THE future OF Europe – DREAMS AND MEMES

Throughout the GamifyEU Youth Exchange there were a series of activities that developed the understanding of the young participants regarding the Future of Europe.

The groups were divided into national groups from each partner organisation that were asked to firstly write on jamboard everything that comes to mind when they think about Europe. Based on these ideas the participants were asked to create a series of 90 seconds videos and memes representing their dreams about the future of Europe.

Videos

During the Youth Exchange, the participants created short videos explaining what their ideal EU would look like in the future. Young people called for a more inclusive Europe, where everyone can live freely regardless of their gender, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. In addition, the participants mentioned a more welcoming Europe for non-EU migrants and refugees entering the territory.

Some of the participants also called for more funds from the European Union towards youth mobility and educational programmes like Erasmus+, to provide more opportunities for young people and to promote interculturality. The bureaucratic processes in the EU also seem to be a worry for young people, as they want it to be less complicated to understand and at the same time focus on important matters like youth unemployment and climate change.

The participants also mentioned the need for more unity and solidarity among member states. In addition, there was a call for a larger European Union with the inclusion of all the countries of the continent and more connections between eastern and western Europe. The underlying issue that young people are most preoccupied with is climate change, where the European Union can become carbon neutral and more environmentally friendly.

Memes

The participants were also tasked with creating memes during the Youth Exchange. For this purpose, the groups were divided into national groups from each partner organisation that firstly had to brainstorm what they thought about the EU. Later, with the results of the brainstorming session the participants had to create creative memes related to the EU.

Each national team was able to create a variety of memes, but some common themes were Brexit, climate change and the social rights of the people. This was a chance for the participants to create funny content that raises questions about specific issues that the European Union needs to tackle in order to be more inclusive, equal and environmentally friendly in the upcoming years.