On June 30, the Centre Europe Direct Nice Côte d’Azur hosted “Jeunes sans frontières”, an engaging afternoon of dialogue, discovery, and participation, focused on European cohesion policies and cross-border cooperation.
The event was organised by Martina Aiudi, IVY project partner working with the Mountain Directorate of the Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur, as part of the ALPIMED+ PILOT project. It brought together young people from across France to explore, in an interactive and inclusive way, how the European Union is working to reduce persistent regional disparities.
The agenda included several participatory moments to guide the audience through the discovery of cohesion policies. A presentation on European cohesion policies and their local impact, was delivered in the form of a live quiz that added a playful and educational touch.
Then, Martina shared her experience as an IVY volunteer within the ALPIMED+ project, highlighting not only the potential impact of the project on the cross-border territory, but also the tangible results of previous programming. A participatory workshop invited attendees to co-create ideas for future European projects aimed at strengthening cross-border cooperation and addressing shared challenges in border regions. In the end, each group presented its proposal, and everyone voted to elect the winning project.
The cross-border nature of the initiative was reflected not only in the content but also in diverse participation. In fact, the centre Europe Direct had the pleasure to welcome four Italian civic service volunteers, currently on assignment in Metz, as well as European Solidarity Corps volunteers active in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region. Their presence enriched the discussions and illustrated the concrete commitment of young people to building a Europe that is closer to its citizens.
Throughout the event, participants showed genuine interest, asking thoughtful questions, sharing ideas, and actively engaging in discussions. With strong motivation and initiative, they embraced the challenge of imagining future projects — and who knows, maybe one day these ideas will come to life thanks to EU cohesion policies.
Photos and text by IVY volunteer Martina Aiudi
