National Policy Dialogue: Playing the European Future!

From April 12th to 14th, 2024, the seventh edition of the National Erasmus Games organized by the Erasmus Student Network Italy took place in San Benedetto del Tronto (AP). Over the course of three days, participants competed in tournaments in volleyball, beach volleyball, basketball, and futsal. This event, which brought together a large number of young people and policy makers, was the perfect opportunity to organize the National Policy Dialogue, given the upcoming elections. Indeed, kicking off the event was the Conference titled "Playing the European Future," held on April 12th, 2024, at 10:00 AM in the Council Chamber of the Municipality of San Benedetto del Tronto. The conference was part of the final phase of the EGIA project, which was funded by the European Parliament and served as a National Policy Dialogue. 

At the conference were present Cinzia Campanelli, Councilor of the Municipality of San Benedetto del Tronto responsible for Sports, Tourism Policies, and Youth Policies, Gianluca Ferri, President of the UNIVPM Student Council, and Dr. Marisa Celani, Europe Direct Marche Region, who as policy makers wanted to focus attention on the upcoming European elections, emphasizing how important it is for young people to participate in the democratic processes of the European Union, including the voting process.

 At the conference, in addition to the present guests, 119 young participants took part, including local and national students, as well as Erasmus students from various Italian universities.

The first part of the conference focused on the most significant political event of 2024, the European Elections. These elections represent a crucial moment to express the opinions and preferences of European Union citizens. It's an opportunity for young people to voice their opinions and influence policies that will impact their lives and the future of Europe as a whole. The conference also introduced together.eu platform and ESN Italia's #EUvote campaign aimed at promoting youth participation in the European Elections.

The second part of the conference centred on the relationship between Health & Sports, an essential aspect of an event like the NEG. Discussions revolved around balancing academic studies and sports activities while maintaining a keen focus on the mental health of young people, a sensitive topic in today's society.

Below is the agenda for the opening conference:

Institutional Greetings:

Cinzia Campanelli, Councilor of the Municipality of San Benedetto del Tronto responsible for Sports, Tourism Policies, and Youth Policies.

First Panel: The European Elections

Speakers:

Gianluca Ferri, President of the UNIVPM Student Council

Dr. Marisa Celani, Europe Direct Marche Region

Gaia Tamasi, President of Erasmus Student Network Italy

Moderator: Vittoria Olivero, member of the Organizing Committee.

Second Panel: Health & Sports

Speakers:

M. Conti, Professor at UNIVPM

Lara Paolini, Student and Athlete at the University of Urbino

Representation from the National Youth Council Presidency

Vittoria Olivero, Psychologist; Alice Marinelli, Responsible Party

Moderator: Ava Ghasemi, member of the Organizing Committee.

Conclusion

Donna Giorgi, Events Manager of ESN Italy, officially opened the National Erasmus Games 2024.