forewords from - aegee · pdf fileas innovation, the digital economy, emp-loyment, youth,,...

FOREWORDS from Martin Schulz - President of the European Parliament

For some years now the words often associated with Europe are crisis austerity and unemployment With the growth of frustration and without any hope for a real change to the current state of affairs the prospects of the European Union are challenging These are turbulent times for Europe For many people in Europe and especially for the youth they are hard times Therefore it was my pleasure to hand the first prize of the youth Charle-magne prize to the European Students Forum AEGEE-Europe

The Spanish project seeks constructive solutions to current prob-lems - the loss of confidence in the EU and the alarmingly high youth unemp-loyment in many Member States Europe on Track connects young people throughout Europe both offline and online giving them the opportu-nity to express their views and making an original contribution to European integration especially to the growth of a feeling among young people that sbquowe are Europersquo It is for projects like this that I am confident that Europe will be back on track and that the European citi-zens are a part of creating a Europe that we can be proud of a Europe that unites all member states and finally creates a European Identity that we can all rely on

Martin SchulzPresident of the European Parliament

FOREWORDS from the Comiteacute Directeur of AEGEE-Europe (201214)Luis Alvarado Martinez Lucille Rieux Anna Gots Kathrin Renner Pavel Zbornik Beata Matuszka Miguel Gallardo Albajar

AEGEE was born to connect young Europeans with the European project and we have been doing so for 28 years We have seen the idea of Europe questioned in some periods while on other occasions the European project has enjoyed a great popularity all over Europe Today however the European project is suffering from disaffection and a lack of un-dersting in the whole continent There is a big distance between the European institutions and the people they serve so wide that seems unbridgeable But we keep believing in Europe and we keep working with double energy to bring youth together with Europe When we saw that most of the discus-sions in Brussels were focused on the Europe 2020 growth strategy and we realised that this big plan was not known among our friends our fellow students at university our team mates at the basketball team we saw it as a big opportu-nity to have impact The Europe on Track project was created as our contribution to this big strategy spread-ing the message that Europe will grow again bigger and better Two teams of ambassadors travelled sustainably all over Europe mee-ting other young Europeans and discussing the Europe 2020 strategy with young people they met But communication only works when it is bidirectional so we also asked those young ci-tizens about their expectations their hopes and the demands they would like to address to the

And they took this opportunity express their opinions trusting Europe on Track as their messengers towar-ds the European Institutions The final picture is positive most of them still believe that Europe can provide its ci-tizens with a better future These young Europeans aware of the opportunities that Europe offers them (better education mobility pro-tection for their rights a safe and cle-an environment dialogue and peace) are entitled to revert the negative at-mosphere and start spreading Europti-mism in their societies

32

INTRODUCTION to AEGEE-Europe - European Studentsrsquo Forum

AEGEE (Association des Etats Geacuteneacute-raux des Etudiants de lrsquoEurope European Studentsrsquo Forum) is a student organisa-tion that promotes cooperation commu-nication and integration amongst young people in Europe As a non-governmental politically independent and non-profit or-ganisation AEGEE is open to students and young people from all faculties and discip-lines ndash today it counts 13 000 members active in close to 200 university cities in 40 European countries making it the biggest interdisciplinary student association in Europe AEGEE which was founded in 1985 in Paris puts the idea of a unified Europe into practice A widely spread student net-work provides the ideal platform where young volunteers from 40 European count-ries can work together on cross border activities such as conferences seminars exchanges training courses Summer Universities Case Study trips and Working Group meetings By encouraging travelling and mo-bility stimulating discussion and organi-sing common projects AEGEE attempts to overcome national cultural and ethnic divisions and to create a vision of young

peoplersquos Europe AEGEE operates without any national level of organisation The structure is based on a European Level (a European Board of Directors working in Brussels Commissions Committees Working Groups and multinational Project Teams) and on a Local Level (close to 200 Antennae or local groups forming the Network)

The associationrsquos main aims are Promoting a unified Europe without prejudices Striving to create an open and to-lerant society of today and tomorrow Fostering democracy human rights tolerance cross border cooperation mobility and European dimension in education

One of AEGEErsquos most well-known achievements is the effective lobbying for the creation of the Erasmus programme in the 1980s In 2001 AEGEE worked together with ESN (Erasmus Student Network) and ESIB (The National Unions of Students in Europe now European Studentsrsquo Union) on the ldquoSoc-rates on the Moverdquo project with the aim of promoting all Socrates initiatives As a result one million Erasmus students had been reached and the scope of the Eras-mus programme was broadened to include countries such as Turkey AEGEE is also known for its longest running project the Summer Univers-ity that gathers thousands of volunteers each summer providing courses on a wide range of topics from language courses to seminars about political cultural or en-vironmental issues AEGEE has participatory status in the activities of the Council of Europe consultative status at the United Nations operational status at UNESCO and is at the same time a member of the European Youth Forum

AEGEErsquos Focus Areas2011-2014

The organisation has also a number of illustrious personalities amongst its general partners Mik-hail Gorbachev the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize Vaclav Havel for-mer President of the Czech Repub-lic Eric Froment former President of the European University Association Wolfgang Thierse former President of the Bundestag and Romano Pro-di former Prime Minister of Italy and President of the European Commission

54

INTRODUCTION to the project Europe on Track - Capture the future of Europe

Where is Europe headedHow can we sustain our present

and preserve our futureWhat can young people expect from the Europe of tomorrow

These questions have been of great concern for many young Europe-ans recently In order to find answers AEGEE-Europe - European Studentsrsquo Forum is launching the ldquoEurope on Trackrdquo project in the autumn of 2012 Six young Europeans were tra-velling around the continent by train for one whole month capturing young peopleacutes vision about their future per-spectives through photography videos interviews blogs The materials gathered compiles a short documentary presenting young individuals from all over the continent sending their ideas and messages to politians and decision-makers The ldquoEurope on Trackrdquo project was launched to grasp a better future for European youth to find solutions for the pressing issue of the rising rate in youth unemployment to advocate for a sustainable future and to promote ent-repreneurship among young people

ldquoThe Europe I want for the futurerdquo is not only a topic to trigger lively discussions it is a call for all young people to work on their future together At a time when European integration is being questioned and young peoplersquos future prospects have become hazy AEGEE considers it fundamental to hear the voice of the youth in order to take their opinion their realities and their wishes into account and pave the way towards reaching the goals set for 2020 by the European Union Explore what European young people and young volunteers want for Europe in the future and compare this vision with the one proposed by the European Commission for 2020

