Youth Participation and Democracy

Julkaisua on rahoitettu Euroopan komission Youth in Action -tuella. Komissio ei vastaa julkaisun sisällöstä. Suomessa Youth in Action -ohjelman hallinnoinnista ja toimeenpanosta vastaa CIMO,

joka on kansainvälisen liikkuvuuden ja yhteistyön asiantuntija- ja palveluorganisaatio.

FIrSt EdItIOn

Youth ParticiPationand democracY

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eDIToRs In CHIefHenrik Manner, Paula Pihlava

auTHoRsSture Fjäder, Kimmo Heikkinen, Anneli Jäätteenmäki, Veli-Matti Lamppu, Janina Mackiewicz, Anna Ranki, Jussi-Pekka Rode, Eero Rämö, Kimmo Sasi, Óliver Soto Sainz

eDIToRs Antti Ahonen, Liisa Ketolainen, Taika Kopra, Kiia Kuparinen, Nina Pitkäranta, Mariam Rguibi, Nelli Ruotsalainen, Elisa Selinummi, Niilo Toivonen

DesIgn Henri Häkkinenwww.henrihakkinen.com

PrInted Printon

this publication is part of ”tähdistö” (”Stardom”) publication series Julkaisu on erikoisnumerona 2013 osa “tähdistö”-julkaisusarjaa

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Introductory Words

this handbook is aimed for young people interested in actively taking part in society. it contains first expert writings about youth rights and inclusive democracy, and also provides an action package, an organisational handbook of a set of tools and ideas, for youth participation in civil society.

The idea for the handbook came out of the need to address the nowadays often less-than-encouraging prospects of european youth that the economic and financial crisis has created. Youths across europe have large stakes in making decisions on how to proceed onwards from the crisis. even so, we are witnessing a decline in youth participation in elections, with 35% of youths saying it is unlikely that they will vote in the european elections in 2014 (Flash eurobarometer 375). There is clearly a need for an increase in youth participation in decision-making in order to solve common problems and to promote inclusive democracy.

The handbook has been prepared as one part of a project on youth rights, active citizenship and inclusive democracy. The project preparation began in spring of 2013 with the writing of the application and finding of suitable partners from countries in europe and will conclude in summer of 2014 with reporting. in the project, 12 partner organisations from six countries in europe and young participants from even more came together to work on the subject. The participants worked with the themes during a seminar on youth rights in helsinki, on 21-24 november 2013. Before and after the seminar, material for the handbook has been collected with a questionnaire sent to the partner organisations and by building on the issues discussed in the seminar. i hope that the organisational handbook of this book will be put into use as a tangible tool and found helpful, making it easier to take part in inclusive democracy.

i am very thankful to our partners and sponsors, to the european Commission for financial support received from the Youth in action programme, and to all the people involved in the organisation of the project. Most of all i would like to thank the young europeans who have contributed to the realisation of this handbook and the project on youth rights.

i wish you many rewarding moments in actively taking part in society!

Henrik Manner

Introductory Words

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Introduction into the Project on Youth Rights and to the Handbook

Young people are facing significant obstacles in their lives in the current post-crisis climate of the european Union: youth unemployment is alarmingly high in some countries and rising in others. The number of young people not in education, employment or training is growing. What

is more, the prospects of young people in struggling parts of europe seem to be diverging from the youth in countries that have managed to avoid the worst of the crisis. are young people becoming a lost generation?

This handbook has been prepared as one part of a project on youth rights, running from september 2013 to May 2014. The project “Youth rights: education, employment, and participation – northern and southern perspectives on inclusive democracy” explored tools of active participation in civil society and politics as a means for youth to tackle problems, to develop well-functioning democracy, and to simultaneously integrate themselves in society. Young people from different parts of europe looked into these tools by reflecting on issues such as education, employment, and participation and by fostering a dialogue between youth, politicians and decision-makers. as part of the project, the youth gathered information on current issues concerning the youth in europe and pinpointed specific issues and developed methods to address those issues in the european elections in 2014 and after them. The project was divided into two parts content-wise: a development of a handbook on civil society action, which is this handbook, and an international seminar with young europeans discussing the themes of the project and coming up with their own opinions, proposals, and initiatives. eurooppanuoret, JeF-Finland in english, organised together with partner organisations the international seminar in the

IntroductIon Into the Project on youth rIghts and to the handbook

Henrik Manner on beHalf of tHe organising teaM of tHe project

We welcome comments and feedback based on the handbook. Please send your thoughts to Eurooppanuoret at [email protected].

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IntroductIon Into the Project on youth rIghts and to the handbook

capital of Finland, helsinki on 21-24 november 2013. The seminar brought together approximately 20 young people, aged 18–33 and coming from across europe to discuss together and learn by means of non-formal education.

Before the seminar, the themes that were then tackled in the seminar were sent to the participants of the project. This way, the participants could prepare for the coming discussions and could work more efficiently in the three-day-long intensive seminar. after team-building activities and easing into the content of the seminar, we began with discussion about education in europe and in Finland and continued on to training and employment, with expert introduction into each topic and discussion of points that needed addressing.

The second half of the international seminar was dedicated to addressing active citizenship, the functioning of an inclusive democracy and the importance of active youth participation in civil society and politics. We finished with providing an opportunity to the youth to develop together means of acting on the points that were previously identified. during the seminar, the youth also had an opportunity to meet with other young people from different backgrounds from different countries in europe and share their experiences. The results of the discussions in the seminar are reflected in the organisational handbook section of this book.

after the seminar, the preparation of the handbook began based on the discussions of the international seminar and the material that was prepared during it. We requested writings from experts about youth rights and inclusive democracy. They introduce the issue of youth rights and the context in which discussion about them takes place. The texts include an introduction into the situation of the youth in europe and in Finland, and present analysis and opinions about the education and employment systems for the youth. in them, the importance of youth activism and active participation in society is brought forward. The writings together make up the first part of this handbook.

The organisers and partners of this project hope that the organisational handbook will be useful as a set of easy-to-use and efficient methods designed for young people for participating in public discussion, engaging in civil society, and addressing issues they feel should be dealt with. We also hope that the writings in the first part provide you with insightful knowledge on youth rights.

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ContentsIntroductory Words ................................................................................................................................ 5Henrik Manner

Introduction into the Project on Youth Rights and the Handbook.....................................6-7Henrik Manner

CHAPTER 1 ARTICLES ...........................................................................................................................9

The Country Taking a Chance on More Democracy ....................................................................10-11Jussi-Pekka Rode

Youth unemployment Calls for new Thinking ........................................................................... 12-13Sture Fjäder

educational Policies in the eu ............................................................................................................ 14-15Janina Mackiewicz

no shortcuts to Democracy ................................................................................................................ 16-17Anneli Jäätteenmäki

Democracy is better than any other system .............................................................................. 18-21Kimmo Sasi

Youth Policies in the eu......................................................................................................................... 22-24Anna Ranki

active Citizenship, More than an adjective ................................................................................. 25-27Óliver Soto Sainz

Young People as the engine for society of the entrepreneurship ..................................... 28-30Veli-Matti Lamppu

Youth Participation in finland – How to go forward? ............................................................ 31-33Eero Rämö

CHAPTER 2 ORGANISATIONAL HANDBOOK ..........................................................................35

organising an event ............................................................................................................................... 36-37Elisa Selinummi

Communication for Youth organisations ..................................................................................... 37-39Mariam Rguibi

get People on board! ............................................................................................................................. 40-41Henrik Manner

How to Work with volunteers ............................................................................................................. 42-43Mariam Rguibi

What Makes a good Campaign? ....................................................................................................... 44-45Elisa Selinummi

How to arrange a Meeting – the Challenges in International Cooperation .................. 46-47Kimmo Heikkinen

contents

chapter 1articles

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chapter 1articles

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the country takIng a chance on More deMocracy

The Country Taking a Chance on More Democracy

We celebrate the 100th anniversary of german ex-chancellor Willy Brandt’s birth. Brandt was the one to say: “We want to take a chance on more democracy”. This message was not meant only for the german people, but for the youth in europe and in the entire world.

in Finland we take a chance on more democracy for the youth. it is not perfect yet but it is getting there. an education act which allows more young people to

participate in everyday life in preschools and secondary schools was just passed. The act not only makes participation possible for the students, it makes it mandatory. one way of participating is the school student union. every student is a member of the union and thus has a right to influence decision-making.

