Strasbourg – European Parliament : 120 young people from rural areas made their voices heard on May 21 and 22 at the MFR Youth Festival. Two intense days, rich in exchanges, ideas, convictions, and above all, a collective message: rural youth are actors in European democracy.
An event of national and European scope
Organised by the network of Rural Family Homes, the Youth Festival brought together nearly 1000 participants in total at three major sites – the European Parliament, Grand Est Regional Council and Congress Palace – including 200 gathered within the European Parliament itself, including 120 young people from rural areas, alongside numerous local, regional and national decision-makers, in a highly symbolic setting: the hemicycle of the European Parliament.
Around the theme "Peace with oneself, with others, with the world", the young people debated and voted nine concrete recommendations constituting an advocacy for rural youth. This work is part of the continuity of Sustainable Development Goals (ODD) and European Youth Goals, in connection with the dynamics of the European Youth Dialogue.
Three major axes, nine strong proposals
The plea voted for by young people is organized into three main themes, each carrying a civic ambition:
- Peace with yourself : mental health, emotional education, overall well-being
- Peace with others : equality, living together, respect and digital uses
- Peace with the world : climate justice, local partnerships, sustainable commitment
These proposals aim to strengthen the power of young people to act, while promoting their role in territorial and European dynamics.
Mobilized delegations and multi-scale cooperation
This festival could not have taken place without the mobilization of many stakeholders, starting with the MFR delegations who came in large numbers: the region MFR New Aquitaine, the region MFR Occitanie, and the region MFR Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, carried by the strong presence of the Ain delegation. Not forgetting: educational teams, territorial managers, European institutions, and above all the young people themselves. Through their words, their presence, their votes, they demonstrated their ability to take part in democratic life in a committed, constructive and collective manner.
Special mention to the European Parliament team for its exemplary welcome, its availability and its logistical support. The MFR network also thanks the administrators, public and associative partners, and all the people who contributed to making this event a highlight of rural and European democratic life.
Contagious energy for the future
This Festival will have left its mark on both minds and journeys. It illustrates the relevance of this sentence spoken in the Chamber:
“Europe is being built here, but it is being experienced in the territories.”
Beyond the event, it is a collective and transversal dynamic that has been triggered: that of a youth who thinks, builds, and hopes for a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable European democracy.
