IDF Europe Youth Leadership Camp

Engaging Youth

IDF Europe values the essential role youth plays in raising awareness on diabetes. Their first-hand experience of diabetes makes them powerful advocates not only to raise awareness on this condition, but also to urge stakeholders and the general public to take action on diabetes. In addition, their broad network built through social media gives them a wide reach which can support IDF Europe’s outreach.

As more and more children and young people develop this condition, it is not only vital that the voice of youth be heard, but also that they play an active role in our mission to raise awareness, promote diabetes care and prevention and encourage research to find a cure to all types of diabetes in Europe.

As part of a series of projects aimed at children and young people living with diabetes, IDF Europe started to organize Youth Leadership Camp with the aim of nurturing a new generation of youth advocates in diabetes and create a strong pan-European network. 

2012 IDF Europe Youth Leadership Camp

In July 2012, IDF Europe organized its second Youth Leadership Camp in Rogla, Slovenia. A group of 24 young leaders aged 18 to 30 from 21 European countries were invited to participate in the camp. During the 8-day camp, the young leaders learned about different types of advocacy, campaigning activities and strategic planning methods, and were also introduced to the work of IDF Europe. Combining sports activities and interactive workshops, the camp was also an opportunity for the young leaders to find out about the differences in diabetes care and daily-life realities across Europe, share their strategies on how to cope with diabetes and learn from their day-to-day triumphs and challenges.

An inevitable result of the camp is peer-to-peer learning. Back in their countries, the young leaders are inspired and eager to get more involved in raising awareness on diabetes at national level with concrete projects, from creating their own youth group to developing a whole series of campaigning activities.

More on the 2012 IDF Europe Youth Leadership Camp:

  • The Unitur facilties of Rogla, Slovenia, is the structure IDF Europe used for its first two camps. Click here for more information on the type of facilities we are looking for to organize the camp.
  • Click here to see the 2012 camp programme.

The youth camp is not a standalone event, but rather one that is integrated in IDF Europe’s wide-ranging activities – including those specifically aimed at youth. The purpose is to nurture a new generation of youth advocates and to galvanize their support and knowledge for different advocacy initiatives.

As the network of European young leaders is expanding, IDF Europe will continue to support and facilitate exchange between the young advocates, member organizations and other stakeholders in order to develop new pan-European initiatives aimed at young people living with diabetes. 

For more information

  • Watch the 2011 Youth Leadership Camp Video here!
  • Click here to visit the IDF Europe Youth Forum 2011 Facebook page. Photos of the 2011 camp are available there.
  • For more information on the 2011 Summer Youth Camp, click here.