This act is definitely a step in the right direction. By encouraging students to participate we can take a chance on more democracy. The problem is that we still have certain limits for democracy. students can decide for example whether to have a yellow or a grey couch in the lobby but they cannot make the decision of having a couch in the first place. The same goes for soda machines and so forth. true democracy in schools is still a long ways down the road.

jussi-pekka rode

Political Assistant of the Social Democratic Parliamentary Group of FinlandMember in at least five associations

“By encouraging students to participate, we can take a chance on more democracy”

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the country takIng a chance on More deMocracy

15 MIllIon MeMbeRsin Finland there are only about five million inhabitants. however, if you believe Wikipedia, we also have over 15 million members in about 130 000 different associations. so every Finn is a member in at least three associations. it could be said that having an influence in politics is highly institutionalised.

a friend of mine once said that the difference between the Finnish and the French people is that in France students take to the streets to protest the decisions made by the government. in Finland students protest only in order to support the efforts made in the cabinets. in other words, students ring the doorbell of the Ministry of education rather than chain themselves to its gate. This makes a crucial difference in the way you are heard by the government and explains the large number of associations.

The huge number of associations also creates a certain need for young people to participate and to become members. in my experience young people are often pushed forward in associations as the older members worry that the young newcomers are going to quit or that there is not going to be any more of them. some associations are dying out soon because young people seek different forms of participation. a group of elderly people sitting in a dusty conference room drinking coffee and eating cookies does not make for a future worth pursuing for many young people.

i have been pushed forward against my will many times. But if you handle the fact that you are the only one under 40 years old for a while, you will get the possibility of participating and also get to influence the outcome of issues. Just make sure to remember you only have one head and a pair of hands.

loCal YouTH PaRlIaMenTsit is also important for the youth to participate not only at the state level but also at the local level. one way is the integration of the so-called youth parliaments with the local city councils. Through this integration the opinion of young people is being heard and also taken into account. The integration is in some cases only formal but in others the co-operation between the youth parliament and the city council is real and fruitful for the whole community.

only one thing worries me: the lack of vocational students participating in youth parliaments and other youth organisation activities. it seems that vocational students are also less healthy than their brothers and sisters in high schools. in the long run we will have young people divided into two camps: the ones actively participating and in good health and the others outside of society and in poor health. More democracy will not happen without the inclusion of everyone. This is the challenge for Finland but also for the rest of europe.

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Youth unemployment Calls for new Thinking

Youth unemployment has reached 23.5 percent in europe. in Finland the unemployment of young people with a college or other higher education degree has increased by about a third in a year. The unemployment of those with a Master’s degree has almost doubled. The Finnish version

of the youth guarantee which ensures that young people are offered either a place in education, workshop or employment has been put into use to help solve the problem.

The youth guarantee is an excellent initiative but requires further work. The problem is that it caters primarily to manual workers and those with a higher education are left without support though unemployment has

risen most in their case. at the same time it is agreed that the future of europe lies on the shoulders of highly educated workforce and experts. is there not an incongruity here?

in Finland the youth guarantee covers those that are under 30 years old and have recently graduated, and 60% of them have an academic degree. however, the national youth guarantee lacks utilities for the highly educated. it goes without saying that the career guidance services provided for a 16-year-old high school graduate and a 29-year-old college graduate cannot be the same.

youth uneMPloyMent calls for neW thInkIng

sture fjäder

President Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland (Akava)

“Professional skills and career planning should be made an integral part of the curriculum in higher education institutes”

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an individual has the most responsibility with regards to his or her own employment. a lot depends on one’s own attitude and professional skills. however, young people do need support: the skills necessary in working life should be learnt before entering the workforce. professional skills and career planning should be made an integral part of the curriculum in higher education institutes.

The economic and unemployment crises demand people to be brave and open-minded. labour market policies must be thought anew and the role of private employment services re-evaluated in regards to the employment of the highly educated youth. developing public and private employment services in such a way that they support each other better should be taken under wide consideration in all of europe.

especially in the nordic countries the trade unions of those with a higher education provide their members with a wide range of career services. trade unions have excellent know-how in their own sector and a clear outlook on the employment situation within their industry.

“The root of all wisdom is the acknowledgment of facts”, said president Juho Kusti paasikivi who led Finland from the end of the 1940’s to the beginning of the 1950’s. This sagacity has not grown old. problems must be faced so that they can be solved.

as the trustee of those with a higher education and a responsible trade union, akava wants to be a part in building a society based on justice, equality and openness. This requires determined action towards improving both employment and the economy.

labour market organisations have an important role in developing sustainable economic growth, a higher employment rate and healthy working life both nationally and in the eU in general. Making europe grow in a sustainable way and cultivating fair working conditions is a project that should be shared in all of europe.

youth uneMPloyMent calls for neW thInkIng

“Developing public and private employment services in such a way that they support each other better should be taken under wide consideration in all of Europe”

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educational Policies in the eu

the eU’s role in educational policies is often under heated debate as member states are unwilling to render more power to the eU in this area. The european Commission has set significant milestones to be reached in educational policy by 2020. For example, 30–34-year-olds holding

a higher education degree should increase to 40% by then - in Finland the level is at 38%, but the national goal is set at 42%. educational policies fall under the member states’ national competency. however, the eU has become a more active player in the area by emphasising on and financing mobility programmes. also, the Bologna process, where the aim is to set up an european higher education area with comparable degrees and removing obstacles for mobility, is a field where the eU has taken an increasingly central role.

internationalisation and mobility are of significant importance to the europeans that have grown up in the era of free movement. Finland became a member of the eU in 1995 and the students in higher education at the moment have more or less been

eU citizens their whole lives. nowadays international experience is sought after and it increases cultural understanding. hopefully it also increases the willingness to learn new languages. a majority of the students in higher education in europe go for exchange periods or degree studies to other european countries. a large reason for flexible exchanges within europe is thanks to the erasmus programme, which was originally launched in 1987. recently the eU agreed on a new budget scheme for the next seven years, which also somewhat changed the composition of erasmus. it has now become a more diverse package called erasmus+.

educatIonal PolIcIes In the eu

janina Mackiewicz

International Officer for the National Union of Finnish University Students (SYL)

“Currently about 25% of Finnish university students go for exchange periods and about half of the international mobility programmes are financed through EU funding”

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luckily student mobility is seen as a crucial part to invest in and therefore, the budget will increase by 40% to 14.7 billion euros for erasmus+. a growing worry about rising youth unemployment and the implementation of the youth guarantee has brought together education, training, sports and youth under the same umbrella. The aims include increasing internationalisation and employability, which will hopefully create a shorter bridge to the labour market.

