Issue2 Valencia National Selection Conference EYP

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Valencia NSC 2014#nscv2014

Unmaskingyour EYP

#nscv2014

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Whilst EYP is a massive organisation, when participating in sessions, we can often find ourselves in something of a tiny bubble. This bubble can encircle your committee, your topic and quite often the session as a whole. You spend so long focusing on one particular thing, zoning right in on its every detail, that you perhaps sometimes forget the bigger picture.The aim of our media concept during this session was to burst this bubble. Project Collateral is a concept bringing together the media teams of the Youth Summit in Graz, Austria and the Regional Session in Frankfurt, Germany, as the sessions were happening simultaneously. It is this idea of simultaneity that we want you to take away from Project Collateral. We want you to be aware of the wider context in which you are functioning, and we want you to bear in mind that Valencia is just one session amongst the hundreds organised by EYP every year. By using media from two other sessions and working with their press teams, we aimed to bring you collaborative efforts, bringing differing opin-ions and offering you insight into the way that things work in different National Committees as well as widening the perspective of our media as a whole. When you are discussing your own topic in your own committee, you are part of a network of committees discussing topics, when you are playing Nin-ja, you may be one of many groups across Europe playing the game at the given time, and whilst you are a delegate here in Valencia, you are part of a Europe-wide organisation. For EYP extends much further than the city limits of Valencia. Project Collateral aimed to give you this wider perspective of EYP through collaboration and sharing of the media teams of three simultaneous sessions. We hope that you can burst from the bubble of Valencia 2014 and un-derstand that you are a part of something much, much bigger.ollaboration and sharing of the media teams of three simultaneous sessions. We hope that you can burst from the bubble of Valencia 2014 and understand that you are a part of something much, much bigger.

EditorialBeth Thayne and Theodor Hall

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EL COMMANDANTE 4 EYP: THE HEALTHIEST DRUG 6Language- A barrier to inclusivity 8Carrying the eyp name 10 the pursuit of sponsors 12Sessions in numbers 14 What are we here for 16europe’s biggest problem 18 Stereotypes: Breaking Metaphysical Barriers 20the phantoms of the operation 22Unequal youth parliament 26

Contents

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All presidents are busy. Although valuing openness and transparency in leadership, Jonathan Piepers - absorbed by his presidential duties – had to reschedule our meet-

ing on the sunny first day of Committee Work. After all, “re-sponsibility always comes before cheesy quotes”, as he puts it. With rolled-up sleeves and two USBs dangling from a lanyard around his neck, the Belgian EYPer enters the press room to engage in what he will later call the most original of the four interviews he has ever had to give.Jojo, as his friends call him, kicked off his EYP career in 2009, at the Belgian National Session. Contrary to what one might expect, he was not too fond of his first session. As a first-time delegate he everything but enjoyed the conference. As a silent member of his committee, he neither voiced his input on the topic, nor did he speak a single sentence in General Assembly. Thanks to the other members of his delegation, Jonathan was selected to attend the International Session in Helsinki. Being dragged along was probably the best thing that could have hap-pened to him, he reminisces whilst gazing towards the cloud-less sky. The IS was an eye-opener for the 2014 Spanish NSC’s highest ranking official. It was there that he first realized that by bringing formal issues to an accessible environment, an EYP Session is way more than just a hundred Belgian students com-ing together to play games and speak in English.Gradually, Jojo got involved in EYP Belgium, at first, mostly in the organisation of events. Since then, his track record in EYP is an impressive one. During the five years of his involvement, he has head-organised two Sessions and even been an IS-offi-cial. When listening to his address to the Session’s participants in Opening Ceremony, one wouldn’t expect that Jonathan is a rather shy person who is everything but keen on being in the spotlight. This is also why he believes his role suits him well, as he prefers to stay in the background and sees his strength not in public speaking, but in the mentoring of others.Despite looking sharp in a suit (as multiple participants of the

El CommandanteGinger in charge: YANNICK WEBER meets Jonathan

Piepers, the President of the 9th National Selection

Conference of EYP Spain.

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session confirm) the law student Jojo prefers oversized clothing and sneakers. His “comfy” style, as he labels it, is completed by a New York Yankees cap. It’s not that Jojo’s into American sports, but rather hats in general – his beloved piece with a su-perman logo was unfortunately lost in a tragic incident in the dark of night. Despite the headwear, the orange tone of the president’s hair and beard leave an impression on other session participants: the first association with Jojo is often him being a ginger, closely followed by classifications as a relaxed, fun and hardworking person to cite session editor Theodor Hall with the latter. Jonathan’s nickname, which he appears to identify with and even wears as a hat decoration in red letters, originated a few years back, surprisingly thanks to country-singer Taylor Swift, often referred to as Taytay by her fan community. One of Jojo’s UK-friends used to listen to said artist’s music when writing es-says and as he was helping her now and then with her work, she applied the concept of doubling the first syllable of his name – successfully, as it turns out.The 20 bracelets of the presidento, as his badge reads, are evi-dence of the many sessions he has attended in the last five years – and he hasn’t taken one off since. To a question regarding his life motto, Jojo reacts somewhat bedazzled and demonstrates a rather firm opinion on life mottos: as an aspring 21-year-old exchange student in the Danish city Aarhus, he finds himself way too young for that. Only when having reached a peak in life could one assume a life motto with a clear conscience, he says.When asking members of the official’s team how one could sum up Jonathan in a catchy sentence, an often heard response was a variation of the phrase “I don’t know” after an extended period of silence. Upon hearing this, Jojo grins and, whilst adjusting his wide-cut trousers, says: “I don’t know either.”