OBJECTVES amp THEMES

Explore what the Eorpean youth want for Europe and compare this vision with the one proposed by the European Commission for 2020 Promote unity and solidarity in Europe among more than 5000 young people all over Europe Empower young people with a promising future vision of intercultural exchanges Advocate for the engagement of young people in decision-making processes in order to train the aware and innovative European youth of tomorrow Bring light to the importance of non-for-mal educational tools and promote their recognition in the job market Shape the current state of European in-tegration by providing young citizens the possibility to experience the ultimate be-nefits of intercultural discourses

The 6 ambassadors were promotingYouth ParticipationEncouraging the aware and willing citizens of tomorrow tackling issues like the rising rate of youth unemployment active citizenship non-formal education and moreSustainabilityRaising awareness on the importance of sustainable treatment of our surroundings and preservation AEGEE aims to encourage all members to contribute to green-awareness and support the creation of green jobsEntrepreneurship Innovation and leadership skills are crucially important to cultivate thus young people need to be encouraged to see self-improvement and obtaining new skills as a life-long learning process

76

INTRODUCTION toEurope 2020 - Europersquos Growth Strategy

Europe 2020 is the European Unionrsquos ten-year growth strategy It is not only about overcoming the crisis it is also about addressing the shortcomings of our growth model and creating the conditions for a smarter more sustainable and more inclusive growth Five key targets have been set for the EU to achieve by the end of the decade

1 Employment 75 of the 20-64 year-olds to be employed2 RampD 3 of the EUrsquos GDP to be in-vested in ResearchampDevelopment3 Climate change and energy sus-tainability greenhouse gas emissions 20 lower than 1990 20 of energy from renewables 20 increase in energy efficiency4 Education Reducing the rates of early school leaving below 10 at least 40 of 30-34ndashyear-olds completing third level education5 Fighting poverty and social exclu-sion at least 20 million fewer people in or at risk of poverty and social ex-clusion

The strategy also includes 7 lsquoflag-ship initiativesrsquo providing a framework for supporting the Europe 2020 priorities such as innovation the digital economy emp-loyment youth industrial policy poverty and resource efficiency Within each initiative both the EU and national authorities have to coordina-te their efforts so they are mutually rein-forcing

Smart growth Digital agenda for Europe Innovation Union Youth on the move Sustainable growth Resource efficient Europe Industrial policy for the globalisation era Inclusive growth An agenda for new skills and jobs European platform against poverty

You can visit the website for further information

SUPPORTERS OF THE PROJECT

MEP Katariacutena Nevedalovaacute The ldquoEurope On Trackrdquo pro-

ject is a great tool to stimulate the

young peoplersquos interest in Europe-

an affairs and in their active in-

volvement in crucial issues of the

European Union

The project deserves one big applaud 38 cities

seen more than 9 thousand km travelled and over

200 people interviewed have proved its unique-

ness I think that the idea to travel by train and

interview the European youth about the issues they

consider the most important is great

Travelling by train promotes a good alter-

native to the current obsession of travelling eve-

rywhere by car or plane It also highlights the

importance of green and environmentally friendly

solutions This project represents a timeless plat-

form in search of possible approaches to solving

the economic recession and its impact on gradua-

tes their job opportunities and related quality of

life Only if young people engage in society and

policy making they can change their future

Personally I believe that ldquoEurope On Trackrdquo

has the potential to inspire decision makers be-

cause they have the chance to see real life situa-

tions the young people in Europe face

Therefore it contributes to a better understanding

of the young peoplersquos needs and its reflection in the

EU legislation I always say that politicians think

they know everything but they do not

MEP Marian Harking I am delighted to be

in a position to congra-

tulate the European Stu-

dentsrsquo Forum (AEGEE) on

the magnificent achieve-

ment of winning the 2013

European Charlemagne Youth Prize for

Europe on Track

Europe on Track plays an impor-

tant role for young people by strengthe-

ning participative democracy The Spanish

project enables young active volunteers

throughout Europe to interact both on-

line and offline and to let their voices be

heard Europe on Track creates a sense

of real engagement among young people

and policy makers

It is vitally important as policy

makers that we get an opportunity to

hear those voices and to capture young

peoplersquos vision of the future of Europe

98

MEP Salvador Sedoacute Ha sido una muy grata noticia que no una sorpresa la noti-cia de que el proyecto sbquoEurope on Trackrsquo cre-ado por la Asociacioacuten de Estudiantes Europe-os AEGEE-Europe

como respuesta a la peacuterdida de confi-anza en el proyecto europeo durante la crisis financiera y econoacutemica actual haya sido galardonado con el Premio Europeo Carlomagno 2013 Este proyecto que tuve la fortuna de apadrinar en su presentacioacuten en el Parlamento Europeo demuestra que el suentildeo de la construccioacuten europea sigue estando bien presente en la juventud Ante la aparicioacuten de nuevas problemaacuteti-cas e inquietudes el proyecto describe con gran profundidad y rigor la Europa que quieren los joacutevenes europeos para el futuro inmediato porque inmediato es el antildeo 2020 que plantea sbquoEurope on trackrsquo Preguntas como iquestHacia doacutende se dirige Europa iquestCoacutemo podemos mantener nuestro presente y preser-var nuestro futuro y iquestQueacute esperan


los joacutevenes de la Europa del futuro muestran la preocupacioacuten e intereacutes de la juventud en la construccioacuten europea en la que quieren y deben participar como parte activa No en vano recientemente AEGEE ha presentado a los eurodipu-tados tres medidas para promover la ocupacioacuten juvenil uno de los grandes dramas que vive la Unioacuten Europea en estos tiempos de crisis Estas medidas pueden resumirse en la reduccioacuten de impuestos para las empresas que cont-raten joacutevenes acabar con el distancia-miento actual existente entre la educa-cioacuten superior y el mercado de trabajo y apostar por las lsquoBusiness incubatorsrsquo lsquoclustersrsquo y lsquoventure capitalsrsquo de los joacute-venes emprendedores Es con organizaciones como AEGEE y con iniciativas como sbquoEurope on trackrsquo que podemos asegurar que el futuro de la construccioacuten europea estaacute garantizado