The new programme is expected to reach 4 million europeans: students, youth and teachers willing to participate in training, studies, internships or voluntary work abroad. it is estimated that two million students in higher education will benefit from the programme. another positive development is that erasmus+ gives a possibility for turkey, Macedonia and the eFta countries to participate in the mobility programmes. also some of the partnership countries outside eU can contribute. Currently about 25% of Finnish university students go for exchange periods and about half of the international mobility programmes are financed through eU funding.

a new aspect to the mobility programme is a loan guarantee scheme for master’s degree studies. it enables students to apply for cheaper loans in another eU country for their

studies there. european student movements have expressed their concerns towards the loan scheme, because it may in some cases prevail over pure mobility funding. Furthermore, when deciding upon Bologna process provisions it was agreed that national financial aid mechanisms should be mobile, thus portable national grants are highly encouraged. all member states do not allow their students to use their grants and loans for studies abroad and it may therefore set socio-economic limits. Finnish students are lucky in that sense, as they are entitled to universal financial aid. The grants for studies and housing are portable and the optional loan guarantee is double the amount for studies abroad.

The willingness to significantly increase the budget for student mobility shows commitment from the eU. it may not interfere with educational policy per se, but investing in young people’s international experience brings europeans closer to each other. hopefully we will see more positive developments in european higher education by the new programme. an essential part to every project is a proper follow-up.

educatIonal PolIcIes In the eu

“Investing in young people’s international experience brings Europeans closer to each other”

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no shortcuts to Democracy

in april i signed a pledge for a pro-youth eU. The pledge has been advocated by european youth organisations. Their work is valuable. during this mandate i have been regularly in contact with the european Youth Forum, not least because of its former policy and advocacy coordinator anna ranki, who is not

only an excellent lobbyist, but also a member of JeF-Finland which is one example of an organisation of european youth movement.

i often look back on my own time as a young politician. as a student i participated actively in student politics and later i joined a political party, the Finnish Centre party. i was elected to

the Finnish parliament for the first time when i was only 32 years old. i was young and full of energy and ideas! since my early days in politics it has been clear to me that democracy is a continuous process. democracy has to be guarded constantly, and it cannot be forgotten or disregarded for a moment. Civic participatory culture needs a constant nurturing. That is why organisations like JeF-Finland are important. They provide young people a platform that encourages participation and public debate.

it is a great thing to be a citizen. in the Foreign affairs committee i have been working closely with matters that touch upon our eastern neighbours, especially azerbaijan and Ukraine. as a member of the delegation of parliamentarians to turkey i have also been actively involved in questions regarding turkey. it is an unfortunate fact that in our borders democracy is an exception, rather than a rule. even turkey has recently chosen a dangerous path. i have been following particularly closely the eU-azerbaijan association agreement negotiations. i have had the privilege to travel

no shortcuts to deMocracy

anneli jäätteenMäki

MEP, Vice President of ALDE, Former Prime Minister of Finland

“Democracy has to be guarded constantly, and it cannot be forgotten or disregarded for a moment”

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to azerbaijan on many occasions where i have met many young azerbaijanis. The young people of this energy rich country are very smart, well-educated and speak excellent english. however, the young people, who dare to raise their voice against the current regime, will not get nice jobs in the administration or in companies.

however, it goes without saying that we have problems in the eU, too. There are no shortcuts to democracy. if the eU wants to gain the respect of its citizens, it needs to fully respect the

principles of good governance. one would be surprised to hear how much resistance i have encountered while trying to increase transparency and good governance in the eU institutions.

organisations that are part of european youth movement are in a unique position in which they can promote and encourage public debate on the eU amongst the european youth. all opinions are important. We do not need the “one size fits all” type of eU. We need the kind of eU that supports diversity and encourages discussion and critique. i hope that organisations of european youth movement continue to be a forward looking, candid and critical voice in the discussion about the eU. The core european values – democracy, human rights and rule of law – need strong advocates.

no shortcuts to deMocracy

“We need the kind of EU that supports diversity and encourages discussion and critique”

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Democracy is better than any other system

Western democracy is winning ground all over the world. Most of communist dictatorships have fallen. Many military dictatorships have fallen. in europe one can see how people want to join the eU to guarantee human rights, democracy and rule of law. in many asian,

african and american states democratic rule is gaining ground though we often see also setbacks.

Why do people in elections in the Balkans and Ukraine show that they want to choose the european way? one reason is that they want to participate in the decision-making in their country.

They do not want to leave their country to the mercy of a corrupted elite. They also believe that democracy guarantees a higher standard of living.

DeMoCRaCY Is Well-beIngWe can see that market economy and democracy are closely linked to each other. democracy involves everyone in the society and reduces the gap between the elite and the ordinary man. in an effective market economy the state educates all to their full potential. good education is also a prerequisite for active participation in a democratic process. in democracy people are encouraged to defend their rights. it also gives a good ground for creative way of thinking which is the source for entrepreneurship. dictatorship is based on regulation and use of disciplinary force. democracy and market economy are based on small entity activism.

deMocracy Is better than any other systeM

kiMMo sasi

Member of Parliament (National Coalition Party), Former Minister of Foreign Trade of Finland

“Democracy gives a good ground for creative way of thinking which is the source for entrepreneurship”

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The big benefit of democracy is that it ensures a smooth development of society. in contrast the only way to throw out a dictatorship is a revolution. But in abrupt changes a lot is destroyed. When you add improvements on the solid ground of your economy, you achieve the highest possible growth.

aCTIve PaRTICIPaTIondemocracy does not function properly if there is no free media and exchange of views and active participation of the citizens. The sources of progress are new ideas that challenge the old. Therefore the cornerstone of democracy is creative people who are dissatisfied with the present situation and have the courage to challenge. activism is not usually financially rewarded but the prize can be to gain power through democratic elections.

in a market economy people make their choice every day when they buy a commodity. Creative people develop new products. a market economy

democracy works every day and rewards the best entrepreneurs. But even market choices can direct democracy. Consumers do not buy products produced with child labour. investors do not invest in a country that behaves aggressively on the world stage.

unIveRsITIes a valuable souRCeWorld history shows that radical movements and pressure for change often originate from the universities. The reason is very simple. old habits are not too deeply rooted in young people. They see that matters could be done in another way. Young students study things and they learn an overall and structural way of looking at things. students have also time to be active because they have to find social life outside their home.

in a democratic society it is very important that we take care of the resources and high quality of teaching at the universities. it is important that we guarantee the autonomy of the universities. at the universities we should have different teams that challenge each other. The task of the university system is not only to educate but also on the basis of science to find new practical solutions for the society.

benefITs of beIng aCTIveto be an active young student and become involved in political movements is not a waste of time. of my own experience i can tell that active participation is very beneficial independently of the career one chooses.

You need knowledge of the functions of the society and leadership and negotiating skills in all professions. if you do not understand how the society is developing and how it is reacting you cannot have a high position because in top positions interaction with the society is essential. if you can lead young angry students and negotiate a compromise

“Young students see that matters could be done in another way”

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with a competing group you have learnt the basics of leadership in a more difficult environment. When you are busy with your activities, you can organise your day more effectively. if you are an active young student you are most likely very active in your profession as well. That means that during your activities you can establish a contact network that is valuable for you for the rest of your life. it is natural that leading positions in politics are held by people who have been active in youth politics. one can mention such Finnish politicians as Jyrki Katainen and erkki tuomioja or Ben Zyskowicz and esko aho. in public administration you can find erkki liikanen and hannele pokka. But also in business youth activities give perspective. Finnish business leaders Björn Wahlroos and Jorma ollila were very active in student politics.

oPen soCIeTYFinland is a small society. it has great benefits. There are fewer layers in political decision-making and the distance to the decision-making is shorter. You can approach the decision-makers and civil servants preparing legislation without any middlemen like lobbying agencies. Veritable organisations have access to the ministers. it is natural that the decision-making must be transparent.