El Commandante

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TheHealthiest Drug

Nerea Martinez looks into the addictive world of EYP and how to sail onwards within this fasci-nating universe.

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Close your eyes and picture a vast ocean, which reaches out in all directions filling

your entire vision. You can smell the salty water and hear waves crashing. You can feel the sun shining on your skin and the wind gently cooling your face. And there, in the middle of this huge ocean, lies a boat, a very special boat. This boat’s name is EYP. We all form part of this ocean and by coming to this Session you have all stepped on to our boat. You al-ready form part of EYP no matter what the jury report states, what really matters is how much you re-ally want it, how enthusiastic you are about staying on this boat. No one is going to kick you out of it. If you decide to leave, it will just be because you decide to do so. Good EYPers are not always selected in their National Selection Confer-ences. Sometimes juries fail to rec-ognise the talent some delegates have or simply are not able to spot the EYPer they carry inside. So if you feel EYP is your place, if you feel at home here, you should never stop getting involved.You may be thinking that all of this sounds really nice, but that few peo-ple are actually able to do this. Let’s be honest, getting selected makes things easier; your national board will take care of you and ensure you remain safe inside the boat. But just look around you and you will see many cases; some really outstand-ing people who are in this position. Just look at our editress, Beth, an en-thusiastic woman who surely fulfils and exceeds all EYP requirements

both academically and socially. A role model of what we search for within our delegates. But for some incomprehensible reason she was not selected at her National Session. Nevertheless, she didn’t end her journey there. She stayed involved in EYP, organising outreach events and sessions and finally being able to try all the different roles EYP en-compasses. She clearly proves that this boat is open for everyone who truly wants to hop aboard.But she is not the only astonishing case. One of the Head Organisers of the upcoming International Ses-sion which will take place in Barce-lona is also in the same position, but with her enthusiasm and dedication she has gained the opportunity to organise such an important event.You should also take into account that EYP does not end when the session is officially closed. EYP is something you take home with you. This experience enables you to grow up and widen your horizons. Other than having fun, you learn things such as how to clearly structure an argument and how to speak up and defend your ideas. But what I per-sonally find wonderfully beneficial is that EYP helps you to discover your true personality. When you are still young you have not developed your own character fully; you are suscep-tible to other people’s attitudes and therefore very easily manipulated by external factors. In EYP you are suddenly presented with situations in which you find yourself travel-ling alone and meeting new people from every corner of Europe, which helps you discover your true self.

EYP has a place for each and every one of us; for those which enjoy giv-ing orders or those who love writ-ing and creating videos or simply for those who fancy planning ev-erything and being in control. EYP breaks down stereotypes, builds the foundation of long lasting friend-ships, nourishes our future politi-cians and brings you closer to other cultures. It provides amazing and unique experiences which you will certainly never forget. Did you ever imagine you would end up danc-ing like a jellyfish or pretending you are a banana in front of peo-ple you met just hours ago? Surely it’s something that most of us don’t do on a regularly basis, something that breaks our long, boring rou-tines, something that opens your doors to a brand new world. EYP is a life changing organisation, which brings with it an addiction to the experience it offers; EYP is the best drug you’ll ever find.

“EYP has a place for each and every one of us”

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LanguageA Barrier to Inclusivity

Europe is undeniably one of the most culturally diverse regions in the world. There are over 200 languages throughout the whole Eu-ropean continent and they are a reflection of the diversity of our cultural heritage. Nevertheless, the EU only recognises 24, a tiny fraction of the total figure. But even most of these languages are, in a sense, overshadowed by the two most used languages in the EU - French and English.This hegemony is very well reflected in how EYP works. English and French sessions are a lot more competitive and normally have a higher standard of discussion due to the fact that the participants are native speakers. The use of English and French in all EYP ses-sions makes the actual sessions less of a challenge for delegates that

come from Anglophonic and Francophone countries, and the ses-sion isn’t as challenging when you don’t have the extra obstacle of language to overcome. Opinions opposing the use of French in EYP sessions among delegates have risen, mainly because it is now used as a tool to annoy the delegates who have to respond to the questions regardless of which language they are posed in. Basical-ly, most EYP members believe that French has lost its original pur-pose, which was to add perspective and value to a session’s quality.The use of English at a session is understandable, as it is not only a common European vehicular language, but also a worldwide language. If we start arguing about which language should be the main one, the debate will never end. The situation changes when we’re referring to secondary languages that aren’t used as much in the sessions, of which French is an example. If French can be used at a session, why not German, Spanish or Italian? These languages have the same, or even greater magnitude than French. Although French is an official language of the EU and it has this privileged position, other languages, such as the aforementioned, could be also justifiably become official languages. The beauty of EYP lies in diversity and integration. In order to give everyone the opportunity to express their beliefs and opin-ions, there has to be a common method of communication. From

