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What is this about?  

With the purpose of strengthening rural young people in their territories, MIJARC Europe launches its first youth conference on generational renewal. MIJARC Europe wants to create a space for youth organisations from all over Europe to gather, discuss, create and reflect about the question of “generational renewal in rural areas”.  

All around us, we hear that the rural population is continuously shrinking and that the future of Europe is urban. We believe this is far from being a foregone conclusion. Rural areas are already the place of many initiatives and alternatives started by young people creating their own paths.  

We want to bring hope to the future of rural areas without minimising the challenges of rural areas. We want to affirm that rural areas are young and showcase how rural youth choose to stay and develop their territories today.  

The aim of this event is to discover initiatives on generational renewal in rural areas, with a special focus on farming; shared tools, projects and best practices to accompany young people in their paths; exchange with different associations on the vision we want for rural youth.  

The event will give a special place to agriculture, as we believe that rural areas and agriculture are intertwined. Agriculture is a fundamental activity of the countryside, and it shapes the territories. However, agriculture can only survive in a living ecosystem: without dynamic rural areas, agriculture cannot thrive. 

The event will take place in English and in Spanish. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided.  

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Activities/Workshops: 

The event activities will focus on discovering initiatives on generational renewal in rural areas, networking between organisations, and identifying the challenges for young people to settle in villages.  

The event will be the place for different types of activities: plenaries and workshops on the main topic of the conference; workshops and case studies; exchanges between participants; games and popular education activities; and concerts (evening).  

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Main topics/directions:  

This conference aims to cover different topics that are dear to rural youth all over Europe under the prism of generational renewal: 

• 1. Rural youth vision for Europe 

• 2. An agricultural model to empower young farmers 

• 3. Preserving and developing culture in rural areas 

• 4. The role of youth organisations/youth work and civil society in rural areas 

 

Call for contributions:  

The heart of our youth conference lies in the initiatives and projects led by young people and organisations in rural areas. Their purpose is to address current challenges faced by rural youth, especially in relation to generational renewal, and to share practical, replicable solutions that can inspire action across Europe. We invite youth-led, community-based, and organisational initiatives from across Europe and beyond to contribute. Selected initiatives will be showcased during dedicated workshops and plenaries, where they will be explored by participants. These exchanges will feed into a collective vision for the future of rural youth in Europe, with a focus on food and farming, youth participation, culture, and democracy. 

Selected contributors will be invited to present their work during the conference. Travel and accommodation costs will be covered by MIJARC Europe if needed.  

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How to apply:  

If you already work or have projects on one of the topics of the conference, please fill in the short questionnaire in to better understand your initiative. Fill out on the website or download the Annex 1 and send the PDF of this file to: office@mijarc.eu. 

Please, use the subject: Conference 2025 – Call for Contributions. 

 

Deadline for applying: 25th of June.  

Selected initiatives will be contacted early July at the latest.  

Please consider that you may be asked to adjust your planned workshop (based on the time slots, technical issues, etc.), in case it is needed.  

Thank you for making rural voices heard loudly with us!