When you want to exercise influence there are three stages when you should be active. Civil servants are happy if you can supply them with relevant information. They want to avoid all

faults. When the matter is in the cabinet of ministers you should be in contact with the minister presenting the matter. his interest is to avoid all unnecessary criticism. The last stage is to deal with the relevant committee of the parliament. Members want to show that they have made improvements that are beneficial for the citizens. sTaTe of DeMoCRaCY In fInlanDThe state of democracy in Finland is good. electoral system with voting for a candidate and not only for a party guarantees that the parliament has power and is reasonably independent. our parliament amends very often bills of the government. transparency and access to documents is at high level. There is little corruption and undue influence.

But there are challenges. participation in elections is going down. it partly shows that we do not have great disputes in the society but also that the profiles of the parties are unclear. it also seems to become more difficult to recruit people in active working life to politics. The media is not taking care of its responsibility to encourage a deep, thoughtful ideological debate. We very often debate a phenomenon surrounding politics and polarise things with only yes and no replies.

“We very often debate a phenomenon surrounding politics, and polarise things with only yes and no replies”

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The big thing is the consumer safety in politics. parties promise in the election campaigns all good things. necessary austerity measures they forget. after the elections the government programme is a compromise and parties explain that they could not reach all their goals. i admire the political landscape in the UK and sweden. two blocks write their programme which the parties indeed implement. Victory and responsibility meet one another.

sTaTe of DeMoCRaCY In THe euestablishing democracy in the eU is very challenging. a union of 28 independent states is not easy to govern. The decision-making system of today is too complicated. The Commission is not really bearing political responsibility, and neither is the european parliament because people in the european elections mainly vote on the basis of national events. power is shared between the Council, the Commission and the parliament in a not very transparent way. The Council has the strongest legitimacy especially if national decision-making is anchored in a national parliament like in Finland.

if Mr. obama asks to whom to call, it is not easy to answer. The president, the head of Commission and the so-called Foreign Minister all have telephones.

Very often Mr. obama calls Mrs. Merkel, Mr. Cameron or Mr. hollande. The Us federal system is much clearer. There is a clear division of powers between the federation and the states. There is a common party structure and a parliament that concentrates in major things, not in details.

sMall CounTRIes Have InfluenCeif Finland would lie outside the eU, others would set the rules for europe and international exchange. as a member of the union we have influence on the events in the world.

small countries are favoured through voting rules. My experience sitting as a minister at the Council meeting table is very good. every country has one voice. You are heard on the basis of your arguments. small countries like nordic and Baltic countries can play very well together in meetings and support each other. i never felt that there is ugly power play going on. But to know other languages like german and French can be very valuable in order to make good friends.

The Commission is good support for small countries. When you have expertise from 28 countries and you can try to find best practises from different countries, there is a very good basis to make good decisions. in eU cooperation we have challenges by others. i believe that it is good for democratic development.

“If Mr. Obama asks to whom to call, it is not easy to answer”

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Youth Policies in the eu“encouraging the development of youth exchanges and of exchanges of socioeducational instructors, and encouraging the participation of young people in democratic life in Europe”

treaty on the Functioning of the european Union (tFeU), article 165

Youth policy has existed in the european Union long before the lisbon treaty. however, the fact that youth exchanges, youth work, and youth participation are mentioned in the treaty, gives the Union certain competences to support and develop it.

The publication of the white paper, a new impetus for european Youth, by the european Commission in 2001 can be seen as commencing the rapid development of youth policy on the

Union level. however, the eU has supported youth policy and youth work with its programmes long before the publication of the white paper, namely by supporting the erasmus and Youth programme. in the white paper, active citizenship was set as one of the top priorities for the eU to support. it also set the basic framework for the member states’ cooperation on the policy area: the open method of coordination (oMC). What the oMC entailed, was the sharing of best practises and the setting of certain common goals. Yet it is vital to keep in mind, that the adherence to the oMC between the member states is voluntary. Thirteen years after the setting of the oMC as a shared basic framework, the reality still is that. The european Commission, or the member states, have no legal tools to ‘sanction’ those who are not implementing common aims and objectives regarding this policy area.

youth PolIcIes In the eu

anna ranki

Former Policy and Advocacy Coordinator of the European Youth Forum and Vice President of JEF-Finland (2008-2009). Currently she works as a public affairs consultant.

“The European Youth Pact can be seen as a unique step towards a stronger youth agenda in the EU”

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nonetheless, the publication of the white paper and the subsequent setting of the oMC as a general framework for member states was a historical step when looking back at the history of eU’s youth policy development. For many member states the oMC process, support, and benchmarking have been crucial for the development of their own youth policy, youth strategies and youth laws. The oMC has significantly developed youth participation, as one of the key factors is that young people and their organisations are consulted in the development of the policies that concern them, on all levels from the local to the european, and even to the global level. also, the role of the european Youth Forum, a representative and democratic platform of youth organisations and young people in europe, has been important in the development of youth participation and the oMC.

When summarising the history of eU’s youth policy one cannot forget the european Youth pact. The european Youth pact was adopted in 2005 by the european Council, on

the highest decision making level, and as part of the lisbon strategy goals. Before the europe 2020 strategy was the lisbon strategy, which was aimed to make the eU “the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion”. The goal of the lisbon strategy was to be met by 2010. The youth issue was put forth as one of the top goals of the agenda of the eU, however, looking back an argument can be made that it was neither implemented nor monitored properly, which lead to poor results. nevertheless, it can be seen as a unique step towards a stronger youth agenda in the eU, especially when it comes to youth employment and the social inclusion of young people.

however, even rome wasn’t build in a day and through numerous efforts of the european Youth Forum, and other youth field actors, we finally also got the article to the lisbon treaty, which, as mentioned above, is an extremely meaningful step. First of all, the Union got the right to support the youth participation etc. but it also gives a young person the right to participate in the democratic life of the Union. article 165 is an important step in the development of the eU’s youth policy.

now we are living in the era of the eU Youth strategy (2010–18), which has two overall objectives: to provide more and equal opportunities for young people in education and in the labour market; to encourage young people to be active citizens and participate in society. as we speak, these two main principles guide the youth policy of the eU. With this strategy, the oMC was also reviewed and revised. More value and thought were given to the participation of youth. The eU created a so-called ‘structured dialog’ for youth, which sets the basic structure for young people and their organisations to be a part of the development, implementation, and

“The roles of the European Youth Forum and youth organisations are crucial for success”

24

monitoring of the youth policy of the eU. The structured dialogue is not perfect, as it is not yet on the level where young people and their organisations can be as important actors as the officials, but it is a dialog with a meaningful process. Most importantly, the roles of the european Youth Forum and youth organisations are crucial for success.

last but not least, let us have a look at what is going on now. during the economic crisis, in the past few years, as an eU agenda, youth issues have

been raised rather high. The importance of youth issues has resulted because of the immense youth unemployment rates, demographic change and developments that as a whole have not been desired. however, what this entails is that on the highest level of decision making in the eU, youth as an important topic, has been discussed, political decisions have been made, and some promises given. it is also a fact that those who speak on behalf of youth, youth organisations and youth worker, have used their momentum and voices in order to improve the lives of their peers. Without the active participation of young people involved in youth organisations and youth work, the needs of young people as a whole would not be as high as they are on the agenda of the leaders of the eU countries.

it all comes together: without active youth participation we do not have strong youth policy. Young people must with the organisations that represent them, participate, advocate, and express the needs they have. The eU is in many ways ready to listen, it has tools and funding programmes (erasmus+) to support all this. however, without a strong youth voice, there is no steadfast support for the specific needs of young people. it is in the interest of all the eU institutions, as well as young people themselves, to be active. Most pertinently, this spring is an absolutely crucial moment to use one of the ways to make a difference. Vote. Check out, comment, and discuss what the eU should do for its youth, and who the candidates are that support the youth cause. it is crucial to be active, since active the participation of young people is a key factor for the present and the future of the european Union.


