“Freedom is such a high value that you only feel it, once you don’t have it…”

Does the state determine my freedom? How are people in Europe affected by state limitation? Isn’t freedom self-evident in a (European) democracy? Can Europeans take freedom for granted? Can a state deny me my fundamental rights? What happens when laws do exist on paper, but you cannot rely on them in practice? How does democracy react to such a challenge? What can a single person do? What is my duty as a citizen?

These questions bounce around my head since when I’ve followed a vivid discussion on the “Challenges to the Rule of Law in Europe”. It was organised by European Movement International (EMI), which is a network of European organisations and aims at involving the civil society in discussions on political questions. AEGEE-Europe is one of its 80 member organisations and you can read their position on the Rule of Law in Europe. The event hosted Péter Niedermüller (Hungarian Member of European Parliament), Urmas Reinsalu (Estonian Minister of Justice), Philippe Dam (Human Rights Watch) and Kai Härmand (Ministry of Justice of Estonia) at the European Parliament in Brussels (read the event report here).

Why so many Estonians?

Every six month a different member state takes over the presidency of the Council of the EU (Council of Ministers). The country can use its presidential role to bring certain prioritised topics to the political agenda. From July to December 2017 it’s Estonia’s turn!

The rule of law is a fundamental principle of every democracy and safeguards the freedom of its citizens. It ensures that laws are placed above individual opinions or the government and people, for example minorities or the opposition, can call on their lawful rights. Lately this common European understanding has been defied by member states of the EU. The “naming & shaming” of these countries from an outside perspective (as it has been happening) is no effective tool to achieve political changes nor does it help the offended ones. Kai Härmand compared it to a little child who would only continue to disrespect the rules more eagerly. Instead, people need to take a stand against these offenses.

“If you are lazy in protecting freedom you have to pay the price for it”, Urmas Reinsalu said. “The rule of law is not only the responsibility of the state, but also of its citizens.” Have we been too lazy? People went to the streets to raise their voices and speak up against restrictions in their choices of education. But what if these voices are not heard, because “the rule of law is a question of political will”, as Philippe Dam put it? Elected governments might be against the contribution of society and its organisations, e.g. NGOs, to their decision making.

Which role do I play as a European citizen in this critical situation? It must be a quite important one. Civil society is made up by individuals, who gather in groups of shared interests. They are the watchdog of their elected representatives. They need to make sure those politicians do not question such basic democratic concepts as the rule of law. By getting loud, by acting confidently and promoting solidarity for each other. By gaining freedom through fulfilling a citizen’s duty.

To guarantee the Rule of Law in Europe we need citizens that speak up and governments that listen! After all: “The values of who we are, who we want to be as humans, make up Europe”.

Are you interested in the topic of European Citizenship? – Send an e-mail to ecwg@aegee.org

Written by Jasmin Kaiser, AEGEE-Passau

We all know that “AEGEE strives for a democratic, diverse and borderless Europe, which is socially, economically and politically integrated […]”. But what kind of political and economic models do we have in mind when we say this? Are we federalists? Do we wish to see a Europe of regions? Is common currency the best way to go?

European high-level politicians, philosophers and artists are discussing a “New Narrative for Europe”, the raison d’être of the EU today, more than 60 years after its creation. It is a good moment to discuss where we stand in this discussion.

And that is why we would like to invite you to take part in this conference with the topic of “New Narrative for Europe: towards Europe of citizens”. The event will take place between the 7th and 9th of April in Warszawa and it is supported by the European Commission.

The conference will have an interactive methodology consisting of round tables with politicians and activists, workshops and debates. During the Idea Factory sessions, participants will work on solutions to the current European challenges. The ideas will be formed into the Manifesto that will be addressed to European decision-makers.

The core team consists of  three very active AEGEE members: Mateusz Muszalski – President of the Audit Commission, Joanna Pankowska- member of Civic Education Working Group and last but not least, our President Aleksandra Kluczka. The event will also be a good opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with representatives from the political world, civil society, academia and media. Among many of the invited prestigious guests, we are happy to already announce Marcin Święcicki; Member of Polish Parliament and President of European Movement Poland. 

Keep an eye on our updates about the other guests and details of the event!

Dates: 7-9.04.2016

Location: Warszawa

Fee with hostel lodging: 30 Euro

Fee without hostel lodging: 50 PLN/15 Euro

For participants from Poland travel reimbursement is available.

Apply by sending your answer to the question “What in your opinion are the biggest challenges for Europe nowadays?” to newnarratives@aegee.org before the 28th of March 2016 at 23:59 CET. Here you can find the program of the event. 