Mateu Tomi explores the pros and cons of having French as a secondary language in EYP events and analyses how it impacts on EYP inclusivity.

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LanguageA Barrier to Inclusivity

a utilitarian point of view, English is the solution. It’s the most com-mon language in Europe and the world - except for Chinese and Spanish - and almost every European citizen can speak it. The use of a second language is therefore redundant.There are also opinions in favour of the use of both English and French at EYP events. A fellow journalist of mine, Ignasi Cortés, says that if EYP is to emulate the parliamentary procedures that take place in the European Parliament, then French should be the only language that should be used as a support to English at the EYP. French is there for a reason - to make the events more demanding and insightful.Asking Nathan Hunter –who is British but represents EYP France-,

he says that, within EYP, French is mostly used to show off, and it’s really not useful if the speaker wants to be understood by everybody. On the other hand, at French National Sessions, the use of French means that schools in deprived areas with limited English skills can also participate, which makes EYP France possibly the most inclu-sive NC in Europe. That can only happen when an NC adopts their native language in their regional and national sessions, an idea of which Nathan approves. However, if there are non-English speaking delegates at an NSC and they get selected for an IS, they would be essentially a nuisance to the committee, rather than an asset to it. Nathan himself has acknowledged that delegates who don’t speak English would substantially lower the level of international sessions. The last thing we want to do is lower our sessions’ level, but delegates who don’t speak English could still have a place in EYP –they could participate in regional and national sessions, but not international sessions or forums where a certain level of English is acquired.When it comes to forming your opinion, it’s all about your ideology. Should the EYP try to be more equal and offer the same advantages to everybody? Or should it imitate the European Parliament and carry on as it has been until now? There really isn’t a correct answer, and it depends whether you ideologically value inclusivity over tradition.

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The European Youth Parlia-ment is an incredible organ-isation both in terms of its

scale, and the opportunities it gives to its members. Since EYP’s inaugu-ration, tens of thousands of young people from across Europe have taken part in one of the 350 yearly events - including regional, nation-al and international sessions. These participants come from a range of different countries from Italy to Sweden, Albania to Ireland. The numbers are rather astounding: 27,000 people were involved in EYP in 2013 in total. The diversity in the backgrounds and experience of participants helps to reinforce the cultural richness of Europe, and events like EuroVil-lage and EuroConcert educate EYP members first-hand on what it really means to be European. The name that EYP carries is of great impor-tance when it comes to organising locations for Teambuilding, Com-mittee Work, Opening Ceremony and General Assembly at the vari-ous sessions. Members of EYP have been fortunate enough to debate in some of the most impressive venues across Europe, thanks to the fact that the organisation is well known and well respected. Being part of EYP means that you, by default, also gain respect from people who realise what an impressive organisation it is. Even at a national level, venues are often very prestigious. Here in Valencia, the General Assembly is

taking place in the City of Arts and Sciences, which is famous all over Europe for being designed by Santi-ago Calatrava. Even the Teambuild-ing, which is essentially a day of fun games and activities, took place in the former riverbed, which is one of the top recommended places for tourists to visit in Valencia. The fact that EYP is able to host its events in these kind of venues demonstrates just how much it means to be asso-ciated with the organisation. The diversity of the participants also enriches the debates – everyone is introduced to new ideas when dis-cussing issues that are of extreme-ly current relevance in Europe, like youth unemployment. The views of a young person from Spain about this subject would differ greatly from those of a young German, and this is what makes Committee Work and the General Assembly at EYP so rewarding. National sessions, which are not only attended by delegates from that country, but also some from others, as well as a team of officials from all over Europe, do not only take place in capital cities. This is perhaps one of the best things about the location of EYP sessions – they allow you to visit places you wouldn’t other-wise think to go to. A few months ago Essen, in Western Germany, played host to an International Fo-rum. This town is of course far less known than Berlin, Frankfurt, Köln and Munich, and so it is great that

delegates (and of course officials) are given the chance to visit some-where new. Many participants also choose to stay for a couple of days at either end of the session so that they have even more time to explore the city. A notable aspect of the locations in which the EYP sessions take place is that they are not all in Eu-rope, or at least in countries which are members of the EU. Last au-tumn, an International Session took place in Georgia, which is not even a candidate for EU member-ship, although its former president Mikheil Saakashvili had repeatedly expressed a desire to pursue this in the future. Next year, an Interna-tional Session will be held in Izmir, Turkey, which is technically in Asia. There could be significant political implications of an organisation like the European Youth Parliament holding sessions in countries which have such fraught ties with the EU, and especially in towns which are not even in Europe, but at the end of the day, what is most important is that interested young people are gathering to discuss topics which matter to them, in an international and stimulating environment. The European Youth Parliament really is a unique organisation that pro-vides unforgettable experiences for everyone who gets involved, and it is a privilege for everyone who is a member to be able to say they are associated with EYP.