MEP Eidel Gardiazabal As Europeans we

will soon go towards a very important turning point the renewal of the European Parliament and the European Commissi-on We need to make sure

that this represents a moment not only to change faces but also the chance to dis-cuss what Europe we want and how do we want to achieve it in the interest of all the citizens especially those that suffered the most the economic and social crisis For this reason as youth intergroup we are very happy to support the develop-ment of the Europe on Track especially be-cause of its aim to capture young peoplersquos vision for Europe in 2020 In 2013 Europe is celebrating the European year of citizens while we are in the 6th year of crisis a crisis where young people are paying the highest toll not only in economical terms but also in terms of capacity to participate and influence the political processes in Europe Therefore the priority is for us to show to the citizens that participation and solidarity are fundamental ingredients for a credible way out from the crisis

Europe today needs to rebuild its relations with citizens and also find ways to give new value and recognize the incredible work that everyday youth organizations like AEGEE are doing to help young people to be more mobile and aware citizens But this is of course not enough we need to put the participation of young people at the core of the EU po-licy making in the field of youth One of the solutions that i see for the future is to strengthen the relation between organized youth civil society and the European Parliament because on youth policies we are all standing with the same goal making sure that there is a coordinated action at European and na-tional level to counter the unpreceden-ted crisis that youn people are facing Also to provide such a room for dialogue in 2009 we created the in-tergroup and this is why I encourage you always to challenge yourselves and ourselves as MEPs on the core of the different policies we are shaping for young people Your expertise is funda-mental and everybody in its own role needs to do their part


1110

THE TRIP OF THE AMBASSADORS OFEUROPE ON TRACK

In order to cover as many countries regions and cities as possible the travellers were divided into two teams of three people

Both teams left from Brussels on the 22nd NovemberTeam Blue was heading towards the eastern-southern areas exploring the elusive border of the European continent whileTeam Red was heading South

While planning the journey the coordination team aimed to set up a route that would involve the widest range of geographic areas both in terms of social background economic conditions historical roots and cultural heritage

INTRODUCING THE TRAVELLERS OFEUROPE ON TRACK

Team Blue

MATHIEU SOETE27 YEARS OLD

LEUVEN BELGIUMMathieu is a self-taught sustainability and youth participation ex-pert working as freelance trainer and Policy Officer on Sustaina-bility with AEGEE-Eu rope Travelling across Eastern Europe with Europe on Track allowed him to discuss with hundreds of young people about his passions

ldquoEurope on Track gave me a unique opportunity even our highly interconnected online society cannot offer because in the end nothing beats a face-to-face conversation over a local beerrdquo

MANUEL ARIAS27 YEARS OLDMADRID SPAINIrsquom a filmmaker currently working at the Senate TV in Madrid and as fre-elance for different companies I heard about EoT through the newsletter bulletin that Castilla La Mancharsquos Youth Council sends every week and I decided to apply because it sounded very interesting Now I know can say it was a great decision The information we collected is priceless and the experience just amazing

ldquoEurope on Track is the necessary study and experience of the decadecreated to develop a better Europe united in progress respecting the cultures and differences towards a better

undestanding of each otherrdquo

CRISTINA MANSO26 YEARS OLD

BURGOS SPAINI studied Media and Graphic Design and currently working as a freelance Travelling around Europe meeting people from different cultures and countries has been an incredible experience to under-stand the peoplersquos thoughts

ldquoYoung people have good ideas to change our Europe in a prosperous Europe and they should be listened but I think with this project we achieve itrdquo

1312


Team Red

BENJAMIN BATTKE31 YEARS OLD

AACHEN GERMANYStudied history currently working in Crete as a rep (that is travel agent or guide) I am generally a travelling person so Europe on Track was an awesome opportuniaty to even put some content in it Creating discussion networks and therefore creating our identity as Europeans

ldquoIn times like these when I see what happens in Turkey our values and what we fight for be-come obvious And this battle is happening on different levels all over the world so AEGEE as

well as Europe on Track should do this job as good and effective as possible including this bookletrdquo

NATALIA KONDRAT23 YEARS OLDPOLANDIrsquom a language student doing my master in Italy Udine in transla-tion and cultural mediation My passion is photography writing and traveling All of them lead me to discover understand and describe the world we live in Europe on Track apart from a great adventure was an excellent possibility to gather opinions fears and ideas of hundreds young people what made me more conscious made me learn a lot and gave me a hope that with all potential that we have being young and motivated we can create Europe of our dreams

bdquoEurope on Track is a possibility for young people from all over Europe to be heardrdquo

HEumlLOISE TREIS23 YEARS OLD

FRIBOURG SWITZERLANDI am studying Law in Fribourg and had the chance to travel through six countries with Natalia and Benni to capture what young Europe-ans think about Europe and its future As I love photography and traveling I was eager to participate in AEGEErsquos new project It was an amazing journey during which I met a lot of wonderful people who are ready to tackle the many problems Europe is facing

bdquoEurope on Track gives a voice to young people all over Europerdquo

INTRODUCING THE COORDINATION TEAM

COMMUNICATIONS RESPONSIBLEZSOFIA KOMAROMI23 YEARS OLDBUDAPEST HUNGARYI study management and marketing and have been active in youth organizations during the past four years I have always loved wor-king together with young people from around the world as it allows me not only to meet interesting and inspiring personalities but also to develop on both a personal and a professional level I joined EoT in its initial phase and it was a great experience to contribute to the development of this project