Written by Joanna Pankowskwa, AEGEE-Warszawa

A few days ago, the Council of the European Union published its proposal for “a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of research, studies, pupil exchange, remunerated and unremunerated training, voluntary service and au pairing”, resulting from the meeting in Brussels on the last 9th of December.

The Council of the European Union, who was under the Italian Presidency back in December, made a further step in the legislative process which will lead to an update Directive on visa issues. In fact, back in March 2013, the European Commission (EC) published a Proposal for revising the existing Directive 2014/114/EC (dated December 2004) on the conditions of admission of third-country nationals for the purposes of studies, pupil exchange, unremunerated training or voluntary service, and Directive 2005/71/EC (Dating October 2005) on the conditions of admission of third-country nationals for the purposes of scientific research. The aim was to improve the legal framework applicable to third-country nationals, including also the remunerated trainees and au pair.

In February 2014, the European Parliament (EP) voted its first reading, serving as a mandate for the negotiations with the Council.

Despite its title, and the premises in the same text (point (2) of the Proposal: “[The Directive] should therefore simplify and streamline the existing provisions for the different groups”), this proposal was embarrassingly inadequate compared to the EC and the EP proposals.

In fact, already in the Article 1 (a) and in the Article 2 (1), the Directive makes a clear distinction between third-country nationals who apply to be admitted on the territory of a Member State for the purpose of research and study – for which the Directive shall compulsory apply –  and the ones applying in the frame of “pupil exchange scheme or educational project, unremunerated training or voluntary service”, for which “Member States may also decide to apply” (the Directive, ndr).

This reduction of the scope of the Directive, compared to the one proposed by the EC, is of huge concern. In fact, if we bring it to our association, it may mean that non-EU members may have burdens in participating in events taking place in all those countries who won’t extend the scope of the Directive to others than students.

The second biggest concern regards the fee for applying for a visa: not only is a fee foreseen, but, in its document,the Council does not foresee any limitation, but rather gives a suggestion for it not to be “disproportionate or excessive”. Again, the limit of the Council is clear: we all know how difficult, demanding and expensive it is to apply for a visa (if we didn’t apply directly, we for sure know stories from our friends in the Network), and this document proceeds in the exact opposite way than the Erasmus+ legal framework, where the learning mobility of individuals is one of the main actions to pursue the Programe objectives.

The list doesn’t stop unfortunately. Reading further in the document is clearly stated that “The competent authorities of the Member State concerned shall adopt a decision […] as soon as possible but no later than 90 days of the complete application being lodged”. Can you imagine applying for an Agora three months in advance to make sure to get the visa on time? Moreover, this provision extends considerably the “60 days” EC proposal, and even more the “30 days” framework suggested by the European Parliament.

The last remarkable point comes regarding the visa holders for studying and research considering to spend a period of time (up to 6 months) in another EU Country: despite the already long procedure spent to apply for a visa, the third-countries nationals may incur in a renew procedure for the second Member State, who is allowed to start further verification on documentation and purpose of stay.

Luckily, this is not the final version of the Directive. According to the Lisbon Treaty, this document has to go through the Parliament, who has the right not to validate it as such, but to propose modifications that will need to be then approved by the Council.

Of course, this doesn’t mean at all that there is an easy path ahead. Unfortunately, this document shares the fear to further concede facilitation for mobility in Europe. Let’s not forget that the Schengen agreement has been quoted and pointed out as one of the main factors allowing free movement to terrorists, and the happenings in Ukraine, Turkey, France, Libya (and the list may unfortunately go on) are misused and misreported to create a growing terror mood in Europe which is disruptive and mining the concept of United Europe.

That’s why AEGEE, together with the European Youth Forum and in all the possible platforms, is and has to continue campaigning for Youth Rights in Europe. An official statement has been presented, and a Policy Paper on Youth Mobility will be presented at the next Agora Asturias to be ratified.

Youth rights are at a stake, and we, European citizens, need to do as much as we can (and a bit more) to make sure we build up the Europe we want to live in.

You can read AEGEE-Europe Reaction to the Council Proposal for the Revision of the Visa Directive here.

Written by Alfredo Sellitti, AEGEE-Salerno, Policy Officer on Youth Mobility

As every year, the European Charlemagne Youth Prize (ECYP) took place in the city of Aachen, under its 7th edition. After Europe on Track’s major success last year, some AEGEE members gathered in Charlemagne’s city in order to know which project would be its successor. Youth unemployment, selfies, remarkable guests, journalism and the situation in Ukraine have just been some of the major highlights of this event that took place in late May.

