“YENIversary” Networking Weekend 2024
Networking Weekend “YENIversary”
From the 18th to the 21st of July 2024, the Youth of European Nationalities (YEN) celebrated their 40th Jubilee “YENIversary” with a Networking Weekend for members and alumni in Bleiburg/Pliberk, Austria. It was a weekend full of intergenerational exchange and a variety of workshops, talks, panel discussions, and presentations facilitated by multiple minorities from all over Europe. Besides that, a diverse array of cultural events, such as an open-mic night and a performance by the school band Ladja (from the Slovenian minority in Austria), turned the celebrations into a delightful come-together.
The YEN Board and office welcomed the participants with speeches about the past, present, and future. The celebration began with the unveiling of the new logo. Luka, YEN's treasurer from Mlada EL, thanked YEN for holding YEN's Jubilee in Carinthia/Koroška. To share some activities of the event, we have some reports and pictures about the individual activities of the weekend:
DAY 1
DAY 2
The festival ended with an entertaining concert by the young band “Ladja.” During the final hours, we danced, sang, and chatted together. It was a lovely get-together, and we are thankful to everyone who helped create this amazing exchange.
This event is supported by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and for Home Affairs, the Federal Chancellery Republic of Austria and the Ethnic Minority Office of the Province Carinthia/ Biro za slovensko narodno skupnost and in cooperation with the Slovene Info-Center / Slovenski Info-Center (SIC).
Call for Participants
Study Session Remembering, Resisting and Rebuilding: Combating Together Antigypsyism for Inclusive Societies Date and place: 6-12 October 2024 (including travel days) in Strasbourg, France Youth Express Network (Y-E-N) together with Youth of European Nationalities (YEN), in collaboration with ternYpe International Roma Youth Network are excited to announce a unique opportunity for Roma and non-Roma youth […]
YENiversary – Networking Weekend 18.-21.7.2024!
The Youth of European Nationalities (YEN) turns 40 and we want to invite you warmly to our „YENiversary“, a weekend full of networking, fun and cultural diversity. Together with our local partner the Slovenian Info-centre: “Slovenski info-center (SIC)”we want to gather around 100 people in Carinthia, Austria. Who is invited? Are you a member […]
Throwback to 2023!
Keeping Traditions Alive? In 2023 the focus of YEN’s activities was on traditions and the experiences of youth belonging to national, ethnic, or linguistic minorities. Traditions can be both vital and challenging for young minority members, as they ensure the existence of their communities while also pose potential harm. In three seminars in […]
YENs Easter Seminar 2024 “Know Your Rights!”
YEN‘s Easter Seminar took place in Budyšin/Bautzen, Germany, between 22nd-28th March on the theme “Know Your Rights!”. It was the second YEN event of 2024, after the first edition of the Activist Skills Training in Berlin in February. This year, the Easter Seminar was organised by YEN and Pawk e.V (Serbske młodźinske towarstwo/Youth group of […]
“YENIversary” Networking Weekend 2024
Networking Weekend “YENIversary”
From the 18th to the 21st of July 2024, the Youth of European Nationalities (YEN) celebrated their 40th Jubilee “YENIversary” with a Networking Weekend for members and alumni in Bleiburg/Pliberk, Austria. It was a weekend full of intergenerational exchange and a variety of workshops, talks, panel discussions, and presentations facilitated by multiple minorities from all over Europe. Besides that, a diverse array of cultural events, such as an open-mic night and a performance by the school band Ladja (from the Slovenian minority in Austria), turned the celebrations into a delightful come-together.
The YEN Board and office welcomed the participants with speeches about the past, present, and future. The celebration began with the unveiling of the new logo. Luka, YEN's treasurer from Mlada EL, thanked YEN for holding YEN's Jubilee in Carinthia/Koroška. To share some activities of the event, we have some reports and pictures about the individual activities of the weekend:
DAY 1
Manish Dutta (all pronouns) from PlanIMPACT, Krisztián Kárász (he/him) from Diversity Youth Network, and Felicia Touvenot (she/her), Convenor for Member Integration of Youth of European Nationalities, discussed the nuanced dynamics of identity within youth organisations, particularly focusing on intersectionality. Moderated by Van-Lam Trinh (they/them) (Office Member of YEN), they delved into the complex term "minority" and the struggles of intersectional marginalised groups within their organisations. Using examples from the LGBTQIA* Roma community and diverse minorities in YEN, as well as experiences within PlanIMPACT, a Human Rights organisation, Manish, Felicia, and Krisztián shared empowering projects and highlighted the importance of education and the inclusion of different marginalised people.
The open stage was an invitation for our participants to express themselves and share their talents and creations. Two of our members Fleicia and Glenon moderated the Open Stage in a theatrical play to motivate our participants from Minorities all over Europe to share their Minority languages through words, songs, rhymes, and jokes, but also through silence, gestures, and dances. It was a wonderful atmosphere of diversity.