PROJECT MANAGERREacuteKA SALAMON23 YEARS OLDDEBRECEN HUNGARY Ever since I joined AEGEE I have discovered that the ways for self-improvement are not necessarily tied to the framework of for-mal education When I first heard about Europe on Track the idea hit me how this unique opportunity for the direct exchange of ideas and tackling current problems would be of everyonersquos mutual be-nefit And soon the project was on

bdquoEurope on Track is the manifestation of the European ideals we as young citizens of Europe are striving for It became a direct channel between young people and politicians

I am extremely proud of our achievementsrdquo

I believe that the greatest strength of Europe on Track is that it reaches out to such a diverse group of young people in order to make their voices heard Itrsquos an opportunity for

us all to shape the decisions that will impact our daily livesrdquo

PRESIDENT OF AEGEE-EUROPELUIS ALVARADO MARTINEZ23 YEARS OLDLAS PALMAS GC SPAINI studied Translation and Interpreting for Spanish English French and Italian I love travelling and getting involved in different youth pro-jects which create an impact in young people and specially shift their perception and allow them to see different points of view I have been active in the youth sector for the last years and Europe on Track helped me to take this involvement to a new level

ldquoFor me Europe on Track is a youth friendly tool to allow young people to reach policy and decision makers To make their visions of Europe be heardrdquo

1514

INTRODUCING THE CONTENT TEAMThe Comiteacute Directeur of AEGEE-Europe 201214

LUCILLE RIEUX26 YEARS OLDAVIGNON FRANCEI finished my studies in Political Sciences and Cultural Management and I am involved in AEGEE for the last 4 years It has been an inc-redible experience for me to be able to contribute and be active in the youth field Personally I feel European thanks to my experience through AEGEE which has enabled me to meet people from other countries to understand different perspectives and to become more interested in European issues

ldquoFor me Europe on Track has been an incredible experience to make the voice of young people all over Europe more heard to let them share their own perspective and make Europe

move forwardrdquoANNA GOTS25 YEARS OLDKYIV UKRAINEI studied Engineering but ended up working full-time for AEGEE sin-ce I realised that Youth work with all its aspects being engaged in different projects developing skills growing personally meeting new people and new countries can enrich one much more in the short-run than any other occupation And AEGEE just happen to contain all the aforementioned components and keep adding new ones day by day - you always can find new challenge here

ldquoEurope on Track for me is creative and dynamic tool to reach young people through young people to gather their opinions all over Europe and bring them to the heart of Europe where

decisions are being takenrdquo

KATHRIN RENNER23 YEARS OLDFUumlRTH GERMANYI study European Studies in Passau It is shocking to see that even in this field of studies closely related to the European Institutions Brus-sels seems to be something far away unreachable With AEGEE Europe became my reality very close and accessible and much more than just the EU At the same time reaching out to policy makers in Brussels and following processes going on there became natural AEGEE really made Europe my home


PAVEL ZBORNIK26 YEARS OLDPROTIVIN CZECH REPUBLICI finishd my studies in Electrical Engineering and Management and also worked at the Eurodesk in the Czech Republic which played a significant role when I decided to work as a full time volunteer in AEGEE after al-most 3 years of active membership A project like Europe on Track has its own unique spirit and is very creative space for new ideas with easy way to implement them The idea was raised during a random discus-sion was implemented within a few weeksrsquo time and ended up winning the Charlamange Youth Price in 2013ldquoI see Europe on Track as win-win situation for each parties of the project young people are able to express their thoughts the travellers work as messengers having a life-time travel ex-

perience and policy makers get a variety of points of viewrdquo

MIGUEL GALLARDO ALBAJAR34 YEARS OLDALICANTE SPAINI have left my PhD on biodiversity management aside for a while be-cause I am passionate in making Europe a better place This means taking care of the environment and promote sustainability but also ma-king people a place where citizens are the most important There is a great potential in the European youth and when we put our ideas to work big things can happen We just need to be listened to

ldquoFor me Europe on Track is a never-ending journey through kilometers and countries to find the voice of youth and bring it to the European Unionrdquo

BEATA MATUSZKA24 YEARS OLDBUDAPEST HUNGARYI study International Business and Economics and with AEGEE I didnrsquot only experience the different aspects of a diverse and colourful Europe but I also splashed in the world of possibilities where the driving force of positive change is us the young people I want to bring out the full potential of each and every member in order to bring not just our lives but also whole Europe to a higher level

ldquoEurope on Track brought the opportunity to the young people to let their voice and opinion to be heard regarding the Europe they envisage for 2020 The project also gave an exceptional

possibility to connect young people throughout Europerdquo

1716

INTERRAILEUrdquoProud to be a sponsor of the Europe on Track projectrdquo

We are happy to sponsor a pro-ject that supports the diversity of mul-ticulturalism in Europe InterRaileu is the online store for students to get their European rail passes With a pass valid in 30 European countries there is always a part of Europe waiting for you to be explore

Whether you want to explore only one country with our One Count-ry passes or you want to visit several countries with the Global pass an In-terRail pass gives you the freedom and ease to hop on and hop off almost eve-ry European train by just showing your InterRail pass Didnrsquot taste enough of the diver-se cultures yet during your Europe on Track Take a look at wwwinterraileu to plan your next European adventure

InterRail passes are only for stu-dents who are living in Europe for more than 6 months For students who live outside Europe we have the Eurail pass InterRaileu is part of the Eura-ilCom company specialized in online sales of InterRail and Eurail passes In-terRaileu is the joint InterRail webshop of 32 European railway companies We sell InterRail passes online to custom-ers from all over Europe The mission of InterRaileu is to sell InterRail passes online at the lowest possible prices while still providing ex-cellent service We offer free delivery of InterRail passes throughout Europe We donrsquot charge any extra booking or administrative fees and there is no mi-nimum order value

Visit the website for further information

THE JOURNEYThe two different routes of Team Red and Team Blue

The project was launched from BRUSSELS the home for many European institutions and one of the initiator of European integration The travellers the coordination team and the Comiteacute Directeur held a live meeting discussi-ng all aspects of the project before the official launch

Earlier that month AEGEE-Europe held a press conference in the European Parliament announcing the project its aims and objec-tives The event was hosted by MEP Amelia Andersdotter and several other MEPs had also attended to express their support

