NAMUR '18 - SESSION ISSUE

NAMUR ,

HERE WE WERE! Regional Conference of EYP Belgium

Namur 18

Contents 3 4, 5 6, 7 8, 9 10, 11

Editorial See them as an opportunity, not as an obstacle Get to know the HOs UNHCR - UN Refugge Agency Teachers’ View on EYP

Editorial

Dear readers!

This is it. The final product of Namur ‘18 - Regional Conference of EYP Belgium - Media Team. We have had quite of a journey in our team throughout the whole Session’s journey. From being a first time Editor, and having a first time Editorial Assistant and three first time Journalists to staying up late at night to finish off what we started and achieve our personal goals.

I couldn’t be more proud to present you the Session Issue. For me, each and every Session Issue I got the experience to read through fills me up with such pure emotion and the true felling of how the session was like.

I am the true representative of those who still found the ‘written media output’ most appealing and true to itself and the purpose.

This is it, Namur - here we were. We smiled, we learned and we developed to the fullest.

Proud, grateful first time Editor with a heart full of love from Slovenia for Belgium and Namur, Gašper Cvetič

“see them as an opportunity, not as an obstacle” - Chiara Sachetti (IT) When did you EYP journey start and how?

I first entered the EYP Network in September 2014, when a friend of mine asked if I wanted to join this parliament-thing for which they had a free spot left. At the time, I was already interested in politics and since she promised me it was going to be fun, I decided to give it a try and be a part of the delegation. I am now really grateful for listening to her.

What do you think about the topic of inclusion and how is it related to you?

I believe its core essence is touching everyone. We are living in a world populated by minorities and people who are forgotten on the side. Bearing this in mind, the goal of the session is to remind the world of its diversities and to see them as an opportunity, not as an obstacle. I am convinced that just by doing something as simple as being inclusive towards one another, we can help building a stronger and more sustainable society.

What is the most challenging aspect of being the Session’s President?

I would not describe them as challenging, but the support and availability you need to deliver to both the officials and the delegates are surely demanding aspects.

As a President, you need to make sure that everyone gets something out of the event, which can be knowledge about EU institutions, English skills, life values, friendships everything is an achievement. This is my ultimate goal.

What is the best memory you have about EYP? Honestly, I have so many it is hard to select just one. EYP journey as a whole is my top one memory, but if I have to pick a single event I will definitely remember, I will choose the closure of a session I organised. It was emotionally really tiring but also extremely rewarding from a personal aspect. Even though closing a session is a heartbreaking moment, I still feel like I am giving an end to a part of my life in which I had put my best effort.

What are you planning to do after the end of RS Namur?

Once I will come back home, I am going to finish my bachelor on International Relations and International Economy and then maybe have a gap semester, which I would like to dedicate to wandering around Europe to reach my EYP friends that I haven’t met in a while. The next September I am planning to start a Master in Project Management, and I will see where this will bring me.

Get to know the HOs - Marthe Wedoe (NO) While we were all enjoying Namur 2018, I went on the mission to find out more about the two main people behind the session – the Head Organisers, Miguel Bustorff and Neil Faber.

Miguel and Neil met each other at Brussels 2017, which was the first meeting with EYP Network for both of them. Though they didn’t become friends before after the session, Miguel clearly remembers Neil from his loud voice in various coffee breaks. After Brussels 2017 they met each other at several Alumni events in EYP Belgium, before both going to the National Selection Conference the following year in Brugges as Organisers and it was there they have decided to become the Head Organisers of Namur ‘18 together.

Why Namur?

Neil: One of the main reasons why we picked the city of Namur was that it has been EYP Belgium’s goal to do a session in Wallonia. Namur just sounded like the perfect city for this, because it is where the administration of Wallonia is located and it’s quite geographically central. Organisationally it just sounded like the perfect city to organise a session in, especially bearing in mind that it is an easy city to get around. I also usually go to Namur every weekend personally, so it is a city that’s just close to my heart.

Miguel: For me it’s not as personal, but it is the city in the region that I know the best – but this is really just because I don’t know the others.

What inspired you to take on such a big project of head organising?

Miguel: For me personally I was very affected by the head organisers of Brugges, Jules Genbrugge and Andries Tjalma. Jules especially, who is now the national coordinator of EYP Belgium, has helped us a lot with this session. Just seeing that they, just like us, started EYP for not a long time and already started taking on big roles such as head organising a National Selection Conference really impacted us in so many different ways. I wanted to feel the same accomplishment they did when Brugges was over.

