Our Water-smart Community Coming Together in Brussels in June with Water Europe

Our EJWP water-smart community vision is becoming more real than ever! June is the month we have been waiting for, with all of our EJWP groups converging on Brussels for Training Weeks, also as part of the two-day Water Innovation Europe event. Both groups 2 and 3 will engage in their trainings in parallel with Water Innovation Europe activities on the 14 & 15 June. This is a significant opportunity to engage young water professionals in key European water events with Water Europe and to support them in building their professional networks.

New Waves Festival

Although the groups have separate training agendas, they will come together for activities including the EJWP New Waves Festival on 16 June. New Waves will establish a co-creative and open space to set the agenda of the workspace of the future within the European water sector. In this type of environment, young professionals can better connect on the skills that they bring to help solve Europe’s water, climate and environmental challenges – and make larger contributions to the European water community. Participants will be able to create fresh ideas on career paths and interactions, so the potential of young professional talent can be fully applied in their careers, their organizations and in communities around Europe.

The festival will also draw from inspirational leaders on the specific challenges they need from young people to help overcome. Partners including Water Europe, AquaFed, EJWP and the Erasmus+ SMARTEN project will connect in the festival to benefit all participants, as well as to support the contributions they aspire to achieve in the sector. The festival will be facilitated by the parent organization of EJWP, H2O-People. Last year the first New Waves festival was held online due to pandemic precautions, so we are especially happy to engage in a live platform this year for the second addition.

“This week is the type of ‘Big Bang’ that we’ve been working toward to even better connect our participants, what they are working on, and their ambitions with organizations across the European water sector. We are set to amplify their efforts through working with Water Europe on these critical issues. I can’t wait!” said Naomi Timmer, Director of EJWP and H2OPeople.

EJWP Projects

Along with the New Waves Festival, the week will feature public presentations on 14 June of results from projects of EJWP Groups 2 and 3. The EJWP2 project with ACTeon Environment focuses on contaminants of emerging concern and anti-microbial resistance in aquatic ecosystems, and the EJWP3 project with Natuurpunt which features a citizen science campaign aimed at wetland preservation.

Training & Participation in Brussels Skills development during this week will be provided by our EJWP trainers Jennifer Cronick and Filip Grisar. EJWP3 will explore personal branding and choices within project management, and EJWP2 will engage in a consultancy session and then a training on conflict management. We look forward to these experiences and how these skills can support the collaboration of our participants and their organizations.

The theme for Water Innovation Europe 2022 is “What is the role of water in the net-zero carbon society?” EJWP participants will take up different roles within the conference and the Water Europe community. Water Europe, also an EJWP partner organization, promotes four reasons to attend Water Innovation Europe as 1) Shape the EU’s water future 2) Connect with your peers 3) Raise your profile and visibility 4) Stay ahead of the curve.

EJWP will organize these special training weeks in Brussels with the valuable support of Water Europe, and is grateful of the support of De Watergroep, an EJWP partner organization based in Flanders, Belgium. De Watergroep has helped provide sites for training during the week, along with our other partner organizations.

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