“Without active youth participation we do not have strong youth policy”

25

active Citizenship, More than an adjective

in the Western world modern democracies, citizenship has become a given. it is something that we have (and enjoy) or something that we grant to foreigners to make them a part of our community. in that sense in the public debate citizenship has become the key that opens the door to rights, but

it is rarely mentioned as the assumption of duties. indeed, when done so, we are reminded that as citizens we have the duty to vote. Citizenship is usually something that we somehow own, but we seldom make it a part of what we are. it is more that we have the european citizenship than that we call ourselves european citizens. This might seem to be a mere anecdotic language issue, but in it is hidden a deep philosophical debate about our relationship with the public sphere.

in 1819 Benjamin Constant gave a speech de la liberté des anciens comparée à celle des moderns. There he marked a clear difference between the ancient times and the Modern

times. The latter is marked by the protection of the private sphere for the action of the individual, the enjoyment of rights that allow us to develop our personal life in an autonomous manner. They are protection against external intervention. liberty of the ancients was, however, marked by the active participation of citizens in a daily political life. it is to no surprise, as Constant cleverly pointed out almost two hundred years ago, that we nowadays conceive citizenship as something that we have, a set of rights that protects us from the invasion of public powers. and i would not argue that it should not be so.

actIve cItIzenshIP, More than an adjectIve

Óliver soto sainz

Vice-President of JEF Spain

“It is more that we have the European citizenship than that we call ourselves European citizens”

26


But this conception has had a dark side that has spread over and over up to the point of conceiving citizens as mere subjects of rights. This has degenerated into the development of a passive citizenship, which, in the long run, has been instrumental in creating the troubles we are witnessing. When Constant formulated his conception of Modern liberty, he lived in a society where most of the population was illiterate and few had access to education. These very few were in general quite close to the cultural and political life of the country, composing a restricted elite, and thus politicians usually took those intellectuals into some consideration. indeed, in some cases these intellectuals joined politics. This is not the case anymore. Fortunately our social systems have evolved so that a large amount of the population has access to higher education, in some countries amounting up to 50% of the young population. Because of mere numbers, not even a small proportion of them has direct access to the decision-making process.

This passive conception of citizenship has led to an even worse perspective: reactive citizenship. We live now in democratic systems that are characterized by their

reactive nature. politicians throw proposals onto the public arena, or in the worst case, even policies, and they attend to the reaction of the public, who is called to show its (dis)content. depending on the amount of discontent, the proposal or policy goes further or not. if there is much contest, then the policy is taken back or reformulated to mitigate the reaction. in this new arena, policy makers are anticipators of reactions, and polls, especially the ones that will never be published, are key in anticipating reactions. Citizens are seen as the ones who point out who are the wrongdoers, but they are never conceived as the policy creators.

it is in this context that the concept of active citizenship arises. More than anticipating reactions it aims at making citizens an active part of the policy creation system. despite what some anti-democrats

may think and although people can make wrong decisions, citizens are wise enough to discern between options and know what is in their best interest. if people regard public expenditure as their own expenditure and if they have the opportunity to see the constraints in policy options, the people will see what is in the best interest of the whole. For sure there will be majorities and minorities, but that is what democracy is about. The key concept here is the empowerment of the people, so that they feel that they are a part of decision-

“We live now in democratic systems that are characterized by their reactive nature”

“The key concept here is the empowerment of the people, so that they feel that they are a part of decision-making”

27

making. Th us being active is realised in its fullest extent. Th is is what non-governmental organisations try to promote.

in the seminar organised in helsinki, Finland on 21–24 november 2013 as part of this project on youth rights, we travelled along the road of empowering young people, making them realise that decision-making is not easy, but the diffi culty should never get in our way of trying to be part of the process. taking an active role in the public decision-making process implies an eff ort, but that eff ort is aimed to correct the ineffi ciencies of our current political systems, where politicians are called to decide upon policies where the key participation of active citizens can lead to better policies. i hope that in the future we could pursue this road of empowering people, that we realise that active citizenship is much more than a catchy term, and that the active part of the term does not lead to a political dead-end, but to a promising new future.

Figure. Confi guration of citizenship


Citizenship

Passive

Participation inngos

Participation in political

partiesvote

active

28

Young People as an engine for a society of entrepreneurship

Young people’s attitudes towards entrepreneurship have changed a lot in Finland in the past few years. according to studies most young people consider entrepreneurship an equal option with paid labour for a career. Furthermore, it is considered a possibility to express one’s own ideas. team

entrepreneurship is considered a pleasant form of entrepreneurship and a possibility for social networks is important. in choosing a career, making money is rarely considered an important value. Working in small or medium sized enterprises has become more and more popular. a secure long-time job with the state is no longer necessarily the dream for young people. The change in attitudes can be seen in the increasing amount of enterprises. it is the young people who are taking us towards a society of entrepreneurship.

Young people from different educational levels consider increased incorporation of working life into their studies important. students are also interested in the possibility of trying out entrepreneurship as a part

of their studies and this option is made more and more available. today the society understands that most new positions come into small enterprises. We need an expansive, international and quickly renewing small enterprise sector to survive the changes of society and working life that we call structural change. There is also resistance against change rising from the digital natives born in industry driven Finland who will not become a part of the working life. in fact the whole europe is in the same situation. in all recent strategies within the european Union, education on entrepreneurship has

young PeoPle as an engIne for a socIety of entrePreneurshIP

veli-Matti laMppu

DirectorThe Federation of Finnish Enterprises

“We need an expansive, international and quickly renewing small enterprise sector to survive the changes of society and working life”

29


been in the hub. education and training 2020 strategy of the eU states that there has to be more content that develops entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation in all educational levels.

in Finland we are a few steps ahead of other european countries in entrepreneurship education. The Ministry of education and Culture together with the labour market organisations drew a course of conduct on the guidelines for entrepreneurship education in 2009. The goal was to provide a possibility for all students to take part in entrepreneurship education by 2015 and to ensure that there will be a comprehensive and supportive network for entrepreneurship education in Finland.

The objectives of the Ministry of education and Culture have proceeded satisfyingly. an increase in studies on entrepreneurship can be seen in all the curricula and reforms into the educational contents. at the moment

the curricula in comprehensive and upper secondary schools are being renewed. in general education the aim is to give out basic knowledge on entrepreneurship and to strengthen the entrepreneurial ways. The content and legislation of vocational studies are also changing. it is in the law that increasing entrepreneurship is the aim of vocational schools. This means that these institutions must give competences for working as an entrepreneur.

The universities of applied sciences together with the Federation of Finnish enterprises drew a plan for entrepreneurship in 2011. The aim is to increase content on entrepreneurship in education, regional cooperation with small and medium sized enterprises and to support the developmental and innovative work within enterprises. Universities have clearly increased their activity on entrepreneurship, too.

The educational system would not have been able to strengthen the status of entrepreneurship this quickly without the strong efforts made by the third sector. The activity of students themselves especially in universities has helped the development, too. The Federation of Finnish enterprises has had an essential effect on making entrepreneurship part of education. in addition we have cooperated with organisations supporting entrepreneurship in order to develop pedagogy on entrepreneurship education. Junior achievement Young enterprise Finland -action is a good example on the kind of work that supports entrepreneurial pedagogy. different kinds of Ja-Ye models execute aims of the curricula. The most popular Ja-Ye model is called a Year as an entrepreneur (Ja Company program) in which students can try out the functionality of their entrepreneurship ideas in essentially real working life conditions. around 6000 students from comprehensive schools to universities take part in the model every year.

