EYP the Netherlands - Board update June/July 2018

EUROPEAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT THE NETHERLANDS

Board Update Report on the June 2018 Development Day News on the upcoming International Session and National Selection Conference

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Dear reader, On June 9th 2018, the annual NC Development Day was held in Amsterdam.

Alumni of EYP the Netherlands had the opportunity to share their input and ideas with each other and with the board, setting the course for our organisation. During the day, topics such as Welfare, Involvement, Democratisation, Inclusion and Diversity were discussed. In addition, the board presented the work that had been done so far.

During this day, the Head Organisers of our upcoming events also shared interesting news on their projects. Head Organiser Yannick Louwerse and core organiser Tom Cobbenhagen presented alumni with an update on Rotterdam 2018, the Autumn International Session. The Head Organiser of the 2019 National Selection Conference, Thanos Theofanakis, announced the location and theme of the event and shared his vision.

Now that the board has had almost a month to review everything that was discussed during the Development Day, we are happy to present you with the second board update of the year! In this board update you will find: ● ● ● ●

A summary of everything that was discussed at the Development Day What actions have been taken, and what new actions we are going to take An update on the Rotterdam 2018 International Session News on the 2019 National Selection Conference

If you were unable to attend the Development Day, but still want to share your ideas for our organisation, your input is always welcome at ​board@eyp.nl For now, enjoy reading !

All the best, Adriaan, Annelotte, Annelou, Hidde, Jarne en Luc

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Democratisation What has been done so far?

The first topic discussed was democratisation. For several years, boards of EYP NL have worked hard to make EYP the Netherlands more democratic, and have made the first steps in the transition of EYP NL from a foundation (Stichting) into an association (Vereniging). An association involves a regular general assembly (Algemene Ledenvergadering or ALV) of members, where they can vote on proposals and voice their opinions.

The board would also be elected at these assemblies, rather than being selected by a Supervisory Council (Raad van Toezicht).

What was discussed at the Development Day? It was proposed to change the supervisory council into an advisory council (Raad van Advies), which publishes a report on the candidates to advise members during elections. An argument against such a report was the demotivating effect it could have on a candidate. On the other hand, a democracy will always have this negative aspect, as candidates are publicly voted away.

The practicalities of the election were also discussed. A show of hands was quickly ruled out as voting option, because alumni favoured anonymous voting. Alumni expressed their wish to have the possibility to: abstain from voting; vote for multiple candidates; run for multiple positions; file a motion of no confidence against a board member. It was also discussed what would happen in the case of 0 candidates for a certain position.

Furthermore, the practicalities of the campaign period were discussed. An objection against a long campaign period was the notion that introverted candidates would not do well, even though they may be equally motivated and qualified. It was pointed out that an Advisory Council would offer an outcome in this scenario, as their advice could help candidates get elected.

Alumni agreed that a more democratic culture should be created: one Development Day a year was not enough, and reaching out simply through online surveys not sufficient. It was suggested to organise multiple Development Days a year. It was also agreed that outreach could play a role, and that Development Days should be organised throughout the country. Alumni shared their concerns about having the ALV at the Alumni Weekend, because Alumni Weekend venues are often difficult to reach with public transport. It was proposed to have Alumni Weekends at more central and accessible locations. Furthermore, the possibility of combining our regular ​borrels with a Development Day was suggested. The transparency of the organisation was also assessed. Alumni agreed that we should have more regular board updates, and a Financial Audit Committee (​Kascommissie).

What new actions are we taking? ●

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Because we value the work of the Supervisory Council and would like them to continue being a part of our organization, we welcome the idea of an Advisory Council which supports the board throughout the year and publishes an independent report during election period.

There will be two General Assemblies (​Algemene Ledenvergaderingen)​: the board would be evaluated at the autumn Alumni Weekend and a new board would be elected and presented at the spring Alumni Weekend.

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The election period agreed upon is as follows: the campaign starts after the National Selection Conference, with the publishing of election statements. It ends with the General Assembly at the March Alumni Weekend. A report by the Advisory Council will be published during the election period.

