On 7 and 8 April, young people from across Ireland and Europe gathered in Leinster House as part of the 27th national session of the European Youth Parliament, an event where young people mimic the workings of MEPs at the European Parliament.
Background
The European Youth Parliament is a unique educational platform that empowers young people from across Europe to be open-minded and active citizens, providing participants with a forum to develop and express their opinions on a wide range of topics.
By bringing young people from different backgrounds closer together, it also promotes intercultural dialogue and exchange.
Delegates attending the EYP event in the Dáil Chamber
Event
In a team-building phase of the event, delegates to the event spend a day in their respective committees getting to know each other through various forms of name games, icebreakers and conflict games, which promote a sense of community in a committee and plant the seeds of constructive communication. Delegates will also spend time in committees discussing topics and collaborating to produce a European Parliament-style resolution.
The delegates spend the final two days of the event in the Dáil Chamber at Leinster house for the general assembly. Each committee will take turns to present the resolution formulated by committees, defend its resolution and engage in constructive debate with other committees over the quality and effectiveness of the resolution.
Group shot of delegates to the EYP event
The debate culminates in a vote across the entire general assembly on whether or not to pass the resolution.