“The educational system would not have been able to strengthen the status of entrepreneurship this quickly without the strong efforts made by the third sector”

30

in vocational training team entrepreneurship based student society action is increasing. The enterprise society Village -concept directed for the sixth grade pupils in comprehensive schools has been very popular. pupils take care of the enterprises and services of an imaginary village for the duration of a day.

one of the main challenges in getting entrepreneurship as part of the education in schools is the lack of teachers’ skills in entrepreneurship and working life. however, the teachers’ attitudes towards entrepreneurship have changed for the better. The University of turku has, for several years, been coordinating an entrepreneurship education project that has affected the education of teachers. The aim is to make entrepreneurship a part of basic knowledge for all teachers. The process is ongoing.

Business related federations founded an association called Yes in 2010 to support the code of conduct by the Ministry of education and Culture. The Yes network reaches almost the whole

of Finland. its goal is to support teachers in entrepreneurship education by providing models that support entrepreneurship pedagogy and training for the use of these models. it also increases cooperation between entrepreneurs and teachers.

another thing slowing down the introduction of entrepreneurship education has been the lack of pedagogic studies on entrepreneurship. in the past few years there has been a rapid change in this respect. now there are quality research and several dissertations on entrepreneurship pedagogy. researchers have even founded the scientific association for entrepreneurship education which includes dozens of researchers from different fields. This shows how much more research in entrepreneurship education there is.

one of the best practical applications of entrepreneurship education is the Measurement tool for entrepreneurship education. With its help a teacher can evaluate and improve his or her knowledge on entrepreneurship. This application has attracted positive international attention.

a true success in entrepreneurship education has been the increase in students’ spontaneous action. aalto University’s entrepreneurship society is a good example of students’ self-guided action. This kind of action is at the base of entrepreneurship. even if the system provides the conditions for entrepreneurship, ultimately it is all about the individual’s will and ability. luckily young people have them both.


“A true success in entrepreneurship education has been the increase in students’ spontaneous action”

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Youth Participation in finland - How to go forward?

Finland has often been considered to be one of the best european examples regarding youth participation, especially when it comes to formal representation structures. But do young people themselves feel this way? and are we too concentrated on the formal representation when it comes

to including young people in decision making? and finally, should we eventually increase youth rights by lowering the age limit on voting to 16?

according to the latest Youth Barometer (2013), only one third of young women and a little over one fourth of young men have tried to exert influence in society, during the last year. The number seems rather

low, especially when the stated question is meant to include any forms of influencing. according to the same research, the key reason of inactivity is the lack of suitable methods and ways to exert influence. it is not surprising that the ways of engagement, planned for the larger generations, do not fit the way young people see the world. in addition, young people experience that they simply do not have the time needed to exert influence.

The Youth Barometer also indicates that the most common ways of exerting influence are giving feedback about a particular service, signing initiatives, and influencing through consumer decisions. it seems that exerting influence is strongly based on the individual. The collective forms of participating, for example youth councils or

eero räMö

President of the Finnish Youth Cooperation – Allianssi, honorary member and the former Secretary General of Organization of Finnish Youth Councils and the Vice President of Finnish Red Cross

youth PartIcIPatIon In fInland - hoW to go forWard?

“It is not surprising that the ways of engagement, planned for the larger generations, do not fit the way young people see the world”

32

other groups, are significantly less popular, despite the fact that these are seen rather effective. it seems that political participation and other forms of exertions of influence are private issues and done separately from the existing social patterns.

somewhat surprisingly, three out of four young people consider voting to be a duty of a citizen. Voting is also considered to be the most effective way to exert influence. it seems that the means of exerting influence that are considered effective are not the same as those in which the young people participate.

representation in the formal structures is to be strengthened in the new legislation on local government. Municipalities will be obligated to establish local youth councils or other similar structures. This is a step to the

right direction, but leaves a lot of room for different interpretations. in order for youth councils to actually increase youth participation, they must be closely linked to the municipal decision-making. Concrete example of this is to allow youth council representatives to attend all municipal committees from health to environment, and have a representative in the budget meetings and other relevant forums. in addition, the officials must have a sufficient understanding of youth participation, and the youth council members themselves a sufficient understanding of the decision-making in the municipality.

it is extremely important that the formal structures are developed and young people are integrated in them, but there must be room for new initiatives. as the municipality reform is proceeding, the size of the municipalities will inevitably grow. The closest level of decision-making in the Finnish model is the municipality council. The european Union’s principle of subsidiarity contributes to decisions being made as closely as possible to the citizen. This should be the case also in the municipal decision-making. By creating local platforms, based for example in the municipality’s districts, the number of possibilities to exert influence would also increase among young people. as participating in the formal structures is considered prestigious for most of the young people, these platforms should be interlinked with the local government.

as mentioned earlier, young people find voting in elections to be the most effective way to exert influence, and the vast majority consider voting to be a duty of a citizen. however, this does not mean that young people would therefore use this possibility extremely actively. in the research done on the municipal elections in 2012, only 33% of the 18 to 30 year-olds voted, while the average activity among all eligible voters was 58.3%. This number is alarmingly low. in the mentioned age group, the most active voters are the ones who have just turned 18, whereas the lowest numbers are among the young people at the age of 20 to 21.


“In order for youth councils to actually increase youth participation, they must be closely linked to the municipal decision-making”

33

to me this seems logical. at the age of 18 it is very common to still live in one’s childhood home. as the older generations vote more actively, it is easy to be reminded of this duty of a citizen by the parents. at the age of 20 or 21, many young people have either just moved to a new town to study or are completing their conscription. in both cases, it requires a lot of time and energy to grasp the communal political discussion and find the best fitting candidate to advance one’s opinions. This is especially hard if the individual does not have any experience in communal elections from the municipality where the young person grew up.

so, should the age limit be lowered to 16? Youth Barometer says yes. More than half of the young people from 15 to 17 years of age support the lowering of the age limit. What makes this exciting is that the 2013 Barometer is the first where the majority of the ones

who would benefit from the change are in favour of it. it is tempting to assume that this change of hearts implicates a growing trust in representative democracy.

Finland is also falling behind other european countries. Voting at 16 has been implemented for example in germany and austria. even the Finnish evangelical lutheran Church lowered the age limit in the congregational elections in 2010. The european Council has also suggested that the member states would canvass voting at 16. This has also been done in Finland with rather weak results.

it is somewhat inconsistent that young people must pay taxes and are criminally responsible for their actions but lack the possibility to affect the politicians who will be using public money or enacting legal norms. it is only fair that young people could exert influence in these issues through voting. hopefully this would also take new, more youth-related topics to the political discussion and eventually increase the number of the young people actively engaged in decision making and exerting influence.

Finally, the right to vote is a fundamental political right. denying this right from the young people at the age of 16 or 17 can only be accepted with extremely cogent reason. Voting at 16 is a question where the burden of proof should be on the ones opposing it, not the other way around.


“The right to vote is a fundamental political right. Denying this right from the young people at the age of 16 or 17 can only be accepted with extremely cogent reason”

34

chapter 2organisational

handbook

3535

chapter 2organisational

handbook

36

organising an event

events, seminars and activities are an essential part of organisational work. Well organised events give something to new members and can also inspire new people to join. Well planned is already half done. Begin by going through what you want to organise and why. after that delegate, delegate, and delegate! Make sure that

everyone takes responsibility suitable to them, and create a successful event together.

organIsIng an event

elIsa selInuMMI

check-listnaMe a feW PeRsons In CHaRge

PlannIng THe evenT Choose your theme and goal Make a budget Schedule the process Decide the time and place _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

PRaCTICalITIes Stick to the budgetSchedule the event Book the venue Book other things: meals, accommodation, and technical equipment Approach speakers Advertise the event Registration of the participants _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

befoRe anD DuRIng THe evenTConfirm the reservationsGo through the schedule with organising teamCollect and print all the material neededGet feedback from the participants______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

37

organIsIng an event / coMMunIcatIon for youth organIsatIons

afTeR THe evenTGo through the feedback from the participants and organising teamCheck the budgetThank the participants and the speakers______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

communication for Youth organisations

iin the era of the internet and social media, communication is cheap or completely free, easy, fun and efficient. We have collected a few points that you should take into account when thinking about how to communicate with your members, potential members and the media. Use them and add your own!

basICsWhat does your organisation stand for? Define your key messages in 1 to 3

simple points that are easy to understand.Create a communication plan together with your organisation, and choose

one or two people who are responsible for seeing it trough.Create a website or a Facebook page that contains basic information of your

organisation and contact information.Make sure the contact information on your website and Facebook page is up

to date and that there is someone who is responsible for answering any inquiries.Create a monthly newsletter with information of events and meetings. The

newsletter can also contain information about interesting events or even job offers from organisations you cooperate with.