LEUVENTeam Blue and Team Red travelled together to an AEGEE Network Meeting in Leuven where Europe on Track was presented to a group of 30 people Participants could give feedback and suggestions which practice was kept throug-hout the journey developping the project more at each stop the travellers had made

RECOMMENDATION ON YOUTH EMPLOYMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIPldquoIn times of crisis you cannot only cut funds from everywhere you need innovation and invest-ment Obviously austerity is not working so I would really like to see growth and innovation in the priorities of the Governments from now onrdquo By Dennis (The Netherlands)

1918

THE JOURNEYTEAM RED

LONDONInterviewing dozens of students in London asking them about the British education sys-tem and Britainrsquos love-hate position regarding EU policies

PARISMeeting organised by AEGEE-Paris where se-veral oter youth NGOs ar present to express their concerns about the rising rat of youth unamployment in Europe

FRIBOURGMeeting the members pf AEGEE-Fribourg ha-ving thematic discussions about the validation and practical use of non-formal education

NAPLESPresenting at a local youth conference organi-sed by AEGEE-Napoli where participants were discussing their concerns about their future employment and how the recognition of vo-lunteering should be put forward

THE JOURNEYTEAM RED

BOLOGNAGroup discussions about local regional and national identity vs European integration with University students of Bologna And again the issue of future prospects and employment is on the table

GENOVAMore and more Italians are raising their voice for a change in the system which - according to them - has not been providing fair opportu-nities and positive prospects for their future

LYONTeam Red attended AEGEE-Lyonrsquos bdquoLyon by Lightsrdquo event organised in cooperation with Esprit Critique where the issue of sbquoFlexibility in the job marketrsquo and the Youth Guarantee system was raised among possible solutions

TOULOUSEParticipants of the discussions with AEGEE-Tou-louse were mainly concerned about the situa-tion of unpaid internships and how the exp-loitation of young workers has to be changed

2120

RECOMMENDATION ON YOUTH PARTICIPATION AND VOLUNTEERINGldquoCountries must develop mechanism and ways to recognize and validate all the skills and lear-ning which young people get in the activities outside the Formal Education System By doing this a smooth transition to the job market can be ensuredrdquo By Leacutea (France)

RECOMMENDATION ON YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENTrdquoThe success of the system like the Youth Guarantee will only come depending on how willing national authorities are to consult the implementation process with National Youth Councils the civil society and mostly with young people whom it is going to affect the mostrdquo By Nicola (Italy)

THE JOURNEYTEAM RED

BILBAOVisiting the Technical University of Bilbao the topic of discussion were entrepreneurship andthe high unemployment rate The participants acknowledged the difficult situation and exp-ressed their fear that the crisis might hit this region as bad as thother parts of Spain

MADRIDAfter a lively discussion with dozens of mm-bers of AEGEE-Madrid Team Red had a mee-ting with the president of the Spanish Youth Council and a representative of a Spanish or-ganisation for LGBT-Rights They both stres-sed the difficult situation youth organisations are facing

THE FINAL STOPTEAM RED

BARCELONAMeeting AEGEE-Barcelona led Team Red into lively discussions about the lack of recognition of youth organisations and how the general mindst of the older generation does not seem to be open-mind-ed enough towards many prioritied problems of the younger generations

2322

RECOMMENDATION ON SUPPORTING THE YOUTHldquoBy working on a better representational system in the national governments young people can ensure their ideas are going to be taken into account After all innovations and development cannot happen without proper support This is why young entrepreneurs should be put first and foremost in the line of helprdquo By Alberto (Spain)

RECOMMENDATION ON SUPPORTING THE YOUTH IIldquoNational Youth Councils and International Youth NGOs are the legitimate platforms for young people in their countries to make their voices reach policy makers while they develop themsel-ves and lean how to become active and tolerant citizensrdquo By Ricardo (Spain)

RECOMMENDATION ON THE YOUTH GUARANTEEldquoYoung people and youth leaders must be consulted in each country when developing the youth guarantees and how they will be implemented We in youth organizations have been elected by young people and therefore know what their exact needs arerdquo By Marcos (Spain)

ldquoIt is very hard to see how the European policies affect me in my daily life and what do I get in return if I participate If it doesnrsquot change anything in my life why should I vote or participate why should I lose my time It wonrsquot change anyt-hingrdquo By Sergioacute

rdquoYoung people lack a lot of information on how the EU works what is the EU 2020 strategy and what impact the EU has in their lives Much more information would be available writ-ten in a youth friendly and understandable way as well as communicated through youth friendly channelsrdquo By Lorena

rdquoThe European Union its functioning and its impact on our lives should be included in Education curricula to ensure that every young person has the chance to educate them-selves about the EU and take ownership of the EU project from early stagesrdquo By Roberto

RECOMMENDATION ON SUPPORTING THE YOUTH IIIrdquoYoung people need spaces and platforms to participate fully in society and voice their opinions The role of National Youth Councils and International Non Governmental Organi-zations is fundamental and therefore institutions support must be provided to the youth civil society sector who empowers young people to take an active stand in societyrdquo By Ricardo

RECOMMENDATION ON THE YOUTH GUARANTEE IIrdquoThe Youth Guarantee should count on more funds in order to have a real impact in the Members States of the European Union especially those in the south Amounts like the ones suggested by the International Labour Organization (ILO) of 21 billion should be considered to eradicate the problem of Youth Unemployment in Europerdquo By Marcos

THE JOURNEYTEAM BLUE

TILBURGWhile visiting the university Team Blue met students from various backgrounds with cont-rasting opinions regarding European integra-tion and East-West development

ENSCHEDEUnited States of Europe by 2020 This and similar questions were the topic of discussion during Team Bluersquos stay in Enschede engaging a dozen members of AEGEE-Enschede

BERLINIn one of the biggest metropolises of Europe we learn that the field of sustainability and sustainable growth are still rather unexplicble and elusive phenomena

KATOWICETeam Blue attended the rsquoAgainst Hate-Speech Onlinersquo event organised by AEGEE-Katowice adding the topic of social entrepreneurship to the repertoire of the programme


