# Young European Leadership

Young European Leadership (YEL) is an international non-profit and nonpartisan organization composed of and founded by young Europeans. Its aim is to empower youths through high-level leadership opportunities to create change in their communities. Among its activities, YEL organizes the European Union's delegations to the Y7 and Y20 Summits, as well as youth-centered delegations to the annual COP conferences, the European Health Parliament, and other events, including the Paris Peace Forum.

## History

Young European Leadership was founded in 2013 with the main goal of recruiting the delegates of the European Union for future Y8 and Y20 Summits. The association was legally established in Brussels as an international non-profit organization in February 2013. The Co-Founders were Tillmann Heidelk (President), Flóra Rétvalvi (Vice President), Diana Carter (Secretary General), Jeroen Stevens (Treasurer), and Radoslav Šoth as a co-founding non-board member. The organization has since expanded its scope to handle several more conferences and events on a yearly basis. Since 2024, YEL has been part of the EU Stakeholders Group, placing it among the top 40 youth organizations in the European Union.

## Current Activities

Young European Leadership aims to empower youth by providing them with high-level leadership development opportunities and to connect young people with decision-makers in the European Union and abroad. The organization trains young Europeans in leadership skills including public speaking and negotiation skills, and organizes a number of delegations and events to achieve this aim.

### Y7 and Y20 Summits

The Youth Seven (Y7) and Youth Twenty (Y20) Summits – formerly G8 and G20 Youth Summits – are international youth conferences.
The Y7 and Y20 Summits are the official Group of Seven (G7) and Group of Twenty (G20) youth events. Young adults aged 18 to 30 are encouraged to provide innovative solutions to global challenges. Their proposals are then presented to the Heads of State of all G7 and G20 countries. YEL engages in extensive dissemination work of the Y7 and Y20 communiques, focusing on applying its findings across the EU and EU member states.

### UNFCCC COP Delegations

Young European Leadership organizes a high-level youth delegation to the annual United Nations Climate Change conference. YEL sponsors 10 young Europeans to attend the annual UN COP Summit and trains them with the necessary know-how to make an impact on climate change. As part of their work, they also publish interviews with people of interest as it pertains to the summit.

### European Stars

Young European Leadership writes and publishes the European Stars magazine every few months. This magazine covers several topics in relation to European politics, including interviews, analysis on politics, and information from Y7, Y20, and COP delegates. It serves as part of the organization's mission of information dissemination for youth politics in Europe.

### European Health Parliament Delegations

Young European Leadership organizes a high-level youth delegation to the European Health Parliament.

### Other Events

In addition, Young European Leadership organizes and participates in various youth-focused events. These include events hosted by the European Business Summit, the OECD, the Paris Peace Forum, and the European Committee of the Regions.

## Former Activities
### Young European Council

The Young European Council was a simulation of the European Council for young people. The different national positions on a variety of issues discussed at the European level such as energy, the question of the Euro or EU-bilateral relations, are covered. Young European Leadership organized the Young European Council (YEC) 2014 in Brussels. It gathered students and young professionals from all over Europe to address three challenges: education to employment, digital revolution and technologies, and sustainable development in cities; exchanging with policy-makers from the European institutions and think-tank experts. Guest speakers included the then-European Commissioner for Climate Action, Ms. Connie Hedegaard.

### European Development Days

Young European Leadership has frequently sent a youth delegation to the European Development Days. The European Development Days are Europe's forum for international affairs and development cooperation. This initiative is sponsored by the European Commission and its premier goal is to consolidate the general view on development issues and create a unified approach to achieve more effective international cooperation.

### YEL Society

The YEL Society was a project to bring together university students as well as young professionals involved in European and global politics. The Young European Leadership Society (YEL Society) believes that young people must be given the chance to design the world they are living in.

## Organisation
### Board

* President: Eloïse Ryon
* Secretary General: Augusto Gonzalez
* Treasurer: Federico Soattin

### Directors

* Director of Communications: Marko Milutinović
* Director of Partnerships: Maïa Madani Davies
* Director of Delegations: Ana Elena Opre

### European and International Partners
#### European Partners

* Schneider Electric Foundation
* Athens Network of Collaborating Experts (ANCE)
* Bulle Media
* European Business Summit
* Paris Peace Forum
* European Health Parliament
* Finance Watch
* Young Ambassadors Society
* Open Diplomacy
* Youth Council of Spain (CJE)
* JEF Spain
* The New Global Order (TNGO)
* Global Diplomatic Forum
* Prague European Summit

#### International Partners

* Young Professionals in Foreign Policy
* Young Diplomats of Canada
* Future Leaders Network
* REDAPPE
* Indian Youth Diplomacy Forum
* South African Youth for International Diplomacy
* Internet Society
* Youth Climate Movement

### Notable alumni

* Tillmann Heidelk , Co-Founder and first President of Young European Leadership (2013-2021)
* Flóra Rétvalvi , Co-Founder and First Vice President of Young European Leadership
* Jeroen Stevens , Co-Founder and First Treasurer of Young European Leadership
* Diana Carter , Co-Founder and first Secretary-General and Treasurer
* Radoslav Šoth , Co-Founder of YEL, Former EU Liaison Officer
* Sonia Stoyanova , Former Secretary-General
* Josias Knöppler , Former Treasurer and Vice President for Strategic Development
* Emma Wiesner , Member of the European Parliament (Renew Europe)