The scale and diversity of EYP makes it a unique organisation. Phoebe Dodds explores what it means to be part of the European Youth Parliament.

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CARRYING THE

NAMEEYP

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The Pursuit ofSponsors

Organising an EYP session is no joke. It requires a great deal of planning,

as well as extreme commitment to the cause. The proposal to organise this session was accepted in March 2013, but the three Head Organ-isers had already started to prepare this proposal in February last year. However, the journey they have tak-en to get here can be described in any way but relaxing; the reason is the heavy dependence on external agents, who, in the end, are the ones that make these events financially possible.What I came to realise after talking to our organising team is that fund-raising, a fundamental part of the preparation, became rather more of a creative challenge than a nor-mal process. EYP Spain is facing the most important year of its existence so far: the Barcelona International Session, already on the horizon, will place at the end of July and begin-ning of August. To organise an In-ternational Session is a great honour for a country, especially if it is the first one; however, it requires even more planning than a National Ses-sion, since it lasts longer and gathers more participants. For that particu-lar reason, it has been a true chal-lenge for both the National Com-mittee and the Head Organisers of both Barcelona and Valencia to produce two large scale sessions in less than two months, considering the size of EYP Spain as a whole.The consequence of the proxim-

ity of the sessions for Valencia is the fact that the funds received have been cut in relation to other years. As a result, the need for ex-ternal sponsors has increased, and finding them became a complete odyssey. Moreover, the lack of re-sources forced the group to invent peculiar ways of fundraising; the most famous one among the Valen-cia organising team was a Listerine promotion in which the organisers had to complete a challenge every day (it began with a simple “like” on a Facebook page or watching a video, and it ended with complicat-ed puzzles.) They had to complete these challenges for 30 consecutive days without failing to earn the prize of €50, which does not seem a fair wage for a month of dedication. Seven people managed to complete the challenge, boosting funds for the session by €350.The ‘Listerine Ordeal’ occurred in December. Since the support re-ceived from the sponsors was not extensive enough at that stage, the team decided to ask for the help of other EYPE members; these mem-bers answered immediately, pro-viding the organisers with contacts, enabling them to get in touch with firms or enterprises to ask for prod-ucts or funds. The long list of spon-sors you see on the back of this very issue and the rest of the session doc-uments is partly due to the help and support given by these fellow EYPE members, proving that EYP Spain is like a big family in which everyone

can rely on one another.Finally, it must be remembered that all these sponsors can fail in the last moment. Therefore, the organisers were still searching for potential sponsors, not only in the days run-ning up to the session but even once the session had started. Conversely, the sponsors can sometimes be too good, or overly generous, and I think everyone is familiar with such a case: Danone. I am pretty sure you have heard about the yoghurt sur-plus we have at this session, and if you haven’t, I strongly encourage you to eat some, for the sake of the session fridges. As I said before, the fundraising procedure followed for this session has been incredibly unique. The or-ganisers have been clear innovators and have set an example for other sessions; their behaviour has been exemplary throughout the prepara-tion, following an old Korean say-ing, which states: ‘Fall down seven times, stand up eight.’ The organiz-er can be seen as an external partici-pant to the session: journalists cover the session and show it to the world; chairpersons direct the delegates and put them in the right path; but what does an organiser do? Well, if you have read until here, you al-ready know. As a certain HO would say, the pursuit of sponsors and the organisation of a session does not differ all that much from Frodo de-stroying the ring; they have to de-stroy adversities and resolve to never give up.

Fundraising in Valencia has been extremely hard, due to the circumstances under which EYP Spain is right now. Ignasi Cortés unveils and evaluates the job of the organisers in the session.

