YES 2024

24-28 June 2024

What is the YES?

The Youth Empowerment Seminar (YES) is a yearly event hosted by Youth For Understanding, gathering more than 100 volunteers and 400 students who get the chance to learn about active citizenship and topics of global interest, but also to talk about their exchange experience with the volunteers and the other students.

The YES aims to empower participants to expand upon the learnings gained through exchange programmes or other intercultural experiences, while connecting with the global YFU community, and thus become proactive and globally-oriented agents of change.

YES 2024 THEME

Finding Common Ground in a Divided World

In a time characterised by divided societies and filter bubbles, the YES 2024 invites 300 participants on a crucial mission: to reveal sources of polarisation and look for pathways to unity. 

Our informational and political landscapes are polarised, confusing, and often biased, deepening social conflict and inequality. Every day, facts and reality compete with false information in the media. Division, disengagement, and detachment are rising around the world. The idea of ‘us vs. them’ is all over our newsfeeds the second we get out of bed. How can we bring people together and work towards more unity? How can we participate as active citizens without falling into black-and-white thinking?

At the YES we will explore the themes of polarisation and media literacy through five different perspectives: drama, solidarity, critical thinking, civic engagement, and digital well-being. Participating in the tracks helps students find a viewpoint to the theme that they prefer. Some will practice their skills in spotting misinformation, while others will focus on strategies to balance their media consumption. Through all the tracks we spotlight the power of the collective and ask the question: what is our path forward? Amidst such supercharged issues, how do we develop the skills, attitudes, and tools we need to push for productive dialogue that doesn’t feel like a betrayal of our values and identities?

As we journey through the YES 2024, we aim to lower the barriers between nations, cultures, and individuals and celebrate the power of active citizenship in fighting harmful ideas. Participants at the YES will become agents of positive change, strengthening empathy, and raising solidarity to make the world a better place. 

At the YES you can finish your exchange year together with hundreds of other young people and keep levelling up your active global citizenship skills. Join our exploration team at YES 2024, where we unite over 300 students and 100 volunteers to find common ground and find paths towards a more inclusive, empathetic, and connected world.

Tracks at the YES

  • Use theatre performance as a way of showing & discussing how polarisation affects people. Focusing on young people’s perspectives. How can art such as drama inspire youth to engage in active citizenship, advocating for informed voting, and democratic values? Linking to public speaking and debate as well as real-life examples. Strategies to act against antagonizing scenarios in our surroundings.

  • In today's society that's fostering individuality, learning how to appreciate things we have in common could be used as a weapon against polarization which is being fed on people's misunderstanding of each other. In this track, we want to encourage understanding and empathy beyond common sense, as well as learning how to use solidarity and collective care as a way of combating this problem. Features elements from the “No hate speech” campaign and the Bookmarks manualDescription text goes here

  • Delve into real-world issues, applying journalistic principles to critically evaluate information and tackle misinformation. Linking to 2022 track Media Literacy, with e.g. an exhibition of fake news, and learning how to distinguish them from real news. How do misinformation and fake news reinforce polarization? Explore strategies for fostering respectful and constructive discussions in the digital realm, and create guidelines for healthy online communication. Including issues like being triggered by online debates, the concept of trolls and bots, and the deliberate spreading of misinformation (troll factories).

  • Examine bias, misinformation, polarized voting, and how informed discussions are vital for preserving democratic principles, particularly in the context of the European Elections in June 2024. Discuss the ongoing VOTE 16 campaign. Even without having the right to vote, 16-year-olds are advocating for the issues they care about and bringing positive change. Did they and their friends vote? Who can vote? Who should be able to vote? Could also analyse how current election campaigns strengthen existing divides and explore more unifying alternatives. Active citizenship.

    should be less about the specific examples & more about empowerment of young people, debate culture looking at campaigns & topics aimed towards youth – what policies and ideas exist for youth, does youth feel represented by that, how are the campaigns designed and does this appeal to them etc.

  • Investigate the impact of curated social media content on self-perception and societal divisions, and propose ways to promote authenticity. Discuss strategies for maintaining a healthy media diet and avoiding information overload, while staying informed and engaged. Linking to 2023 themes of mental wellbeing (e.g. avoiding apathy) as well as active citizenship, campaigning and activism, polarization, “Instagram-realities” and more.

Looking to send your exchange student to the YES 2024?

We’ve created a page in different languages that explains what the YES is and why we believe it is an educational proposal that enriches the exchange of experiences and knowledge.

Since 2005, the YES has been held each year (bar 2020 and 2021) at EjB Werbellinsee, in Germany. The camp is spread over 105 hectares and offers access to sleep and eat to hundreds of people, as well as an opening to the beach and Werbellinsee lake.

The venue

Image of the housing of the venue
Sky view of EjB Werbellinsee

Whether you’re looking for a place to socialise with other exchange students and volunteers or you’re more interested in the topic we prepare each year, the YES has a bit of everything for everyone.

Your days will be spent between learning sessions, socialising during our Spirit Activities or at the lounge, or reflect with well-prepared volunteers about your exchange experience.

The YES is the most special event in the YFU world, and an opportunity for hundreds of students to mingle with each other, to learn, and to get an insight into the fantastic world of YFU volunteers.

The experience