As CEO of Momentum World, I have had the opportunity to travel to many countries in Europe and beyond, over the course of the last 10 years and more. These trips may be for conferences, project planning, partner meetings, running training courses or other events: the purpose and the location varies, but the mix of people, culture and ideas is always stimulating and fun. In the course of these journeys, you come across a wide range of organisations and individuals active in international education and youth work. I feel I have a pretty good measure now of who is “out there” around Europe. I’ve met the good, the bad and the ugly: on the one hand, there are some people whose professional standards sadly fall short of expectations; but on the other, there are many excellent and experienced organisations who have become our trusted and reliable long-term partners.
The 3 Networks meeting (Mallorca, November 2019) was one of the best experiences. This seminar was organised by Eurodesk, the European Youth Card Association (EYCA) and the European Youth Information and Counselling Agency (ERYICA). It brought together over 50 experts from 12 countries to discuss information provision to young people and, in particular, the opportunities and threats of social media, artificial intelligence and virtual reality. Momentum World was representing Eurodesk UK: Paul and I were able to showcase our recent work in 360 degree filming (“Youthwork 360”) and media for inclusion. At the same time we learned a huge amount from the other delegates and built solid foundations for future partnership with the Eurodesk, ERYICA and EYCA and the member organisations present. And as so often, in a short space of time new friendships were made, transcending national and cultural boundaries.
Alongside the meeting, a best practice handbook has been published, available here. It’s a source of ideas for future partnerships and we will welcome contact from anyone interested.