PRAGUETaking an extra stop in BRNO as well Team Blue arrives to Prague to meet the embers of AEGEE-Praha and learn more about nationa-listic thoughts against European ideals and how youth policies are being dealt with

VIENNADemonstration organised by local university students for promoting lowering the voting age to 16 int he country Team Blue had a chance to interview students both from high school and the university regardig the issue

BUDAPESTHungary a former socialist country in the heart of Europe with a troubled past and present Team blue met AEGEE-Budapest to further excavate the causes and consequen-ces of Hungaryrsquos peculiar position in the EU

ZAGREBLively discussions organised by AEGEE-Zag-reb about certifying non-formal educatio-nal methods as a solution to easening fresh graduatesrsquo entering into the job market

2524

RECOMMENDATION ON ENTREPRENEURIAL THINKINGldquoThe solutions comes by providing the most inspiring environment to young people Bring them close to other people who have already create start ups and who have succeeded Creating for example incubators at Universities bringing the students with companies and new startupsrdquo By Wessel (Netherlands)

RECOMMENDATION ON THE RECOGNITION OF NON-FORMAL EDUCATIONldquoYoung people need to learn in school about Europe since they are little If not they will not be able to feel European They need to be able to understand what it is and how it works in their livesrdquo By Silvia (Croatia)


CLUJ-NAPOCAHow do Romanian youth feel about the country joining the EU Team Blue had thought-provoking discussions with AEGEE-Cluj Napoca how they welcome their new op-portunities but are obstructed by the slowly adapting old governmental framework

BUCHARESTDiscussions with AEGEE-Bucuresti and offi-cal representatives about the state of de-mocracy in the EU and ways to increase youth participation in this

SOFIAAEGEE-Sofia and ESN Sofia set the stage for Team Blue to hold a workshop titled bdquoFuture of Europe Non-Formal Educationrdquo Various views and interesting outcomes

ISTANBULThe final stop crossing the border of the continent and meeting AEGEE-Istanbul for tackling the deeply controversial status of visa regulations and EU-Turkey relations

FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONSON YOUTH PARTICIPATION

2726

RECOMMENDATION ON THE EDUCATION OF SUSTAINABILITYldquoSustainable development has to be taught from very early stages but should also be taught and reminded throughout every citizenrsquosrsquo life because it is a topic which affects all of usrdquo By Mathieu (Belgium)

rdquoInternships aim to bridge the gap between graduation and employment providing us with valuable practical skills Still I am wondering how working for free and even overburdening ourselves can be seem as something that motivates us on the way The system of unpaid in-ternships needs serious reconsiderationrdquo By Michael (Germany)

rdquoThe Youth Guarantee offers a practical and feasable solution to young graduatesrsquo feared sbquotransition to the job marketrsquo Governments should work in close cooperation with national youth councils in order to create the best fitting development scheme for both partiesrdquo By Reacuteka (Hungary)

ldquoIn many cases young people are rsquonot as importantrsquo voters as the older generation so they need to lobby even harder and this is one of the missions of the Youth Council Without proper funds and support these councils cannot fulfill their tasks in educating young people about their rights and possibilities they should be entitled toldquo By Ricardo (Spain)

ldquoYoung people must be aware of the importance of their vote in the European Parliament elec-tions 2014 They have the chance if they want to change the track which Europe is taking For this they need information to be able to make informed choices and they also need to feel represented by the candidatesrdquo By Leacutea (France)

ldquoTargeted campaigns for young people should be created for the next European Parliamentary elections 2014 as well as the need of the Political Parties to include competent and prepared young people in their lists who can represent the interests of European Youth inside the EPldquo By Veronika (Czech Republic)

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARDJoin AEGEErsquos mission in empowering young people all over Europe

FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONSON SUSTAINABILITY

FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONSON ENTREPRENEURSHIP

2928

ldquoWhen a young person wants to know about Sustainability in Europe it is very difficult because there is not one single space where you can find all this information in an un-derstandable way Many more could become active in promoting sustainability given the proper education on the topicrdquo By Andrew (Malta)

rdquoTo be honest I have heard the word rsquosustainabilityrsquo before but I was never really sure what it meant A common information database should be created for all the Member States of the EU regarding sustainable development with aims and objectives what citi-zens could do in order to implement these development strategies In a language that is understandable for everyonerdquo By Aleksandra (Poland)

rdquoEducation for Sustainable Development should be introduced in Formal Education cur-ricula as well as through informal and non formal methods of learning from early stages with a life-long learning perspective I donrsquot think many people are aware of the importan-ce of this issue but it needs more recognitionrdquo By Monica (Romania)

ldquoAlready starting your own company is extremely hard so a lot of help and support is ne-eded and specially even more for those who at the same time are trying to have a green or social impact and helping others with their ideardquo By Roland (Hungary)

ldquoIt doesnrsquot make sense that I would have to pay more for sustainable products and servi-ces if I donrsquot see that it changes anything Education is the key to understand these mat-ters and to shape our perception of the concept and believe it really has an impact on our futurerdquo By Lise (Germany)

ldquoAnother suggestion is greater support formdashbut also control ofmdashcompanies which show and promote sustainable behaviour Young people clearly recognise the important role the market has to play in the realisation of more sustainable lifestyles and want compani-es that make efforts towards this to receive better support in the form of subsidies so the price for more sustainable products can be lowered in comparison with standard products and servicesrdquo By Mathieu (Belgium)

READ AEGEE-Europersquo Position Paper on Education of Sustainable Developmentwritten by Mathieu Soete - Policy Officer on Sustainability

rdquoYouth Entrepreneurship should be encouraged at all levels Young entrepreneurs should be supported financially like for example being exempt from paying taxes the first 3 years of having a start up Starting sbquoadultrsquo life is hard enough as it is without having to live in constant fnancial insecurity and an unsure chance for successrdquo By Alene (Netherlands)

rdquoCreativity innovation entrepreneurship and risk-taking should be encouraged form early stages during the Formal Education curricula to fencourage young people in taking the risk and develop a mindset for entrepreneurial thinking We are taught to educate oursel-ves earn the credentials then find a job at a company The possibility of starting your own company is not a topic your professors would start to explain in a lecturerdquo By Giana (Italy)

rdquoFinancial incentives should be provided for young entrepreneurs willing to create star-tups with green or social goals so young people can envision how their efforts will benefit society on the long run Fostering green economies should start by educating the younger generation about the importance of green and social jobsrdquo By Leon (Switzerland)

