Ganja named European Youth Capital for 2016
Baku, November 22 (AZERTAC). Ganja, the second largest city of Azerbaijan, has been named as the European Youth Capital for 2016.
The European Youth Forum awarded Ganja this title on the basis of applications received from the city, which focused on plans for serious work with local and European youths in various fields, including human rights.
Commenting on the decision, President of the European Youth Forum, Peter Matjašič, said: “We congratulate Ganja for it`s strong, diverse and detailed proposals and its commitment to tackle issues such as youth participation, education, social inclusion, employment and volunteering”.
"Connection" will be a key theme for Ganja as European Youth Capital. The program aims to promote close cooperation across borders, and combine policy, research and practice for young people.
Ganja surpassed competitors such as Vilnius (Lithuania), Varna (Bulgaria), Galway (Ireland), La Laguna (Spain) and Badajoz (Spain).
The awarding ceremony was held at the meeting of the Council of the European Youth Forum in Thessaloniki, the youth capital of Europe in 2014.
The “European Youth Capital” is a title awarded to a city for the period of one year, during which it will be given the chance to showcase, through a multi-faceted programme, its youth-related cultural, social, political and economic life and development.
The EYC initiative encourages the implementation of new ideas and innovative projects, with regard to active participation of young people in society, and seeks to present a role model for the further development of youth policies in other European municipalities.
The first European Youth Capital was Rotterdam (the Netherlands) in 2009. The European Youth Forum has developed a transparent and fair competition open to all European municipalities, and has since awarded the EYC 2010 title to Turin (Italy), EYC 2011 to Antwerp (Belgium), EYC 2012 to Braga (Portugal), EYC 2013 Maribor (Slovenia), EYC 2014 Thessaloniki (Greece) and EYC 2015 Cluj Napoca (Romania).
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