Welcome booklet - GYSD'15

Welcome booklet

EYP-UA Marathon dedicated to Global Youth Service Day’15 18-19 of April, 2015

Content Words of Welcome from the President of EYP-Ukraine ....................................................................... 3 Words of Welcome from the Sessions’ Presidents ................................................................................. 4 Session description............................................................................................................................................. 6 Organisational information ............................................................................................................................. 6 Elements of the session .................................................................................................................................... 7 Division of roles at the session ...................................................................................................................... 8 Preliminary session programme .................................................................................................................... 9 Committee Topics ............................................................................................................................................ 10 Contact information ........................................................................................................................................ 11

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Words of Welcome from the President of EYP-Ukraine Dear session participants!

It is my utmost please, to welcome you aboard of EYP events.

This is hopefully just a beginning of a wonderful journey for you.

Participating in EYP conference from the school time will teach you so many important things that you can’t even imagine. Gaining friends across the continent will be just as easy as to acquire knowledge on top issues of Europe.

Engaging in the civil society will always keep you on track of the most important events and you will be empowered to create history, break cultural walls and settle peace and promote mutual understanding around the globe yourself.

Since 2002 “European youth parliament – Ukraine” has been active in the local civil society providing opportunities for academic and personal development of Ukrainian youth. By 2014 we have conducted events in every single region of the country, yet now we are happy to give the chance to your city!

Let me tell you from the start that EYP is a challenge. It may be as much as it might be scary. Probably the most important thing you will discover along this journey is yourself.

This opportunity will help you to undercover the hidden talents you’ve always had but might have been too scared to try them out.

Don’t be afraid to open this curtain of EYP, don’t be afraid to discover new YOU! Good luck!

Sincerely, Kristina Chelmakina President of EYP-Ukraine

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Words of Welcome from the Sessions’ Presidents Dear delegates, Time runs fast and soon we will gather in the beautiful city of Dnipropetrovsk for your first, and certainly not last, session of the European Youth Parliament Ukraine (EYP).

After a little bit of Teambuilding you will have an opportunity to develop and confront your opinion on energy efficiency, corruption, unemployment and even the governance of your own country. I, as the president of the session, will be there together with my team of chairs to guide you through all this.

I hope that participating at this event will not only bring you joy, new friends and experiences but will also help you develop personally. EYP is a great platform for you to discuss, debate and exchange ideas with people and I hope you will take the most out of it.

Zuzana Holakovska (Czech Republic) President of EYP-UA Weekend in Dnipropetrovsk

Good day to all of you, As I am writing this, I sit at the window and stare into a blue sky.

Somewhere in the background, a television blurs the commemorations of Maidan into my ears – that's when I come to realise again that I will be visiting a special country, one that has not yet found its own way but is still searching to a certain extend.

That is one thing Ukraine, you, the participants, as well as I have in common – young as we are, we are still trying to find our way, look for a purpose, set a goal. By getting together in Ternopil for a weekend, discussing problems of high significance, we will be able to answer one or two of these or similar questions for ourselves maybe. While we cannot tell what is to come we should be proud and fierce to celebrate the Global Youth Service Day! With these thoughts in mind, I am looking forward to meeting all of you in April to set sail towards our future!

Tobias Satlow (Austria) President of EYP-UA Weekend in Ternopil

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Good time of the day, dear participants!

A wise man once said you should never leave any path untaken. In the light of this lyrical background, your decision to partake in the upcoming Weekend in Chernivtsi organised by the European Youth Parliament - Ukraine isn’t considered anything, except the right one. With this note, as a President of the session, I would like to further welcome you to the event and express my hopes that the experience you are to go through will leave a solid step in your youth memories.

Fully comprehending that many of you are, probably, still questioning the yet unfamiliar concept of organisation, I can assure you that it is indeed one of a kind and maintains a seemingly perfect harmony of cheerful disposition and time spend wisely. In the meantime, the words cannot serve even as a decent substitute to challenging yourself in a new role in a new place. Therefore, it will be my utmost pleasure to share this piece of new with you.

