Do you want to participate in a discussion on connectivity and youth issues with a high-level politician from the European Union?

Over half of Central Asia’s population is younger than 30, and it is estimated that around one million young people are entering Central Asia's labour market every year. National governments in Central Asia are recognising the importance of investing in children, adolescents and young people and ensuring they have the opportunities to thrive, learn, develop and realise their full potential. Building on the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027, the June 2020 Council conclusions on the role of youth in external action, and on the experience from “EU-Central Asia Civil Society Fora”, we would like to invite youth activists from the Central Asian countries to engage in a  discussion on connectivity issues with Ms Jutta Urpilainen, Commissioner for International Partnerships, European Commission on the occasion of a Youth Event at the annual EU-Central Asia Ministerial Meeting on 17th November 2022 in Samarkand. Topics for  discussion will be digitalisation, connectivity and climate change and youth participation, social inclusion and empowerment of young people. One of the main aims of the Youth Event will be to generate ideas for further discussion during the EU-CA Conference on Sustainable Connectivity on 18th November 2022.

The EU Delegation to Kazakhstan is launching a call for short essays from young people aged 18-29 who are interested in the abovementioned topics and who would like to participate in the Youth Event in Samarkand on 17th November in the margin of the EU-Central Asia Ministerial Meeting and EU-CA Conference on Sustainable Connectivity. All costs will be covered by the European Union.

Eligibility criteria:

• Kazakhstan citizens aged between 18 and 29 years old
• Fluent in Russian (fluency in English is an asset but not required)
• Full participation and availability for the period of the Event (16-18^th November including traveling)

How to apply:

Interested candidates should submit their CV (template attached) and a short essay (maximum 300 words) in Russian to Delegation-Kazakhstan@eeas.europa.eu with subject "Youth Event 2022" by 26 September 12:00 (Astana time). The essay should cover one of the following topics:

• In your view, what is transformative potential of digitalisation and new information technologies?
• What is the role of Central Asian youth in the in environmental protection and the fight against climate change?
• How to promote gender equality in CA?
• How to maximise the potential of Central Asian youth through education and skills development?