When I was invited to write this article, the first feeling that assaulted me was contentment. Myself had the opportunity to participated in the university and had the chance to witness how big is this event, in numbers and in quality. This article does not aim to describe all the work that took place during one full working week, but I will try to give a general idea about all the activities. Its impossible to describe all the University only in one article, to fully understand the university you have to be there!!
But what is The University on youth and Development?
The University on Youth and Development is an activity jointly organised by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe, the Spanish Government (INJUVE), the European Youth Forum (YFJ), the Spanish Youth Council (CJE) and other international youth organizations (YEU included). Since its first edition in 2000, the University takes place once a year bringing together representatives of youth organisations and youth movement from all over the world who gather in the CEULAJ (Euro-Latin-American Youth Centre) to discuss, train and be trained as well as to take political action around the main issues in the global agenda. This 9th edition had place once more in the CEULAJ, Mollina (Spain) from 14th to 21st of September 2008.
The University on Youth and Development in 2008 was held under the theme of Intercultural Dialogue. The Joint programme, the Training activities, seminars and discussions were a contribution from youth organisations at the global level to Intercultural Dialogue. At the same time it is foreseen to generate a large celebration and strengthen the mobilization of global youth work in the field of Intercultural Dialogue. The theme of the University was also inspired and aimed to give a youth input on the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue and well as the in the implementation of the Council of Europe White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue - 'Living Together As Equals in Dignity' as well as the process of the Alliance of Civilizations.
And you are asking but what was the role of the YEU – Youth for Exchange and Understanding in the process?
YEU was in The University on Youth and Development in 2008 as co-organizer of the “Training for Trainers – Let’s get Glocal - Bringing Global Education to our Networks” (Youth for Exchange and Understanding- YEU and North-South Centre of the Council of Europe in cooperation with AEGEE, EFIL, YFU, CCIVS and IWO). This course which is financed by the Youth in Action Programme is aimed at young people and youth workers who are in a position to act as "multipliers" for a socio-educational philosophy based on participation, pluralistic democracy, intercultural learning and Human Rights, within a global context, as a basis for an open and just world for all. “Training for Trainers – Let’s get Glocal” addresses the needs of the partner organisations to have competent and autonomous trainers capable of contributing in a proactive and positive way to the learning needs of their organisations.
The others main activities on the University were:
Euro-Latin American Youth Forum – FEULAT (Latin American Youth Forum, European Youth Forum, INJUVE, Ibero-American Youth Organisation and Spanish Youth Council)
Seminar on Youth and the Alliance of Civilizations (in the frame of the partnership between the Council of Europe and the European Union organised by the European Youth Forum Partnership on Youth CoE –EU, the North-South Centre and the Islamic Conference Youth Forum)
International Working School- (organised by the Spanish Youth Council – CJE). With two training activities : A Training Course : “New Push for youth Participation: Africa-Latin America-Europe”, Organised by the Spanish youth Council (CJE) and the Portuguese National Youth Council (CNJ). And a Seminar “International School. Europe! How does it work?: What you need to know to do youth work”, aimed at member organisations of the Spanish Youth Council
Training Course on Participation and Citizenship (European Youth Forum and Korean Government)
Youth exchanges: key players in promoting intercultural and inter-religious dialogue (European Youth Forum-YFJ)
Training for Youth Leaders on Cultural Diversity (EEE- YFU Youth For Understanding)
Fulfilling Promises: Voluntary Service for Cross Cultural Integration of Young
Sub-group meeting of the Pool of Trainers on Global Education (European Youth Forum-YFJ)
The 2008 University also had one Joint Programme based on the theme Alliance of Civilizations and included some of the events described below:
Keynote on Intercultural Dialogue, Info market, Roundtable on Intercultural Dialogue, Plenary Session on Global Education, Fair Trade Evening.
This common spaces provided to all the participants the opportunity to discuss together in one place this subjects, even if you are in the University to work in different trainings or seminars,
A wide range of activities took place during the various evenings of the week providing good feeling to the participants, such as music sessions; outdoor cinema; theatre sessions; body painting; art sessions; dance; thematic exhibitions; traditional games and sports activities. A music band (“Ubanda”) and a theatre company of Forum Theatre (“ATOA”) performed during all week.
And it was the University on Youth and Development 2008, next year I want to be there again, and you??
Sérgio Cabrita
GB 
