Call for Applications for the Young Bled Strategic Forum 2022

From the organizer: 

For more than a decade, the Young Bled Strategic Forum (Young BSF) has been bringing together young leaders age between 18 and 35 years from all over the world to engage in lively discussions and develop innovative solutions to some of the most pressing global issues. It has become a unique meeting place for a diverse array of young leaders, entrepreneurs, influencers, thinkers and social activists, offering them a platform to share their visions, exchange ideas and connect. The Young BSF is organised back to back with the activities of the Bled Strategic Forum - BSF (a forum organised on a yearly basis connecting decision makers, members of academia,
think tank representatives, members of civil society, private sector representatives and other stakeholders).

Although the Young BSF conference has addressed different topics of discussion throughout the years, the leading vision of the Young BSF remains the same: to connect eager, motivated young individuals and active citizens coming from different fields of expertise and offer them a cooperative, creative, and motivated environment for discussions and networking.

What is Young BSF?

• Forum organised on a yearly basis (that connects young individuals and their ideas)
• Platform (that engages young participants, before and after the Young BSF in the form of thematic
discussions, activities, round table discussions)
• Inseparable and interwoven part of the Bled Strategic Forum (giving young participants the
opportunity to network, discuss their ideas with decision-makers, representatives of international
organisations, media, representatives of Accademia, members of the private sector and other
stakeholders)
• Driver of change
• Crossroad (opportunity where new ideas may be formed)
• Unique format (that recognises the talents and potential of youth and gives them a chance to make
their voices heard)
• Bridge between civil society and decision-makers (connected in partnership)

How does Young BSF bring its vision to life?

• Cross border cooperation (through the engagement of an international network of individuals)
• Cross-sectoral cooperation (through the involvement of individuals of different background,
education and fields of work/study)
• Mutual learning and networking
• Sharing of experience, ideas and knowledge
• Search for innovative ideas as an answer to global challenges (in the scope of active and engaging
discussions, events)
• Inclusion of youth as equal partners in the discussion
• Youth empowerment

How are the Bled Strategic Forum and Young Bled Strategic Forum connected?

The Bled Strategic Forum represents an innovative format of international conferences, that has in its tradition of sixteen years become one of the most important international forums in central and south-east Europe. The Bled Strategic Forum represents a bridge of cross-border and cross-sector cooperation, enabled through the participation of decision makers, representatives of the academic sphere, representatives of the private sector, youth organisations and young leaders, representatives of civil society, international organisations and other organisations, who participate in discussions, round tables and networking opportunities organised at Bled, Slovenia. The Young Bled Strategic Forum represents an integral part of the conference and BSF platform, which focuses on the empowerment of youth, their representation and partnership with decision makers, enables opportunities for education and vocational training. Young BSF is organised parallel with the Bled Strategic Forum, with interwoven programme activities. The Young BSF participants are actively involved in both events, initially as participants in the Young BSF and afterwards as active participants and guest speakers within the BSF.

Young Bled Strategic Forum 2022

Young BSF will continue to implement activities and events, that enable cross border, cross sector cooperation of young leaders and will enable an open space for the exchange of best practices withouth discrimination (based on gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality...). Young leaders will cooperate within a three-day event of panel discussions, interactive opportunities for cooperation, exchange of best practices (with peers, decision makers, private sector representatives, members of academia, entrepreneurs, international organisations and nongovernmental organisations) in order to jointly develop solutions for some of the most pressing challenges for their generation and our societies. The programme of the event will be prepared in cooperation with professional organisations, experts, institutional partners and sponsors.