As winter reluctantly gives way to spring, the EESC is welcoming March with a set of dynamic events, shining a spotlight on the voices of young people and civil society.

The curtain raiser is the 16th edition of the ‘Your Europe Your Say’ event. On 13-14 March 2025, the YEYS event, as it is widely known, will bring together nearly 100 young participants from youth organisations, national youth councils and secondary schools, as well as 37 teachers from EU Member States, candidate countries and the UK. All of them will share a unique experience, uniting their voices to shape the Europe they want to live in.

Their recommendations could feed into the EESC’s second Civil Society Week, following just a few days later, as a basis for youth-focused discussions. and be shared with high-level representatives from the European institutions.

After its promising start in 2024, this year’s Civil Society Week take place on 17-21 March and will focus on Strengthening cohesion and participation in polarised societies. Social instability, economic downturns and widespread discontent, particularly among those who feel unheard and left behind, have further deepened societal divisions.

To address these pressing concerns, the Civil Society Week 2025 will gather a diverse range of civil society stakeholders from Europe and beyond, providing a unique platform to engage in critical debates, share best practices, and collaborate to develop solutions that foster social cohesion and strengthen democratic engagement.

This year the agenda will bring together three major initiatives: the European civil society organisations and networks (EESC Liaison Group panels), discussing how a European Civil Society Strategy could foster greater cohesion; the European Citizens’ Initiative Day (ECI) and its role in tackling polarisation; and the Civil Society Prize award ceremony. The theme of the 15th Civil Society Prize, which rewards excellence in civil society initiatives, is combatting harmful polarisation of European society. The winners come from Belgium, represented by the civil society organisation ‘Diversity’; from France, with ‘Reporters of Hope’; and from Slovakia, with the ‘Slovak Debate Association’. The ranking will be announced during the ceremony!

Our Civil Society Week acts as a timely platform, calling organised civil society and citizens to express themselves on key issues, from the escalating challenges of climate change, the rising cost of living and widening income disparities, to the outcomes of the 2024 elections worldwide, which have all created a fertile ground for widespread polarisation.

I invite you to take part in this meaningful exchange by joining our discussions and seizing the opportunity to turn conversation into change. Our voices matter and they can be heard as long as we stand together, proactive and ready to contribute to a more cohesive and participatory Europe. Registrations are open! Don’t miss this opportunity!

Laurentiu Plosceanu

Vice-President for communication