A Day Where Young Voices Stepped Up
On 20 September 2025, San Giorgio a Cremano buzzed with a different kind of energy. Not the usual weekend rhythm, but the sound of young people, youth workers, and organisations from across Campania sitting together with one shared purpose: shaping the region’s future.
Take Over Campania!, organised by Europiamo as part of the Connect 4 Impact project, wasn’t just another regional gathering. It brought together 25 participants from Portici, Naples and beyond, each arriving with their own experiences and expectations, yet ready to challenge what youth participation should look like in Campania.
From the start, the atmosphere felt sharp. Forum dei Giovani Portici, Croce Rossa Italiana, WeWorld Onlus, Blam aps, JEF Napoli and others filled the room with ideas that didn’t float politely on the surface; they hit the table with weight.
Setting the Tone: Inputs That Actually Mattered
The morning wasn’t the usual parade of long speeches. Instead, the speakers offered concrete insights the room could act on.
- Claudia Capone from the University of Salerno cut straight to the point about youth policies and the real gaps in youth work.
- Alfredo Izzo, from the Parliamentary Committee for Southern Development, pushed the group to examine what policymaking for the South really demands.
- Donato Ciao from GRUV innovation lab brought in practical stories of local change rather than abstract ideas.
- Paola Schettini from Arciragazzi closed the circle with tools that were grounded and usable, like the video CV, making sure inclusion wasn’t just a buzzword.
You asked for energy and fresh thinking; they delivered.
Rolling Up Sleeves: Youth Policy Under the Microscope
After lunch, the tone shifted from listening to building. Participants broke into groups and got to work on Campania’s youth policy law.
They didn’t rewrite it from scratch, but they did something far more valuable: they interrogated it.
What’s missing? What’s outdated? What doesn’t serve young people at all?
The recommendations they drafted weren’t feel-good notes; they carried bite. They showed a willingness to disrupt the usual cycle of consultation that leads nowhere.
This was the moment the event earned its name. It wasn’t passive participation. It was ownership.
So, What Now?
Here’s where many events collapse: great energy, great conversations, then silence.
Not here.
Two follow-up activities are already in motion to take these proposals forward. The work will continue, and everyone in the room left knowing exactly how they can contribute to the next steps.
The Real Impact
Take Over Campania! worked because the people in the room refused to play it safe. They showed that youth participation isn’t a polite request for space; it’s a claim. They proved that collaboration isn’t a pretty concept; it’s a tool for reshaping local realities.
What happened in San Giorgio a Cremano wasn’t just a meeting. It was a shift in attitude.
Young people didn’t just take part.
They took over.