Ghent 2024 was a platform to empower young people from around the continent to take part in policy-making, engage with decision-makers, interact with others from different communities, and acquire the skills necessary to fully partake in today and tomorrow’s society. It did so by holding an International Forum based on a parliamentary model, congruent with the structure and procedures used in the European Parliament. Ghent 2024 wanted to bring together 186 young people from over 25 European countries. Under the theme “Confluence Shapes Change”, it wanted to amplify their voices on issues that matter to them through the following objectives related to the Youth Goals (YG). Based on the EU Youth Report and our own research, we noticed that young people lack the opportunities and spaces to do so, making the necessity of the project even more pressing. Ghent 2024 specifically wanted to contribute to Youth Goal (YG) 3 - Inclusive Societies, as this was the thematic priority of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU. However, we wanted to add to YG 4 – Information & Constructive Dialogue and YG 9 – Space and Participation for All in particular, while still bearing in mind the other YGs. Hereby, the project aimed to situate itself within the EU Youth Strategy – thus having “Engage, Connect, Empower” as its guiding motto. Young people drafted resolutions with policy recommendations in committees and were able to consult with decision-makers and experts throughout the process. Each resolution focused on a specific European Youth Goal, making it so that there were eleven committees addressing the eleven European Youth Goals. At the end of Ghent 2024, all resolutions were discussed and voted on in a General Assembly with all participants. The main aims of the project were as follows: 1. Engage 1.1. Increased knowledge on the EU (YG 1): participants gained insights into the functioning of the European institutions to counter the lack of trust in the EU. 1.2. Promoted intercultural understanding (YG 3): developed solidarity and tolerance through intercultural dialogue. 1.3. Promoted constructive dialogue (YG 4): the project used the reliable EYP Methodology, showing young participants the value of engaging in respectful, tolerant, and non-violent dialogue. 1.4. Promoted active citizenship and democratic participation (YG 4): participants learned about their position as Europeans, societal challenges, and how they could contribute to their own future. 1.5. Involved young people in citizenship education (YG 8): participants learned about political systems, democracy, and human rights while developing policy recommendations. 1.6. Encouraged young people to take action (YG 9): participants gained knowledge on societal issues and discussed potential solutions, realising their power and potential as individuals and encouraging them to get involved in addressing them in their communities. 1.7. Introduced participants to volunteering (YG 9): EYP Belgium and the EYP Network were built upon voluntary youth participation - young people carried out activities for other young people, acting as role models for civic action. 2. Connect 2.1. Enabled dialogue between young people and decision-makers (YG 1): the project was designed to enable active dialogue with decision-makers. 2.2. Created a link between the participants and Ghent (YG 3): we wanted to offer all participants a chance to connect to the city and the city to them. Beyond the normal cultural programmes, we wanted to actively involve the city and its youth with the project. 3. Empower 3.1. Strengthened the rights of young people, especially those of marginalised or excluded communities (YG 3): we provided a space to tackle obstacles that prevent social cohesion, enhance discrimination, and enforce segregation by formulating policy recommendations addressing these issues and fostering social and cultural exchanges. 3.2. Developed skills that enhance employability (YG 7): participants learned by doing and through non-formal education methods, improving their research skills, critical thinking, problem solving, public speaking, teamwork, and intercultural dialogue. 3.3. Empowered and boosted confidence (YG 9): by dispelling the myth that young people are not capable of dealing with challenges facing the world, the project empowered its participants to take action. 3.4. Got young people comfortable with speaking in a foreign language (YG 8): by immersing young people in a setting where everyone communicated in a foreign language, participants became more comfortable speaking in English.