Opening Session
I believe that you want to be the leaders who build social bounds and break the patterns as well as are ready to achieve the goals which might seem ostensibly unreal, said Wojciech Piech, the Vice President of Nowy Sącz. He listed the most urgent challenges which should be taken up by the leaders of contemporary Europe, including the unsolved economic crisis, uncontrolled immigration from the Northern Africa, anti-European attitudes and crisis of solidarity of the Old Continent.
Marshal of the Małopolska Region, Jacek Krupa, emphasized the importance of the economic development of the region and displayed its impact on the general self-perception of the district’s citizens’ well-being.
I would like to dearly congratulate the organizers of the Economic Forum of Young Leaders on their creative approach to individual panel discussions, which important part is going to be the social entrepreneurship, said the Marshal.
Paweł Poszytek, Ph.D, the CEO of the Foundation for the Development of the Education System (FRSE), drew attention of the participants to the vast offer of the international programs available for the young Europeans, which aim to support their education and their being active.
Meetings like this one are not the vacant discussions’, said FRSE CEO. He gave an example of the Eastern Partnership Youth Forum, which was organized in June 2017. The result of the discussion was creation of concrete recommendations, which were accepted by the European Council,he emphasized.
The creative as well as tactile dimension of the Economic Forum was stressed by Agata Dziubińska-Gawlik, the Chairman of European Meeting Centre – Nowy Staw Foundation.
Young people across Europe have been coming here for 12 years in order to create a new image of the Old Continent, she said. Each of us has a challenge. Talk, create, ask questions, look for the answers. Europe is waiting for it!, she spoke encouragingly.
„Po Brexicie, wojnie na wschodzie Europy, kolejnych kryzysach gospodarczych i migracyjnych pytanie zawarte w jednym z paneli tegorocznego forum czy Unia będzie istniała w 2025 roku brzmi nie tylko złowrogo ale też jest prawdziwym wyzwaniem dla młodego pokolenia liderów zebranych dziś w Nowym Sączu. Te wyzwania to przede wszystkim innowacje w sferze produkcji, programowania, zarządzania, to przedsiębiorczość nakierowana na zrównoważony rozwój. Młodzi liderzy Europy dyskutujcie, twórzcie, nawiązujcie relacje, zadawajcie pytania, słuchacie i szukajcie odpowiedzi. Nasz kontynent czeka na wasze pomysły. Niech to Forum będzie prawdziwą inspiracją dla europejskiej przyszłości.”
Agata Dziubińska-Gawlik, prezes Fundacji Nowy Staw.
Motivational lecture:
„Contemporary leadership - leader, charistmatic reformer, explorer”
Higher Education Lecturer:
There is nothing like one proper model of leadership and there are thousands of its definitions – what was emphasized by Professor Christopher Bezzina from the University of Malta (Malta) and Uppsala University (Sweden) as well as Professor Joanna Madalińska-Michalak, the Head of the Polish Educational Research Association from the University of Warsaw (Poland), during motivational lecture entitled “Modern leadership- a leader, charismatic reformer, explorer”.
Leaders wanted to find out what leadership means to the participants of the 12th Forum. Young leaders defined it as “ability to inspire the others and to get inspired” as well as “open-mindedness and being ready to make mistakes”.”.
According to Professor Christopher Bezzina, the greatest challenge encountered by the leader is to be authentic and stay real.– -Sometimes we are so busy with our daily routine that we do not have enough time for reflection and self-reflection, whereas their lack results in stopping our development. (If we stop reflecting, we stop growing) – said Professor.
Another person emphasizing the importance of self-reflection was Professor Joanna Madalińska-Michalak.
– Who am I? How do I imagine myself as a leader and how am I perceived by the others as a leader?, these are the most important questions we should often ask ourselves – she suggested.
The researchers also emphasized the significance of having a passion and being fascinated with what you do because it encourages people to take up new challenges and responsible tasks.
Discussion Panel:
What kind of representation does the Polish youth need?
Moderator: Mateusz Konieczny
Guests
What is youth policy? Do young people need any representation on the national level, in the central and local government units? How to encourage them to work in the youth city boards? Participants of the panel entitled ‘’Poland in the face of shaping youth policy – what kind of representation does the Polish youth need?” were trying to answer these questions.
The need of creating the Polish Council of Children and Youth of the Republic of Poland appeared naturally, as a consequence of gaining full sovereignty by our country in 1989, said Adam Janczewski, Chairman of the Polish Council of Children and Youth of the Republic of Poland by the Ministry of National Education. We are continuators of the idea, which had appeared before we were born, he noticed.
Adult policy-makers often do not trust you, the young people. You have to demonstrate your professional approach, competences and skills because you have them all’, said Professor Jacek Kurzępa, Deputy of the Polish Parliament, the Chairman of the Parliament Group for Supporting Youth Councils.
I often meet with people interested in the creation of the Youth City Board but they do not know how to make it happen. Collect a group of proactive people, tout your ideas and find an adult authority figure to support you, said Natalia Kapusta, Vice-Chairwoman of Youth Council of the Commune in Piaseczno.
Workshop
Entrepreneur and global challenges. Take the Lead – managerial skills workshop. A leader between East and West. Drop… and Change – inspiration, motivation and change. Coaching in projects. Coaching skills: How and when to use them for optimal results?. Elevator Pitch – how to present your idea in shorter time than it takes to complete elevator ride. Entrepreneurship and savings.
Plenary Session: "The Future of the European Union"
Moderator: Kuba Gąsiorowski Ph.D
Guests
FORUM FROM KULIS
Debate of Young Leaders:
"European Union will still exist in 2025"
Goście
Edukacja, swoboda przemieszczania się, otwarty rynek pracy i bezpieczeństwo – to według uczestników debaty młodych liderów najważniejsze powody, dla których Unia Europejska powinna istnieć w 2025 roku.
– Nie wszystkie instytucje Wspólnoty są „przyjazne użytkownikowi” i działają tak, jak powinny – zauważył Mariusz Bednarz (Polska). – Potrzebujemy mniej biurokracji, a więcej elastyczności – dodał.
Michal Pati (Słowacja) zwrócił uwagę na problem władzy. Według niego Unia Europejska nie funkcjonuje tak jak powinna, ponieważ państwa członkowskie nie chcą „przerzucić” więcej swojej władzy na rzecz Wspólnoty.
– Są osoby, które nigdy nie doświadczyły „ducha Erasmusowego”. Na szczęście my jesteśmy już z tego pokolenia, bardziej tolerancyjnego i otwartego, dlatego wierzę, że uda nam się przezwyciężyć problemy, przed którymi staje teraz UE – przekonywała Nikolett Garai (Węgry).
– Mierzymy się z takimi problemami jak kryzys migracyjny i Brexit, ale Unia Europejska wciąż będzie istniała w 2025 roku – powiedziała Lenka Švancarova (Czechy).
Official Banquet at Nowy Sącz Town Hall
