Resilience & Momentum: What’s working for Green and Progressive Youth Movements?
Saturday, 25 April
14:30 – 16:00
Room: Magritte (+ Delvaux)
We often ask how progressive movements can respond to democratic erosion – but what is actually working on the ground? This session brings together activists, Greens, and civil society actors to move beyond analysis and into practice. Through direct exchange with frontline practitioners, participants will explore concrete strategies and tactics that are building resilience and momentum across Europe – from shaping narratives and countering the far right, to mobilising people into action, and using institutional levers to defend democracy and civic space.
The session builds toward a shared “tactics map” of real-world approaches – and a critical question to carry forward: how can we scale, adapt, and strengthen these strategies across different contexts?
This is part two of a two-session journey (following Understanding Democratic Erosion from the Ground Up), but can also be attended as a standalone session.
This session is organised in collaboration with the Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG) and GEF Greenhouse alumni & FYEG.
Speakers
Agata Meysner, Treasurer Green European Foundation; Co-Founder, Generation Climate Europe
Agata Meysner is a climate activist and a non-profit entrepreneur from Poland. She co-founded and lead Generation Climate Europe, the largest coalition of youth-led networks on climate and environmental justice issues in Europe. Under her leadership, GCE has grown its membership to 380+ member organisations across 46 countries. She has collaborated with Europe’s largest environmental NGOs, and advised leading international organisations, such as the OECD and the European Commission. Agata is also a Fellow at the University of Oxford. Her expertise focuses on intergenerational justice, circular and wellbeing economy. She specialises in building impactful coalitions and strategies that drive systemic change. Agata regularly speaks at leading conferences on EU policy and social impact across Europe.
Dominika Lasota, co-founder of the Wschód (“Sunrise”) Initiative, Poland
Dominika Lasota is a student & social justice activist from Poland. Originally a member of the global climate movement Fridays For Future, she co-founded the WSCHÓD (pl. SUNRISE) Initiative, which grew to be nation’s leading youth space for progressive organizing. She focuses on building civic power in Eastern Europe through campaigns linking climate, security & welfare matters. Following WSCHOD’s work on mobilizing women & youth around general elections in Poland, she was recognized with a Freedom of Speech Medal in 2025.
Ignasi Digón Salvà, Catalan Young Greens (FYEG)
Ignasi is a 21-year-old Law student and works at a labor law firm. He is the International Secretary of Joves Ecosocialistes (Catalan Young Greens), having also been responsible for the organization’s activities and grants at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) and represented his organization in Barcelona’s and Catalonia’s Youth Councils.
Beyond politics, he has had an extensive involvement at UPF, where he has been a member of the Student Council and a student delegate for several years. He has contributed to the university’s strategic plan and participated its Legal Clinic, focusing on cases related to asylum and the reform of regulations for artists. He is also a member of the Commission on Linguistic Policy and the Commission on sexual harassment and LGTBIQA+ discrimination. As a volunteer, he provided public speaking training to inmates in Quatre Camins prison and acted as a judge in high school debate leagues.
Ariane Giraneza Birekeraho, Antwerp City Council Member, Party Board member, Groen
Ariane Giraneza is a local city councilor in Antwerp working on climate issues, inclusion and equal opportunities as wel as asylum and integration issues.
Ariane is also part of the national party board of Groen. Professionally Ariane is the coordinator of a small NGO active in the climate advocacy sphere.
Facilitator: Andrej Zlatović, Co-Spokesperson, Federation of Young European Greens
Born and still living in Belgrade, where I also finished my bachelor’s studies in archaeology at the University of Belgrade as well as currently studying a master’s in culture studies. Having been active in different political and non-formal ecological groups for years, I joined the Green Youth of Serbia in 2022 and afterwards the movement which became the Green-left Front. During that time I also became engaged with the Young European Greens (FYEG) first during the campaign for the European elections in 2024 and then ran for the executive committee, currently finishing my mandate as co-spokesperson. Additionally, I also have the privilege of working at the Center for Green Politics as a Project Coordinator.
