Alexa-Jane Moore
On winning the YEUK essay competition, I was off to Paris! I was really excited to see the sights and experience the French culture. I was also able to see and contribute to discussions on NEETs at the conference. It was interesting to see the similarities and differences between the French and the British. What I learnt about the French is that they are very passionate, cannot stick to timings and have a lot of expertise. What I learnt about the British is that we are direct, to point and have a lot of knowledge on radicalisation.
Sitting around a large table, we were able to communicate via the interpreters. We discussed a variety of issues from: what causes NEETs to what causes radicalisation. The topics were varied and discussions long. There were many different opinions, but all came together to share good practices on how to resolve the NEET crisis. What I realised is that it isn’t just a ‘British problem’ and the causes are cultural. The French and British causes of NEETism are similar. It is to do with social issues and the support that is offered to young people.
The speaker on radicalisation was very informative and I feel took the show. He explained how a collective is hijacking a religion for their cause. The discussion on this was very passionate and very interesting. There are so many different causes and stages to radicalisation.
Overall, it was a great learning experience and I am very thankful for the opportunity.