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The Pursuit ofSponsors

“The lack of resourc-es forced the group to invent peculiar ways of fundraising”

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Presidential 184Centimetres

3 Ana’s3 Blanca’s

2 Ainhoa’s2 Alvaro’s

2 Diego’s

162 litresapfelschorle

Valencia in numbers

Average Delegate Age6086 Days

11Pitbull Masks

1Ginger PresidentNumber of people on the earth from Girona:

7’159’000’000’000

Average night’s sleep:4 hours

52%Female

Male48%

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2218 Yoghurtsh1022 Actimelsz

18.18yoghurts per capita

Duration of Valencia 2014

292’500 seconds1

Lef thanded Organiser

Am

ount of Wo

rds in Issue 1 6014

COMBINED HEIGHT OF THE 3HEAD-ORGANISERS525cm

Meanwhile in Frankfurt...3 Lukas’

3 Julius’’3 Katerina’s

2 Victoria’s2 Jonas’

92Delegates

44officials

1regional session

162 litresapfelschorle

55% female45% male

41Just Dance

routines

Valencia in numbers

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The organisation we have all fallen in love with can be defined in many ways. Among life-long friendships and unforgettable sessions around Europe, there is so much more to be discovered; namely the aims that EYP has, so the question remains: What are we here for?Basically, EYP is an educational project. According to the Interna-tional Office of EYP, the organi-sation “encourages independent thinking and socio-political initia-tive in young people and facilitates the learning of crucial social and professional skills.” EYP takes learn-ing to the next level: not only do ses-sion participants become aware of current European issues but they are also encouraged to think outside the box. Innovative ideas are highly appreciated across the entire session from committee work rooms to the press room.Another main aim of EYP is knowl-edge sharing among young Eu-ropeans. By means of discussing and debating the future leaders of our continent get the chance to ex-change ideas and share their view-point. The Session President of Graz - European Youth Summit, Dimitris Zacharias, elaborates on this idea saying that “the aim of EYP is to develop people through people while providing a perspec-tive on European citizenship.”EYP is all about stepping out of one’s comfort zone and allowing the development to take place. The supportive atmosphere within com-mittees, media and chairs’ teams enables participants to go beyond their limits and discover a whole

new world of experiences they would not have the chance to try anywhere else. For instance, only a few people are able to say that they have delivered a speech on the cur-rent economic situation in front of 200 people or head organised an international conference in their home town. Moreover, participants shape one another and in an ideal situation, learn new things about European identity and themselves. Even though there may be inevita-ble failure and mistakes along the way, even these negative aspects help shape us as people, for failure is the key to success.“Connections, discovery… and cof-fee.”That is how the delegates of Graz described the EYP when asked to do so. Coinciding with the NSC here in Valencia, the Youth Summit taking place in Graz brings together 150 EYPers. Project Collateral, bring-ing together the three media teams of EYP sessions taking place in Va-lencia, Graz, and Frankfurt at the same time, makes it possible to fea-ture interviews of participants from other sessions, giving us a wider perspective on people’s experiences and opinions on EYP. Delegates of Frankfurt RS, in turn, described the EYP with words “challenging, mag-ic and integration.” As proven by the words from these interviewees, EYP can be seen in many ways de-pending on the personal ambitions of each participant, whether these are to meet and connect with new people, learn new things or even just try to stay awake, each one of us perceives the goals of EYP in a

different way.Lastly, the professional skills par-ticipants learn at sessions including fundraising, organising and leader-ship, just to name a few, can prove to be invaluable later in life. At the moment, EYP consists of 37 Na-tional Committees which altogether organise around 350 events annual-ly. Young people thus have limitless possibilities to attend voluntary proj-ects just about anywhere in Europe they fancy. Through involvement in such projects they get to develop social skills and learn about group dynamics. These skills are of the ut-most importance in working life and can be developed throughout one’s EYP career.Different aspects of the organisa-tion allow EYPers to specialise I ar-eas they are particularly interested in: after being a delegate a couple of times, one may consider trying out organising or brancing into EYP journalism. In the long run, one’s position in the EYP usually stabi-lises as some feel passionate about organising and others go from one session to another further develop-ing their chairing skills. The main thing is that one needs to actively seek their place in EYP and make the most of what sessions and train-ings have to offer.At its core, EYP is something unique since the organisation is the only platform of its kind in Europe. As the Session President of the Valen-cia NSC, Jonathan Piepers, puts it, the goal of EYP is “to bring Europe closer to youngsters in a way that a classroom cannot.”

Cross-border friendships, political debate, expert lec-tures. Sleep deprivation, an overdose of caffeine and fancy suits

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Valencia NSC 2014#nscv2014 What Are We Here For

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Wealth Inequality

North-South friction

Lack of leadership

Lack of leadership

Economic crisis

Europe'sbiggestproblemThe Crimea Crisis

We asked the delegates at two sessions taking place at the same time as this one, respectively in Graz (Austria) and Frankfurt (Germany) what they thought the biggest problem for Europe was right now. Here’s what they said.

