Education
Convention Européenne de la Jeunesse (CEJ)
The European Youth Convention (EYC) will bring together 150 young people from youth structures, civil society organisations and the business world, with varying access to opportunities and from all member states in order to adopt a declaration for the revival of Europe. Participants will draft a European constitution which they will promote to key European and national leaders.
The EYC will take place from 9 to 12 March 2017 at the European Parliament in Strasbourg and in the Grand Est region. At the same time, 10 March will see the 25th anniversary gala of Young Europeans-France which will bring together participants from the EYC, partners and members of the Young European Federalists. Two weeks later, the ambassadors of the EYC will present their statement at the 60th anniversary celebration of the Rome Treaty. The results of the Convention and promotion of the Constitution will continue to be publicised until the European elections in 2017 through the ambassadors, participants, partners and many networks of Young Europeans so as to influence and boost political and legislative initiatives in favour of a European project according to the vision of European youth as expressed at the Convention.
The main objectives of the European Youth Convention are:
Bring together nearly 150 young Europeans aged 18 to 35, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg for a major European Youth Convention.
– Educate and train young people from diverse social and cultural backgrounds (including some young people with fewer opportunities from Freiburg and Strasbourg) in European citizenship as part of an educational approach,
– Initiate a dialogue between young people of different nationalities and social backgrounds, and between young people and politicians.
– Give a voice to young Europeans to renew and reflect on the future of the European project. Reinvent European democracy with young citizens of the European continent during this unprecedented political and citizen-centred experiment focused on the young.
– Inform and communicate on the functioning of European institutions and European democracy with the general public through extensive media coverage.
– Culminate with the drafting of a citizens’ constitution for the Europe of tomorrow, in a concrete and clear plan for the overhaul of the European Union, which will be presented to national and European politicians so that they can draw inspiration from it and which will be accompanied by a statement intended for them.
Participants in the EYC will come from all member states of the European Union. In order to make the EYC as representative of the diversity of European youth as possible, the selected participants will be:
-Young people with fewer opportunities who will be made aware of European issues and invited so that they can be introduced to these topics. These young people from Strasbourg and Freiburg will be coached ahead of the Convention and personally accompanied by the Strasbourg and Freiburg sections of volunteers and represent the members of the EYC’s “Rising Stars” programme. Their progress will be monitored after the event.
-Young Europeans from youth organisations, civil society and the economic sphere from all European countries. Once they return to their organisations, the Rising Stars will propagate their knowledge of European issues and explain Europe’s place in relation to current affairs.
-Members of the Young European Federalists from all member states possessing a YEF section.
The selection is intended to be as representative as possible, taking into account nationality, political affiliation and the type of organisation and motivation of participants.
The Convention will take place from Thursday 9 March to Sunday 12 March. Participants will be divided up within the commission and committees established under the specific themes to be addressed in order to draft a constitution for Europe. The team led by Professor Malik will help coordinate and facilitate workshops through an innovative and effective method of promoting participation, creativity and initiative-taking.
Well ahead of the event, the teaching team trained up for the Convention will provide participants with significant materials so that they arrive with food for thought as well as important and extensive proposals.
In addition, in order to extensively disseminate the findings of the EYC and educate and influence decision-makers regarding the content of the Constitution prepared by European youth, EYC ambassadors will present the results of the Convention to policymakers, the media and NGOs.
20 participants chosen as ambassadors before the Convention will receive special training during the event. Following the Convention, they will train up a network to carry out their mission. The 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome will be an opportunity to initiate their actions.
Finally, the European Youth Convention is an ambitious and wide-ranging project that will make it possible to hear the voices and proposals of European youth for reform of the European project. The communication strategy and the various programmes implemented by the EYC will make this project a high-impact event with lasting influence.
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