International Session Laax 2016
Laax 2016 is the 83rd International Session of the European Youth Parliament.
The International Sessions (IS) are the flagship events of the European Youth Parliament. Every year, the EYP organises three of these Sessions. Each of them brings together around 300 young people from 40 European countries during 10 days. Laax 2016 was preceded by a Summer session in Rennes (FR) and a Spring session in Dublin (IE) and Belfast (UK).
The delegates of the Spring and Autumn International Sessions are selected by their National Committees through a national competitive process – usually a National Selection Conference. The number of these participants representing a country varies according to the activity of the National Committee and its commitment for the EYP at the international level. The National Committees decide on their own how they want to select the delegates representing them at the Summer International Sessions.
The International Session includes an Opening Ceremony, Teambuilding, Committee Work, General Assembly and Closing Ceremony, which are the core elements of every EYP session. During its 10 days span, the delegates will experience all these under the guidance of the session officials, more experienced alumni who are chosen by a selection panel on the basis of their applications.
The theme of Laax 2016 is Young and Innovative Ideas for a Sustainable Future. This will be the fil rouge which will guide every bit of the session. There will be a major focus on sustainability, and specifically the role of technology, through innovation, and the youth, through its engagement in civil society and in politics, in the process of building a more sustainable future for all. The goal of this event is to go beyond the theoretical discussion of political and economic topics and come up with innovative ideas that connect with the reality of things. By this, we aim at offering an experience which will contribute to realise the hopes and dreams of the participants in shaping the future advocated throughout the session through personal action, as well as the opportunity to launch projects in their home countries in collaboration with our sponsors. The mean to achieve this goal will be an action plan elaborated alongside the more classical resolution.
Laax 2016 will be a unique event on many levels. The location, far from a buzzing city centre and in the midst of an impressive scenery, greatly contributes to this special feeling. Thanks to our partnership with Weisse Arena, we can guarantee an excellent framework for the participants. By gathering our participants in such a setting, with only the punctual input from experts and speakers as contact to the outer world, we hope to be able to create a special atmosphere and excellent working environment.
Session in numbers
Discover where our Participants come from!