This year, from April 16 to 18, the annual Youth Forum of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) was held in New York. As part of the Forum, on April 17, the Parents’ House Public Benefit Foundation hosted a virtual side event where young people from Our Voice could also speak.
The grand forum provides a global platform every year for dialogue on solutions to challenges affecting the well-being of young people and serves as a unique venue for promoting youth solutions and sharing their thoughts and ideas.
Our event, titled “Our Voice Is Our Power,” focused on the integration opportunities for young people in care and inclusive practices aimed at eradicating poverty. During the side event, we presented the international „Our Voice” program for young people in care, which is being implemented in collaboration between Hungary, Belgium, and Romania with the support of the European Union.
We were delighted to have Hungary’s UN Youth Delegates, Widad Brimo and Annamária Wettstein, deliver inspiring welcome speeches. They emphasized the importance of opportunity-creating programs that facilitate the participation of young people in state care and highlighted how the active involvement of these youth can contribute to more inclusive societies.
Judit Regős, president of Parents’ House Foundation, spoke about the Hungarian child protection system and our fundamental approach to working with children and young people in state care. In her presentation, she introduced our international Our Voice program, implemented under the Erasmus+ program, emphasizing the importance of support, trust, security, and empowerment. She highlighted our collective responsibility to treat children with respect, understanding, and care, enabling them to pursue a positive life path despite their difficulties.
Dr. Krisztina Novák, the legal protection officer of the Integrated Legal Protection Service in Hungary, gave an engaging presentation on children’s rights and the possibilities for legal enforcement in child protection. She also shared practical examples and best practices in developing children’s legal awareness.
Zsuzsanna Márton, president of the Romanian Asociatia Pro Agriensis Association, discussed the situation of young people in state care in Romania and gave an exciting presentation on the implementation of the Our Voice project in Romania.
Stefanie Deleu, program manager representing our Belgian partner organization De Stuyverij, delivered an interesting presentation, providing valuable insights into the Belgian child protection system and the organization’s unique methodology, which was tested internationally with the participating youth during the project.
Following the presentations, the audience watched a summary video about the program.
One of the most anticipated parts of the side event was the roundtable discussion with the youth. Four enthusiastic young people from the Our Voice team introduced themselves to the audience. After the introductions, each youth shared their passion project, which they represented in the Our Voice program.
Renátó Oszkár Kállai highlighted the importance of protecting the Roma minority and shared his goal to return to his current home after completing his university studies to work locally for the children. He aims to always stand against injustice and give voice to the oppressed and marginalized.
Samuel Kui spoke about his personal experiences with bullying, sharing that after experiencing bullying both as a victim and as a bully, he has set his sights on fighting against bullying and teaching mutual respect to his younger peers.
Cosmin Istoc Grosu shared his thoughts on the significance of perseverance, motivation, and learning, showing that even the greatest obstacles can be overcome. Born with physical disadvantages, Cosmin wants to demonstrate to his peers that success is possible despite physical challenges.
Dominika Szányel, Ocean, expressed her belief in the need for everyone to have a fully reliable, supportive person in their life, free from prejudice. She aspires to work with children in the future, fulfilling this role in their lives because she believes that everyone deserves proper care.
We are incredibly proud of all the young participants in the program and wish them every success in achieving their dreams.
You can watch the side event at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/szulokhaza.erd/videos/449843907404835