Luckily, there is only a small gap of time that separates us. Looking forward to meeting all of you, lads!

Dima Kharchenko (Ukraine) President of EYP-UA Weekend in Chernivtsi

Hello dear delegates, As this is probably your first EYP event, I welcome you not only to the session but also to this big organisation called the European Youth Parliament! In Odessa, you will be confronted with relevant issues facing Europe and Ukraine, at present. This entire experience will be a valuable lesson in what it means to arrive at a solution: the trust that must be built prior to an intense debate, the compromises that must be made and the unity that arises from the resolution.

Aside from all that, the world of EYP will open up to you, offering you very many possibilities to travel, experience and grow as a member of an international, European community. I've been a member of EYP since 2008 and I have grown a lot as a person in the process. May this be the first stepping stone for you in that process!

Sebastian Hosu (Austria) President of EYP-UA Weekend in Odessa

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Session description It is the second time for «European Youth Parliament – Ukraine» to organise Marathon of Weekends for high school students from different Ukrainian regions, yet the weekends are not about relaxing. 4 sessions, structured according to the European Parliament procedure, will involve more than 240 participants from all over Ukraine and Europe.

The umbrella topic of the Marathon in all host cities is "Hand in Hand to a Better Ukraine".

The main idea of the of the event is to make participants familiar with the structure of the European Parliament, provide an English-speaking learning environment and bring up the discussions around urgent European issues and put our heads together for possible solutions.

Experienced Ukrainian and foreign moderators will help the committees to discuss proposed topics, explain main functioning of the various European Union institutions and facilitate all the process from the beginning till the very end. Among the topics there are tolerance in the Ukrainian society, 'green' energy, corruption, youth unemployment and decentralisation.

Organisational information The working language at the event is English.

Comfortable/Casual dress code is required during the first day of the event (Teambuilding and Committee Work). Formal outfit is expected for the second day (General Assembly). During the event only Officials’ Teams will be accommodated. The accommodation for delegates is not provided.

Any special food (e.g. vegetarian, gluten-free, lactose-free), allergies, and disabilities shall be articulated with the Organisers’ Team in advance so that we can arrange a satisfactory alternative. EYP-Ukraine applies a zero tolerance policy for alcohol and drugs throughout the session. Both delegates and officials who are confronted will be disqualified from the event and sent home.

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Elements of the session Although every type of EYP session has its own unique atmosphere and characteristics, there are a few elements of a session that you will find wherever you go. These are Teambuilding, Committee Work, and the General Assembly.

Teambuilding is based on the idea that the fastest way to create a bond between people is to have them solve problems together. An experienced EYP’er, the Chairperson, will lead a group of delegates through a series of exercises and puzzles. Getting to know someone can take years, but Teambuilding often results in making friends for life. Dress code: Comfortable.

Committee Work is based on the idea that even the most difficult process becomes easy to handle if you break it down in small chunks. Under the guidance of their chairperson, the committee will try to build a solid understanding of the topic, brainstorm the problems, solutions and facts related to the topic, discuss which direction they want to take, and ultimately agree on which concrete measures they feel should be taken.

These agreements are compiled in the form of a resolution, such as employed by the European Parliament. Dress code: Comfortable.

General Assembly is based on the idea that structure is the key for a fruitful debate. In order to elaborate on and understand the different Europe related topics, the GA is structured like a plenary session of the European Parliament.

Under guidance of the President, all committees and chairpersons will sit together. Each resolution is first defended in a speech, then attacked and debated.

After a short summation, the delegates vote on whether the resolution should pass. The people involved in the session go home with a deeper understanding of the EU, an elevated feeling, improved communicative skills, and many new friends. Dress code: Formal.

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Division of roles at the session Even though you as Delegates are the most important people at the session, a proper EYP session could not happen without the Officials. The Officials Team is divided into different groups, which are going to work towards the success of the session. So who are these people and what are their tasks?