For further information read AEGEE-Europersquos Policy Papers on The Youth Guarantee Scheme European Integration Youth Rights The Issue of Co-Management System for Young People within the European Institutions

EUROPEAN CHARLEMAGNE YOUTH PRIZE1ST PRIZE

ldquoThe European Charlemagne Youth Prizerdquo aims to encourage the develop-ment of European consciousness among young people as well as their participa-tion in European integration projects The Prize is awarded to projects undertaken by young people which foster understanding promote the development of a shared sense of European identity and offer practical examples of Europeans living together as one community

ldquoThe European Charlemagne Youth Pri-zerdquo is awarded jointly and annually by the European Parliament and the Foundation of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aa-chen Europe on Track was selected as the winner of the Spanish national competition and with all national winners went to Aa-chen Germany for the Award ceremony

There the projects were presented and the three best ones were recognized AEGEE-Europe and the Europe on Track project are very thankful to the jury of the Charlemagne Youth Prize for choosing our project as the best project in 2012

SUPPORTERSWe are thankful to

Read more about the European Charlemagne Youth Prize here

AEGEE-LeuvenAEGEE-ParisAEGEE-FribourgAEGEE-NapoliAEGEE-BolognaAEGEE-GenoaAEGEE-Lyon

AEGEE-ToulouseAEGEE-BilbaoAEGEE-MadridAEGEE-BarcelonaAEGEE-TilburgAEGEE-EnschedeAEGEE-Berlin

AEGEE-PoznanAEGEE-KatowiceAEGEE-BratislavaAEGEE-BrnoAEGEE-PrahaAEGEE-WienAEGEE-Hamburg

AEGEE-BudapestAEGEE-ZagrebAEGEE-Cluj NapocaAEGEE-BucharestAEGEE-SofiaAEGEE-IstanbulAEGEE-London

National Youth Council of Spain Consejo de la Juventud de Espana - CJE

Croatian Youth Network

3130

MENTIONS IN THE MEDIA

[hellip] Spanish youth media project Europe on Track picked up the first prize at the 2013 Charlemagne Youth Prize ce-remony on 7 May in Aachen Second prize went to the Po-lish photo contest Discover Europe while Estonian youth exchange project the Story of my Life came in third The Charlemagne Youth Prize is awarded every year to projects that foster a shared sense of European identity and integration among young people [read more]

[] Supporting this new initiative of the European Studentsrsquo Forum during their speeches MEP Eider Gardiazabal and

MEP Salvador Sedoacute pointed out the importance of a project made by youth with the purpose of discovering youth point of views and expectations about issues such as mobility employment or coexistence inside the European Union Reacuteka Salamon [] explained that this venture shows one of the main aims of AEGEE providing a space for young European citizens to discuss the topic of the future of Europe so that they can shape the direction where society is going [read more]

[hellip] La falta de informacioacuten y el desconocimiento sobre el funcionamiento de las ins-tituciones es un lastre para la confianza Asiacute lo cree Luis Alvarado el primer espantildeol galardonado con el premio Carlomagno de la Juventud en la edicioacuten de 2013 por su proyecto Europe on track en el que seis joacutevenes han recorrido el continente en tren para preguntar a sus colegas de generacioacuten queacute saben sobre la UE y coacutemo quieren que sea en el futuro ldquoLos joacutevenes se sienten europeos han crecido en este proyecto y nos hemos encontrado con muy pocos euroesceacutepticosrdquo explica ldquoPero no saben coacutemo funcionan las instituciones y eso genera desapegordquo antildeade [read more]


[hellip] El proyecto ganador ofrece a los joacutevenes una plataforma para com-partir sus ideas y su visioacuten de coacutemo seraacute Europa en 2020 a traveacutes de sus fotografiacuteas viacutedeos entrevistas y blogs que se recopilaraacuten para elaborar un documental cortom-etraje con los joacutevenes como protagonistas En el primer antildeo de vida del proyecto seis sbquoembajadoresrsquo del proyecto viajararon [hellip] para preguntar a maacutes de 400 joacutevenes preguntas como bdquoiquesthacia doacutende se dirige Europa iquestCoacutemo podemos mantener nuestro presente y preservar nuestro futuro y iquestQueacute esperan los joacutevenes de la Europa del futurordquo [read more]

[hellip] bdquoNos planteamos que los joacutevenes de la calle deberiacutean conocer mejor y participar en la elaboracioacuten de esta estrategia saber queacute es lo que ellos esperan que Europa sea en el futuro asiacute que les dimos pases de Interrail a un grupo de embajadores que pudieron viajar por toda Europa durante un mes entrevistando a joacutevenes y preguntaacutendoles cuaacutel es la Europa que ellos quieren [hellip] Schulz destacoacute en la ceremonia en Aquisgraacuten que se trata de bdquoun proyecto que busca soluciones constructivas para los problemas actuales la peacuterdida de confianza en la UE y el alarmante nivel de paro juvenil en muchos paiacutesesrdquo [read more]

WATCH the full video here

EampM Mathieu what mo-tivated you to spend one month travelling across Europe by trainMS There are a lot of moments where you can talk with people in certain environ-ments like the one that exists in a European youth organisation such as AEGEE but therersquos never enough time and yoursquore always in a sort of bdquoEuropean bubblerdquo where you donrsquot meet with people in their own realities [hellip] For me it was not the travelling that attracted me it was not to see that part of Europe that I decided to go to but it was because I thought with my prior experience I really had an idea of the topics discussed and could get into some great discussions Visiting people finding people and giving them the opportunity to talk not only to us but to everyone who is liste-ning ndash this was my main motivation [read the full interview here]

