More about Andrea: Andrea sees himself as a European citizen with an Italian passport. His engagement in youth organisations dates back 15 years and includes roles as a volunteer youth worker in a local youth club and as a member of the students council. In 2014, he joined the European Confederation of Youth Clubs (ECYC) and has organised international activities for young people and youth workers ever since. Andrea was previously employed in German-speaking civil society representations to the European Union and graduated with a Master’s degree in European Studies from the Université Libre de Bruxelles.

More about Benjamin: Benjamin first got involved with youth organisations in 2010 by joining the young socialists. Starting at local level, he quickly focused on European politics and thereby got involved with international youth work while also doing some local work for JEF.  

He works part-time for the educational department of the Lower Saxony Memorials Foundation in the field of international Holocaust education.

He is also a final year student of History and English Linguistics and Literature and is spending his final year abroad in the UK. From October onwards he will study a Masters in Historical and English Education in Berlin.

More about Jovana: Jovana is a medical doctor by vocation, currently doing her residency in Dermatovenerology in the Clinical Center of Serbia and postgraduate studies in Human Reproduction in the Belgrade School of Medicine.

She has been active in Democratic Youth in Serbia since she was 18 years old and from 2012 until 2016 she served as a counselor in the Belgrade Municipality.  In 2017 she was elected Vice President of Young European Socialists, and delegate of YES in the European Youth Forum. In current political career was involved in social policies, international affairs and EU enlargement with a specific focus on the Western Balkans.

More about Silja: Silja is devoted to advancing youth rights, and has for the past few years put her time and energy into supporting European youth organisations in engaging with various human rights processes. Since she was 11 years old, she has been active in the Guides and Scout movement and various Finnish youth organisations and has a background in the Finnish National Youth Council - Allianssi. Currently she studies social and cultural anthropology at the University of Helsinki.

About Rosalyn: Rosalyn works as a researcher on community organisations and has undertaken PhD research on sustainable cities and human behaviour. Her volunteering background is in students’ unions, Girlguiding UK and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, with a focus on governance and advocacy. In the European Youth Forum she focuses on sustainable development, climate change and supporting youth delegates in these spaces.

More about Michael: Michael first got involved in youth activism at 13 when he first participated in the Maltese National Youth Parliament. From there on he got involved in multiple youth organisations active in Malta and was eventually elected as President of the Maltese Youth Council, where he pushed for the introduction of vote 16 legislation for all elections in Malta, amongst other things. He is a Master’s student reading for a degree in Legal Advocacy and has his own small business. Michael is responsible for the participation portfolio in YFJ and also represents the platform at the Council of Europe’s Advisory Council on youth.

More about Loes: Loes got in contact with youth work and European politics through the local AEGEE group in her city in 2012 and was the president of AEGEE-Europe from 2017-2018. She firmly believes that youth work and international exchange are the keys to developing transversal skills, foster mutual understanding and stimulate active citizenship, and is passionate about making these opportunities accessible for young people from all backgrounds. Down-to-earth and driven by curiosity, she balances her time and enthusiasm between the European Youth Forum and her PhD in Seismology at the University of Utrecht.