The Crimea Crisis

Stella

ElizabethLaura

Ralph

Ceren

NinaLinnea

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Europe'sbiggestproblem

Distribution of Wealth

Too much EU involvement in National Policy-making Lack of financial

control

Misrepresentation

Insufficient awareness of European Citizenship

Transparency

Unemployment

Global Warming

James

Raluca

Kati

Irem

Konstantin

ThomasAlexander martin

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The European Union is one of the most diverse organi-sations in the world, there-

fore stereotypes are something of an inevitability. Because EYP is a body that imitates the procedures of the European Parliament, stereo-types and clichés are also commonly found in EYP. Add up the energy young people emit as well as their spontaneity and you have numerous healthy stereotypes that contribute to the bonding of teams and com-mittees, especially at International Sessions and Forums. This positivi-ty ends up hiding the negative ste-reotypes, which any person in EYP would like to avoid, as they generate a bad atmosphere among the partic-ipants of a session.However, the open-mindededness that EY-Pers possess can often lead to him or her to laughing at others without even considering that they may be playing on a stereotype, as it is done without negative intentions. I remember a session where a German dele-gate told me I was “a lazy Spaniard”, so I

STEREOTYPES: BREAKING METAPHYSICAL BARRIERS

IGNASI CORTÉS AND MATEU TOMI EVALUATE THE ROLE EYP PLAYS IN OVERCOMING STEREOTYPES AND CLICHÉS.

thanked him for “paying my debts”. This situation is very common in EYP; there is always a “North vs South” joke around, and even delegations from countries which are natural enemies or are in conflict tend to laugh at each other and at themselves. Spanish people get along with the French, English people get along with the French, German people get along with the French; surprisingly in EYP, everyone gets along with the French.Inception reference right here – EYP carries the stereotype that it breaks stereotypes. And it’s true, because one of the most basic traits that attract thousands of EYPers to participate in a session is the power that EYP has to overcome these cli-chés. It’s one of the easiest ways for

both getting to know people from the other side of Europe and also for getting to know them as they really are, not as what they’re ‘sup-posed’ to be like. Take Nordic peo-ple for example: everybody thinks that they’re total introverts and their personalities are equal to the weath-er they have, but once teambuilding has its effect, one can see how warm and welcoming they are. Even they

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selves pro-Europe whereas non-EY-Pers adopt a Eurosceptic position. Even Switzerland – eternally neu-tral and indifferent to what happens outside their borders - has EYPers who develop a sense of keenness on Europe and EYP in general. One can say EYP breaks not only the ste-reotypes barrier, but also the scepti-cism barrier.Scepticism and stereotyping. These are words that are included in the list of issues the European Union has to tackle, and the issues that EYP is tackling so effectively. The politicians in the different organs of the EY work to counteract these issues, but actually, these two in particular, are in the minds of the people. Therefore, the youth must react and act towards unity, break boundaries and ensure the survival of the European community. We are in dire need of a united Europe, and that’s why the youth play such an important role in this game; they are the long-term future of the Union. EYP rocks, but you mustn’t forget its true aim: integration.

STEREOTYPES: BREAKING METAPHYSICAL BARRIERS

IGNASI CORTÉS AND MATEU TOMI EVALUATE THE ROLE EYP PLAYS IN OVERCOMING STEREOTYPES AND CLICHÉS.

are teenagers and young adults that defines what we are, how we are and with whom we like to spend our time. It is our youth that motivates us to change the world, and the first thing to do to change it is remove the boundaries between each other; as EY-Pers, we are masters of change. I mean, se-riously, in this session, an Albanian and a Serbian are working in the same committee and get along really well, a prime example of the removal of a frontier?Therein lies the beauty of EYP. You can see the effect very clearly when you compare people who have done EYP with people who haven’t. You can see how their attitude towards the EU differs. For example, the scarce number of British people who have done EYP consider them-

acknowledge this fake appearance they have – as we saw in the Finnish delegation’s presentation the other night.Moreover, you get to see that people from other countries act as YOU should. For instance, you get to see Brits not meeting deadlines and Spaniards finishing ahead of time. This example clearly defines the greatest of all flaws and strengths of an EYPer: his or her youth. It is the fact we

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Operation

THEPHANTOMSOF THE

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Nikola Uzelac sheds light on the sacrifices that have

to be made for a session to happen.

Is there something faster than the speed of light? There is, and it is the mind of a good organiser.

An organiser is the embodiment of bravery and enthusiasm. Have you seen the guys in the yellow T-shirts during this session? If so, you are lucky for you have had the honour of seeing one of these organisers who are usually just a blur of limbs; the ones who make this session hap-pen.Sweat is not an option and a strong nerve is not optional. Our organ-isers maintain a cool visage as they give in to sacrifice after sacrifice to ensure we have a smooth session. An organiser’s role begins before the ses-sion even starts. Countless meetings, tense phone calls and uncertainty about funds are just a drop in the sea of possible problems. However, be-ing an organiser has its benefits. You are given the opportunity to work with a special team of people just as dedicated as you are and become something of an orga family. You can trust me because I have been in the role several times. For me, the role was attractive as it is the most obscure part of EYP projects. Not many people get to see behind the scenes of an EYP session; they don’t get to see how the cogs turn mak-ing the session tick along. When the session comes to an end, you cannot even imagine life without endless phone calls from the same people on a daily basis. For the duration of the session, your fellow organisers become a part of your being, and in some cases, they become your best