1. Our Europe takes the legacy of its predecessor, Europe on Track

Peter Laugesen (Our Europe), with VP of the European Parliament, Anni Podimata

Denmark was the winner of this year’s edition of the Charlemagne Youth Prize, with the project Vores Europa (‘Our Europe’). This project consisted of a 12-month long journey taken by Peter Laugesen and Elena Askløf, who travelled through 24 European countries and interviewed young people about their expectations and wishes for Europe. They published radio podcasts, films, articles, interviews and pictures on their website, and even took up a experimental Skype session in collaboration with 21 Danish schools, involving 2,800 young students whom the creators talked to. It was a truly outstanding project, self-funded by its own creators and it was certainly one of the ‘favourite ones’ to achieve the biggest prize.

The story of Our Europe might seem familiar to many of you… yes! Many of us recalled the Europe on Track project of AEGEE-Europe, which won last year’s Charlemagne Youth Prize. Looks like the recipe for success in a ECYP candidature is very simple: involve young people from several countries, talk about their concerns and reach the policy-makers with audiovisual material and social media.

2. Youth (un)employment, the hottest topic

The three winners: Denmark, the Netherlands and Cyprus

One of the biggest topics addressed by the Danish Our Europe project was with no doubts youth unemployment, which has reached staggering figures in countries such as Spain or Italy. However, this topic was the main issue by several of the 28 projects presented. Both the second and third place winners of the ECYP, the Netherlands and Cyprus, had youth unemployment as their focus.

On the one hand, JouwDelft & Co., the Dutch national winner, hosted a European youth congress in November 2012 which aimed to find local-scale solutions to reduce youth unemployment in Europe and brought young active citizens and policy advisors from several countries together. The outcome of the conference was a resolution on these recommendations, which was issued to the European Parliament in November 2013. On the other hand, Youth Dynamics is a Cypriot youth organisation that hosted a training course in April 2013 that involved seminars, presentations, workshops and discussions based on the same topic, gathering 26 participants from nine EU countries.

3. EBM Valleta, our AEGEE Representative

Mariella getting the award in Aachen

Mariella Rapa (AEGEE-Valletta) was the representative of AEGEE in the list of nominees for the final Youth Prize, representing the European Boards’ Meeting that took place in Valletta in February 2013, which gathered around two hundred AEGEEans under the topic of ‘the future of Europe’.

Previously interviewed by our journalist Cosmina Bisboaca (AEGEE-Torino), AEGEE-Valletta stated that it was “a very big honour” to be the National winner in Malta, especially taking into account that other strong organisations such as JEF Malta submitted their projects too.

Chucky Bartolo told Cosmina the reasons why EBM Valletta decided to run for the Charlemagne Youth Prize: “The organising team that worked on the EBM spent a lot of their time and energy to make the event as great as it could be. Knowing that we had worked so hard to make an event like this meant that we were able to recognise that the EBM was worth submitting. Inspired by the success of “Europe on Track”, we submitted the project for the Charlemagne Youth Prize”. Despite not making it to the ‘final three’, Mariella got the National Award out of the hands of Anni Podimata (vice-president of the European Parliament), and showed the pride of the whole local for being among the 28 finalists.

4. Youth at the back… but not afraid to ask

The 28 national winners of the Charlemagne Youth Prize were afterwards invited at the Charlemagne Forum, which gathered several ‘top’ guests. Unfortunately, the young representatives were forced to be sitting in the back, whereas the jury and guests were right on the front, sitting comfortably and having snacks and drinks next to them. For many, that was the vivid image that young people were merely playing a secondary role in this Charlemagne Prize, but we were not afraid to take the driver’s seat, ask questions and confront the opinion of the older experts… even if we had to stand up and there was no microphone available for us at first.

Especially significant was the speech given by Luis Alvarado Martínez, president of AEGEE-Europe and representative of Europe on Track as the ECYP winner of 2013, who encouraged the organisers of the Charlemagne Youth Prize to involve young people more actively: “It’s them who should be sitting on the front”. Moreover, he suggested the idea of them selecting the winners of the ECYP – after all, what is a ‘youth prize’ if it is not selected by youth representatives?

5. ‘Top’ guests… taking AEGEEan’s selfies

“A selfie is the picture you take yourself, right?”

Besides Ms. Podimata, who was replacing the president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, there were other remarkable guests among the visitors in Aachen. One of them was the former president of the European Central Bank, mr. Jean-Claude Trichet, who was taking part at the panel discussion of the Charlemagne Forum. But specially striking was the appearance in the middle of the Forum of Herman van Rompuy, president of the European Council. During the question round, two AEGEE members (Anna, from AEGEE-Barcelona, and Erik, from AEGEE-Bratislava) were sending their questions to the pannelists, when all of a sudden people started to applause. Van Rompuy arrived, the question round was interrupted and he gave his speech where several topics such as the previous Sunday’s EP elections were tackled.

