The Three Seas region represents 22% of the total population of the European Union, of which tens of millions were born after 1989. These youth are our natural future leaders and a source of great political, scientific and cultural potential. The GenFree Conferences are aimed at addressing the question of how this potential could be harnessed to effectively build the Three Seas Initiative and better the future of our region.
GenFree – what does it even mean?
GenFree is an abbreviation for ‘Generation Freedom’. And in a broader sense, GenFree means the future of the European Union and all free nations. ‘Generation Freedom’ is the name for the generation born after the political revolutions of 1989. The first generation born in free lands, who have never experienced communism, and whose oldest representatives are now in their thirties. This is the generation that is slowly, but surely becoming the dominant force in Central and European politics, business, and media.
Watch:
- Beata Daszyńska-Muzyczka – “The 3W” concept of sustainable development”
- Dr Solomon Passy – “New Europe: from 3 Seas to 3 Oceans”
- Velina Tcharkova – “3S Energy Projects: Challenges and Opportunities”
- Mariusz Babula – “The startup valleys: how Three Sseas companies enter global markets”
- Jacek Bartosiak – “Conditions needed for three seas success by 2050”
The conference was created to tap into this resource. It’s an idea about strengthening cooperation between those nations of the European Union who live in the Three Seas region. An idea that draws on our most vital and valuable resource, the one most capable of breaking down economic and cultural barriers – the European youth.
Our youth – they’re our future.
The most important aspect is involving this younger generation in the process of creating the Three Seas Initiative. The success of this project greatly depends on their fresh perspective, and their ability to quickly adapt and assimilate to the latest cultural, technological and economic innovations. We should look to them as our future leaders, which they will undoubtedly become.
How does GenFree work?
In practical, everyday terms, GenFree is a series of initiatives that bring the Three Seas nations closer together in terms of economics, politics, and culture. To this end, it involves a cyclical conference that brings together young, future leaders – representatives of GenFree from all the countries of Three Seas Initiative. We invite prominent figures in the fields of media, politics, business and academics to our conferences so that they can share their expertise and viewpoints. The conference, itself, often takes the form of interesting interactive thematic speeches and panels, accompanied by a series of meetings between experts and participants, both in groups and individually.
The year 2021
Last year, the GenFree Three Seas Youth Conference was organized in Warsaw at Hotel Warszawa, located in the historical Prudential building, the first skyscraper in Poland built in 1933. It was a fine example of why these initiatives are so vital. The conference, devoted to the Three Seas Initiative in the perspective of the next 50 years, was attended by young representatives from all 12 countries of the Three Seas region – Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Experts from around the world in the fields of academics, business, politics and diplomacy spoke about the future of the region in the context of civilization, technology and business.
What’s next?
This is just the beginning of the GenFree concept. In the coming years, the conference will be organized in all Three Seas countries in various formats, all just as captivating as last year’s.
Who is responsible for this?
The GenFree Intiative and GenFree Youth Conference were created and proposed by the State of Poland foundation. You can learn more about GenFree on their website.
