Launched in 2020, the Mindchangers project is now coming to an end. To send it off in style, an event was held in Brussels at the end of September with many of its protagonists present. An ideal opportunity to take stock of this wonderful European adventure and shine a light on its numerous legacies.
Although Mindchangers will officially come to an end at the same time as the year 2024, the European project made one final stop on September 24th at the magnificent Brussels City Hall to properly conclude this four-year-long adventure. “After a quick welcome breakfast, the day opened with welcoming and congratulatory speeches from Élisabeth Degryse, the Minister-President of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, Jean-François Füeg, Deputy Director-General of the Ministry (Administration) of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, and Davide Gandolfi, Head of the International Relations and Cooperation Department of the Region of Piedmont, who is in charge of the overall coordination of this project which brings together nine partners from six European countries. “It’s been a great journey, even if it’s been a difficult one at times, because let’s not forget that it all started with Covid. We have nevertheless come this far and I’m convinced that everything we have sown will grow, thanks to you,” declared Mr Gandolfi, addressing his audience gathered in the venerable Gothic Hall and composed largely of young people actively involved in the project.
“More results than expected”
The masters of ceremony, Vinz Kanté and Dominik Kulczynski, from the non-profit organisation LIMIT Media, then gave the floor to a succession of various Mindchangers partners representatives to present all the work accomplished, starting with Giulia Randazzo, Technical Coordinator of the project. In a side conversation, she told us that Mindchangers had certainly given rise to “a great deal of work and stress”, but above all to a great deal of satisfaction. “We achieved lots more results than we expected. Not only in terms of the people reached, but also in terms of changes within the community of young people that we’ve got involved, the entities we’ve subsidised and our partners.” In total, no fewer than 114 projects have been funded thanks to Mindchangers, while more than 10,000 young people have been actively involved. Through the many communications deployed by the initiative, the number of people who have come into contact with its motto “Regions and youth for planet and people” is in fact in the millions.
Many legacies
But as the project reaches the twilight of its story, the legacies it is leaving behind are already emerging. On top of the rich personal and professional experiences accumulated by the various stakeholders, among other achievements Mindchangers facilitated the development of a practical guide for public authorities and associations, which was published in January 2023. “Its most important aspect is undoubtedly the fact that it’s not just a guide written by researchers, but rather from the perspective of young people on how to meet their needs and motivate them more in their collaboration with civil society organisations,” emphasises Alina Resceanu, Lecturer at the University of Craiova in Romania, who oversaw this academic component. As a bonus, this practical guide also served as a reference in the development of another Mindchangers legacy: the Youth Declaration, which was drafted in Stuttgart in September 2023 and sets out tangible proposals for action for local, national and European decision-makers. In the German state of Baden-Württemberg where the Declaration was created, it has already been mirrored both in local politics, where the voice of young people is now better represented, and among civil society organisations seeking to interact more effectively with young people. The challenge now is to ensure that the declaration permeates other regions and at European level. “It will be a long journey, but I’m sure it will be made easier by the fact that we in the different regions are now in contact with each other. That will perhaps also make it easier to find funding to continue the process,” hopes Dr. Christoph Grammer, Director of the Development Cooperation Office of the State Ministry of Baden-Württemberg.
Bubbly and poetry
At Brussels City Hall, the afternoon continued with exchanges and meetings in discussion groups on youth engagement, communication and education. “I feel very inspired by the different people I’ve met today,” says a pleased Navika Deol, a 26-year-old from Germany. “It was very impressive to see what the people present have already accomplished and all the experience that that brings.” The day was finally brought to a smooth conclusion with slam poetry, to the rhythm of spoken words recited by the Slameke collective. All that remained was to get the evening started with a good meal, some bubbles… and no doubt, for the more adventurous, an unspecified number of Belgian beers in the bars of Europe’s capital!