Young Changemakers’ Academy 2026
5-7 June in Budapest
About the event
The second event of the Young Changemakers Academy (YCA) 2026, organised by European Liberal Forum (ELF) with the support of LYMEC (European Liberal Youth) took place June 5-7 in Budapest, Hungary with a focus on impactful advocacy and fundraising.
Key sessions throughout the programme included:
● Grassroots and mass-movement activism – Creating Impact in a youth environment
● Train your public speaking skills
● Advocacy vs. Lobbying
● Funding your project, now and in the future
Takeaways
The first thematic session, “Grassroots and Mass-Movement Activism – Creating Impact in a Youth Environment,” was delivered by Gábor Kerpel-Fronius, former Deputy Mayor of Budapest.
Drawing on his extensive experience in local politics and civic engagement, he explored how grassroots movements can drive meaningful social and political change. Participants learned about the conditions necessary for building successful movements that can mobilise communities and influence decision-makers based on the examples from Momentum party in Hungary.
The second day began with a practical workshop on public speaking delivered by Debbie van de Wijngaard. Through interactive exercises and guided reflection, participants developed techniques for communicating confidently and effectively in public settings.
The session focused on structuring messages, engaging audiences, and overcoming common challenges associated with public speaking.
These skills were directly linked to participants’ ongoing advocacy projects, equipping them with tools to communicate their ideas more persuasively.
The programme continued with the session “Impact in Action: Lessons from Youth-Led Initiatives,” led by Violetta Pashutina. Through examples of successful youth-driven projects, participants explored different pathways for creating meaningful impact within their communities. The session highlighted practical lessons learned from similar Ukrainian youth-led initiatives and encouraged participants to reflect on how these experiences could be applied to their own projects.
Following a short break, Anna Donáth, former Member of the European Parliament and former leader of Momentum, delivered a session on “Advocacy vs Lobbying.” Participants examined the similarities and differences between the two approaches, gaining a clearer understanding of how advocacy campaigns can influence public policy and decision-making processes.
In the afternoon, Kitti Modroczky led a workshop on fundraising and long-term project sustainability. Participants explored different funding opportunities and learned practical strategies for securing resources to support their initiatives. The session emphasised the importance of developing sustainable projects that can continue generating impact beyond initial implementation phases.
The module concluded with a session on project planning and next steps facilitated by LYMEC bureau member Anes Hodžić. In the following months, participants will be working on practical assignments through an e-learning module. This way, they will get a chance to work on strengthening the skills they learned during the second meeting, but also , deepen their understanding of advocacy and civic engagement through practical exercieses.
The last session of the Young Changemakers' Academy will take place in Brussels, Belgium in October!
The event was organised by the European Liberal Forum in cooperation with the European Liberal Youth LYMEC. The event received financial support from the European Parliament. The sole liability remains with the organiser. The European Parliament is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
The Young Changemakers' Academy 2026 continued in Budapest!