WILLEMSTAD - EUROPE DIRECT Curaçao, the European Union (EU) information center, organized an EU Youth Conference on April 4th and 5th: ‘Make it Strong - Empower the Caribbean Youth’. The year 2022 has been designated by the EU as the European Year of Youth. The conference is organized in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the University of Curaçao (UOC) to start a dialogue with Caribbean young people about the importance of Europe for Curaçao and what EU citizenship can mean for them. Very recently, the Curaçao Youth Sounding Board was established to help shape the EU Youth Year activities.
The first day of the EU Youth Conference took place on the campus of the University of Curaçao (UOC) and was introduced by Roberto Willems. He is an advisor of the national network for global citizenship and internationalization in the Netherlands and an ambassador for eTwinning. Mr. Willems discussed the challenges we are experiencing worldwide because of COVID-19 and how the EU wants to tackle these challenges together with the next generation. He emphasized the added value of the multilingualism of our young people, which is a great asset in Europe. Students from the student councils of MIL, Radulphus College and the UOC responded enthusiastically and shared their vision for the future and the EU priorities they also see for Curaçao. According to these young people in Curacao, innovation, digitization, and education should be top priorities.
The second presentation was given by Judric Pietersz, Deputy Territorial Authorizing Officer for the European Development Fund (EDF) for Curaçao. Ms. Pietersz discussed the successful EU projects that have been carried out in Curaçao and the projects that will be financed with EU funds in the coming period. After the lunch lecture on EU citizenship, which was led by Prof. Dr. Flora Goudappel, Dean of the Faculty of Law of the University of Curaçao and an EU expert, the young people were shown around the Technical Faculty of the UOC. They were introduced to the technical disciplines; the way to the green and digital jobs of the future.
On April 5th and 6th, Europe Direct Curaçao also provided EU guest lectures at Ancilla Domini and Radulphus College led by Mr. Willems, accompanied by some members of Europe Direct Curacao Youth Sounding Board to involve several young people in the Europe debate. The EU themes were also addressed during the webinar on April 6th in which the two EU Youth Representatives from the Netherlands, Leah Corsmit and Leverne Nijman, informed participants about the influence of Europe on our daily lives and the functioning of the different EU institutions.
Eduard Slootweg, head of the Dutch translation department of the European Parliament, based in Luxembourg, discussed the possibilities for young people to obtain a paid internship at an EU institution. Arxen Alders, former trainee at the European Parliament Liaison Office in The Hague, shared his experiences with the young people.
Images and conclusions of our seminars will soon be shared via our social media channels through Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin.
Europe Direct Curaçao, an initiative of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Curaçao and the Stichting Caribische Belasting en Europawinkel (CBE) has been launched since May 2021. The establishment of EUROPE DIRECT CURAÇAO is financially supported by the European Commission, the executive committee of the European Union. Those looking for information about the European Union usually don't know where to start. The European Commission has therefore set up an information network. This network has been active throughout the EU under the name of Europe Direct for some time, but not yet in the Caribbean region.