A good newsletter is short and easy to read. If you have relatively few mem-bers, a newsletter can simply be an e-mail. For a newsletter with more than a hundred subscribers, it is easiest to use a program designed for creating and sending out newsletters.

Don’t forget traditional means of communication, for example your school’s notice board or e-mail lists.

MaRIaM RguIbI

38

coMMunIcatIon for youth organIsatIons

ResouRCesWordPress is an easy way to create and maintain a website. You can create a

basic website for free. If you need a more advanced site, there are many good and reasonably priced themes available.

One useful resource for both designing and sending newsletters is MailChimp. It is free for up to 2,000 subscribers and 12,000 e-mails.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

use soCIal MeDIa To YouR aDvanTageSocial media is a quick and easy way to reach your potential and existing mem-bers. There are a lot of diff erent social media sites. To avoid being overwhelmed by them, plan ahead.

Social media develops quickly and new applications turn up all the time. It isn’t necessary to use all of them. Consider what channels are relevant for your organisation and concentrate on making the most of them.

If you only have time for one, create a Facebook page and update it with photos of your meetings and events.

Already have a Facebook page? Great! Now create a Twitter account for your organisation.

It is important to update your Facebook page and Twitter regularly. If you don’t have any recent or upcoming events to share, you could share an article relevant to your organisation or ask your followers a question.

If you tend to share a lot of photographs, consider creating an account for a photo sharing service such as Flickr or Instagram.

It is a good idea to discuss guidelines for the use of social media together with your organisation. Discuss questions such as who will be responsible for social media updates, what the tone of the posts should ideally be, and whether there are any subjects that should be avoided.

ResouRCesFacebook is a quick and easy tool to communicate with your membership. It

can also be used for paid advertising at a low cost.Twitter is a popular micro blogging service that enables users to send and

read short 140-character text messages, called “tweets”.Instagram is an online photo- and video-sharing service._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ResouRCesWordPress is an easy way to create and maintain a website. You can create a

basic website for free. If you need a more advanced site, there are many good and reasonably priced themes available.

One useful resource for both designing and sending newsletters is MailChimp. It is free for up to 2,000 subscribers and 12,000 e-mails.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ResouRCesFacebook is a quick and easy tool to communicate with your membership. It

can also be used for paid advertising at a low cost.Twitter is a popular micro blogging service that enables users to send and

read short 140-character text messages, called “tweets”.Instagram is an online photo- and video-sharing service._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

39

coMMunIcatIon for youth organIsatIons

WoRKIng WITH MeDIaSocial media is great for communicating with the members of your organisa-tion and stakeholders, but if you need wider visibility for your cause or want to reach groups who are not very active in social media, it may be useful to include more traditional media. A simple way of contacting several journalists at a time is to publish a press release. Here are a few tips for writing a good one, and distributing it efficiently.

A good press release is short, informative and to point. Avoid grandiose sta-tements and complicated language.

Try to include a quote from your president or a member of the board. This gives journalists something to work with.

If you have verified data that is relevant to the content of your release, use it. Journalists like numbers.

Don’t forget to include your spokesperson’s contact information in the press release. Journalists may need additional information.

You can find the email addresses of most journalists online. Compile a list and save it for future purposes. Update it once a year. If you are part of a larger organisation, ask if it uses a media service that can be used to distribute press releases.

If you think that the media might find an event you are hosting interesting, invite them in advance.

If you send a press release after an event, try to include a link to one or two easily downloadable high quality photographs of your event.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

40

check-listCoMMunICaTe eaRlY, ofTen anD In THe RIgHT WaY

Keep in mind who your target audience is and adapt your messagePlan a message calendar for messages such as calls for participants, confir-

mation, sending of preparatory information and then keep to that schedule – make sure to reserve enough time for responding and resending

Use different methods of communication differently – short, inte-rest-arousing Tweets, longer messages and pictures on Facebook, and more formal information by e-mail

There is often too little communication rather than too muchBuild on material from past activities if possible, especially concerning visual materialShare more information as it is confirmed – communicate earlier with fewer

details rather than later with more_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

faMIlIaRIse anD Involve YouR PaRTICIPanTsIntroduce your participants to each other if possible, as this helps break the

ice and form a group out of individualsUse easy-to-do short games and physical activity, such as Musical chairs, Evo-

lution or Mnemonic name game if possible (see wikipedia.org and teampedia.net for rules and more suggestions)

Get People on Board!

When organising events, it is important to get participants to come to the event, and when they do come, get participants on board. after all, if not for participants then for whom do we organise events? Youth civil society organisations often invest a lot in their events

even though the resources of the organisations may be quite limited. planning and holding events also takes up a lot time and effort. it is therefore a pity if few participants take part in or if they cannot get enough relevant information out of an otherwise well-organised event. on the following page you can find a couple of points how to first get participants to come to your event and then involve them in your activity.

get PeoPle on board

HenRIK ManneR

41

get PeoPle on board

Present yourself as easily accessible and part of the group - in non-formal activities there is seldom need for strong hierarchy

Include in the activity interactive components, such as content that the par-ticipants are going to discuss, plan, and implement on their own – make sure to provide necessary tools, knowledge, and encouragement

Design the programme so that the results of the participants’ own actions can be discussed

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MaKe YouR aCTIvITY easY To folloWDesign content so that it is appealing and interesting to participantsClarify your main message, the red line, and then add to that additional con-

tent as neededMake the activity a journey together in the topic field – build on what has

been just discussed and create bridges between individual subtopics to tie them together

Discuss the programme ahead beforehand so that all know what is going to happen –make sure to include organisational matters as well

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

asK foR InPuT anD feeDbaCKGive the participants the opportunity to speak about their expectations,

fears and contributions so as to let them influence the activityAsk actively for feedback, and in activities spanning multiple days organise

once per day an opportunity to reflect together on the ups and downs and what has been learnt and what is still ahead

Hold a common evaluation in the endShare the results of the activity afterwards to the participants, to other mem-

bers and other organisations_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

42

hoW to Work WIth volunteers

HoW To fInD volunTeeRsThe members of your organisation most likely want to volunteer for an event

or a campaign organised by your organisation. Open a call for volunteers on your website or mailing list.

If no special skills are required, communicate clearly that a positive attitude and a little time is enough to take part in the project.

If you have trouble finding volunteers because your organisation is small or new, ask your friends or people you go to school with.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MaKe volunTeeRs feel WelCoMeRemember that volunteering should be fun and a positive learning experience.Don’t forget to introduce volunteers to each other. If you are working with a

large group of volunteers, provide name tags and wear one yourself. Make sure a team leader is available to help and answer questions at all

times.Keep calm and encourage volunteers throughout the process, even if things

don’t always go perfectly according to plan.Remember to acknowledge the work volunteers do and thank them.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

how to Work with Volunteers

organising events and campaigning can be hard work, but volunteering for a youth organisation should also be fun. here are some tips that can help to make it great for both the volunteers and the organisers. have a look and add your own!

