The 1st Academic Forum of the European Youth Parliament (EYP) Italy will be held in Genova, Italy, between the 1st and the 5th of September. During these five days, students will have the opportunity to debate and confront each other on the theme "Interactions in the Mediterranean: exchange, conflict and cooperation", with the aim of becoming a student-led think tank on the issues concerning the Mediterranean, from the refugee crisis, and overfishing to conflicts in the Middle East.

EYP is a unique educational programme which brings together young people from all over Europe to discuss current topics in a parliamentary setting.  As a network of independent associations, EYP is present in 40 European countries and organises almost 600 events every year. The EYP network organises almost 1.500 days of EYP activity every year, involving close to 35.000 participants. Thousands of young people are active as volunteers all over Europe, making EYP a programme truly for young people, by young people. The European Youth Parliament’s mission is to inspire and empower young Europeans to become open-minded, tolerant and active citizens.

During the Academic Forum, each student will be assigned to one of seven Committees, each with a particular topic to focus on and with the objective of designing an original, but effective resolution to confront the issue, based on the procedures of the European Parliament. On the last day, each Committee will present its resolution in the General Assembly, where it will be debated.

There are 70 places available and participation is open to university students from any course and with or without previous experience in the European Youth Parliament (EYP) or in similar associations. Selection will be based on merit, motivation and competence. The Forum will be a unique opportunity to experience five days of intercultural exchange of ideas, and to challenge oneself by working and debating in a team and in front of a large audience. It will also be a great opportunity to visit Genoa, a fascinating city on the Mediterranean sea, with a rich cultural history in terms of art, music and cuisine. Indeed, part of the old town is inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO and the city is the birthplace of Christopher Columbus and Niccolò Paganini. The participation fee is only €70 and covers room and board for the five days of the Forum, while remaining expenses are covered by our sponsors.

It is possible to apply until 14 June, 23:59 CEST,
via the following link: https://spark.adobe.com/page/CRaYD/ .

For more information, you can visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Genova2016/ or contact the head organisers via e-mail genova2016@eypitaly.org .