By Seku M. Condé

'You are never too young to lead, and never too old to learn.'
— Kofi Annan

There are conferences you attend once, maybe twice, and then forget. And then there is Your Europe, Your Say!—which, at least for me, has become something closer to a ritual. Ten years of returning to Brussels each spring changes your perspective. You stop seeing it as just another event and start recognising it as a living story—one that grows with every new generation of young Europeans stepping into the room. It is also a reunion with an exceptional organising team, many of whom have, over the years, become friends.

When I first attended YEYS almost a decade ago, the atmosphere felt slightly experimental. The idea that teenagers could sit in the same space as policymakers and meaningfully contribute to discussions seemed ambitious, if not a bit idealistic. Not that I hadn’t been to similar conferences before—but too often, those ended with young people presenting great ideas, policymakers nodding politely, and little real follow-up. YEYS, however, felt different. It was energetic, a bit chaotic, but undeniably sincere.

Over the years, I have watched the conference mature—much like its participants. Workshops became more focused, and the outcomes more concrete. It was no longer just about giving young people a voice; it was about making that voice count.

At one point, the conversations shifted noticeably. Sustainability and global responsibility moved to the forefront. Climate change was no longer just one topic among many—it became central. The tone changed as well. Participants grew more assertive, more urgent. They were no longer asking for a seat at the table; they were demanding action. They saw their future quite literally under threat—from heatwaves, pollution, and rising emissions.

One moment, however, has stayed with me more than most. I remember speaking with participants from the United Kingdom not long after the Brexit referendum 2016. They were discussing the future of the European Union—yet many of them had been too young to vote in the referendum that would shape that very future. 51.9% of voters had made a decision that would define their path, largely without them. At the time, it felt like just another interview. Only years later did I fully grasp the weight of that moment.

Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced YEYS, like so many events, into a virtual format. I was skeptical. Could the same intensity survive through screens? Surprisingly, it did—just in a different way. The discussions became more introspective, focusing on resilience, mental health, and the fragility of systems we once took for granted. It marked a turning point, not only for YEYS, but for how young people perceived their place in Europe.

What strikes me most after all these years is not how much YEYS has changed, but how consistently it delivers something rare: authenticity. Every year, a new group of students walks into the room—slightly unsure, often nervous—and within hours, they are debating, disagreeing, collaborating. By the end, they are no longer just participants—they are contributors, colleagues, even friends.

Perhaps the most important milestone is also the least visible: the quiet realisation, repeated year after year, that young people are not the future of Europe—they are already part of its present.

As a journalist, I have covered events across the world, in places where young people rarely have the luxury of being asked about their future. That is why I hope every 'YEYS-er' understands how rare this opportunity is. Not because the conference is perfect—it isn’t—but because it evolves. It listens. And, most importantly, it reminds us why participation matters.

Ten years in, I no longer attend YEYS just to report on it. I return because it continues to surprise me. And in a world where cynicism comes far too easily, that might be its greatest achievement.

Seku M. Condé has been a journalist, reporter, editor and TV presenter for RTV Slovenia, Slovenian public broadcaster since 2007. He mostly covers themes related to Global South, human rights, discrimination, sustainability. He was the only Slovenian reporter and one of the few worldwide reporting from West Africa during the Ebola outbreak in 2013–2016 epidemic.