In the run-up to the G7 Summit in Germany in 2015, Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel had called for an exchange with the research community and civil society representatives. Part of the response was the J7 Summit, which in May 2015 brought together young people from the seven leading industrialised countries, other EU member states, Africa and the Caribbean. They assembled in Berlin to discuss the issues on the agenda of the major sister event, the G7 Summit: climate change, health, gender equality and a fair economy. The delegates were invited to the Federal Chancellor's Office to present their conclusions to Chancellor Merkel and Federal Youth Minister Manuela Schwesig. As the 2015 Summit concluded, State Secretary Dr Ralf Kleindiek had pledged to arrange a follow-up meeting – and he delivered. 44 young people, almost the entire original group, accepted his invitation to return to Berlin from 2 to 5 August 2016 for the J7 follow-up event, organised by IJAB and UNICEF Germany. The theme was "WeAct – Youth Participation continues".
There were emotional scenes as the first delegates arrived, with the young people embracing each other and joyfully renewing their acquaintance. Representing the host of the event, Andrea Balbach from the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth delivered an introductory message in which she shared the participants' joy and reminded them that the outcomes of their discussions on world trade, environmental protection and other important issues would play a major role in future meetings. "I look forward to hearing about the projects you've been working on over the last 14 months," she said, referencing the project fair that was the kick-off to the follow-up meeting.
Past projects, future ideas
The young delegates' track records over the last 14 months is indeed impressive. The 2015 Summit had inspired many of them to continue contributing to existing initiatives or launch new ones of their own. Italy's delegates decided to work on youth participation. The young Japanese delegation wrote to President Obama to invite him to the ceremony to commemorate the nuclear bomb attacks in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In Senegal the delegates planted trees; in Canada they launched an anti-bullying campaign; in Slovenia they explored what is necessary to create child-friendly cities. All these activities go above and beyond the result of the original Summit, exemplifying the sustainable nature of the 2015 event. However, the follow-up meeting in Berlin was not entirely given over to past projects – the young delegates also made plans for the future. "This meeting is a think tank for new ideas," said facilitator Anneli Starzinger. "At the end of it, you will have an opportunity to present your plans to State Secretary Dr Kleindiek."
Unlike in 2015, the 2016 follow-up was not all about the content of the projects, but about project management. Prior to arriving in Berlin the delegates had been asked what they wanted to work on. Their priority was to learn how to move on with existing projects and develop new ones. They were particularly interested in learning about project initiation, project coordination in multinational settings, communication strategies and fundraising, so experts were invited to hold workshops on these subjects during the follow-up. These were enthusiastically taken up by the participants.
Continuity and sustainability
As for new project ideas, the organisers had decided to leave those entirely up to the participants, who took the initiative and produced some remarkable results. One multinational group pressed for the setup of an online community for all J7 summits, arguing a lack of continuity between the annual youth summits. They called for greater cohesion between the meetings and more sustainability in terms of the work being done during the meetings. Other project ideas included raising awareness of climate change, UNICEF clubs, peer-to-peer education and the launch of a lifestyle brand for fairly traded clothing.
State Secretary Dr Ralf Kleindiek attended the concluding session to discuss participants' ideas, but also to encourage them to follow through with their ideas and remain committed to their causes. "You speak directly to policymakers and civil society groups. You raise public awareness and you reach out to your peers. You are part of a generation that is open to global issues and is confident enough to shape the political agenda. Don't stop what you are doing. We need your generation and we need your input!"
