Europa Nostra, ESACH and European Heritage Tribune launch 3rd edition of European Heritage Youth Ambassadors Programme

On 13 February, Europa Nostra, the European Students’ Association for Cultural Heritage (ESACH) and the European Heritage Tribune met online to launch the 3rd edition of the European Heritage Youth Ambassadors (EHYA) Programme and unveil the 13 new young heritage students/professionals selected to take part in this year’s edition. Coming from a wide range of countries and with diverse academic and professional backgrounds, the new Ambassadors expressed immense enthusiasm for joining the EHYA Programme 2023.

A warm welcome and big round of applause for our European Heritage Youth Ambassadors 2023! 👏🤓🥳
12 new young heritage students/professionals will support our #HeritageAmbassadors squads and work alongside us for #culturalheritage! #EHYA2023
Meet them 👉 https://t.co/TW6zgtePS7 pic.twitter.com/IjTLgmopRF

— Europa Nostra (@europanostra) February 13, 2023

Launched in 2021, the EHYA Programme is a growing network of young students and professionals living in Europe who share their stories, experiences and passion for heritage on online platforms. The Ambassadors act as bridges between students and young professionals and European heritage organisations for the realisation of youth-led initiatives related to heritage.

The online event was moderated by Jasna Popovic and Miruna Gaman, the newly appointed Coordinators of the EHYA Programme, who conveyed great enthusiasm for collaborating with the new Ambassadors and gave the floor to the representatives of the partner organisations.

The Secretary General of Europa Nostra, Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailovic, praised the young generations’ commitment to mobilising the immense potential of cultural heritage to build a more sustainable, inclusive and peaceful Europe.

 

Jean Querelle, on behalf of the European Heritage Tribune, and Sorina Neacșu, Vice-President of ESACH, also passed on positive messages to the new Ambassadors.

Former EHYA Ambassadors also attended the online event. Léa Guillemant, Kujtime Mimi Kotorri and Miguel Senra Hermana, selected for the 2nd edition of the Programme, briefly shared their experiences as Ambassadors and emphasised the great opportunities offered by EHYA Programme.

The online event featured testimonials from three special guests: Christiana Xenofontos, Vice-President of the European Youth Forum; Tamara Cvetković, President of the Youth for Exchange and Understanding; and Miranda Zavrou, Policy Assistant at the DG for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture of the  European Commission.

Manon Richard, former EU Projects Officer at Europa Nostra, who played an important role in the development of the EHYA Programme, also contributed to the online event, emphasising that young people are central to the future of Europe.

The online event concluded with a short virtual celebration to welcome the new ambassadors!