Treaty of Middelburg
I would like to fight for the fundamental freedoms to begin with. I’ve never understood why it is commonly accepted that certain people aren’t able to get the same opportunities, even at the most fundamental level of having where to sleep, or access to food or the most basic education simply because of the place they were born in or the way they were born, such as inherent and chronic illnesses and diseases, or even their sexuality. I would like to change this position and inspire others to fight for everyone to stand a real chance to enjoy the most fundamental human rights they are so often refused.
Team members
- ■ Julia Kowalska
Why do you want to participate?
I’ve been interested in the law for years now, which led me to study international and European law at the University of Groningen. There, I get to broaden my horizons within my interests from a more theoretical view – learning about the freedoms, their protection and noticing the areas in which these protections fail or aren’t there at all. This Conference, in my opinion, provides a great and unique opportunity to put such knowledge into practice and genuinely make a change, or work towards it, in our society.
What does freedom mean to you?
Having lived in four different countries, I have personally experienced how diverse perspectives shape the way freedom is defined, protected, and challenged across borders. Coming from Poland, an eastern part of Europe, which often lacks protections of freedoms in various areas of life, moving to Denmark and later the Netherlands, I can see how much certain countries lack and that there’s a real chance to do better in that sphere. This global exposure has strengthened my belief in the importance of safeguarding fundamental rights, as well as notice that there is a real chance – and the need – for change.
What are the biggest challenges?
I think one of the primary challenges regarding freedom for young people is the freedom of speech, and finding the balance within it. I believe that youth often has a lot of valuable ideas that can positively impact society, yet few people often give them a chance to share it due to their age, assuming they aren’t experience enough or immature. Another issue is striking the right balance within the freedom of speech – when on the somewhat rare occasion a young adult is given the opportunity to share, they may often be disregarded due to the perspective they are speaking from and shut down even more due to their particular political standing and criticized that those thoughts do not align with the national or majority perspective. I believe it’s a self-reinforcing cycle which doesn’t give us a fair opportunity to share our views.
Do you have a message?
I would like to thank the organisers for creating this conference. Whether or not I’ll be lucky enough to be chosen to participate, I believe there are far too few opportunities for youth to actively participate in such important measures, which have an impact on the world and everyone in it.
