EYFON and Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein – a successful partnership for Europe’s youth
Vienna/Graz (OTS) – The European Youth Forum Neumarkt (EYFON) has been organising and hosting a wide variety of formats for young people from all over Europe for four years now. Discussing ideas for Europe together, developing new perspectives for a future worth living and strengthening intercultural understanding are just some of the objectives that EYFON pursues with its initiative.
Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein, the main shareholder of Vienna Insurance Group (VIG), specifically supports projects that promote international bridge-building and cross-border encounters and has been an important partner of EYFON from the very beginning. As part of this cooperation, VIG YouthDays were launched in 2019, enabling the children of employees of VIG Group companies throughout Europe to take part in seminars, workshops and discussion forums organised by EYFON at Europaburg in Neumarkt, Styria. The first VIG YouthDays took place in summer 2019 with participants from Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Some young people were particularly pleased to meet up with old friends they had already met at the VIG Kids Camp, new friendships were forged and many expressed a desire to continue this format.
Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein also supports the European Youth Forum Neumarkt with scholarships that are awarded to participants in other formats, in particular EYFON /Peace Events and EYFON / YouthDays – as was the case in 2020, when the VIG YouthDays could not be held due to the pandemic. The following year, the EYFON team and its cooperation partner therefore decided to create a new digital format: The children of employees of VIG Holding and the insurance companies were invited to share their ideas and thoughts on the topic of “My future prospects with Corona”.The best entries were selected by a jury and the young people were invited to discuss them with each other at several Zoom meetings in November and December. Among the numerous entries were self-made films, essays and collages; the four best and most creative entries received tablets and smartphones. “Europe’s youth is our future and we are very pleased to be able to use this great initiative to bring young people closer to the high value of internationality, diversity and intercultural understanding,” emphasised Robert Lasshofer, Chairman of the Managing Board of Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein, at the end of the event.
The current annual report (download at https://eyfon.at/ueber_eyfon) contains a detailed report on this and other programme highlights in 2021 and provides insights into the idea behind EYFON. This year, the European Youth Forum Neumarkt in Styria would also like to offer a programme of events. In addition to the existing communication channels (homepage, Facebook, Instagram, annual report), our first newsletter of the year will be sent out in the coming weeks, which will inform partners, all interested parties and former event participants – the “EYFONISTAS” – about news about the EYFON project and our annual programme for 2022.
