YEAR 2009 NEWS

138 application forms from Ukraine alone, 302 from non-EU countries in total and 348 candidates from the EU – those numbers proof that this year´s Economic Forum of Young Leaders will be a true meeting of the young elite from East and West!

„The Forum´s program council had a hard time selecting 200 participants from more than 600 submitted applications.“ admits Michał Wójcik, Program Director of the Forum. Every form went more than once trough the hands of the entire Forum staff.

Discussion about who to choose and who not lasted hours. Altough almost every application would have been worth to be rewarded with the participation in the Forum, only one third of the young leaders qualified. Decisions had to be taken.

„It is of course activity in an NGO or a business that counts the most for us. Longer stays abroad are an advantage and a good knowledge of English is compulsory to take part in the event. However, we selected not only skilled leaders, but as well young professionals with less experience, but a promising application” adds Daniel Stelmasiewicz, Coordinator of the Forum.

Choosing participants for a high-ranking event as the Economic Forum of Young Leaders is a task as difficult as writing an exceptional application. The organizers sought a representation proportional to the population of the countries. Still, Polish participants qualified above average as being citizens of the host country. The same applies to participants from the neighboring countries of Poland as it is one of the Forum's subsidiary aims to initiate an sustainable dialog with them.

The Economic Forum of Leaders is aware of the gender mainstreaming process. Measures have been undertaken to improve the equal representation of both genders in the 2009 edition.

You find the results of the selection process here:
http://www.forum-leaders.eu/2009/en-lista.php

The Economic Forum of Young Leaders in Nowy Sącz (close to Krakow) is accompanying the 19th Economic Forum in Krynica. It is a meeting of young social, economic and political leaders from Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. There will be over 200 representatives of political, non- governmental, social and economic organizations from more than 30 countries. The Forum is a place of discussion and reflection about important problems and challenges for Europe with a special focus on the role of the young generation in the process of social and economic changes on the continent. The subjects of the Forum are as follows: identity and European values and most of all the meaning of solidarity in the contemporary world. Moreover, there will be touched upon the issues of the vision of the European Union, development based on knowledge and youth workers mobility.

For more information contact:
Daniel Stelmasiewicz
Coordinator of the Forum
0048 (0)81 536 10 88
forum@eds-fundacja.pl