The voting procedure agreed upon is online voting, as it gives many members the possibility to vote. It is possible to run for two positions. There will be three voting options for every candidate: ‘in favour’, ‘against’ and ‘abstain’. This will make it possible to vote in various ways. Elected board members temporarily fulfill an empty position if a candidate is voted away, or if 0 candidates run for a position.

Members can evaluate the board, vote on proposals and vote board members away at the Autumn Alumni Weekend. Members can apply to be part of the Audit Committee before the Autumn Alumni Weekend.

Striving towards more transparency and creating a more democratic culture, the board strives towards publishing board updates regularly.

The board decided that in an EYP NL association, there will be both members and alumni. Alumni can attend events and apply as official to sessions, but only members have voting rights and reduced fees for events.

Board members will meet this summer for a Democratisation Day, during which most of the practicalities of the transition will be dealt with. This includes the ​Huishoudelijk Reglement, ​which will hopefully be up for voting at the Autumn Alumni Weekend.

Outreach, Inclusion and Diversity What have we done so far?

Regional Outreach has been an important focus point for EYP the Netherlands for some time now, and a lot of progress has been made in this area: efforts of EYP alumni in regions such as Brabant to organise events and engage alumni in their region, and the introduction of Regional Representatives, which will replace the Alumni Committee. Regional Representatives organise and promote activities in their region, which can be attended by all alumni.

Having focussed a lot on outreach in terms of alumni events, we should not forget about regional outreach in terms of school recruitment. We regret that schools from the east (Overijssel, Gelderland, Drenthe) and north (Groningen, Friesland) of the Netherlands are not well-represented in our yearly Preliminary Rounds. The board has been working hard on finding schools in these provinces. We are increasingly reaching out to schools that teach all levels of education, not only VWO schools, and we also reach out to confessionalist schools. By now, 100 new schools have been added to our school network. They will be invited for our Extended Preliminary Rounds, where we would like to see them.

It is important that we keep our sessions accessible to participants from all socioeconomic backgrounds, and therefore we will continue to offer financial assistance to schools that cannot pay the participation fee in full.

Furthermore, individual registrations were introduced for the first time this year: we will accept applications from both schools and individuals.

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What was discussed at the Development Day? At the Development Day, diversity of schools in terms of belief was discussed: confessionalist schools (catholic, protestant, islamic, jewish, etc.) should feel included when participating in our Preliminary Rounds.

Some were concerned that certain topics might lead to controversy if confessionalist schools attended.

However, the majority agreed that session presidents should facilitate a respectful and inclusive discussion, and in such an environment all topics can be discussed.

Furthermore, alumni shared their experiences and opinions on working with schools of different levels of education. Some were concerned the academic character of EYP would form a barrier to these schools and that the experience would be worse for these students. It was decided to not speculate any further on this topic, but have these conversations with the teachers, as they know their students best.

Alumni were enthusiastic about the plans of the board to allow individual applications this year, as they offer an outcome to students that cannot motivate their peers to join, but would love to join themselves. Individual applications will be accepted from students of all levels of education, if the age of the applicant fits the target group. The possibility to ask individual applicants to write a brief motivation was mentioned.

Alumni worked in focus groups to brainstorm on this topic. They recognised the role of the workshop committee in appealing to different schools. Workshops should stress the inclusive environment of EYP. The Workshop Chair, present at the Development Day, agreed that workshops could be vital in promoting inclusion and diversity. Lastly, it was remarked that more delegates might be insecure about their level of English, which is why a list of useful English words and phrases could be sent to delegates in preparation.

What new actions are we taking? ●

Schools of all levels of education and all religious backgrounds will be invited to our Preliminary Rounds. Individual applicants will also be accepted from all levels of education, but may be asked to write a motivation.

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Teachers will be involved in promoting inclusion and diversity, by discussing with them how their students could be included and if their students have special needs that EYP could accommodate to.

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Teachers will also play a role in limiting the competitive character of EYP, to achieve more cooperation and social connection between students from different schools.

