Youth Parliament Raising awareness of Youth about Sava River
About 70 young Europeans gathered in Budapest and Szolnok (Hungary) from 20th to 26th October 2024 to participate in the 16th edition of the European Youth Parliament for Water (EYPW). Youth Parliaments for Water have been organized since 1998 by the International Secretariat for Water – Solidarity Water Europe and constitute a unique platform for young people to engage in critical discussions on water-related challenges. The 16th edition of the EYPW, carried out in partnership with the Global Water Partnership Hungary, was supported by important institutional and financial partners, including the Hungarian government, the European Union, as well as numerous European organizations, one of them being the International Sava River Basin Commission. That gave us the opportunity to form a delegation of the Sava Youth Parliament to participate at the 16th EYPW. Our delegation was coordinated by Ana from the ISRBC and members were Magdalena and Milica from Serbia, Blaž from Slovenia, Roko from Zagreb and Tijana Jelena from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Being the only international delegation at the 16th EYPW, we aroused great interest among other participants.
We were honoured to have a chance to present the Sava Youth Parliament and its activities. We were also glad to hear about innovative water and biodiversity initiatives from across Europe.
This year’s Parliament have focused on the Water-Biodiversity nexus, equipping participants with the knowledge and tools to make meaningful changes in their communities.
The 16th EYPW was officially launched on 21st October, 2024 at the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest. After that, the delegates moved to the beautiful City of Szolnok, located on the banks of the Tisza river. The discussions, field visits, and interactive sessions provided young participants with powerful insights into how water and biodiversity can be protected at local, regional, and international levels.
The President and Vice-President of the 15th EYPW shared their experiences in leadership and reflected on the impact the Parliament has had on their personal and professional growth. After that, eight young participants registered their candidacies for the election of the 16th EYPW’s Presidency and Vice-Presidency. Each candidate introduced themselves, shared their motivations for running, and explained how they would lead the Parliament. We are thrilled to announce that the Sava Youth Parliament delegation member Magdalena Živanović from Belgrade has been elected as the President of the 16th EYPW. Magdalena was a President of the 10th Sava Youth Parliament, and has shown her dedication and passion to empowering youth. Joining her are Lisa Oppermann and Oleg Tihon as Vice-Presidents, both committed to strengthening youth voices in water advocacy across Europe.
