The Corona virus directly threatened and sometimes took the lives of their friends and family. Indirectly, the drastic measures taken to curb the pandemic destroyed job security, education trajectories and mental health stability for many young people. Daily routines were disrupted with most families being restricted to their homes for periods of time; spending priorities shifted away from leisure activities to necessities.

At the same time, a high level of reflection, resourcefulness and persistent optimism is evident among many of the young people. They report a perception of increased solidarity, new forms of civic engagement, which are appreciated by society, increased awareness of environmental issues and global climate change and offer constructive proposals on how the public health infrastructure of their home countries could be improved.