GEMS @ World Youth Forum, Porto, Portugal

Date: 20-23 December 2024

Location: Porto, Portugal

Organiser: Centre for Diplomatic Advancement

The World Youth Forum 2024 was organized by the Centre for Diplomatic Advancement and took place in Porto, Portugal from December 20-23, 2024. This notable event brought together 140 young leaders, innovators, and change-makers from 90 diverse nationalities, all committed to addressing the most pressing challenges of our time. The primary goal of the forum was to heighten awareness among youth about critical issues, including those related to security, and to foster a space for knowledge exchange and solution-oriented discussions. Bledar Feta, an International Relations specialist from ELIAMEP’s South-East Europe Program and a member of the GEMS research team, was chosen to deliver a youth statement to the delegates.

In his address, Mr. Feta highlighted the EU-funded GEMS project, which focuses on the exploitation of online gaming platforms by extremists. He detailed how extremists use these platforms to spread their ideologies and recruit new followers, emphasizing the importance of raising awareness among the youth, especially gamers. Remarkably, of the 140 participants at the forum, only one was previously aware of the extremist risks within the gaming ecosystem. The presentation effectively informed a significant number of young attendees about these risks, generating substantial interest in further understanding and addressing this complex issue.

For additional photos of the event see the official page.

For a more detailed account of the event visit the ELIAMEP website.