FINAL DOCUMENT of the YOUTH CONFERENCE

Novo mesto, 10. -12. October 2003

This year sees the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Working Community of Cantons, Provinces, Counties, Regions, and Republics of the Eastern Alps, an example of successful dialogue and cooperation between institutions, cultures, and nations.

To mark this anniversary, Slovenia's Office for Youth, which heads the Working Group on Youth at the Alps-Adriatic Working Community, and the Novo mesto Association for the Development of Voluntary Work organized a YOUTH CONFERENCE. The conference was an attempt to acquaint young people with the various forms of cooperation undertaken thus far within the Alps-Adriatic Working Community, and to encourage them to think about how they might exploit future opportunities.

The idea was to strengthen those links that have already been forged and to build on them through further activities in which young people engage in the promotion of respect and multiculturalism.

We participants have discussed about the youth cooperation within Alps Adriatic Working Community and agreed that cross-border cooperation is not as developed as it could be.

We looked for reasons for such situation and found out that major problems are:

•  motivation of young people

•  founding

•  poor information network

•  spaces for gatherings

And also :

•  finding partners and participants

•  fear of failure

•  lack of experience

•  lack of tools and appropriate methodology

•  language

•  distance

We think the benefits of cooperating are:

•  challenge

•  making a difference in the world

•  meeting people and learn about different cultures

•  exchanging ideas

•  mutual understanding

•  practicing the language

Therefore we have come up with some suggestions and proposals for better future cooperation:

Motivation of young people

•  to get to know the spheres of interest of participants

•  to organize workshops and camps according to young people's interests, with particular attention to rural areas, children with special needs, young parents, ecology, and art

Founding

•  to shape a strong identity of our groups, to find a clear target, and to build strong networks

Information network

•  to involve schools in promotion of youth projects

•  to create databases and mailing lists

Spaces for gatherings

•  to cooperate with schools