Every YEN event also included the culture Exchange market, where participants shared songs, stories, food and drink from their minorities, and we all got the chance to find out more about each other’s organisations. The visit from our alumni led to an exciting exchange about the development of individual minorities as well as our umbrella organisation YEN. It was a fun evening, and a great way to unwind after the long day.
DAY 2
What does the journey of a person from Valencia who is looking for answers about how minorities live look like? My impression is that it was characterised by self-reflection. We were given a deep insight into the centuries-old, complex history of the Valencian community and its struggles for land, which still have devastating consequences today. But we also saw hope in his travels as he visited and documented other minorities threatened with extinction. One of the big questions that stuck at the end was how allochthonous and autochthonous minorities can work together.
In the workshop on "Non-Violent Communication," the particpants explored the four key components: Observation, Feelings, Needs, and Requests. Participants learned how to properly identify and articulate these elements to create more compassionate and effective interactions. Through interactive exercises, they practiced observing without judgment, expressing our feelings, identifying our needs, and making clear, respectful requests. By the end, attendees were equipped with practical skills to phrase and use non-violent communication in their daily lives. This transformative approach aims to enhance understanding and resolve conflicts peacefully.
On Saturday afternoon, Jenny Browne and Eva Eppler from YEN’s partner project RISE UP, created a minoritised languages quiz based on the project's language maintenance questionnaire published in 2023. They shared insights and comparisons on language varieties and uses, with focus on Aromanian/Vlach, Burgenland Croatian, Cornish, and Seto languages. 14 participants enjoyed the interactive nature of the quiz, matching sound clips to which language they hear, learning more about language families, and sharing thoughts about resources and language endangerment. The quiz aims to be a blueprint for future initiatives to spread awareness about and engage with the project’s chosen language communities.
With the challenges modern societies are facing today, the discussion was focused on the questions of what minorities and minority youth can give back to the society in general. Minorities can contribute significantly to society by driving economic growth through entrepreneurship and workforce diversity, fostering innovation and creativity. Their advocacy for social justice and equality leads to policies that benefit the entire community. Minority professionals enhance education and healthcare, improving outcomes and providing cultural competence. Additionally, their involvement in policy-making and environmental responsibility promotes fair and sustainable practices. Overall, minorities enrich the socio-economic fabric, creating a more inclusive, innovative, and equitable society.
Can you map your place, your home? What form do you give to it? What elements? Using examples of transnationalism and the history of the Sinti and Roma and the Yiddish communities, Leah invited us to question what connects us to a territory. With a catalogue of questions she asks herself while travelling, we could consider what places tell us about history and, therefore, the cultures that left their marks.
Leading up to the YENiversary, YEN curated a special YEN YouTube playlist featuring old videos from the YEN archive. Using the JUFA movie room, everybody gathered to enjoy a nostalgic journey through past campaigns, seminars, travels, and events together. It was a lot of fun to find active members or some familiar faces in some of the videos. Interested? You can still watch all the videos on our YEN - Youtube channel.
As there was no need for the participants to share their dances, we decided to have a second open stage! During the event, one of our participants collected sentences from different minorities to develop an interactive theatrical play with other participants. It was inspiring how all of the minority languages came alive.
The festival ended with an entertaining concert by the young band “Ladja.” During the final hours, we danced, sang, and chatted together. It was a lovely get-together, and we are thankful to everyone who helped create this amazing exchange.
This event is supported by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and for Home Affairs, the Federal Chancellery Republic of Austria and the Ethnic Minority Office of the Province Carinthia/ Biro za slovensko narodno skupnost and in cooperation with the Slovene Info-Center / Slovenski Info-Center (SIC).
Call for Participants
Study Session Remembering, Resisting and Rebuilding: Combating Together Antigypsyism for Inclusive Societies Date and place: 6-12 October 2024 (including travel days) in Strasbourg, France Youth Express Network (Y-E-N) together with Youth of European Nationalities (YEN), in collaboration with ternYpe International Roma Youth Network are excited to announce a unique opportunity for Roma and non-Roma youth […]
YENiversary – Networking Weekend 18.-21.7.2024!
The Youth of European Nationalities (YEN) turns 40 and we want to invite you warmly to our „YENiversary“, a weekend full of networking, fun and cultural diversity. Together with our local partner the Slovenian Info-centre: “Slovenski info-center (SIC)”we want to gather around 100 people in Carinthia, Austria. Who is invited? Are you a member […]
Throwback to 2023!
Keeping Traditions Alive? In 2023 the focus of YEN’s activities was on traditions and the experiences of youth belonging to national, ethnic, or linguistic minorities. Traditions can be both vital and challenging for young minority members, as they ensure the existence of their communities while also pose potential harm. In three seminars in […]
YENs Easter Seminar 2024 “Know Your Rights!”
YEN‘s Easter Seminar took place in Budyšin/Bautzen, Germany, between 22nd-28th March on the theme “Know Your Rights!”. It was the second YEN event of 2024, after the first edition of the Activist Skills Training in Berlin in February. This year, the Easter Seminar was organised by YEN and Pawk e.V (Serbske młodźinske towarstwo/Youth group of […]