In fact, Mr. Van Rompuy embarked in a small inter-generational dialogue with our AEGEEans Luis and Mariella, when they asked to take a selfie with him. “You mean, the picture that you take yourself, right?”, rumour has it that he asked.

6. The situation in Ukraine in the Charlemagne Youth Prize

Once Herman Van Rompuy had arrived at the Forum, Luis asked him about the situation in Ukraine, and he gave an answer paraphrasing Tolstoy (“we, Europe and Russia, have one thing in common – Christianity”), that our member of AEGEE-Bratislava, Erik Redli, reported perfecty in his article at Foreign Students.

Those were not the only remarkable guests of the week – in the Charlemagne Prize ceremony, there were the prime ministers of Moldova and Ukraine, Iurie Leanca and Arseniy Yatseniuk, right on the aftermath of the Ukrainian elections. In fact, the event gathered a few hundreds of protesters from Ukraine and Russia in the main square of Aachen, protesting against the war – but from different sides. Both were divided into two blocks and the police had to intervene, as reported by our friend from OneEurope Yuliya Kosharevska, even though there were no major incidents.

7. AEGEE-Aachen and OneEurope, a top cooperation for a ‘top event’

A journalists’ “newsroom” moment

Under the special request of the city council of Aachen, AEGEE-Aachen organised a ‘side event’ for journalists who would cover the Charlemagne Youth Prize for their national media and other internet platforms, in order to give more visibility to a prize which has proven to be of a major importance. Our ‘polar bears’ seeked the cooperation with the OneEurope magazine, who also reported actively about the happenings in Aachen and brought their expertise in journalism.

The atmosphere between AEGEE and OneEurope members was great and it truly felt like a real newsroom sometimes. Moreover, AEGEE-Aachen provided a wonderful social programme with a city tour around the city, a party with the national winners of the ECYP… and the members of OneEurope could experience for the first time what a European Night was. Congratulations, AEGEE-Aachen, and thank you for such an effort!

And next year… it can be you! This year’s Charlemagne Youth Prize event has proven that a project that gathers young people from several European countries, that deals with some of the ‘hot’ topics in European youth and also involves policy-makers and advisors can be eligible to win. It is acknowledged that we have taken part in many AEGEE projects with a big potential that comply with these same characteristics. So, what are you waiting for? Maybe the next Charlemagne Prize could be in AEGEE’s hands again!

Written by Anna Gumbau, AEGEE-Barcelona

After eight successful Y Vote conventions all around Europe, finally the time came to gather for one last meet up – and what place would be more suitable for this than Brussels?

By this time all AEGEEans probably know how it goes: 40 young people, finding time and motivation, came together with the desire to learn more, share their views and opinions, discuss hot topics and exchange experiences, with a few Belgian beers on top of it this time.

Maybe the fact that this was the last convention made us a very active and ambitious group of people. The atmosphere was always exhilarating and saturated with fresh ideas, orchestrated by excellent trainers who led inspiring sessions and workshops. We, the lucky participants, were pampered by great sunny weather and had an important task ahead of us: we had to go through all the recommendations that participants from previous conventions had been working on, and try to connect, transform, enhance and further incorporate them into the Student Agenda for Europe. Tough and mind challenging!

But wait a second: let’s first remind ourselves the previous Y Vote 2014 conventions.
It all started with the kick off convention in Valladolid: “Ignite the youth spark!”, followed by: “Bridging the EU democratic gap” – Las Palmas, “Youth unemployment” – Agrigento, “Austerity vs. Solidarity” – Berlin, “Gender equality” – Paris, “The role of the EU in the world” – Vienna, “Education, research and mobility” – Krakow and “Pluralism of media” – Cluj-Napoca.  And finally, the Brussels convention on the topic “More Europe, but which Europe?”. Want to know more about what made this last convention so special? Read on about the highlights!

A convention in the heart of the EU

Not only were we able to experience the “EU capital lifestyle”, but we also had a privilege to hold our debates in the European Parliament. First, the traditional debate with Members of Parliament(MEPs) was organized, followed by a discussion with NGOs(Non-governamental organizations),  who presented different innovative forms of democratic participation. Having discussions in the place where much of the decisions that affect our daily lives are made left a big impression on all of us, because it felt more realistic and transparent this way.

Education as a key matter
Although during these five days we discussed many different topics, it seems that we always returned to one subject – education. During the convention, a lot of problems about the current  education systems were identified and addressed.

