Economic and Social Council Youth Forum 2022

“COVID-19 recovery: Youth taking action for a sustainable future”

Side event of the European Large Families Confederation (ELFAC)

“After Covid-19:  ideas for a sustainable future” – ONLINE

18 April 2022  – 10 – 11 am (EDT) | 4 – 5 pm (CET)

1. Background

Young people from large families, like all young people in the world, have been strongly affected and impacted by Covid-19, which has upset various aspects of their daily lives and projects for their future.

As work and health generated more unsteadiness, the average time for transition to adulthood   has even been extended. It has become more difficult to create a stable situation that would allow young people to start their adult lives and take major important steps such as finding a job, getting a house, building a family, and having children.

Forced coexistence has had its consequences on mental health and social life. Education has suffered a strong backlash, since distance learning has created worrying educational and social gaps. Gender equality has been put in severe discussion. Many of the 2030 Agenda’s SDGs were badly affected by the Pandemic and deserve new thinking and new efforts. The experience gained can provide the key to build a future tailored on Youth, where they themselves are the protagonists. A future where the climate crisis demands strong and brave actions and sustainability provide the pathway.

2. Objectives of the side event

The primary objective of this side event is to create a space for discussion and sharing where young people from different associations (particularly of large families) can tell the impacts of Covid-19 on their lives, in order to understand which are the points where it is necessary to concentrate in the reconstruction of a post-pandemic life adapted to their needs.

For this reason, another important objective is to collect innovative ideas about actions to be taken both locally and internationally to face the consequences of the crisis in a sustainable way, sharing also best practices implemented in their territories.

A third fundamental objective is to encourage mutual listening across cultures on the basis of which to produce a number of concrete proposals to support the development of effective Youth policies.

3. Guiding Questions for presentations and discussion

• Do you think that living in a large family has had an impact on the quality of life of the members of the family? Did you lack resources such as devices, internet connection, interpersonal relationships, income, space etc.…?
• Which are the positive and negative aspects of having a large family during a crisis like Covid’s?
• What do you think were the most affected aspects of your life as a result of the pandemic?
• After the pandemic and forced cohabitation, has your idea about the number of children you would like to have in the future changed?
• After the pandemic, do you think you have the same chances as before when it comes to transitions to adulthood? Looking for a job, a house etc. … What should be done about it?
• Have measures been taken in your area to address the consequences that the pandemic has had on young people?
• In your opinion, what are the shortcomings and the areas in which governments and international organizations should focus more? And how could sustainability be included in such measures??
• Do you think young people are sufficiently taken into account in the public arena?
• Do you agree on recognizing voting rights for minors, if only with a proxy to parents or tutors?
• From your personal experience, do you think Covid-19 has had an impact on gender equality? If so, what could be the possible restart points?

4. Format and Agenda

The event is an open online discussion of 1 hour, where young people from different backgrounds (in terms of age, family, country, rural or urban area…) will bring experiences and testimonies. A moderator will manage the discussion among participants starting from the guiding questions.Interventions will provide the basis for a statement draft on supporting young people in the transition to a future more sustainable adult life.

AGENDA (18 April 2022 – 10 am to 11 am EDT | 4 pm to 5 pm CET)        

10 am  Welcome – Raul Sanchez, secretary general of ELFAC and moderator

10:05   Introduction – Regina Maroncelli, president of ELFAC

10:10   Questions addressed for discussion with young people from large families

• Serena Anupöld, Estonia
• Chiara Ledda and Valeria Maroncelli – Italy
• Sofia Ros, Nicolas Molina – Spain
• Balazs Kelemen – Hungary
• Mafalda Neves e Castro – Portugal
• Albert Dima, Rafael Rosu and Maria Sohterus – Romania
• Maja Jésmanowicz – Poland
• Gerald, Klaus and Clara Mueller, Germany
• Madara Sproģe, Latvia

10:55   Final remarks: Raul Sanchez, secretary general of ELFAC

5. Platform to be used and Registration link

The side event will be broadcast live on YouTube on this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOL9MF9yFms

People following can intervene with comments or questions through the comments section.

The event will stay recorded on YouTube on the same link (in the ELFAC channel on YouTube).