friends. The main difficulty that or-ganisers face particularly before the session is learning to balance being active in organising their particular event whilst also trying to deal with all their own individual problems, such as school or university, perhaps a love life and family responsibilities. In that respect, the rest of the organ-ising team provides a solid support network as you all face the same is-sues of balancing and prioritising. Usually, you can lean on anyone in the team. From the moment you be-come an organiser, or as we love to call them - an “orga”, you sentence yourself to a busy but lucrative life until the session comes around.Do you remember who welcomed you in front of the hostel with huge smiles? Who gave you essential in-formation upon your arrival? They are lovely, aren’t they? It is an un-deniable fact that the brunt of the work of organisers is done during the session. Trying to make people respect the agenda, waking up be-fore anyone else so they can do the wake up calls, and the transporting of hundreds of strangers to the ven-ues are a few of the things that we actually actively see the organisers do. What about the hidden logis-tics and sleepless nights? Behind the scenes, they are calling all the venues to confirm the arrival of hundreds of rowdz delegates, contacting food companies and bringing all the nec-essary materials, occasionally heavi-er than any weights I’ve ever lifted in the gym, so everything runs smooth-ly. Orgas represent the very heart of

“Orgas represent the very heart of the session, their rhythm gives us all the strength we need.”the session, and their rhythm gives us all the strength we need.Unfortunately, there is one prob-lem that personally bothers me very much within EYP. Participants spend most of the time taking the session for granted. When a session runs smoothly the organisers are of-ten forgotten. We don’t notice things are perfect until they go wrong. What this results in, although it is not intentional on the part of par-ticipants, is an underappreciation of the work the orgas carry out, and they can become isolated from the session even though they are the very core of it. Even though we are not spending much time with them, that doesn’t mean that we should neglect them. We should always re-member that the organisers are the ones who make us feel at home. The life of an orga is a difficult one, and my gratitude goes to the smiling fac-es in the yellow T-Shirts, as well as to every EYPer who has taken on the role at some point in their ca-reer, for it is one of the greatest chal-lenges within this organisation.

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Valencia NSC 2014#nscv2014Whilst we can view organisers as the ghosts haunting the operation,

Nerea Martinez and Phoebe Dodds take a closer look behind

the scenes of the organising team and make it clear that they are not

ghosts, but angels taking care of our every need.

The morning alarm opens the door to a brand new day. You can still hear people snoring

on the other side of the room. You can feel that no one wants to leave their beds, their safe place. Never-theless delegates need to be woken up; otherwise they would never emerge from under their blankets. Organisers’ responsibilities start from the moment they leave their beds. Once they manage to pull all the delegates out of their beds they need to ensure that they follow the appropriate breakfast shifts and control the chaotic transfers to the venues, making sure that no one is accidentally abandoned in the pro-cess.Organisers are the puppet masters pulling the strings of the session. They are continuously behind the scenes, ready for everything and anything that could possibly hap-pen. What could sometimes seem like a very stressful and tiring task is actually a very gratifying task for our organisers. Some of the younger members of the team such as Oriol enjoy the challenge and the respon-sibility attached to leading people through the busy streets of a city he barely knows, relying only on a tiny map and a sense of direction. Sergio on the other hand loves their one hour meetings which take place every day; but the one thing they all pointed out, the one thing they all agreed on was that the best part of being an organiser is seeing dele-gates smiling. When they see a dele-gate’s smile, or even an official grin-

“Our team of organisers were left with 3240 yo-ghurts and nowhere to store them.”ning away, they know that people are enjoying the Session that they carefully planned. They feel their hard work is worth it and that they are achieving their main goal. It’s clearly a massive job to organise a 4 day National Selection Confer-ence which is attended by almost 150 people, but Pepe informs us that the preparations actually started over a year ago, in February 2013. The three Head Organisers knew that they wanted to host the NSC in Valencia, but logistics were compli-cated from the start, with Isa living in Madrid, and then moving to Lon-don. When their bid was accepted in March last year, they started to contact the venues like the City of Arts and Sciences to book the Gen-eral Assembly location. They have been working non-stop since Oc-tober, and each of the seven organ-isers acted as one of six sub-teams: Fun and Food, Transportation and Travel Coordination, Fundraising, Communication and Information, Accommodation and Venues, and Officials Support. Oriol, for exam-ple, spent his time contacting busi-nesses that could sponsor the event or provide food for us.There were plenty of obstacles along the way, but the group was able to overcome them by working togeth-

er. Perhaps the most extreme issue that arose was the yo-ghurt incident. The organisers believed they had ordered 700 yoghurts, but the yoghurt sup-pliers understood this as 700 boxes of yoghurt. Our team of organisers were left with 3240 yoghurts and nowhere to store them. No charity would accept them as they go out of date quickly, and there was not enough room to store them all at the hostel. Luckily, with the help of Nacho’s Uncle’s fridge, they were saved. Nacho tells us that “this is the first Nation-al Selection Conference with a compulsory Actimel per day”. Other than this, nothing ma-jor has hindered the session, although one could hardly call and abundance of yoghurt a hinderance. What really stands out when talking to the organising team is how close they all are as a group, how well they all get on with each other, and this is not just because they have all been working together on the session for so long. For example, one of the orgas, Victor was brought in just a month ago, but Pepe says that it feels as if he has been with the team since the beginning. Thanks to this team spirit, and their friendly, ac-cepting mentality, no challenge has been too great for them; as Sergio said of his team, “ALL of us make this possible.”

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We’ve come a long way when it comes to the rep-resentation of minorities,

haven’t we? European member states are more liberal than ever. Previously disenfranchised groups are now pro-tected by law, and often enjoy equal rights to all other groups. But there is an important distinction to draw be-tween formal freedom, such as laws, and actual freedom, by which I mean the state of living experienced by minorities in day to day life. It is of-ten the case that in reality, laws mean very little. In fact, in some cases they do more harm than good. They al-low some to live in an illusion, and

UNEQUAL YOUTHdeny that women and minority races are still largely under-rep-resented in positions of power, as labour laws exist to prevent this so things must be equal, when in fact the laws alone have not solved gen-der and race inequality.This inequality is still very much present within society. Structures that favour certain groups, partic-ularly white middle class males, have existed for centuries. They still grasp hold of society, as each generation of overly represent-ed groups act in the same way as their predecessors, hiring, working with and often better educating members of their own group. Ex-cuse the American example, but it is incredibly difficult for an Afri-can-American child from Detroit to attend an underfunded, over subscribed, school and then go on work in areas such as law and pol-itics. They are still disenfranchised from the outset.

So how does this all apply to EYP, an institution that exists to prolif-erate education and the principles of equality, unity and inclusion? It’s very well known amongst EYP alumni that our organisation has a disproportionately low body of ethnic minorities within its ranks. Our gender balance is excellent, but the policies that have ensured such have not extended to oth-er minority groups. Having con-ferred with officials at both Graz and Frankfurt through Project Collateral links, this trend towards poor representation is easily seen across the breadth of our Organi-sation. It is no coincidence that out of three sessions occurring at the same time, not one could lay claim to respectable levels of representa-tion. This is of course not direct-ly the fault of EYP, but rather a symptom of a society ridden with inequality. We are reflective rather than causative.

As Caley Routledge shows us, we still have a long way to go when it comes to fair representation of minority groups, even within EYP.

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sent all social groups. What is sad is that it wouldn’t be hard for National Committees to reach out to schools with fewer opportunities. Schools to whom EYP would represent such a valuable opportunity, as realistically they don’t get very many others.I sincerely wish I was here to tell you how we fix this entirely. There are numerous ways we could attempt to do so, through things like affirmative action, an approach that gives mi-nority groups an advantage in selec-tion, or advocates quotas. It’s exactly that sort of response to inequality that has given EYP such good gen-der balance. But approaches like this are extremely complex and contro-versial. But however tough it might be to implement change, it is key EYP plays its part. As is constantly reinforced in EYP articles and in the speeches of session presidents: many of you here will go on to hold posi-tions of power. As such it is vital that you are aware of the issues attached

to representation, and as such, are in a better position to fix them. This awareness is just as vital even if you are not interested by such posi-tions, as this is an problem prevalent throughout the entirety of society.It is not healthy to continue this cycle of hegemony, that ostracises so many; it means ideas stagnate, or if they do change they overlook the interests of so many who do not deserve to be ignored. This type of problem will never change quickly, but for now simply take away from this article that equality has not been achieved, even within organisations like the European Youth Parliament, despite having laws and systems that imply it has been. It’s not impossible to solve; we can reach a point where harm from inequality for arbitrary reasons is lessened. It just takes awareness of the fact that it is prev-alent, and acceptance that it is just unjustifiably wrong.

Having said that, we are not com-pletely without blame when it comes to the inequality within our organisation. As many of you will know, EYP is dominated by pri-vate or selective schools. Whether or not these schools are a benefit to society is a debate for another time. They are however principal-ly dominated by powerful social groups, groups that do not fea-ture a fair representation of mi-norities. As such, EYP delegations and even the alumni body are in a poor position to properly repre-

“But however tough it might be to im-plement change, it is key EYP plays its part.”

YOUTH PARLIAMENT

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Issue2 Valencia National Selection Conference EYP

Documents

bubble of valencia

media teams

nscv2014whilst eyp

nscv2014unmaskingyour

eyp career

wider perspective of

media concept

simultaneous sessions