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More attention will be paid to preparing delegates for sessions, as delegates who feel prepared will also feel self-confident and included. Free workshops will be made more explicitly available to schools. Preparatory materials will be sent a month in advance, as well as a list of useful English words and phrases.

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It is the task of the session presidents and the NC board to facilitate an inclusive environment at a session, and they should cooperate to achieve this.

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Alumni Involvement What have we done so far?

This year, sixteen alumni applied to be part of a committee. This was a lower amount than expected, and considerably less people than needed to keep our NC running. Seeing this as a sign we need to work harder on alumni involvement, we want to make voluntary work for the NC more rewarding and interesting and make opportunities to stay active in EYP NL more visible to new alumni. We believe that both the Preliminary Rounds and the National Selection Conference, but especially the Spring Alumni Weekend are key events that provide opportunities to engage new alumni. during the upcoming National Selection Conference.

Secondly, the Welfare of participants must be a focus point. Measures have been taken at the Extended Preliminary Rounds to promote the wellbeing of participants, such as pre-written IC’s to shorten reso-typing, resulting in more sleep. Additionally, two Wellbeing Officers (Vertrouwenspersonen) have been appointed from the board: Annelou Snippe and Jarne van der Poel. They can be approached by both delegates and alumni to talk about any issues in complete confidentiality.

What was discussed at the Development Day? First of all, alumni brainstormed how Extended Preliminary Rounds can reach their full potential as a first introduction to EYP. It was suggested to have a panel debate or other addition to the program, to make the session a richer experience. It was also suggested to move towards three-day Preliminary Rounds at some point, and to conduct a survey after the Preliminary Rounds, asking delegates for their opinion.

Secondly, alumni emphasised that the competitive element of the Preliminary Rounds often resulted in non-selected delegates leaving disappointed, no longer interested in staying active within EYP. Many suggestions were made to solve this issue: more emphasis on committee work; communicating clearly to teachers the non-competitive nature of EYP; e-mailing delegates immediately after a Preliminary Round to make their options clear to them; not have the jury results announced at the session itself; a Facebook group or WhatsApp group with delegates.

It was also pointed out that Facebook as a medium is increasingly less popular among young people and high school students. This is why the dependency of EYP on Facebook must be limited, and other media such as WhatsApp, the website and Instagram, need to be used to their full potential.

Thirdly, alumni recognised the National Selection Conference as a key event in engaging alumni. It was pointed out that international delegates attending the conference heightened the experience for everyone.

Furthermore, the alumni weekend should be marketed more explicitly at the conference. The location of the Alumni Weekend is difficult to reach by public transport, so alumni asked for the location to be changed.

Alumni made it clear that the board should pay more attention and effort to the organisation of the alumni weekend.

Furthermore, the people volunteering for our NC in committee’s should be given more visibility and more personal development. The activities of the committee’s should be shared on the media channels of EYP throughout the year, and it was suggested to open the Committee Call already at the autumn Alumni Weekend. The chairs of each committee should pay more attention to personal development, challenging the members to learn new things. Volunteers should receive a certificate or other reward or gift for their efforts.

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Moreover, alumni expressed that activities and events are not communicated clearly, as they often are only posted in the Facebook group. This is why a calendar should be published regularly, with an overview of all upcoming activities.

Lastly, the wellbeing of participants and alumni was a point of discussion. Many suggestions were made on this topic, such as: creating a welfare policy; paying attention to mental health and consent at Alumni Weekends; making Vertrouwenspersonen more explicitly visible and available to everyone.

What new actions are we taking? ●

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We will strive towards limiting the competitive character of the Preliminary Rounds by not announcing the jury results at the session itself, and by making it clear that non-selected delegates also can stay active in EYP through e-mails and at the session itself.

At the Preliminary Rounds, a Whatsapp group, Facebook group or Slack group could be created of participants, for announcements and to communicate the steps they can take to stay involved.

We will decrease the dependency on Facebook as a platform, by publishing a calendar with activities online and improving the website as a source of information.

Volunteering for the NC by being part of a committee should be made more rewarding. More attention will be paid to the personal development and learning process of committee members; committee’s will have more visibility on our media channels, through announcements and updates; committee members will receive a reward for their efforts.

