In June of last year, myself and a team of youth fellows from the IYTT arrived in Strasbourg for the 2023 European Youth Event. Arriving in the city there was a palpable excitement in the air. The streets were full of young people, excited and inspired, sporting their brightly coloured EYE tote bags absorbed in diverse conversations around democracy. Landing in Munich for the 2024 Munich Security Conference, the atmosphere was noticeably different. Given the year so far, continued conflict in Gaza, Ukraine, Myanmar, and many more, anxiety hanging over elections already carried out and those still to come, this was understandable. The Bayerischer Hof was host to a closely guarded inner circle, the cordon around it so large as to prevent the protesters of all political persuasions, as well as all passer-bys, from even seeing the venue. And yet, the conference itself, once within, was bursting with the same optimism found in Strasbourg in the previous year.
