Young and engaged

Young people play a pivotal role in the future of international cooperation. In 2025, Enabel therefore placed significant emphasis on youth engagement, utilising the BeGlobal programme, the Junior Programme and the Youth Sounding Board to empower young individuals to contemplate and act in response to global challenges.

BeGlobal: forward-looking engagement

The past year was characterised by significant encounters. Through debates, workshops and partnerships with players from youth work and education, young people had the opportunity to make their voices heard on topics such as international solidarity, global inequality and the future of international cooperation. A notable highlight was the youth event organised by Enabel in autumn 2025 in collaboration with Je m’engage pour l’Afrique (JMA). The event provided a platform for young people to engage in constructive dialogue with young experts and opinion makers regarding the significant transformations confronting international cooperation.

The keynote speaker was David Van Reybrouck, a writer, historian and outspoken critical voice in the social debate on democracy, global inequality and international solidarity.

In his keynote address, he challenged young professionals to explore uncharted territory and transcend the boundaries of conventional ‘development cooperation’. He emphasised that authentic social and global transformation does not emerge from immediate solutions or technocratic responses, but rather from active listening, imaginative thinking and the assumption of responsibility across generations. He explicitly called for young people to be recognised as political and social actors, emphasising that they will bear the longest-term consequences of today’s decisions.

“If the US turns into the new Wild West, let Europe become the Warm West. Let us build new European-African partnerships that are respectful, constructive and effective.” added David Van Reybrouck.

In 2025, BeGlobal entered into an agreement with the Colruyt Group Foundation to develop a Youth Incubator. The partnership’s objective is to inspire and coach dozens of young people from 2026 onwards to develop and implement their ideas for innovative international solidarity projects.

Youth Sounding Board: the voice of young people

Enabel took an important structural step in 2025 by establishing the Youth Sounding Board. This platform brings together a diverse group of young people to engage in dialogue with Enabel’s management and Corporate Board. The Youth Sounding Board provides young people with a permanent platform to share their perspectives and recommendations, contributing to the organisation’s strategic reflections.

Junior Programme: professionalising young people and fostering global citizenship

On 12 March 2026, Enabel celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Junior Programme, which since 2006 has given nearly 700 young professionals the opportunity to gain up to two years’ experience in partner countries of Belgian international cooperation. In 2025 alone, 19 junior experts commenced employment at Enabel or at affiliated NGOs.

The programme is designed for professionals with a bachelor’s or master’s degree, under the age of 31. It was initiated in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, at the initiative of the then Development Minister Armand De Decker. Its goal was to mobilise young people around global challenges and offer them a first professional experience in international cooperation.

This programme deviates from the conventional recruitment approach by placing significant emphasis on mentorship and coaching. Prior to departure, the selected junior experts undergo an intensive onboarding programme to ensure they are fully prepared to both work and live in a new environment. In addition to sessions on project management, interculturality, innovation and decolonisation, global citizenship will be a key theme, exploring the connection between global and local challenges. The junior experts will also have the benefit of support and guidance from an external coach during their assignment.

The impact is enduring: a 2025 alumni survey shows that half of former junior experts remain active in international cooperation, often as experts, consultants, project leaders, managers or directors of organisations. 90% of them confirm that the programme still has an influence on their careers, even many years later.

In some countries, European junior experts are also paired with nationally recruited young professionals to encourage intercultural exchange.

Consequently, this provides a real springboard for committed, international work.