The preparations of the Alumni Weekend should be in full swing before the National Selection Conference, and the Weekend should be properly marketed at the NSC. Both the Alumni Weekend and other ways of staying involved will be marketed at the NSC through workshops, presentations, info boards and flyers.

At all times, a Vertrouwenspersoon will be present at our sessions or alumni events. It must be communicated clearly to all participants that the Vertrouwenspersonen are available to them. This information will be published with other Legal Information on the website.

Welfare should be discussed at Alumni Weekends, giving workshops or focus groups on topics such as academic stress, but also topics such as consent, peer pressure, etc.

A clause will be added to the terms and conditions of participating in events, stating that misconduct such as bullying, alcohol abuse or (sexual) intimidation will result in immediate expulsion.

Finances What has been the financial policy the last years?

In the financial year 2016-2017 the goal of the organisation has been to provide activities that are of higher quality and accessible to all. This has resulted in some financial loss for the foundation, but EYP NL was still financially healthy.

For the current financial year, 2017-2018 EYP the Netherlands has had the same goals. We want to guarantee the success and quality of our Extended Preliminary Rounds, and make these events profitable, while also guaranteeing they are accessible to all. Additionally, we want to have the financial means to make sure the organisation can successfully transition from a foundation to an association.

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What was discussed at the Development Day? Our Treasurer, Hidde Fokkema, gave an update on our financial policy and situation during the Develoment Day. Due to a cost-effective policy the last years, we are financially healthy, which enables us to offer financial support to schools, alumni travelling abroad and alumni travelling for the NC. The 2017-2018 Preliminary Rounds were profitable, and the National Selection Conference broke even. Part of the discussion at the Development Day concerned the funding of the Nationals. The theme of the nationals ties into the European elections of 2019, which could make support from the Understanding Europe funds possible. Furthermore, alumni remarked that they were unsure what the vision and goals of the organisation are when it comes to Finances. This is why we have formulated our financial vision and goals below.

What actions are we taking? ●

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For the upcoming financial year, we will continue to pursue the same goal: making sure our events are of high quality, yet profitable for the organisation, and accessible to everyone. This is done by maintaining the current participation fees, and continuing to offer financial support to new participants and to alumni.

We want to make sure the organisation has the financial means to make our two large events this year possible: the International Session in Rotterdam and the Lustrum celebration.

The past financial year, there has been little room to find structural financial funding for our organisation due to the legal transition, and many events, especially the International Session in Rotterdam, which has partnered itself with many potential sponsors and partners. For the upcoming financial year, persuading sponsors to contribute to our organisation could be an objective. The sponsors that are partnered with Rotterdam 2018 provide opportunities in this regard​.

Declaration policy: there is a new online declaration form, which will make it easier for alumni to declare, for example, travel costs made for the organisation.

Lastly, one of our priorities is keeping the the legal transition as cost-effective as possible, and exploring the possibilities to receive funding from the International Office for this transition.

International Governance What was discussed during the Development Day? During the Development Day, a brief summary of the last BNC meeting was given by our International Coordinator, Adriaan van Steun. Afterwards, a discussion was held regarding how alumni’s input could be gathered and used at the BNC meetings. At the last BNC, few substantive proposals were adopted, but many different processes were initiated. The BNC discussed the lack of clarity in promoting session calls on Facebook and the Members Platform, several working groups were set up and EYP Kosovo got derecognised.

At the next BNC, concrete proposals about the moderating and managing of sessions calls are expected, as is an updated Welfare Policy. The Board of EYP NL would also like to hear the voices of our alumni when going to the next BNC, so that we can truly represent the opinion of the members of EYP NL. What new actions are we taking? ●

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Before the next BNC Meeting, the Proposal Booklet will be released to the alumni of EYP NL, who will be given the chance to ask questions and voice their opinions via a Google form. The outcome of this will then help determine EYP NL’s positions on the different proposals.

EYP NL, in line with the consensus at the Development Day, will present a proposal for how the ‘Sessions!’ Facebook group should be monitored and how calls can be promoted in a clearer way.

