On the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, young researchers from the YOUROPE project stood before the Council of Europe in Strasbourg — not as observers, but as active participants in a ceremony dedicated to those whose voices are most often unheard.

Oliwer and Wiktoria, young researchers from the YOUROPE project, joined Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge and other speakers at the ceremony, where they read a powerful poem written by a young immigrant from Senegal. Their presence represented something larger than a single event: a statement about who belongs in spaces where Europe’s future is discussed.

Behind the scenes and on stage

The young researchers’ contribution went beyond the podium. Working behind the scenes, they also managed the Facebook live stream for the ceremony, ensuring its message reached wider audiences beyond the room in Strasbourg. In doing so, they embodied the YOUROPE principle that youth participation is not merely symbolic — it is practical, skilled, and consequential.

The ceremony was organised by the Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe, with the participation of YOUROPE, ATD Alsace, and Caritas, bringing together diverse voices in solidarity with people experiencing poverty. This year’s UN theme — “Ending social and institutional maltreatment by ensuring respect and effective support for families” — resonated directly with the project’s community-led work.

Democracy as practice, not just principle

As UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated, poverty is not a personal failure but a systemic one — a denial of dignity and human rights. Through Community-Led Research and Action, YOUROPE approaches this reality not with top-down solutions but with the belief that the people closest to these challenges are best placed to name and address them.

From documenting key events to sharing overlooked stories, young people in the YOUROPE project practise democracy rather than simply studying it. When youth participate, democracy grows stronger.