Dinamo rocks at Round Table about Youth and Mobility.

A new way of Round Table.

As Dinamo, my EVS hosting organization, promotes youth participation and as well likes to lobby their interests within the governmental level, then I got the great chance to go for a round table about the topic of "Youth and mobility" connected with the celebration of the European Single Market, which was organized by the IPDJ or in english saying the Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth. Yes, thats right, they mix the sports and youth all in one place.  So yes, we were invited to participate in the round table, where to share the experience and out vision on the youth opportunities and how mobility works from Dinamo perspective.

So far my round table experience always lead to the actual round table, where everyone is equal and can easily feel part of it. Here i learned that they like to call a round table event where there is actually a discussion panel. So yeah, we were far from the round table. the "big" men seated in the front of us, delivering their speeches regarding the topic, and then afterwards, audience were allowed for questions.

Have to say, that unfortunately the IPDJ guys had selected the "perfect" timing not to see many of the young people actually participating, as it was monday early afternoon. Still don`t know if they did it on purpose, not to have too many youngsters, or why the time was as it was. As well, the promotion among the youth i think was missing or for sure they used not the right channels, as, sad to see, but the "round table" room was very empty. If Portugal has over 10 million people, and only around 20 young people are here...then were is the point?

As what to say about the presentations, then I cannot evaluate them completely, as they all were of course in portuguese language. However, it also gave me better chance to not listen much of texts, but overview their presentation skills, as lately i`ve been very picky and very focused to investigate of how good people are here with presenting themselves and selling their messages. I am very happy to tell, that out of all the speakers, Matia and Dinamo rocked the stage, as he was great with his improvised speech, it sounded natural, simple and understandable for all the audience. Plus not only sharing well known facts of how things are, but also showing examples of how things can be changed, and are already in the changing processes. So yeah, Dinamo rocked the event.

Other than that, I did not see for most of all other speeches. First one, which was done by the European Commission guy was like in a school teaching of what is European Single Market, but not really much of how youth is connected, nor anything else of the youth matters. So boring.

National ERASMUS representative organization were good in emphasizing the growing numbers of portuguese people sent abroad, however no talks or no real examples if the quantity is also the quality.

In this conference it was my first encounter with the National Youth Council of Portugal, where with this matter they were showing their concern of that portuguese youth is emigrating, and nobody is doing anything to hold them in country. I wish, i`d heard some of the examples what could be done, however it was not there, or lost in the very fast portuguese language, so i just did not hear if it was there.

last but not least, the other of two NGOs there ProAtlantico made a presentation of the EVS, as they turn out to be the leading NGO of sending youth abroad for the European voluntary service. I may be too educated with this topic, however I strongly felt that the presentation was meant to be in other place, like in front of university students presenting why its cool to go for this project not really heard of the topic how this helps or does not helps youth and mobility in Portugal. Was strange.

I don`t exactly remember the other speakers, nor the speeches...so it may mean that it was nothing really worth remembering.

I wish I heard more of the actions taken than the old facts shared, as most of times i felt like being back in school and learning about what is ERASMUS or what is EVS or what is European Single Market, is this the youth and mobility worth topics for round table discussions? Well...

Nevertheless of the program itself, nor the amount of how many participants. There I managed to meet great people and will see where those contacts takes me and how the things may change in Portugal for good.

Stay cool,

S.