The first stage of the Young Bled Strategic Forum (Young BSF) came to a close in Ljubljana on Friday after some 50 young people from Slovenia and across the world spent two days discussing and defining challenges in youth employment, politics and doing business, keeping in mind the entire time that the development of the internet caused a drastic power shift: away from governments and media corporations to the individual.
The Challenge Conference, which started on 27 June in Ljubljana City Hall, was opened by the Secretary General of the Bled Strategic Forum Mr Alain Brian Bergant. He expressed in his address a cordial welcome to international guests who came to Slovenia from Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, India, Israel, Italy, Macedonia, Montenegro, St. Kitts and Nevis, the Vatican City and the United Kingdom. The patron of the conference the Deputy Major of Ljubljana Ms Tjaša Ficko told the participants to be courageous and dare to take risks.
The Challenge Conference started with what is often considered one of the most burning issues regarding youth in Europe: unemployment. Is there really no future for the young and often overqualified work force on the old continent? While some of the participants said that the young were perhaps not willing to go beyond the borders of their countries to other EU member states or even farther, others warned against brain drain, pointing out that individuals should have the possibility to earn their living at home if they wanted to. Moreover, the participants wondered whether the EU should intentionally attract qualified work force from developing countries in order to make its social system more sustainable.
The panel heard that entrepreneurship should be encouraged, as new companies create new jobs. But the state should preserve its role as well and provide a systemic framework of solutions and social rights, despite claims that the European social system cannot survive because it is unsustainable. The debate moreover heard that a successful solution must consist of a combination of policies. The panel also heard about the importance of informal education, as this may be what sets the best job applicant apart from the rest.
The debates dedicated to digital revolution and how it changes politics heard that the emergence and popularity of smart phones has caused a change that has seen all of the major events of the recent years reflected in the social media. In this respect, it can only be expected that the upcoming 2014 European election will be the first in which the social media play a significant role.
Although it seems that direct access to one's representatives made possible by Twitter and other platforms, the Young BSF participants are worried that not everybody is actually being heard. In terms of initiating changes over the social media, such as protests, some Young BSF participants believe it to be challenging to defend and consolidate one's demands. It is uncertain that the people who made the demands on-line and garnered support from the public will actually get to sit down at the same desk with the decision-makers.
Moreover, if the world is going digital and it is logical to presume that sooner or later countries will introduce on-line elections, how does one prevent the numerous possibilities of abuse? Probably the biggest challenge of the e-vote will be the preservation of the secret ballot. Another major challenge will be to prevent the abuse of the digital minority - people with poor digital skills - and closing the digital divide.
The event also discussed the new ways of doing business. The Young BSF participants were encouraged to think about their dreams and to believe in the dreams of others. One must not be afraid to fail - a mindset completely different to that of an average European. In this respect, Europe should become more like the US, where experience - failure as well - is considered an asset. Moreover, the Young BSF participants were encouraged to think - as entrepreneurs - how to gain clients, funds, investors, connections and to be practical. They were encouraged to think out of the box, to think about ethics and how they could improve the world.
Panelists participating in a business breakfast addressed by His Royal Highness, the Earl of Wessex, on Friday morning encouraged the young to leave home early and take risks. The Earl of Wessex stressed the importance of following one's passion, as this is how one can contribute the most. He said that many of the problems young entrepreneurs faced today concerned the issues of how they could be enabled to do what they wanted to do the most.
Programme Director of the Young BSF Mr Timotej Šooš invited all participants to continue discussing on-line. The list of challenges will be available on www.bledstrategicforum.org/ideas on 1 July 2013 and people from all over the world will be able to share their ideas and debate solutions.
After two months, the Young BSF will meet again to discuss the solutions and draft a to-do list at the picturesque lake-side resort of Bled on 1 September
