Martim Medeiros, a young man from Faial Island, has been selected to join the Portuguese delegation participating in the first edition of Enlargement CEmp, a European youth meeting to be held from September 2 to 7 in Lviv, Ukraine. Promoted by the National Agency Erasmus+ Youth/Sport and European Solidarity Corps, in conjunction with the Ukrainian authorities and the Lviv City Council, the initiative is supported by the European Commission Representation in Portugal. This event brings together 40 young people, 20 from Portugal and 20 from Ukraine, to discuss the future of the European Union, the enlargement process, competitiveness, and the defense of democracy and the rule of law.

Another Azorean, Álvaro Borges, from São Miguel, is also part of the national delegation. Martim tells Tribuna das Ilhas that he learned about the project through DiscoverEU, an Erasmus+ program that offers travel passes throughout Europe. 7 7 ENLARGEMENT CEMP “Since I won one of these passes, I joined the Erasmus+ email lists, and a message about this trip to Ukraine arrived in my inbox. That’s how I found out about it,” he explains. Despite his curiosity, he almost didn’t apply. “I thought they would give preference to people with more relevant academic backgrounds and who had already completed higher education. I confess that I almost didn’t apply.” The decision ultimately came about thanks to his mother’s encouragement, and he only recorded the video required for the application on the last day. When he received the news that he had been selected, he was very surprised. “I was very happy! I didn’t expect to be one of those selected.”

CONFLICT IN UKRAINE DOES NOT SCARE MARTIM

The fact that the meeting is taking place in Ukraine, amidst war, does not deter the young man. More than security, Martim says he is more concerned with the program itself, which includes debates with European decision-makers, field visits, team exercises, and exchanges of experiences with mentors and opinion leaders. “I am more anxious about the debates and visits than the fact that the event is taking place in a country at war.” Regarding the topics, the young man from Faial considers that “they are all very relevant and inseparable”. He believes that this action is “in itself a demonstration of young people’s concern about the future of Europe, obviously covering democratic concerns and the enlargement of the Union.” He admits, however, that what interests him most, and which fits in as a sub-theme, is the “rapprochement of European youth and the creation of a sense of real belonging to European ideals.” In his view, many young people see the European Union “as something distant.” In this sense, he would like to contribute to a debate that helps to create “a common imagination and a sense of fraternity, belonging, and greater rapprochement.” With this experience, Martim also hopes to show that “these and many other similar initiatives exist, are promoted by the European Union, and participation in them is easy, accessible, and allows regions that are often unheard to have a voice.” Through his participation, he hopes to contribute “to the dissemination of the ideals of the Union to which we belong, and which brings us closer, as a community, to the decisions taken there.”

Proud of his roots, Martim emphasizes that he also intends to be one of the voices of the Outermost Regions at this meeting. “We are Azoreans and, as such, we are covered by the European status of Outermost Region, which means we benefit from greater funding than other regions because we live in an area with certain particularities, in our case, insularity.” In this context, what he wants to convey to Ukrainians is that “the Union is sensitive to the characteristics of the areas that make it up and that, despite this diversity, there is room for dialogue, understanding, and, above all, cooperation.” He wants to draw the attention of policy makers to “the importance of bringing European youth closer together and creating a sense of real belonging to European ideals.” Martim feels ‘lucky’ and “honored” to be part of this delegation that will bring European ideals to a country experiencing such a complex context as Ukraine. “I believe that if we want change, we have to participate in these initiatives, put forward ideas, and take part in debates. I seriously believe that not choosing a side is also choosing a side, without any kind of radicalism,” concludes Martim, who was also a contributor to the sports section of Tribuna das Ilhas.

In Tribuna das Ilhas, Susana Garcia, director.

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.