Platform Network is an informal network of regions that supports and promotes international youth mobility in Europe with a history of more than 25 years.
Once upon a time Margaret and Liz from Kent in England took a leap of faith and drove a bus-full of young people to meet Franz and his youth group in Luxembourg. And so the story of Platform begins in pre-internet 1985...
“1985 was the International Youth Year. Kent and Luxembourg Youth Services organised four 1-week camps in Luxembourg. The aim was to get xenophobic young people from an island to mainland Europe. To meet, to live with, to share and learn about the culture and hopefully make life-long friends.”
Platform Network aims:
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to support and promote youth mobility and intercultural learning
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to build high-quality partnerships
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to enable and support youth participation
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to create awareness of European citizenship
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to improve life-skills by non-formal and informal learning
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to ensure quality standards for activities
Today Platform Network consists of partnerships of more than 20 member regions in Europe:
Vorarlberg, Austria; Flanders, Belgium; Olomouc, Czech Republic; Estonia; Kent, England; Western Finland; Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower-Franconia, Eifel-Ardennen, Germany; Korinthia, Greece; Hadju-Bihar, Hungary; Torino city, Vercelli Province, Italy; Galway, Ireland; Liechtenstein; Luxembourg; Western Pomerania, Poland; Vila Nova de Famalicao, Portugal; Slovenia; Murcia, Spain; Robertsfors, Sweden; Novgorod region, Russia; Kosice, Slovakia.
Platform Network members hold a General Assembly meeting every year since 1986.
“Franz Müller, head of Luxembourg Youth Service, invited representatives of Liechtenstein, Belgium, Trier, Metz, Eifel-Ardennen, Vorarlberg and Kent to a meeting on November 24, 1986 to create a platform for interregional youth exchange, based on “A New European Dimension” as per the recommendations of the first conference of European Youth Ministers.”
Since then the members of the network have been coming together every autumn to evaluate the previous years’ activities and propose new activities and agree new partnerships. Every year the network gives access to international activities to more than 600 young people and youth leaders.
The types of activities promoted by Platform member include youth exchanges, camps, European Voluntary Service, seminars, trainings, job shadowing, youth democracy projects.
For more information: www.platform-network.com