According to Kostas Tsole (participant from AEGEE-Aachen), some of the problems that seem to reappear in our European society (e.g. lack of solidarity and a selfish approach towards solving problems in a strongly interdependent society and economy), might be due to education and the way we were “shaped” to think, accept and process information. Next to this, Régis Dumoulin (participant from AEGEE-Brussel/Bruxelles), stated that through education, which is expected to provide us with the right tools to be able to make the right choices, truly responsible citizens are being raised. The key is to teach “how” to think, rather than “what” to think.

It is important to underline that the concept of education was seen as the starting point to reshape our society in several conventions, even without consulting the drafts made during the “Education, research and mobility” convention.

One of the conclusions we think is vital to spread around our network is certainly the idea of “proactivity”. We include the definition of this term below and invite all of you to think about it!

PROACTIVE: (Of a person or action) creating or controlling a situation rather than just responding to it after it has happened.

Empowering young people: YOU(th) got the power!
This event definitely helped all of us to change the image of the community we live in. For some, it renewed their faith in Europe or ignited their enthusiasm again. For others, change came from within: it was truly astonishing to see how learning from others and simply exchanging helps you grow as a person. As Mauro Bellani (AEGEE-Bergamo) states, this convention prompted personal development of all of us: “I’m impressed how the Y Vote conference can change yourself! After the conference you feel more “complete”. If earlier your idea about your status as European citizen was quite unclear and confusing, after meeting new people you can learn how to add value to your opinion and what you can do to start being and remain active.”

In addition, all the workshops were great facilitators that allowed us to make our own conclusions about what “our” Europe needs. Furthermore, reading and revising the existing recommendations, made us take a step back, look at the results of all earlier Y Vote 2014 conventions and shape one final outcome. “Having those recommendations in my hands and knowing that actual policy-makers would read them made me feel empowered! And that is not an easy-accessible feeling”, says Alba Perez Barrera (AEGEE-Valladolid), although we are sure this feeling was widespread amongst all of us!

Conclusion(s)?
A lot of them! But here are the most interesting ones, ranging from very concrete to more abstract.

This convention gave us the opportunity to get information about the EP Elections in a very accessible way, through some attractive tools to play around with, such as the VoteWatch (www.votewatch.eu/), MyVote (https://www.myvote2014.eu/) and a very interesting online debating platform which has been getting a lot of attention from MEPs (www.debatingeurope.eu/), as Juan Vallés (AEGEE-Zaragoza) points out.

For Tessa Speelman (AEGEE-Utrecht), this experience was an eye-opener: it made her realise that we all have different views on the EU and its future, but we share common values and ideas. Our future is in Europe and we, youth, should never stop dreaming, participating and influencing the European decision-making.

After this final convention, we all went back home, glad for having taken part in it, and extremely happy to have met such amazing people. Because, at the end of the day, it is always about the people you meet. And this, we believe, is one of the strongest messages of AEGEE.

What are the next steps?
The EYE 2014 event was held  in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, gathering more than 10 000 young people concerned about the European Union. And, after a tour bus in the UK, the Y Vote 2014 team is leading another tour in beautiful Spain! Stay tuned, follow daily news through the Facebook page and don’t forget to vote – starting from today.

Follow daily news through Y Vote 2014 Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/YVote2014?fref=ts

Written by Hana Hudak (AEGEE-Paris) and Tessa Speelman (AEGEE-Utrecht)

Earlier this month, 32 young people from all around Europe gathered in one of Europe’s economic, political and cultural capitals, Vienna, to participate in the sixth Y Vote 2014 Convention, the topic of which was about the role of the EU in the world. A very important subject since, in the context of eurocrisis and rising euroscepticism we are facing nowadays, it is vital to not only reflect on the reforms that need to be implemented within the EU, but to think about the image and position we, European citizens, want to show the world.

Under the lead of the Y Vote 2014 Project Team as well as supported by the members of AEGEE-Wien, participants were able to enjoy three full days of sessions, workshops and panel discussions revolving around possible future scenarios for Europe. In order to understand the topic better, the genuine purpose of the EU was reminded: in times of its creation, the EU’s goal was to bring peace and stability, and to promote democracy, not only on the continent itself, but also elsewhere in the world. Half a century later, the EU still stands firmly when it comes to its values: promoting democracy, human rights and stability through development, sustainability and trade, as well as developing its foreign and external policy. Now, the real question is: how do we adapt these values and goals to a world that is ever changing, and does not reflect the same situation as the one we were in at the starting point?

