Hope encourages people to ‘put themselves out there a bit more’

UPON her visit to the European Youth Conference, Hope Omoregie, a native of Clondalkin, is encouraging young people from her locality to “look beyond their estate” and see what opportunities await them.

In September, Hope was chosen as a European Youth Delegate, alongside three other young Irish people to represent Ireland at the EU Youth Conference, which took place in Dublin as part of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

As part of the Conference, Hope and her fellow Delegates presented a legislative recommendation based on “constructive dialogue in polarised times” to ensure emphasis is placed on constructive dialogue in media.

Hope’s group focused on the need to regulate online algorithms, as social media outlets tailor algorithms to suit the user, which has been proven to negatively impact young people, as it can display inappropriate content and spread misinformation.

Since attending the Youth Conference, Hope has reflected on her time growing up in Clondalkin and the opportunities that she reached out and grabbed, despite her initial scepticism and is urging the next generation of teenagers to do the same.

“I wish a lot of young people in my area, people that I can relate to, would put themselves out there a bit more. I used to always say, ‘there are no opportunities’, but the moment I started looking, the more I realised what is out there.”

Hope also encouraged creative minds to look into EU initiatives such as the European Solidarity Corps, which provides funding for young people hoping to set up their own projects and opportunities to volunteer abroad.

She was one of those young people who doubted themselves before gaining the confidence to pitch an idea, which led to the establishment of her very own card game, ‘Above the Surface’, which encourages young people to have conversations beyond surface-level and build self-esteem.

Since the former Coláiste Bríde student learned about the opportunities that are available for the younger generation, she has felt the need to spread the word, while also proudly representing her area in these wider circles.

“I started realising that if I don’t show up in spaces, no one’s going to understand what it feels like to be someone from my community because there are none of us in those spaces. Some of us actually have to step forward and be the one to represent that lived experience.”

“I was a bit starstruck; I was asking myself, ‘how am I having dinner with the Minister of Education and Youth and the EU Commissioner?’ I’m just here sitting down casually with them, but again, I wouldn’t have got these opportunities if I hadn’t put myself out there and looked beyond.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme