THEBUZZZ

Spring 2013

EDITO

EU IN FOCUS

GEF NEWS

KEY FIGURE & QUOTE

COMPETITIONS’ CORNER

PORTRAIT

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...

Our future with Catie's legacy Page 4

"Beta Mbonda" - from crime to music Page 10

an MEP's Assistant Page 11

Europa Diary receives support of teachers and the EP Page 5

Catie Thorburn, President and Founder, GEF Page 8

Young people speak up about healthy lifestyles Page 6

Time to "focus on" Human Rights and Personal Debt Page 7

A human right to water? Page 12

Lack of knowledge responsible for "democratic deficit" Page 13

Išsilavinimo perteklius: kelias iš ar į nedarbą? Page 14

New partnerships Page 4

CONTENT

Copyright © 2013 Generation Europe Foundation. All rights reserved.Publisher: THE BUZZZ is published by Generation Europe Foundation. We welcome your questions and suggestions on info@generation-europe.eu

Become a fan on facebook.com/generationeuropeFollow us on twitter.com/GenerationEurop

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Generation Europe Foundation.

Cover credit: Pavel Jedlickahttp://www.sxc.hu

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What type of person are you?

Do you rather live in an environment where you know that everything works smoothly and safely, because it has all been regulated? Or do you prefer living with fewer rules but having more freedom to take your own decisions − even if this means maybe taking the "wrong" decisions sometimes?

Protection versus empowerment was one of the key questions at a recent debate about Healthy Lifestyles policy-making, for which we implemented a pan-European youth survey. Guess which of the two options the majority of young people in Europe prefer...! (Or read more on p. 6.)

Being empowered and responsible for your own decisions isn’t always as great as it may sound! It actually requires you to get active: If nobody tells you what to do, you have to find out what’s good for you and what isn’t. How else can you make informed decisions?!

Providing this information is what we do via our projects: the Europa Diary informs young people about all aspects of the ‘European’ society they live in, and our new "Focus On" teaching tools contribute to the same idea.

And we are not the only ones. In the EU, citizens’ empowerment is key when trying to increase the participation in the next European Parliament election in 2014. As you can read on p.12, the EU institutions and lots of non-governmental organisations are willing to inform citizens about their right to vote and the choice between different parties they’ll have during the election... but a lot also depends on the citizens’ willingness to seek information and empower themselves.

Looking beyond Europe, we found a strong example of empowerment in the Democratic Republic of Congo: "Beta Mbonda" is the inspiring story of young criminals who were able to turn their life around thanks to the power of music.

Music was also a source of energy for the founder and former President of Generation Europe Foundation, Catie Thorburn, to whom this Buzzz is dedicated. She has devoted her life to empowering young people. Read the interviews (pp. 8-9) to learn what an example of positive energy and inspiration she was and will always be to the people around her.

Following Catie’s legacy, we will continue to develop projects and initiatives empowering young people to lead the world to a brighter future. Thank you, Catie, for this beautiful energy that is carrying us!

Enjoy the read!

Annika (Editor-in-Buzzz) and the GEF Team

The Empowerment issue

EDITO

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Sad news at Generation Europe Foundation: At the end of January, we had to say goodbye to our dynamic founder and president, Catie Thorburn, who passed away aged 62 after a long illness.

Catie created Generation Europe Foundation in 1995 and led the

organisation with great vision and foresight. She established

our flagship publication, the Europa Diary, a uniquely effective

communication tool which reached millions of young Europeans

over the years, and developed many other successful projects.

As many of you have seen, she was a champion of youth

empowerment and dedicated to engaging the next generation

in the European project.

A dynamic social entrepreneur, Catie Thorburn is dearly missed by our team and friends. Her vision, unwavering optimism, energy and generosity will continue to inspire us as we pursue the activities of GEF.

AEGEE

AEGEE (European Students’ Forum) promotes cooperation, communication and integration amongst young people in Europe. It relies entirely on young volunteers who organise its decentralised activities, often in international teams. This January, GEF and AEGEE entered into a research partnership and have already submitted a first joint proposal to the European Commission, aimed at assessing voting habits of young Europeans.

League of Young Voters

The League of Young Voters aims at enhancing youth participation in the 2014 European Parliament election by raising awareness and providing non-partisan information to young people about the positions of the different political parties.

In this new partnership, GEF’s added value will consist in complementing and supporting these efforts by creating a link with teachers, schools and other stakeholders.

TakingITGlobal

TIG (TakingITGlobal) fosters leadership among global youth and encourages them to take actions which have a positive impact on their communities. Commit2Act is a mobile app developed by TIG, which enables young activists from across the globe to make pledges and share them with others in the online community. As part of GEF’s commitment to promoting active citizenship among European youth, we are about to become TIG’s official partner in charge of disseminating this tool across the EU.

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GEF NEWSOur future with Catie’s legacy

For those who knew Catie and wish to hon-our her, a memorial ceremony will be organ-ised later this year. Please contact the office if you would like to be kept informed.

New partnerships

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Since the European Commission interrupted the Europa Diary project in 2011, teachers from all across the EU have emailed inquiring about the Diary’s future, wishing to order their copies already in case the publication is printed again. So in December 2012, we sent out an e-mailing informing teachers that the Diary’s future is uncertain − and received dozens of supportive emails in return! The most common messages were:

The Europa Diary is dearly missed by students and teachers.

Teachers confirm the Diary raises the students’ interest in Europe and conveys the feeling that "Europe" is offering them something useful.

There is an overwhelmingly strong demand for paper copies of the Europa Diary. Most teachers said they would not use any digital version, because they are neither equipped for this nor able to provide photocopies of digital content to their classes.

If they were to use a digital Europa Diary, teachers indicate that only a few topics would be discussed with the class and therefore reach the students, while most content would not be used.

Meanwhile, the European Parliament (EP) recognises the importance of this unique communication tool for young Europeans. With conviction and determination, Mrs Pack, MEP − Chairperson of the Education and Culture Committee − and the Vice Presidents for Communication, Mrs Podimata and Mr Karas, requested the European Commission to produce a 2013/2014 edition of the Europa Diary. This request is reinforced by the newly adopted EU budget, which takes into account a specific EP amendment (supported by all major political groups) that aims at the prompt preparation of the forthcoming edition under the leadership of DG

Communication and Vice-President Commissioner Reding. So all the lights are set to ‘green’ for the Commission to continue this project. Yet, time is pressing, if a Diary is to be delivered into the classrooms by September 2013!

Europa Diary : www.generation-europe.eu/what-we-do/our-projects/europa-diary/

Sign the petition to continue the Europa Diary (www.thepetitionsite.com/226/help-save-the-Europa-Diary/)

More information: www.generation-europe.eu

Europa Diary receives support

of teachers and the

European Parliament

What the teachers say... "Hiermit unterstütze ich vehement Ihre Bemühungen, den Schülerkalender wieder in gedruckter Form herausgeben zu können! Die digitale Form ist für unsere Schüler völlig un-praktikabel, die Behandlung der Inhalte in dieser Form nicht möglich!"

"The printed version was superb. We need more of this kind of initiative in these days of austerity."

"Il diario cartaceo, che nella ns. scuola veniva distribuito agli alunni, era un oggetto molto atteso dai ragazzi perché era fatto bene, dava molte notizie e curiosità sulla UE ed era un modo per fare risparmiare le proprie famiglie. Speriamo che presto riprendiate ad inviarcelo."

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On 2nd November 2012, Generation Europe Foundation represented the European youth at a policy event about healthy lifestyles, hosted by EurActiv and organised by GEF and Coca- Cola Europe. Representatives from the European Parliament, the European Commission, Coca-Cola Europe and GEF discussed whether and how youth should be empowered and involved in policy development at EU level.

GEF presented the findings from its latest youth opinion survey on healthy lifestyles and brought the youth perspective to the fore: The two winners of the related essay competition, Elie Brandmeyer (21, France) and Agnieszka Sprawka (26, Poland), were personally present and enriched and enlivened the debate with their enthusiastic interaction with the panel!

Young people want to be empowered, not regulated

Would you have guessed that information about cooking, stress management and mental health is what young people in Europe feel they most need? We surveyed nearly 1300 young people from 20 EU countries, and saw a huge range of views expressed, especially when it came to the role that companies have to play in promoting healthy lifestyles among youth. Opinions were largely divided between those who thought that companies who sell products which contribute to bad health should not

be involved in anything related to the promotion of health, and those who felt that these companies could still do a lot of good by investing in good programmes, education of their staff, or sports / health facilities.

Summary Report: www.generation-europe.eu/what-we-do/research-and-surveys/To receive the full report, please send an email to info@generation-europe.eu.

In my opinion, companies should assist in conducting a healthy way of life. They could subsidize healthy lifestyle campaigns in schools and other social institutions where children spend time.

Filip, Poland, 16

I cannot see an honest way for profit maximising organisations to be involved. Company’s own interests do always come first and using ‘healthy lifestyle’ as part of their marketing would never give an adequate result. People should learn their lifestyles from their family, friends, school, examples/idols and also from bad examples − from others’ mistakes.

Mihkel, Estonia, 23

Young people speak up about

healthy lifestyles

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GEF is proud to announce the release of 2 new editions of ’Focus on…’, our free teaching kit for secondary school teachers: One discusses the relevance of universal human rights internationally and in our personal environment; the other informs about the risk of personal debt and lets students come up with their own ideas on how to avoid it.

’Focus on…’ is ideal for teaching about subjects that are typically not covered by the school curriculum, but which are essential for preparing students for the ever-changing world around us. It is composed of information sheets for students and ready-made lesson plans for teachers.

All editions are published in English, French and German and some are also available in other languages such as Greek, Spanish, Polish, Romanian and Italian.

How to download this free material:

Teachers can download it from our website www.generation-europe.eu > Resources > Teaching Resources > Online library.

Students find an English version of the text (without the lesson plans) in our GEF Youth Centre www.generation-europe.eu/resources/youth-centre/

What’s next?

With 2013 being the European Year of Citizens, we’re planning to dedicate some editions to topics related to this theme.

So watch this space, and let us know if there are any topics you would like to see covered in future editions: info@generation-europe.eu

Available editions:•

FOCUS ON Career GuidanceStep-by-step guide for finding the right career path

FOCUS ON Personal DebtInformation and worksheets highlighting the widespread problem of personal debt and what to do to avoid it

FOCUS ON Human RightsIntroduction to the official docu-ments protecting human rights in the EU and the world, and exercises to encourage reflection on what human rights are about

Time to ’focus on’ Human Rights and Personal Debt

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© R

yan

Day

GEF talks to three of Catie’s friends, who knew her for many years.

Do you remember how you first met Catie ?

Mike Johnson (Future Work Forum): Mais oui! In 1972 she came to the company I worked for in Brussels with a very simple (but clever) idea. "You give me all your translation work, and I will give you a direct line and a fax machine - free." (For those not aware this WAS the very latest technology and it was this marketing idea that built her business). We did, under her terrific persuasion, do the deal! An early example of how Catie thought differently from lots of other people!

Isabella Lenarduzzi (JUMP): I met Catie for the first time in 1990 or 1991 at a dinner for the women’s network "Club L". Our mutual enthusiasm and faith in Europe made us bond immediately. We have been close friends ever since.

Lukas Pairon (Music Fund): first met Catie in 2007 at a fundraising concert for Music Fund at the National Opera in Brussels. She joined her daughter Elise, who was already fan of us. That evening, Catie decided to become a major donor to the projects run by Music Fund by giving away the proceeds of the harpsichord concert she had planned a few weeks later at the Protestant Church, in order to help Music Fund send piano tuner Olivier Marie (now our general coordinator) to teach young Palestinians piano-tuning and -repair in Nablus and Ramallah. She was from the very start of our relationship very fast in making decisions and coming up with very concrete propositions, and quickly became one of our most important patrons.

Catie ThorburnPresident and Founder, Generation Europe Foundation

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PORTRAIT

“Catie thought

differently from

lots of other

people ! ”

“Believe me, it is so

rare to find a woman

entrepreneur who is

so ambitious and so

generous ! ”

“Catie was an

important patron

for musicians.”

What was the most successful activity or project you achieved together ?

Lukas: Catie had so many ideas. These past years, she created the ‘Friends of Music Fund’, of which she herself was the President. No matter how she felt in terms of her personal health, she always insisted that we would work together, the two of us, every other week, on new ideas of fundraising for Music Fund, her Music Fund.

Isabella: Catie always involved me in her projects by asking me to think about them with her. I did the same. I asked her to be the godmother of JUMP. I needed her moral support to embark on this new adventure. Catie was always benevolent, no matter what. She was also full of good advice... when I told her about my difficulties as an entrepreneur, she shared with me her own. Her optimism, her faith in herself and in others, her courage and tenacity "saved" me every time. I thought if Catie could overcome these problems while remaining so positive and so deeply generous, so could I! She was my friend and my role model. Believe me, it is so rare to find a woman entrepreneur who is so ambitious and so generous!

Mike: The real memory for me is that Catie ALWAYS did things differently. She was not a conventional thinker. Sometimes that got her into trouble, at other times it worked brilliantly! Possibly the best (most memorable) joint archievement was when we created the ‘NEXT Generation’ program and had young people from all over Europe presenting. The talent on show was not only amazing, it made you realise that

we are very bad at recognising the next generation and what they can achieve.

Isabella, would you consider Catie’s achievements extraordinary also because she is a woman?

When I started to do business in the 80s, I felt quite alone as a woman. Catie had begun 10 years before me... it must have been even more complicated for her! And yet I think she always remained true to herself. She showed me that another way of doing business was possible, through the aims you set for the company (at the time there was no talk of social entrepreneurship!) and the way in which you run it as its head. She definitely spearheaded and added authority to women’s entrepreneurship.

Lukas, you mentioned Catie’s great passion − music. How did she live this passion?

Catie was an important patron for musicians. Through Music Fund she also found a way to carry on in the steps of her beloved partner, world-known harpsichord-maker Ivan de Halleux, by giving support to future repair-technicians of musical instruments. And during the last year, she also seriously started to learn a new instrument, the cello, in addition to the piano.

Mike, what do you like most in Catie’s vision of young people?

I believe that Catie thought that young people can do ANYTHING if they are given the opportunity. She got us focused on the practical things, doing stuff rather than just talking about it.... that’s what we need to concentrate on now.

Speaking of Catie’s legacy: What is it for you, and how would you build on it?

Mike: Personally, GEF - go kick some a**! Catie was very good at that. Her legacy is about connecting those that need work with those that need talent; something that those in so-called

charge are, frankly, cr*** at doing. And finally: Don’t save the seals and the fish and the pandas and the foxes... Go out and give young people a future that they can believe in and feel part of.... then they’ll save everything else!

Lukas: One of Catie’s basic lines was that talents did not count as such, but what one did with them was what counted. I have been deeply impressed by Catie’s love for life, and will take her teaching as my source of inspiration for the ambitious PhD-research I am developing now on the significance of the study of music for young people affected by conflict or violence. I have decided to dedicate this research to her memory.

Isabella: Enthusiasm, ambition, generosity, kindness, humanity, optimism and faith in Europe... for me, these are the outstanding characteristics of Catie’s personality. I have her picture next to my PC monitor to never forget that her qualities are essential not only to my success but also to my happiness. In the future, I would like to associate her name with an action related to female social entrepreneurship. I don’t know yet which, but you can bet on it that I will!

Thank you very much.

Isabella Lenarduzzi, Founder and Managing Director of JUMP "Empowering Women, Advancing the Economy"

www.jump.eu.com

Lukas Pairon, Founder and General Director of Music Fund

www.musicfund.eu

www.facebook.com/music-fund

Mike Johnson, Founder and Chairman of the Future Work Forum

http://futureworkforum.com

The Kuluna are young Congolese organ-

ised in criminal gangs operating in the

districts of Kinshasa. Most are young

men from precarious environments like

divorced families or stepfamilies. When

parents remarry, the new partner often

rejects the children of his or her rival,

leaving the children abandoned and

exposed to organised crime.

Once such young men join the Kuluna

bands, their fate is set: They usually

spend their evenings consuming alco-

hol and drugs and fighting with knives

against rival gangs. They roam the neigh-

bourhoods, terrorise and attack people in

the streets, steal and rape. The phenom-

enon has become so widespread that it is mentioned in the news every day and has begun to occur outside the capital, becoming a serious national concern.

Hitting the drums instead of victims

Three years ago, a small group of pro-fessional musicians, including two professors from the National Institute of Arts in Kinshasa (INA), decided to take up a challenge: to teach young Kuluna how to play percussion instruments, so they would learn to hit drums instead of victims. Although the deal was simple - "You cease your criminal activities, and in return we will turn you into an artist and you will be recognised as such." - it came with many challenges. For one, spending the day making music and giving con-certs did not pay a penny. For the young offenders, leaving their criminal envi-ronment meant renouncing their source of income, when some of them were married and had a family to support. Nevertheless, a dozen Kuluna decided to take up the challenge and started attend-ing classes and rehearsals, four full days a week.

Finding traditional instruments for each of the Kuluna and a place to organise rehearsals was another challenge. The teachers’ persistent efforts eventually led to a few donations which allowed them to make their first set of drums and xylophones, and after nearly two years of rehearsing in the most unlikely places, they were allowed to use a plot of land occupied by a warehouse and a garage.

Today, those twelve Kuluna no longer exist. Instead, the Congolese society is enriched by twelve percussionists full of energy and hope; extremely talented art-ists who have shown us that anything is possible if one has courage and above all the necessary confidence in life. The group "Beta Mbonda" ("hitting the drums") has performed on different stages in Kinshasa, including the famous Thea-tre de Verdure and the British Embassy, and has already done some recordings. Unfortunately, the remuneration of art-ists remains very irregular and they often need to play for free. However, the teach-ers and students will not give up and these early successes have given them the energy to continue their work, hoping to perform as often as possible and − who knows − one day see their CD circulated around the whole world.

Ann GrossiBeta Mbonda on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/BETA-MBONDA/119867008102068

“Beta Mbonda” − from crime to music

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Watch out for Ann Grossi’s exhibitions (and future film!) about Beta Mbonda. Contact: beta.mbonda.expo@gmail.com. Music Fund supports the band by providing and repairing instruments locally in Kinshasa. www.facebook.com/musicfund

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

In Kinshasa, a dozen Kuluna chose to abandon their criminal activities in order to be trained in traditional Congolese music. Thanks to the initiative of two music teachers, they have been practising music for three years and are now appearing in concert halls around the city. I had the chance to spend time with them and learn how this change has come about, and with what challenges.

an MEP’S Assistant

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Harry, what does an MEP’s assistant do?

It really varies depending on the MEP, the kind of relationship they have with the assistants as well as their responsibili-ties and priorities. I work for Syed Kamall - he represents London and sits on the Economic and Monetary Affairs Commit-tee (ECON) which is arguably the most high profile committee at the moment for the European Parliament because it’s dealing with all of the regulations to prevent the crisis from reoccurring. We have a very good relationship where we often have discussions and arguments about the issues that are flagged up. I help him draft articles, speeches, and meet lobbyists on his behalf when he’s away working in London. The majority of my day tends to be focused on the issues Syed is responsible for, like the paper on Structural Banking Reform which he’s working on at the moment. Being someone that’s interested in politics and current affairs, it’s just a really cool job.

What tips can you offer someone who wants to become an MEP’s assistant?

Unfortunately, it’s being in the right place at the right time, and being tapped into the assistants’ network. I got my job purely by happenstance. Some MEPs,

when recruiting, put an advert up on web-sites like EurActiv and w4mp (work for an MP) but it does help to know the assis-tants that you would be working with, since they can also tell you more about the MEP. You should also avoid sending generic applications: In our office, if we get CVs and Cover Letters from some-one who’s actually taken the time to find out who Syed is, what he works on and shows genuine interest, we’d certainly consider it for future positions.

Can an MEP’s assistant have different views from his/her MEP?

Oh, the million-dollar question! Well here’s a very good example: I once write a personal comment on a blog on the Huffington Post being very critical of my party (Conservative Party, UK), specifi-cally David Cameron’s speech on Europe. I wrote it fuming after his speech because I thought the content was good but the strategy bad. And I spent 2 weeks wor-rying that Syed was going to be so angry when he found out… So in the end I went to tell him that I was sorry for not hav-ing discussed it with him beforehand and to have openly expressed different views to my party, assuring him that my loyalty was to him and the party. But then to my surprise he said, "You know what I do

when I’m stressed out, Harry? I sit on it for 24 hours before I do anything about it" He told me he’s confident enough about his own views not to need to worry about his assistants having a different opinion and said, "If you feel like you want to do it, then please do."

What paths are open to MEPs’ assistants afterwards?

It depends on the Committee and the MEP you work for. ECON is a pretty good one and the standard path for ECON assistants is to go on to lobbying for banks. In general, the assistants know how the European Institutions work, which is invaluable because nobody on the outside has any clue about it. But I mean, I feel like there is a huge amount of options open to me, and the kind of exposure you get as a 25-year old (meeting pretty senior people in banks etc.) is just amazing!

Thank you.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...

GEF met with Harry Cooper, Assistant to British Member of European Parliament, Syed Kamall.

While the European Union discusses a new EU-wide set of directives to regulate and simplify the public procurement "concession" procedure, European citizens are mobilising against it. They fear that this new piece of legislation might lead to water privatisation, which bears the long-term risks of lower water quality and rising prices.

Defendants of the directive, which applies to contracts worth more than €8 million, say that it sets more flexible rules which will give the public authorities room for manoeuvre and help prevent discrimination and corruption. Critics, on the other hand, fear that, while the directive doesn’t force any public authority to privatise water supply in its area, it nevertheless encourages privatisation in the long run.

The issue with water is that humans depend on it and have to purchase it − at any cost. Many Europeans

feel uneasy at the thought of water becoming a market good, and would rather consider it a public commodity − if not a "human right". This is why people across the EU have signed a so-called European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) for water as a human right and against the liberalisation of water services: The "Right2Water" initiative is the very first to have ever reached the required 1 million threshold this February.

The signatures, however, stem mainly from Germany and Austria, so the organisers of "Right2Water" are still collecting signatures in other countries, trying to reach a total of 2 million by September 2013.

Maros Sefcovic…, Vice-President of the European Commission, nevertheless already congratulated the organisers: "The goal of European Citizens’ Initiative is to spark pan-European debates on issues that concern citizens across Europe, and get those issues onto the EU agenda. Right2Water has certainly achieved that."

What happens next? − Once the organisers of an ECI have collected the

required number of signatures, they will submit them for verification and certification to the relevant national authorities in each country. If the signatures are correct, the European Commission will meet the organisers so they can explain their issue and demands. In addition, they will also have the opportunity to present their initiative at a public hearing at the European Parliament. Based on all this input, the Commission will give a formal response to the matter and explain what action it will propose, if any, and the reasons for its decision.

A human right to water?

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EU IN FOCUS

Concessions generally concern public services related to infrastructures (water, waste, transport, roads) or the provision of services of general economic interest (energy, health, water supply and treatment, waste, etc). The public authorities make use of concessions to transfer operating risks to a private entity that is paid by users for the service or works it provides.

If you are an EU citizen and old enough to vote in the European Parliament elections (18 years, except for Austria, where the voting age is 16), you can support this or other on-going ECIs by your signature.

http://ec.europa.eu/citi-zens-initiative/public/initia-tives/ongoing

www.right2water.eu

A European citizens’ initiative (ECI) is an invitation to the European Commission to propose legislation in a certain area − provided that the European Union has competence in this field. It depends on two criteria: (1) 1 million signatures are needed from at least 7 EU Member States; and (2) minimum numbers of signatures are required in each of these seven states.

With just over 1 year to go till the European Parliament (EP) elections, the political parties are shifting their attention to the so-called "democratic deficit" in the EU, where the low turnout in previous elections has meant that EU citizens can’t be said to be properly represented in the Parliament.

GEF attended a hearing at the European Parliament to find out what exactly the EU is doing to tackle this problem. During the discussion, Members of the European Parliament (including panellists: Antonio López-Istúriz White, Yonnec Polet and Heinz Becker), academics and representatives from the European Commission agreed on the 2 main causes of the problem: EU citizens simply don’t know enough about their rights and what the EU does and people don’t understand how the European elections work and how relevant they are.

"We have to stop looking at the EU simply as a shopping mall"

According to Catherine Kessedjian, Deputy Director of European College of Paris, most people still think that the EU’ main benefits are economic, even though it actually plays a big role in so many other aspects of our lives. The right to study in any EU country without paying international fees or stand for elections in any EU country you are a resident in are just a few examples. The panel at the EP agreed that if you want to convince people that what happens at EU level matters, it needs to shake off this image of a "shopping mall"!

What if you know what the EU does but just don’t really get how the EP

elections work? Well, you’re not alone. And the MEPs at the hearing agreed that European and national parties need to work together to make sure that citizens have access to simple, clear information about the elections and the different parties’ campaigns.

But while the politicians’ attention is fixed on elections, you should know that voting is just one way in which you can get your views across to European decision-makers. As well as submitting a petition to the EP, you can also launch an initiative through the European Citizens Initiative. Read on to find out more...

Lack of knowledge responsible for ‘democratic deficit’

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Did you know?•

Slightly more than 8 out of 10 people surveyed across the EU said that they are familiar with the term "citizen of the European Union". But only 46% of all those who answered said they actually knew what the term meant. (Eu-robarometer on "European Union Citizenship", European Commis-sion, February 2012)

Do you know what it means to be a European citizen?

© Kriss Szkurlatowski

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Švietimas yra laikomas ne tik esminiu keliu į tobulėjimą, bet taip pat ir priemone, atveriančia daugiau įsidarbinimo galimybių krizės nuvargintoje darbo rinkoje. Nepaisant to, Lietuva susiduria su keista - išsilavinimo pertekliaus ar, tiksliau, per didelio jaunimo su aukštuoju išsilavinimu kiekiu darbo rinkoje - problema.

Bene 70% moksleivių, baigusių mokyklą, tęsia studijas aukštesniojo ar aukštojo mokslo įstaigose. Gavę diplomą, tūkstančiai yra priversti rinktis nedarbingumo išmokų kelią, emigruoti į kitas šalis ieškant darbo ar nukelti paieškas pasirenkant dar metus ar dvejus studijuoti magistro studijų pakopoje. Daugeliui, kuriems universitetas tebuvo kelias į geresnį darbą, tokių pasirinkimų būtinybė nemaloniai nustebina.

Emigracija savaime nėra problema, nebent išsilavinęs jaunimas yra priverstas imtis nekvalifikuoto darbo. Jei kada teks sutikti kavinės padavėją, kuri turi puikų chemikės išsilavinimą, žinokite, jog yra esminių problemų švietimo sistemoje ir darbo rinkoje. Kai daugelis jaunų žmonių turi aukštąjį išsilavinimą, liūdnos pasekmės yra neišvengiamos: diplomas tampa nuvertinamas ir negerbiamas. Darbdaviai neretai prašo darbo patirties (kurios, akivaizdu, sunku gauti visą laiką skiriant studijoms) ar magistro laipsnio diplomo.Lietuva nėra vienintelė šalis, susidurianti su tokia problema. Europos Sąjungoje, apie 40% universitetą baigusiųjų neturi darbo, praėjus dviem metams po aukštojo mokslo baigimo. Net Kinijoje, kur žemas pajamas gaunantys tėvai dirba nuo sutemų iki aušros, vien tam, kad galėtų išleisti vaikus į mokslus, aukštasis mokslas negarantuoja gerai apmokamo darbo, nes absolventų Kinijoje per pastaruosius metus, padaugėjo keturis kartus.

Kylantis išsilavinimo lygis dažniausiai yra gerovės bei progreso ženklas. Nepaisant to, šiandien kyla dvi jaudinančios problemos: yra santykis tarp išsilavinimo ir darbo rinkos, bei universiteto svarbos suvokimas. Europos Sąjunga siūlo įdiegti programą “Garantija jaunimui”, kurios tikslas yra suteikti darbą, praktikos vieta ar mokymus universitetus baigusiam jaunimui, kuris, praėjus daugiau nei 4 mėnesiams nuo baigimo, vis dar neturi darbo. Tokia programa galėtu būti pravarti ir Lietuvoje, nors vargu ar ji garantuotu ilgalaikes įsidarbinimo perspektyvas. Be to, Lietuvoje labiau reikėtu skatinti tam tikras studijų kryptis, kurios yra reikalingos, bet ne tokios populiarios. Sėkmingiausios programos Lietuvoje buvo mokesčiu lengvatos suteikimas darbdaviams, įdarbinusiems jaunimą be darbo patirties, bei praktikos ir darbo patirties suteikimas moksleiviams, prieš renkantis studijų krypti. Labiausiai reiktu skatinti universitetų ir privataus sektoriaus bendradarbiavimą bei palengvinti paskolų išdavimą jaunimui, siekiančiam pradėti individualų verslą. Siekiant išspręsti antrąją problemą, bendra universitetinio išsilavinimo idėja turėtų būti priimama kiek kitaip nei iki šiol. Dabar jauni žmonės yra linkę siekti ne tiek išsilavinimo, kiek diplomo. Tikiu, jog bendra, tiek studentų, tiek darbdavių, nuomonė apie universitetą turėtų pasikeisti: universitetas bei švietimas yra gėris pats savaime, būdas tobulinti save, o ne tik priemonė susirasti darbą.

Marija AntanaviciuteGEF Ambassador,

Lithuania

Išsilavinimo perteklius:

kelias iš ar į nedarbą?

Over-education: way out of or to unemployment? By Marija Antanaviciute

Not only has education long been considered as the main way of self-perfection, it also serves as means to become more employable in today’s wild and crisis-wrecked job market. However, Lithuania faces a strange problem of over-education or, to be more precise, overflow of university graduates in the job market.

Around 70% of Lithuanian school graduates continue on to higher education in academic institutions. After graduating, if you are

lucky, you will find a job. But thousands are forced to go on the dole, migrate somewhere else to look for a job or postpone the decision for another year or two by joining a Master’s program. For many of those who saw university only as a means to get a better paid job, such options come as an unpleasant surprise.

Read the rest of the article in English at www.generation-europe.eu/media-centre/magazines

This is not a new helpline number, but the European Union’s budget for 2014-2020, which was adopted by the Heads of State and Government at the European Summit on 8 February, after a 25-hour marathon of negotiations.

For the first time in history, EU leaders agreed on a budget cut instead of an increase; MEPs however warn that this budget is "not sufficient" to finance existing policy priorities. The Parliament’s four largest political groups are also unwilling to accept the inconsistencies in the proposal, which foresees an actual spending of only €908 billion out of the €959 billion committed.

In the current budget deal, the EU plans to invest €6,000 million (a mere 0.6% of the total EU budget) in promoting youth employment, of which €3,000 million will come from the European Social Fund and €3,000 million from a dedicated Youth Employment budget line.

Only seventy years ago, the people of Europe were at war with each other. Today, they are working together on most aspects of daily life. To honour this achievement, the European Union was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012. At first sight, Cameron might seem to be right: Now that the aim of the EU’s founding fathers has been achieved, the EU can turn its mind towards different objectives.

But can we really take peace for granted? Are we not witnessing, once again, the tendency to point fingers at one another; blaming others for the economic difficulties Europe now finds itself in? Don’t the current economic challenges bear the risk of provoking new conflicts with different types of aggression - an "economic war" without arms? In today’s society, how should we define "peace"? Is it something that can be "won", or something which needs to be constantly worked on to maintain?

There will be plenty of discussions going on in the upcoming months − with many occasions for you to share your opinion, too!

“Today the main, over-riding purpose of the European Union is different: not to win peace, but to secure prosperity.”

David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

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COMPETITIONSCORNER

What? A photo contest

Whether you’re an amateur or a

seasoned professional, send in your

photographs which creatively capture

youth at work!

What does the world of work look

like for a young person? Do you

know someone who is experiencing

difficulties − perhaps facing gender

discrimination, precarious work, or

simply cannot stand their co-workers?!

…This is your chance to highlight real-life

challenges and suggest innovative ways

to address them.

For whom? Anyone aged 18+, from

one of the 185 ILO member countries

(including all EU Member States).

Until when? 15 April 2013.

Prizes:

1) Best photo: USD 1000

2) Second best photo: USD 500

3) Youth prize (entries of persons

aged 18-29 years): USD 800

The winning photos will be

displayed in an online photo

exhibition.

Organised by: International Labour

Organisation (ILO) Youth Employment

Programme

More info: www.ilo.org/employment/areas/

youth-employment/work-for-

youth/photo-contest/lang--en/

index.htm

“WORK4YOUTH”

/ 16

What ? A creative competition (writing,

art, audio-visual, websites, apps, …)

Have you ever wanted to express

your passionate opinion about the

significance of the European Parliament

to the lives of EU citizens? Now you can participate in a pan-European initiative alongside other young and like-minded individuals, and make a difference the European integration project!

Tell in an innovative and convincing manner why the European Parliament matters to you and why there is a need to vote in the 2014 European parliamentary elections.

For whom? Citizens of the EU and Croatia, aged 16-30.

Until when? 28 March 2013.

Prizes: An all-expenses-covered,

once-in-a-lifetime trip to Brussels for

20 winners to present their entries,

exchange ideas with decision makers

and like-minded young Europeans, and

see the EP at work.

Organised by: European Policy Centre

More info:

www.epc.eu > Programmes >

European Politics and Institutions

> The European Parliament ‘Why

should I care?’

The European Parliament - ‘why should I care?’