Neil: I would say that for me it was less inspiring than Miguel’s take on it. I really enjoy EYP Network as an organisation and at the point when we decided to take on the project I had already been an Organiser a couple of times, and I just really liked that role. We were both also surrounded by a lot of people who recommended us for the role, which made us think of how it could be a reality. After thinking about it for a while I just realized how good of an idea it would be for us to do it, and now we’re here. It’s an amazing project, and the idea of doing it really appealed to me.

How has the planning for the session been?

Miguel: It hasn’t been too easy actually. Namur being a new city in a new region for EYP Belgium meant that we didn’t have all the contacts and all the schools ready, so we had to start from scratch. Another challenge was that I recently moved to Denmark, which meant we weren’t able to meet up as much as we would’ve liked to.

Neil: Luckily there are no time differences between Denmark and Belgium, because if it had been we would’ve struggled more.

What is the best thing about working with each other?

Neil: For me, with Miguel, I think it’s the fact that he’s really chill in a good way. When something doesn’t go right for me I just get a bit overwhelmed and I feel like everything just hits me all at once. Miguel reacts in a more relaxed way by just calmly making an overview of everything we have to do and making it seem like not stressing at all. He just calms me down, and that’s something I really need.

Miguel: We kind of knew from before that we have quite different ways of working, but I think that for us just made us learn another ways to do things. Working with someone so different has been very rewarding for me.

What is the worst thing about working with each other?

Miguel: Being in Denmark and Belgium.

Neil: Yes, definitely. It’s just very difficult because the idea that you can’t see each other in person also means that we can’t work together in person. We made it work, but it was undeniably a challenge at times.

UNHCR - UN Refugge Agency - William Reynolds (IE)

Following the eye opening and informative presentation of a UNHCR representative at the general assembly of Namur Regional Session 2018 I will be talking about the UNHCR and their three durable solutions.

The UNHCR has played a vital role in saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people since 1950. The work of the UNHCR has had positive impacts on the wider world, highlighted by the Nobel Peace Prizes received in 1954 and 1981. The organisation is also very active in aiding countries experiencing a crisis like Yemen and Syria.

The UNHCR has proposed three durable solutions voluntary repatriation, local integration and resettlement. These three solutions must be used in close co-operation with each other for the best chance of success.

Voluntary repatriation is the first of the three durable solutions. This ensures that any decision regarding return made by refugees is voluntary and that the information they receive is objective. There must be sufficient support provided for the return of refugees regarding physical and legal safety.

Also, the return must be carried out with respect and dignity.

When a refugee wishes to stay in a country local integration is essential and this is another durable solution of the UNHCR. Local integration refers to the country of first asylum and can be an appropriate solution in some instances. The integration process depends largely on an individual refugee circumstances and the social and economic conditions in the host society. Those who are prioritised for local integration include refugees born within the host country who may be stateless, refugees who are unable to return to their origin country in the foreseeable future, and refugees who have established close links to the host country. Host countries sometimes may adopt a method of local integration by granting permits to stay that gradually increase rights and entitlements over time.

The final solution is resettlement of refugees to a third country which is a viable solution for some refugees, particularly those with a diminished opportunity for local integration or voluntary repatriation. Resettlement can be an effective method for burden sharing and international cooperation by assisting countries of first asylum. This solution needs to be used in a comprehensive approach that includes access to all three durable solutions. Negotiations between resettlement countries and countries of first asylum could establish rules for resettlement programmes, including multi-year resettlement agreements and assistance for local integration and other improvements in conditions for refugees in countries of first asylum.

These three durable solutions if implemented together cohesively can lead to the improvement in the lives of refugees and co-operative actions by countries.

Teachers’ View on EYP - Gašper Cvetič (SI)

As I have never had the experience of seeing and working alongside the Teachers and School Delegations, I took the opportunity of sitting down and having a talk with one of the lovely Teachers that have decided to respond to EYP Belgium’s invitation and has together with 7 Delegates joined Namur ‘18 - Regional Conference of EYP Belgium.

Involvement “I got involved in EYP Network as one of my son’s friend invited me. It seemed like an unusual thing but enriching for youngsters. I talked to my students and we said: ‘Let’s try it out!’”

Your Experience “After seeing the procedures and activites of EYP in the last day, I think it has a very positive impact on when it comes to the personal development of the students - it forces all of them to step out, and gives them a chance and a voice. As an older person, I see a lot of potential in EYP for them that they might not see.”

Organisation “I am really impressed by Organised by Youth, for Youth. I can’t believe that all of this is provided for youngsters by their peers.”

Inclusion “I like the Session’s Theme, and we can see the impact of it in the event right here. You can see youngsters from so many different backgrounds.

I love the idea of migrants, stateless people and refugges. It really brings and points out the problems of our society that especially youngsters do not get to talk and discover about that much.

Just for an example, you could see that some youngsters were not able to pay even three euros for the cup deposit.”

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