What is the position of the citizens of Israel with their Government? Do they want more containment or a tougher hand? Can there be another oil crisis like the one in 1970? How far away is climate emigration if temperatures in Spain continue to rise? What power does the European Union have to decide in politics? immigration?...
These are some of the questions that fifty young people who during these days are participating in Lloret de Mar on a campus promoted by the Princess of Girona Foundation asked journalists from La Vanguardia and El País yesterday.
The young people, selected by the foundation's Generation Purpose program, are between 20 and 30 years old and have a clear and exemplary purpose: to promote projects that impact society, whether in the field of health, sustainability, education or culture. They will be entrepreneurs tomorrow and want to know how the world works.
The correspondent of El País in Ukraine and now in Israel, Luis de la Vega, near that “deadly cage” that is Gaza, explains that “unfortunately wars are very similar even in the age of the Internet,” and Anna Buj, correspondent of La Vanguardia in Rome gives details of the migration pact reached by the Government of Giorgia Meloni and Albania. “It remains to be seen if it can be done, there are many international organizations that believe it could violate international law,” she says.
Young people listen carefully to the correspondents' online explanations. And those that are heard in the room that, in the meantime, there are quite a few headlines that are dropped. “For Trump to become president of the United States again would be a disgrace not only for the United States, but for all of humanity,” says Ramon Rovira, moderator of the meeting and director of institutional relations for the Godó Group.
Asked if there is a certain sensation of awakening a Zionist ghost in Europe or of a resurgence of Islamic-based activities as a result of the conflict in the Middle East, the deputy director of La Vanguardia Miquel Molina admits that “there is some concern on the part of the police forces.” Europeans, who detect a greater risk of attacks.” Miquel Noguer, director of El País in Catalonia, also speaks of a “paralysis associated with fear” that was evident, for example, in the closure of the Louvre Museum weeks ago.
From international geopolitics we move on to more everyday issues. A boy wonders what about policies that help to have children and what can be done so that young people have real possibilities of emancipating themselves and finding an apartment. “There are 30-year-olds who are fighting over refrigerator containers with colleagues sharing a room. “It is a failure of society,” he says.
Attendees also question the profession of journalist, which is increasingly marked by immediacy. “The great sin of journalism is to forget what happened yesterday, today you are a priority and tomorrow you are not,” says the editor-in-chief of El País in Barcelona Ana Pantaleoni. Even so, the message from professionals is essential: “Do not allow anyone to think for you, newspapers help you think. Read!”