3332

CONCLUDING WORDS

Europe on Track has allowed us to dream to re-inspire many young peop-le with the positive things which the European Union offers them Engaging citi-zens it a battle which is still not over but we have felt that with this project we have allowed many youngsters to stop for a second and think positively about the EU to stop for a moment and think what they would like to change in their realities and express it directly to the decision makers Europe on Track is the very clear example that when you offer young people the opportunity the space and a platform to express and develop them-selves they can come up with solutions to the current challenges in society

Young people still want Europe but a different and improved European Union Our generation the one who has never experienced war visa controls same countries studies and jobs is very aware of what our parents and grand-parents have given us will not let Schumannrsquos dream come to an end

Young people will not allow that so much effort resources and lives go in vain For us its clear More and better Europe is the only answer to this crisis Fulfilling the goals of the EU 2020 strategy and setting better ones has to be done and will ensure more equality balance unleashed potential and competit-iveness in our continent leading to a higher quality well being of all our citizens Young people are a crucial part in the construction of the European Union and therefore their voice must be listened to and taken into account Our ge-neration is very aware of all the benefits which we count with and we are not ready to let them slip by

We are no longer the future of Europe We are the present and we are here to make a change

AEGEE-EuropeEurope on Track


Follow the newsAEGEEORGEurope on Track

Copyright copy AEGEE-EuropeDesign Reacuteka Salamon Iker Chasco Llorente

3534

INTRODUCTION to AEGEE-Europe - European Studentsrsquo Forum

AEGEE (Association des Etats Geacuteneacute-raux des Etudiants de lrsquoEurope European Studentsrsquo Forum) is a student organisa-tion that promotes cooperation commu-nication and integration amongst young people in Europe As a non-governmental politically independent and non-profit or-ganisation AEGEE is open to students and young people from all faculties and discip-lines ndash today it counts 13 000 members active in close to 200 university cities in 40 European countries making it the biggest interdisciplinary student association in Europe AEGEE which was founded in 1985 in Paris puts the idea of a unified Europe into practice A widely spread student net-work provides the ideal platform where young volunteers from 40 European count-ries can work together on cross border activities such as conferences seminars exchanges training courses Summer Universities Case Study trips and Working Group meetings By encouraging travelling and mo-bility stimulating discussion and organi-sing common projects AEGEE attempts to overcome national cultural and ethnic divisions and to create a vision of young

peoplersquos Europe AEGEE operates without any national level of organisation The structure is based on a European Level (a European Board of Directors working in Brussels Commissions Committees Working Groups and multinational Project Teams) and on a Local Level (close to 200 Antennae or local groups forming the Network)

The associationrsquos main aims are Promoting a unified Europe without prejudices Striving to create an open and to-lerant society of today and tomorrow Fostering democracy human rights tolerance cross border cooperation mobility and European dimension in education

One of AEGEErsquos most well-known achievements is the effective lobbying for the creation of the Erasmus programme in the 1980s In 2001 AEGEE worked together with ESN (Erasmus Student Network) and ESIB (The National Unions of Students in Europe now European Studentsrsquo Union) on the ldquoSoc-rates on the Moverdquo project with the aim of promoting all Socrates initiatives As a result one million Erasmus students had been reached and the scope of the Eras-mus programme was broadened to include countries such as Turkey AEGEE is also known for its longest running project the Summer Univers-ity that gathers thousands of volunteers each summer providing courses on a wide range of topics from language courses to seminars about political cultural or en-vironmental issues AEGEE has participatory status in the activities of the Council of Europe consultative status at the United Nations operational status at UNESCO and is at the same time a member of the European Youth Forum

AEGEErsquos Focus Areas2011-2014

The organisation has also a number of illustrious personalities amongst its general partners Mik-hail Gorbachev the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize Vaclav Havel for-mer President of the Czech Repub-lic Eric Froment former President of the European University Association Wolfgang Thierse former President of the Bundestag and Romano Pro-di former Prime Minister of Italy and President of the European Commission

54









76













European Union
































Europe on Track









and policy makers





98










1110






Team Blue










1312


Team Red



















1514
















1716











1918

THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





2120



THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





2322



















2524









2726










2928
























3130











3332

CONCLUDING WORDS









3534









76













European Union
































Europe on Track









and policy makers





98










1110






Team Blue










1312


Team Red



















1514
















1716











1918

THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





2120



THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





2322



















2524









2726










2928
























3130











3332

CONCLUDING WORDS









3534













European Union
































Europe on Track









and policy makers





98










1110






Team Blue










1312


Team Red



















1514
















1716











1918

THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





2120



THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





2322



















2524









2726










2928
























3130











3332

CONCLUDING WORDS









3534










1110






Team Blue










1312


Team Red



















1514
















1716











1918

THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





2120



THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





2322



















2524









2726










2928
























3130











3332

CONCLUDING WORDS









3534






Team Blue










1312


Team Red



















1514
















1716











1918

THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





2120



THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





2322



















2524









2726










2928
























3130











3332

CONCLUDING WORDS









3534


Team Red



















1514
















1716











1918

THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





2120



THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





2322



















2524









2726










2928
























3130











3332

CONCLUDING WORDS









3534
















1716











1918

THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





2120



THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





2322



















2524









2726










2928
























3130











3332

CONCLUDING WORDS









3534











1918

THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





2120



THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





2322



















2524









2726










2928
























3130











3332

CONCLUDING WORDS









3534

THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





2120



THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





2322



















2524









2726










2928
























3130











3332

CONCLUDING WORDS









3534

THE JOURNEYTEAM RED





2322



















2524









2726










2928
























3130











3332

CONCLUDING WORDS









3534











2524









2726










2928
























3130











3332

CONCLUDING WORDS









3534







2726










2928
























3130











3332

CONCLUDING WORDS









3534



2928
























3130











3332

CONCLUDING WORDS









3534













3130











3332

CONCLUDING WORDS









3534











3332

CONCLUDING WORDS









3534

CONCLUDING WORDS









3534

forewords from - aegee · pdf fileas innovation, the digital economy, emp-loyment, youth,,...

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