Seven International Non-Governmental Youth Organisations (INGYOs) and two National Youth Councils (NYCs) lead by AEGEE-Europe came together to develop a campaign on Youth Rights, aiming to stress the urgency of creating a Europe where Youth Rights are recognised and respected, so that every young person can live to their fullest potential!
In September 2012, Ministers responsible for Youth from 47 European countries – Member States of the Council of Europe – congregated for the Ministerial Conference in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to agree on ensuring equal access to Youth Rights for every single young person in Europe. The aim was to achieve this through the adoption of the Declaration “Young people’s access to rights: Development of innovative youth policies in Europe” which would have served as a guideline to all the Ministers’ work in their respective countries. Some officials, however, had problems with ensuring access to Youth Rights for ALL young people inclusively. Ministers failed to agree on the issue that there should be no discrimination towards people of sexual orientation different from heterosexual and recognising gender identity different from man or woman. In AEGEE we find it truly alarming that this came from Member States of the Council of Europe – the European institution which core values are to uphold Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law. Yet, we very much appreciate the fact that several bodies within the Council of Europe indeed did make sure to follow up to the Ministers’ fiasco at the Ministerial Conference.
This year, in April, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted two important documents:“Young people’s access to fundamental rights” and “Young Europeans: an urgent educational challenge”. Moreover, one of the recommendations coming to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe was to adopt a legally binding document on Youth Rights, a policy document that will recognise and respect Youth Rights in their uniqueness, that European governments can then decide to implement in their countries.
This is where young people are stepping in.
Several organisations came together to develop a Youth Rights campaign with three main aims: (1) to raise the awareness on the situation of Youth Rights, (2) to make the topic of Youth Rights a priority on political agendas and (3) to strengthen the voice of young people in the Council of Europe Member States and structures. The organisations starting the campaign are the following:
· European Students’ Forum (AEGEE-Europe)
· Young European Federalists (JEF)
· International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Youth and Student organisation (IGLYO)
· European Federation for Intercultural Learning (EFIL)
· Youth for Exchange and Understanding (YEU)
· World Esperanto Youth Organisation (TEJO)
· National Youth Council of Portugal (CNJ)
· Flemish National Youth Council (VJR)
· Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU)
Together with a legal advisor – ELSA – European Law Student Association and a local youth organisation from Kosovo – MUSE-E
with the support from the Advisory Council on Youth and the European Youth Forum and with many more organisations to join.
The campaign comes at a very important moment in Europe. Today, Europe is a continent where national governments do not always value the voice of young people in decision making processes. It is a continent where governments are continuously making financial cuts influencing young people’s welfare drastically in a very negative way. It is a place where youth organisations are not recognised and are often not given proper support. As the Ministerial Conference showed, it is also a place where young people cannot be guaranteed safety and inclusion.
This is why we are calling for action through a campaign called “Youth Rights. NOW!”: a campaign that aims to mobilise young people to fight for our rights and influence decision makers to put this matter high on their agendas. From 25th to 28th April, the campaign took the first steps, but it will take time to implement all the steps planned, gain finances and provide other prerequisites to set up the campaign.
Nonetheless, the Comité Directeur now calls for all our Members to initiate a dialogue with national decision makers and to start a process of recognition and respect of our Youth Rights! We call for youth organisations to join the campaign and to mobilise their members. Finally, we call on policy makers – Youth and Education Ministers, Foreign Affairs Ministers (members of the Committee of Ministers) and Ambassadors accredited to the Council of Europe, each in their own capacity – to team up with young people and use our ideas and their power to make Europe youth-friendly, NOW!
Written by Luis Alvarado Martinez, President AEGEE-Europe