Volunteers take over Brussels

Brussels is going to welcome an army of young volunteers coming from all over Europe for the II Youth Convention on Volunteering organized by the European Youth Forum. The Convention that will be held in the EU capital from September 7 through September 11, aims to raise awareness about the importance of volunteers involved in participatory youth organisations in the construction of a democratic Europe, and to the development of the communities in which they live.

Vita Europe’s sister magazine Vita will be there for the occasion, with a special issue in two languages:  English and Italian.

The Convention is co-hosted by the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee. It is conceived as an open space with many different events linked to each other on themes relating to volunteering and all taking place within the time range of five days. The Convention will be a flagship event for the EU-China Year of Youth and will include activities and events organised by partners, institutions and European Youth Forum Member Organisations.

YO! Fest – FREE music festival will animate the evenings of the Convention. Featuring Ojos de Brujos, La Chiva Gantiva (who have recently signed a contract with Crammed Discs music label) and General Bazaar; and more surprises: fanfares, Belgian youth bands like Ziggy, Lunar Rays and Compact Disk Dummies, as well as joint performances involving young traditional musicians from Europe and China. On Saturday, the Convention closes with a legendary closing party with the most crazy night in Brussels: Antitapas!

www.youthforum.org