The Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) initiative in Ukraine

The aim of the network is to raise awareness about the EU’s cooperation with its Eastern partner countries, showcase the tangible results of this cooperation, contribute to policy dialogue on various topics, help increase civic activism and work together for a better future.

Location: Ukraine

All organizations: Youth engagement

WHO ARE WE?

The Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) initiative is a non-political, voluntary, vibrant communication network connecting and building bridges of friendship among young people from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and the EU Member States and the United Kingdom. The aim of the network is to raise awareness about the EU’s cooperation with its Eastern partner countries, showcase the tangible results of this cooperation, contribute to policy dialogue on various topics, help increase civic activism and work together for a better future.

The YEAs initiative was established in June 2016 as part of the ‘EU NEIGHBOURS east’ project.

In 2021, there are more than 500 YEAs in six eastern partner countries, in 27 EU Member States and in the UK representing over 30 different nationalities.

The Young European Ambassadors are students, young professionals and community activists who are volunteering their time to engage in hundreds of activities across the countries and online.

The YEAs initiative offers volunteering, career building and young leadership opportunities to its network members. They contribute to and take part in:

- International events including European youth fora, Eastern Partnership conferences, EU study trips and seminars across the region and in the EU Member States

- YEAs Academy to learn about key EU topics straight from the experts that deal with them on a daily basis, including EU officials, diplomats, journalists, representatives of civil society and companies.

- Mentorship programme enabling YEAs can become trainers, mentors or advisers within the initiative so they are able to transfer their knowledge and experience to their peers.

- Civic engagement activities such as talks, workshops, ideathons, quizzes, meetings, school visits, fairs, Europe Days or Instagram live debates, online bingos, social media campaigns, vlogs, social media channel takeovers and much more.

We organise YEA-led social media campaigns and public diplomacy activities, workshops, ideathons, pub quizzes, meetings, school visits, fairs, Europe Days or Instagram live debates, online bingos, vlogs, takeovers and much more. The YEAs have the chance to represent their countries at meetings with high-level EU officials, contribute to policy discussions by participating in a variety of EU events, including European youth forums and Eastern Partnership conferences.

Being a Young European Ambassador you will have the opportunity to meet new, like-minded young people and develop your personal and professional competences. You will get to know other young people from your and other countries who share same ideas and interests as you. You will travel across the country and interact with other people about the European Union, its partnership with your country and the opportunities it offers. All of this will help you to improve your competences in the fields of teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, communication, etc., to name the few. These are important soft skills to have for your future careers!

By being active in your community, you will get the chance to show your friends, your family and your country what kind of community you would like to live in. You will be able to empower the people around you and have an impact on their lives!

In the end, and most important of all, being a Young European Ambassador gives you the chance to make friends, to share your knowledge and experiences, or simply to discover yourself and the world around you!

WHAT DRIVES US?

We are a vibrant and diverse community who keep engaged and share our knowledge, views and experiences.