Being passionate about the subject, it was soon understood that the EU and its institutions have a very complex way of functioning. Once again, one of the biggest issues was identified to be the lack of information. EU citizens and, more specifically, young people, think that the EU is a very abstract construction, that it does not have a concrete and direct impact on their everyday lives, and this is one of the main reasons for them not to take an active role in political life.

However, the approach of the Y Vote Convention was – as it has been for all the conferences so far -based on the non-formal education and focused on letting the voice of the youth be heard. During all the sessions participants could ask questions, state their opinions on concrete issues and discuss them with the content team, as well as with the whole group. In this way, participants became more involved and acquired a strong sense of awareness that their opinion counts. We are able and we need to let the institutions that are supposed to reflect our will know that we can propose solutions based on our own perspectives and experiences; this is a right we are given as citizens of this common space we call home.

The moment we were all waiting for with great excitement was the panel discussion with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs): Jörg Leichtfried (SPO – S&D), MEP Candidate Madeleine Petrovic (Green – EFA), MEP Candidate Miroslav Hajnoš (EDP) and Ex-MEP Friedhelm Frischenschlager (former LIF and FPO – in EP for ALDE). Participants were truly excited about this unique opportunity and hungry for some answers and direct debate with these MEPs, especially bearing in mind that both experienced and relatively young politicians were present. However, this panel discussion turned out to be somewhat disappointing, for the simple fact that we felt like the MEPs were not really sharing their knowledge and were acting like mere politicians – managing questions very diplomatically by turning the answers in a completely different direction. In my opinion, this is precisely where the problem lies: how can we have more transparency and a better communication between the EU and its citizens if the system is so bureaucratized? All the official speeches are wrapped up in beautiful diplomatic discourse, but in the end they are so shallow and empty that they fail saying anything relevant. I dare to say this is not the Europe we want, and hopefully we will be able to make a clear statement about it and take some small steps in order to change things through this kind of events.

Luckily, more interesting sessions followed – we looked at different visions of the role the EU should play and display in the world. Should it focus more on developing a common diplomatic system, like the European External Action Service or EEAS (created in 2010, thus still in a developing process), or strive towards a more European level when it comes to external relations or, on the contrary, should it give more importance to independent foreign policy of its Member States? Is Europe supposed to act as a regional factor, having a say in conflicting situations that touch its interests directly?

These were just some of the questions participants faced when drafting recommendations that will be handed to the candidate MEPs before the elections take place. In groups of several people, we tried to make concrete proposals and to come up with realistic solutions that could really be put into practice. Nevertheless, it was genuinely hard to formulate well-defined and tangible suggestions that could be taken into account by the EP.

These different visions of the EU lead us precisely towards the next Y Vote convention in Brussels, when young Europeans will continue discussing different aspects of the EU integration process in order to decide which Europe we, the present and the future of our continent, want for ourselves.

 See you there and do not forget to vote!

These are days of uncertainty. The crisis threatens to make Europe a smaller and darker place. What is the future of education in Europe? What can we do to improve it? In the Y- Vote Convention on Education, Research and Mobility organized by AEGEE-Kraków (from the 4th to the 9th of march0) some responses were given.

Erasmus +
The convention began with the new Erasmus+ program for 2014-2020, which became effective on January 1, 2014 and has caused great confusion. The main novelties are the unification of the old programs of formal and informal education Youth in Action, Erasmus, Comenius, etc. and its extension to sports education and vocational training, as well as greater opportunities for agreements with partners outside the EU. It is expected that the new Erasmus will simplify the paperwork for new agreements, to ensure a more equitable system of scholarships and to reach the entire European population (students, teachers, workers, etc.).
Following this, the importance of mobility programs and the need of institutional support was discussed. The wide range of social and personal skills they provide are useful when entering the labor market. In addition, cultural exchange and knowledge of reality they provide are vital for a united, educated and democratic Europe.

Quality of Education
Then, the discussion focused on “quality of education ” and the need for an education that meets the needs of the individual and society despite cutbacks situations under the excuse of the crisis. Education is not a cost: it is an investment.
Regarding the normal, non-formal and informal learning, it is also necessary to improve the poor recognition caused by public authorities and companies and the lack of tools to measure it.

“Visit” of MEPs
A visit of two Polish MEPs was scheduled for a colloquium. To everyone’s disappointment, they did not come, alleging scheduling problems. So we had to throw our questions about the European policies to their assistants. We got the feeling that there are going to be only a few solutions from the highest levels and that the Erasmus generation will have to make a change, so that working on platforms like AEGEE in the near future will become more important than ever.

