the latest from the youth forum
What's new? Check out the latest news, statements and more from the Youth Forum.
From conversation to change: the European Youth Capital’s Policy Labs
What happens when young people and decision-makers sit at the exact same table to tackle local challenges? News from Tromsø, where they have implemented innovative Policy Labs to turn everyday youth experiences into concrete political action. Read more to discover what meaningful youth participation actually looks like in practice!
Live, work, create: a central mission for this year’s Youth Capital
True North has one of the most important missions for their European Youth Capital year, to make the region better for young people to live, work and create in the Norwegian Arctic. That’s why the Youth Capital team keeps questioning, what makes young people stay, come back and leave?
Beyond a single capital: how Tromsø is building a community across Northern Norway
In Honningsvåg, Norway’s northernmost city, the local rock band Hekla Stålspiker takes the stage. A crowd of young people gathers, marking the start of European Youth Capital 2026 far from Tromsø itself. This is just one out of 14 opening ceremonies organised across Northern Norway.
European Youth Capital 2029: we know the 5 finalist cities
2026 belongs to Tromsø, it's the year where Northern Norway puts youth participation and creativity in centre stage. The spotlight will then move south to Parma in 2027, before landing in Podgorica in 2028. But what about 2029? The shortlisted cities are in and the race is officially on.
Youth participation in towns and cities: The Council of Europe's updated Charter
Young people are, as the Council of Europe's updated Charter on youth participation puts it plainly, "the generation that will be most affected by today's decisions." They have a right to participate in those decisions. But rights on paper mean little without the conditions to exercise them. That is exactly what the newly revised European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life sets out to define.
A year of courage: Thank you Lviv!
As the war remains ever present - nearly four years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine - Lviv’s year as European Youth Capital 2025 is about to come to an end. This has not been a regular European Youth Capital year. Read our article to find out more.