Youth exchange projects have a strong and diverse impact on participating young people and accompanying persons. The more than fifty youth work representatives at our annual event in Biel agreed on this.


On 27 August 2020, the Youth Work Team from Movetia welcomed more than fifty youth workers and representatives of youth organisations and associations to the bilingual annual event in Biel. The focus was on the effect of international youth projects. Inspired by a committed and personal welcoming speech by President of the Council of States, Hans Stöckli – “Exchange is important and formative” – the participants exchanged views on impact and recognition in various workshops. The aim was to become acquainted with the various projects and to exchange information on impact measurement and evaluation: best practices were shared, non-formal education methods deepened and an introduction to communication and lobbying was given.

Since 2019, Switzerland has been a member of the European Research Network RAY. In this context, concrete results on the youth projects supported by Movetia in 2019 were presented for the first time this year. The two researchers Dr. Susanne Gadinger and Eva Feldmann-Wojtachnia gave the participants some revealing insights; the data clearly shows that the European youth projects supported by Movetia have considerable added value for young people. For example, 96.5 % of the young people interviewed stated that their participation in a youth exchange had had a positive effect on their personal development. The concluding report will be published on www.movetia.ch/en/youth-work towards the end of the year.

As has been tradition for a few years now, the stage was left to one of our partners at the end of the event: this year, the Association Les Coccinelles from the Canton of Jura presented its youth exchange project “SustainaBal”. The young people deal with the European folk dance Bal Folk and with questions of sustainability.

For further information on the event or the Youth in Action programme, please contact jugend@movetia.ch