theatre of Communication
Session Host: LathamFlow
Youth Mobility
Session Hosts: AIESEC in Hungary & Erasmus Student Network Hungary
Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Session Host: MyCoLive
Think Global, Act Local
Session Host: AIESEC in Hungary
Youth-led Climate Action 4 Our Futures
Session Host: Sustainaware
New Connections: MyStory is YourStory
Session Host: HelloRobotika
6. Key Findings & Conclusion
Despite 2021 being another challenging year for all humanity largely due to COVID, it still proved to be successful for the GiLE Foundation and all the co-creators of the CYF. Throughout the year, there was direct engagement with youth organisations, young leaders, and hundreds of young professionals, graduates and students living in Hungary. And our collective efforts ultimately culminated into our inaugural CYF.
CYF 2021
Key Findings
We are proud to present our key findings on youth-related challenges in Hungary.
We are always searching for new social responsibility partners, sponsors, funders, collaborators and personal development trainers. If you or your your organisation is in a position to support our youth forum, in any shape or form, then we strongly encourage you to please get in touch with us at:
7. Acknowledgments
Thank you to all the original co-creators and strategic youth partners of the CYF.
We appreciate the contributions from each and every organising member who helped to plan and organise the CYF.
We are also grateful to all the sponsors who supported our event.
- Co-Creators & Strategic Youth Partners for CYF 2021
- Supporters & Sponsors for CYF 2021
Thank you to all the supporters of the CYF. First and foremost, the Hungarian National Commission for UNESCO for granting patronage to the CYF. We are also grateful to Bethlen Gabor, GE Gas Power in Hungary, EIT Health Alumni, Sustainaware, MyCoLive, Doboz and SPOT Photography for all your meaningful contributions. We also appreciate each and every person who physically attended the CYF on the day.
