On Thursday, 11 December 2025, in Łódź, two ESN sections joined forces to create an event that would not only be valuable and engaging, but above all leave a lasting impact on both participants and organisers. In this way, ESN-EYE Łódź and ESN UŁ Łódź brought the initiative “Let’s Build Our EUtopia!” to life as part of the Speak Out project. A total of 20 volunteers from both sections were involved in organising the event, and each of them made a meaningful contribution to what can confidently be called a successful December event.
“Let’s Build Our EUtopia!” aimed to create a safe space for young people, primarily students, to discuss their expectations towards the European Union and its youth-oriented programmes. It also served as an opportunity to present participants with opportunities that have already been created but are often unknown to many students.
The meeting began with insightful presentations delivered by representatives of the Student Union of Lodz University of Technology, Erasmus+ programme alumni, and trainees from the European Parliament Office in Wrocław. The wealth of knowledge gained over those few hours (along with in-depth Q&A sessions after each presentation) was later put into practice during workshops, which formed the next part of the event.
The event concluded with a panel discussion, which, much to many people’s surprise, turned out to be the most impactful part of the project. After a full day of absorbing new information, broadening perspectives, and comparing experiences, participants not only had the opportunity and willingness, but above all the courage to speak up and openly express what they still feel is missing, what universities and local authorities could do better, and what being a young European means to them. The extent to which these discussions stayed with all of us is reflected in the statements of both volunteers and participants involved in the event.
“My favourite quote is ‘Unity in diversity, diversity in unity,’ and I believe this project provided exactly the kind of platform needed for those who may feel unseen to speak up and express their concerns, expectations and aspirations.” summarised one of the ESN UŁ Łódź volunteers.
“Let’s Build Our EUtopia!” also highlighted how important the presence of local authorities is and how much young people want not only to engage in dialogue but also to be truly heard. Although it was not possible to invite all representatives of local authorities and universities, those who attended proved that open debate is both possible and necessary.
This leads to one simple conclusion: young people possess more agency than they sometimes realise and their enthusiasm, creativity and energy deserve to be supported and nurtured.