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Privacy What have we done so far and what was discussed at the Development Day? On the 25th of May the new GDPR was implemented in the European Union, which means that EYP NL has to adhere to this law. At the development day, the PR and Fundraising Coordinator, Annelou Snippe, gave an update of what EYP NL has been doing with regards to the GDPR. EYP NL is working to streamline data retention within the organisation. Firstly, an email was sent to everyone in the @eyp.nl domain, asking them to send us any data they have and delete it from their own accounts. This is necessary because all of this data is our responsibility. By gathering these documents, the board hopes to be able to create an archive of files. Furthermore, irrelevant data is deleted. The question arose whether everyone responded to our email, which was unfortunately not the case.

The PR and Fundraising Coordinator has also created a register (Register Verwerkingsactiviteiten) of all of the data EYP NL collects and processes. In this register, the period certain data is retained is also stated. Secondly, a Privacy Statement has been drawn up by the PR and Fundraising Coordinator and the Secretary, and was published on our website recently.

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An archive will be created with relevant documents for future boards and members to use. This archive will consist of documents of EYPNL sessions of the past five years.

After the legal transition, a member file (ledenbestand) will be created with all members of the EYP NL association. The current alumni list will remain in place as well.

Once we have received data and information from past years and past sessions, we can create statistics of delegate count, involvement, outreach, et cetera. This will give us an overview of the progress of EYP NL throughout the years.

At all future Dutch sessions, delegates and officials will be asked to sign consent forms, giving informed consent to our privacy policy, terms and conditions, and image and trademark rights.

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Updates on our Upcoming Sessions Rotterdam 2018 Yannick Louwerse and Tom Cobbenhagen were present at the Development Day and gave an update about the upcoming Rotterdam International Session. In addition to the current team, in the coming months the HOs and the Core Team will be looking for six more organisers: three Dutch ones and three Internationals.

The dates of the session will be 13-21 October, with the organisers slowly wrapping up the fundraising and moving on to finalising the venues. Currently, the session is running on a budget of 140.000 euros, and the organising team was happy to report that nearly all of this money had already been fundraised for.

The delegates will be sleeping in the Stayokay hostel in the famous Rotterdam cubes, while the officials will be accomodated somewhere else. As of the Development Day, the final decision with regards to the Session editors still had to be taken, but this has been done and announced since.

The alumni who were present were grateful for the update given by Yannick and Tom, and indicated they would be interested in receiving more frequent updates regarding the project.

Amsterdam 2019 Thanos Theofanakis, the Head Organiser of this year’s National Selection Conference, was present at the Development Day and gave our alumni his first update on the National Selection Conference. The location of the NSC of 2019 was revealed to be Amsterdam. The session will be held under the theme “Bending without breaking: A modern union in a changing Europe.” This connects to the 2019 elections of the European Parliament and Commission and a new president for the European Council. The theme is a call for change, while maintaining unity during difficult times.

The session will be modest and efficient, focussing mostly on the welfare of participants, which is also a focus point for the NC as a whole. Other aims are equal leadership structure and an equal core organisation.

Especially since there is a solo Head Organiser, every core organiser will have a lot of ownership over the session, and focus on personal development.

Some of the struggles with organisation so far were discussed, in specific the setback due to changing the location at a late stage. However, the Head Organiser seemed confident that this setback would not impact the quality of the session, and he is currently focussing on fundraising and venues. It was also discussed whether we should deviate from the venues of the last NSC in Amsterdam (2016). The majority agreed that the Committee Work venue, Team Building venue and hostel were very good last time, and these venues could be used again. Alumni did advise against using the last Eurovillage venue.

The call for a core team was presented and opened shortly after the Development Day. The call closed on the 28th of June, and we hope to soon announce the team that will be at the core of this project!

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Thank you for reading the second board update of this year and staying up to date!

If you have any questions about the contents of the board update, feel free to approach any or all of us. If you did not attend the Development Day, but would still like to share your ideas and input, feel free to do so! We can be reached at board@eyp.nl

All the best, Adriaan, Annelotte, Annelou, Hidde, Jarne en Luc

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