Students Agenda for Europe
During the last few days of the event, we wrote the final document which will be presented to the next European Parliament: the recommendations for Students Agenda for Europe.
The process started with identification problems within the competence of the EU and then the proposition of feasible, concrete and clear solutions.

Y Vote?

Lately, disappointed by the political situation that led to disaffection of young people regarding the system, rather than in rebellion, had resulted in disinterest in politics. Why vote? Because in the Parliament the future is decided. Your future. Our future. You can decide with your vote. If you do not vote, no one else will decide for you. Vote. And even if you disagree with all political options and even with the same system, do not make abstention: vote spoiled ballot-paper. Abstention is just to renounce to a right. Voting is to decide. Decide.

More European
It was not just a meeting on education but also on Europe and its people. Every day and night, the great organisers of AEGEE-Krakow showed us the charm of their city, the university capital of Poland. It took us a week to learn about the customs, the past and the dreams of the others. And about ours.

And the last night came. Find the missing sock across the room. Zips. “I have to spend the last zloty: let’s go for beer!” Then a shower and the European Night.
And back to your city. But only to your city. Because all the time you were at home.

On May 25, do not forget to vote in the European Elections.

Written by Javier González Moreno (AEGEE-León).
Pictures courtesy of Karina Kubis (AEGEE-Kraków) and Karolina Kubala (AEGEE-Kraków).

Do you believe in coincidences? Well, at least we believe it is very coincidental that we are writing this article about the Y Vote 2014 Convention on Gender Equality precisely on the 8th of March – International Women’s Day, the day chosen by the United Nations to vindicate Women’s rights across the globe.

It has been a few weeks since the fourth thematic conference of the Y Vote Project took place in the stunning city of Paris where, thanks to the Y Vote project team and the awesome organisation undertaken by AEGEE-Paris, almost 40 young Europeans got the chance to learn, discuss and share their visions on gender equality issues in Europe, especially in the context of the European Parliamentary elections that are taking place in May.

Privileged enough to have the opening ceremony held in the Maison de l’Europe as well as most of the lectures and seminars held in the European Parliament Representation in Paris, the participants rapidly and easily engaged in the topic that seemed to be an issue of the past century, but is still a considerable matter in the present societies. They realised that many thoughts, opinions and meanings were hidden under the words “gender equality”, ranging from what every participant understood by “feminism” to male discrimination or women stereotypes, and they even learnt new things about LGBT rights. It was observed that the most interesting and passionate discussion took place when assessing an impact the environment we live in (media, school, civil society etc.) has on forming gender awareness.

Under the lead of the Y Vote team (Léa Charlet – Project Manager, Lucille Rieux – member of the Comité Directeur, and Lavinia Manea – representative of the content team), the participants learnt about the role of the EP and the importance of the upcoming elections, and discovered what is the situation of gender equality in different EU countries. With no surprise, they realised how diverse and different the EU countries are in this respect. They also figured out how limited the EP is in terms of its competences regarding this matter, but looking for necessary and feasible solutions, the participants came up with a bunch of creative recommendations.

After a hard working day of drafting and writing recommendations, the participants spent the last day in the Serbian Embassy in Paris, where the Ambassador provided them with all the necessary elements for having an unforgettable farewell and closing ceremony: Serbian exquisite food, official speeches, assessment exercises and great views of the Eiffel Tower.

Days of the Convention finished and participants were reflecting on their experience: “It has been a week since the Y Vote Paris ended but I still feel its impact”, “I know now that we can do more than we think”. Although being non-neutral actors, we are certain that this Convention had a great effect on all the participants: learning about the EP elections and discussing such a controversial topic as gender equality. This made all of us more aware of what we can do as citizens to achieve better and more equal societies.

Are you still wondering what your first step to become an active citizen should be? Well, it is easy: don’t forget to vote in the EP elections!

Written by Raquel Alcega Giner (AEGEE-Barcelona) and Carlota Lifante (AEGEE-Alicante)

On the 4th of February the European Parliament adopted (with a clear majority of 394 in favour versus 176 against) a recommendation for a future road-map against homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. This seems to be a step in the direction AEGEE is pushing with the Policy Paper on Homophobia. But what does this road-map really mean? And how big can this ‘step’ be called? The AEGEEan decided to look at this subject with E.G. (AEGEE-Leiden) the previous Policy Officer on Homophobia. 

The recommendation is a non-binding way for the Parliament (which does not have the ability to initiate regulations) to push the European Commission to start developing regulations on a subject. This initiative was based on the fact that the European Union already stated that it disapproves of discrimination based on sexual orientation, becomes clear from international treaties[1] condemning discrimination as well as recommendations, resolutions and guidelines the European Commission and parliament previously developed on the matter.