The Organising Team The team consists of the Head-Organiser who leads and guide the Organisers a.k.a. Orgas.

They are the people who provide you with coffee when you are tired and thirsty, with food when you are hungry, simply with everything that is essential for the session. So in case you ever need anything, do not hesitate to ask them. They are there to help you.

The Chairs Team The Chairs Team consists of Chairpersons a.k.a. Chairs. They are the people who will help you to get to know your fellow committee members. During Committee Work, they will motivate you, encourage you and support you in order for you to have constructive discussion and a wonderful resolution. The Chairs Team is led by the President. Together with the Vice-Presidents, they form the Board which chairs the official events of the session.

The Media Team The Editors are in charge of the Media Team. Together with their Journalists a.k.a. Journos, they produce the session newspaper. They not only write, but also take pictures at the events to preserve the unforgettable moments of the session. There is also a Video-Editor on the team who creates videos that document all the interesting and funny things that happen during the session.

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Preliminary session programme th

9:00–9:20

18 of April Saturday Participants registration

9:20–10:00

EYP-UA presentation

10:00–10:30

General Teambuilding

10:30–10:50

Coffee-break

10:50–12:50

Committee Teambuilding

12:50–13:30

Lunch

13:30–15:30

Committee Work

15:30–15:50

Coffee-break

15:50–18:00

Committee Work

18:00–19:00

GA preparation

19th of April Sunday 9:00–9:40

Opening Ceremony

9:40–10:20

GA preparation

10:20–10:40

Coffee-break

10:40–12:00

GA (I and II committees)

12:00–12:20

Coffee-break

12:20–14:00

GA (III and IV committees)

14:00–14:20

Coffee-break

14:20–15:00

Closing Ceremony of the GA

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Committee Topics

‘Hand in Hand to a Better Ukraine’ Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) With the growing importance of energy-saving technologies in households and industries on the one hand and commercial interests of suppliers of fossil fuels on the other; What steps should be taken by the government of Ukraine in order to ensure the implementation of energy efficiency plans and the usage of renewable energy resources?

Committee on Human Rights, Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) In light of the significant impact of endemic corruption on the economic and political systems of Ukraine, a continuously low ranking of the country in the Transparency International Index of Perception of Corruption and an extensive anti-corruption law package adopted by the Ukrainian Parliament in October 2014; What further steps should be taken by Ukrainian authorities in order to ensure effective anti-corruption measures across all spheres?

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) Taking into account the growing number of European students graduating without a sufficient level of knowledge in the fields of foreign languages and soft skills, with an increasingly negative influence on the youth unemployment rate; What specific actions should be carried through by European governments in order to increase the competence level of young graduates in addition to boosting their professional growth?

Committee on Development (DEVE) Bearing in mind that the Ukrainian government has declared a course of decentralisation in the country, while local communities are lacking experience in this field; How can the EU and European governments assist Ukraine in building stronger selfgovernance mechanisms for its municipalities and help with implementing communitybased approaches for urban and rural citizens?

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Contact information We know this is a lot of information to endure all in once. We hope that this short booklet has been of utility to you and may help you in the preparation for the session.

Nevertheless, for any questions or curiosities you may contact:

Michael Rozhkov Vice-President on Regional Development of EYP-Ukraine rd@eyp-ua.org

Ternopil

Odesa

Vira, Head-Organiser

Nikita, Head-Organiser

(096) 485 82 04

(093) 236 44 26

ternopil.eyp@gmail.com

odesa.eyp@gmail.com

Chernivtsi

Dnipropetrovsk

Ulyana, Head-Organiser

Kristina, Head-Organiser

)093) 537 64 24

(093) 403 56 07

chernivtsi.eyp@gmail.com

dnipro.eyp@gmail.com

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EYP-UA Marathon dedicated to Global Youth Service Day’15 is supported by

Initiated by

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