Ulrike lunacek © EU

However as the recommendation stated, the 2013 EU LGBT survey showed that across the EU “one in two LGBT respondents felt discriminated against or harassed on grounds of sexual orientation, one in three were discriminated against when accessing goods or services, one in four were physically attacked, and one in five were discriminated against in employment or occupation”.

As Ulrike Lunacek (Austrian Member of the EP, author of the recommendation and Co-President of the LGBT Intergroup) states: “LGBTI people face serious problems in Europe today. Despite progress made in some countries, discrimination, violence and harassment continue to occur in all 28 Member States.”

Based on these numbers the European Parliament stated that it “believes that the European Union currently lacks a comprehensive policy to protect the fundamental rights of LGBTI people”.  So they decided to call upon the European Commission and Member states  “to work jointly on a comprehensive multi-annual policy to protect the fundamental rights of LGBTI people, i.e. a road-map”. Such strategies already exist in the field of Roma integration, discrimination on the basis of disability and gender equality.

Gay Pride Brussels 2011

The recommendation specifically looks at several specific places of discimination like employment, education (sharing of good practice throughout Member States’ youth), citizenship, families (all forms of families should be legally recognised), freedom of movement and freedom of assembly and expression (like pride events). So this recommendation is meant to get the European Commission to act.

E.G. (AEGEE-Leiden)

Something also E.G. (AEGEE-Leiden) would like to see: “The EU needs to do more than simply state that discrimination against LGBTI persons is unacceptable and must be addressed. It should, instead, come up with specific and practical solutions to overcome this practice.”

But the question remains whether this ‘road-map’ is a real practical solution. According to Eline “The proposed EU road-map is one more political step in the right direction when it comes to making an end to homophobia and discrimination based on one’s sexual preference. It is questionable, however, to what extent this ‘initiative from above’ will make an actual difference within EU societies.”

So although the Parliament is pushing the European Commission and Member States in the right direction with this road-map, a very long road remains ahead of us before we reach a European society free of discrimination based upon sexual orientation. The problem of discrimination calls for a more bottom-up approach from society. This also means that we as AEGEEans have a chance and maybe even an obligation to try and positively influence society around us, so it becomes more tolerant towards people with all sexual orientations.

Youth unemployment is on the main agenda in many EU member states, particularly in Greece, Spain and Portugal, where an alarming number of young people are unemployed. The YVote2014 Convention in Agrigento addressed this topic with 25 people from different EU contries.

Youth unemployment is on the agenda of all European governments, and also of the European Union. In order to discuss this situation and to contribute with new ideas and concepts to fight youth unemployment, 25 people from France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Italy met in the lovely town of Agrigento, in southern Sicily, to tackle these big issues.

The convention on Youth (Un)Employment was the third one of the YVote2014 Project and the second one focusing on one specific thematic, right after Las Palmas’ convention about the democratic gap in the EU.

The days were filled with brainstorming, discussions and workshops on topics like how to bridge the skills mismatch between what young people learn and what is demanded in the job marked, what is the added value and the role of youth organizations like AEGEE in being involved in the fight against youth unemployment, which obstacles prevent young people to start their own business and what kind of help young people need to be able to find a job. Some other specific topics were the implemention of the newly decided youth guarantee, which seeks to provide every young person with either a job, education, training or apprenticeship within four months after finishing school and what should be done about helping persons in special need (NEETs, acronym for Not in Employment, Education or Training).

During the conference, many projects and initiatives on how to fight unemployment among young people in Europe were presented. At the same time, the participants had the possibility to discuss with the mayor of Agrigento as well as with the local state attorney, Ramondo Alaimo.

Special mention was given to the task of encouraging small businesses and start-ups as well as social businesses as means to fight youth unemployment. During these workshops, the participants developed themselves concepts on how to start a social businesses in their environment.

Despite of creating business plans, everyone discussed and developed measures and objectives to fight unemployment. These ideas were used to formulate recommendations towards Members of European Parliaments in the last two days.

Focusing on the upcoming European elections, participants simulated a discussion between supporters and opponents of voting in the EU elections in 2014. In this workshop, group works and discussion circles were formed in order to find arguments and explanations why to vote and what are the concerns that people who refuse to take part in the elections have.

All of the participants enjoyed the unexpected comfort and luxury of staying in a 4-star hotel with very decent working facilities. Special thanks go to the organisers from AEGEE-Agrigento who made all this possible and provided everyone with a great and very informative convention in beautiful Sicily.

Written by Holger Schmitt, AEGEE-Berlin