MaRIaM RguIbI

43

hoW to Work WIth volunteers

HoW To oRganIse volunTeeRsStart by making a list of all the things that need to be done and determine

how many volunteers you need.Organise the list chronologically and highlight important tasks.Assign volunteers to specific tasks. Make sure that the volunteers are comfor-

table with the tasks they have been assigned. Better yet, let them choose what they would like to do.

Divide complicated tasks into sets of smaller tasks.Give clear instructions for every task. You may have a clear image of how an

event should look like, but the volunteers cannot be expected to know what you want if you don’t communicate it clearly.

Remember to schedule breaks for volunteers. This is not optional.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

44

What Makes a good caMPaIgn?

What makes a Good campaign?

Creating a good campaign can be divided into three steps – plan,involve and act. We have collected for you a few points that you should take into account when starting your own campaign. Use them and add your own!

PlanPlanning the campaign well is the most important thing. Take your time to make a good strategy for your campaign. Well planned is already half done!

Create a recognisable brand and keep your message simple Have a special and current agenda Have a good name for your campaign Clarity of purpose Find sponsors and funding Make a budget and stick to it Choose your target group Get the right partners involved Planning is the most important thing________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

InvolveNo campaign works without people. Sometimes choosing quality over quantity gives you better results especially with a good division of work.

Diversity of people and resourcesInclusion (the right person in the right place) LocaliseEducation for campaignersInvolve your target group in the planning of your campaign________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

elIsa selInuMMI

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What Makes a good caMPaIgn?

aCTIonCampaign has to attract people and attention. Use your imagination!

Flash mobsStreet actionsInteractionsMusic (live, videos)Social media strategyCreativity to catch interest, use diff erent channels (social media, blogs, media attention)________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

IDeasInvolve celebrities to increase trustAggressive tactics (cf. Greenpeace)American campaign - fl ashy, huge, extravagant________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

euRoPean eleCTIonsEurovisionPan-European campaign - unite!Go to the universities etc. to reach the youthAll EU countries should promote the EP election Use social media to reach more people________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

IDeasInvolve celebrities to increase trustAggressive tactics (cf. Greenpeace)American campaign - fl ashy, huge, extravagant________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

euRoPean eleCTIonsEurovisionPan-European campaign - unite!Go to the universities etc. to reach the youthAll EU countries should promote the EP election Use social media to reach more people________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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hoW to arrange a MeetIng – the challenges In InternatIonal cooPeratIon

how to arrange a meeting – the challenges in international cooperation

it is always challenging to organise a meeting. But organising an international meeting is even more challenging. a youth council session in a city where the representatives have never been before, working together with people they have never met before, in a foreign country’s parliament and with participants who

come from nine different countries or autonomous regions. all of them feel that they speak the same language even though they are actually speaking in eight different languages. also, all of this should be done with as small a budget as possible.

all international umbrella organisations have meetings of this kind, and still they commit themselves to do the same laborious work tasks year after year. one could ask why they do this. Would it not be easier to cooperate

electronically by using new electronic means? it would save money, environment and work resources. however, the fact is that big international meetings, especially when organised between young people, are worth the effort if the representatives can meet face to face.

a nordic Youth Council’s session is a good example of this type of a meeting. The session is organised every year together with a nordic Council’s session. it is a meeting place for nordic young politicians to cooperate with each other. at the same time, it gives voice to all young people from the north in their cooperation with each other. The meeting is organised every year and takes place in one of the nordic countries. The presidency of nYC and the part-time workers in the secretariat organise the meeting. The amount of resources for all the arrangements is limited, and there are many diverse challenges in the nordic sphere. The most significant challenges in organising a nYC’s session are funding, transportation and language.

one of the first challenges which has to be taken into account is the tight budget which youth events always have. Compared to the well established politicians, young people rarely have

KIMMo HeIKKInen Coordinator, the nordic Youth Council

“The fact is that big international meetings, especially when organised between young people, are worth the effort if the representatives can meet face to face”

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hoW to arrange a MeetIng – the challenges In InternatIonal cooPeratIon

the possibility to lobby for their means by themselves in the Ministry of Finance. instead, they have to manage with scarcer funds. These funds are often collected from several sponsors and the participants themselves. Creativity is required with a budget like this to get everything that is needed to organise the event smoothly, and at the same time offer a good and professional working environment to the participants. at each stage of the organisation of a meeting, the scarcity of the financial support has to be taken into account because it can make even straightforward matters complicated.

representatives from nine different countries and autonomous regions take part in a nordic Youth Council’s session. The nordic countries span a large geographical area. The distance between helsinki and reykjavik is longer than the distance between helsinki and rome. That is why the young representatives from the nordic countries all together represent almost half of europe’s geographical area. Because there are not convenient land connections between the nordic countries and all the participants have to arrive within 12 hours before the meeting starts, there needs to be intricately planned logistics to arrange transportation for all the participants, especially when an average flight ticket is rarely allowed to cost more than €200.

even though we can highlight the common origin of the nordic countries and speak about its manifestation in a common language, language becomes also a problem in understanding each other in a nordic context. it is obvious that

all the participants should be allowed to present their opinions in their mother tongue when a common language is not available. to make this possible, simultaneous interpretation is needed which is one of the most demanding work tasks one can think of. Therefore, the prices of interpretation are remarkably high. The option to choose the spoken language has its positive benefits, too. When the participants arrive in the first day, unofficial conversations are held in english. But after a weekend full of nordic language immersion, the participants prefer to talk a mixture of nordic languages rather than any other language.

The value, that a participant gets associated with the nYC’s or all the international youth meetings, is significantly bigger than the concrete political affluence of the meeting. The experiences of the participants have longstanding ripple effects to the society. getting to know others who are like-minded in the neighbouring countries allows for a wider field of vision and greater aspirations for a participant. it leads to a stronger confidence in the future. it is very important to give a possibility to believe in a mutual future, outside of one’s own life sphere. These advantages are achieved only by meeting each other face to face, and that is the reason why international meetings are so important.

“Getting to know others who are like-minded in the neighbouring countries allows for a wider field of vision and greater aspirations for a participant”

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jef-fInland – eurooPPanuoret

Jef-fInlanD – euRooPPanuoReT

JEF-Finland (Eurooppanuoret) is a politically and religiously unaffi liated youth organisa-tion that unites youth from all over Finland to discuss, debate, and infl uence European aff airs. JEF-Finland is a member of Young European Federalists Europe (JEF) and a sister organisations of the European Movement Finland (Eurooppalainen Suomi). All young people from 15 to 35 years of age living in Finland can join JEF-Finland.We arrange various activities to promote awareness about EU-related issues, take part in the work of JEF-Europe, and promote pro-EU campaigns in Finland.Eurooppanuoret is also the publisher of the magazine “Tähdistö” and other publications. In 2013 the President of JEF-Finland was Hanna Harrison and in 2014 Mariam Rguibi.

Eurooppanuoret ry on vuonna 1997 perustettu poliittisesti ja uskonnollisesti sitoutu-maton nuorten kansalaisjärjestö, johon voivat liittyä kaikki 15–35-vuotiaat. Järjestön toiminnan tavoitteena on lisätä nuorten tietoisuutta Euroopan yhdentymisestä ja sen vaikutuksista sekä toimia keskustelufoorumina ja vaikuttamiskanavana Eurooppa-asiois-ta kiinnostuneille nuorille.Näitä tarkoituksia varten yhdistys järjestää tapahtumia ja kampanjoita, julkaisee ”Täh-distö”-lehteä ja muita julkaisuja sekä osallistuu eurooppalaisen kattojärjestönsä Young European Federalistsin toimintaan.Eurooppanuoret ry on eurooppalainen Suomi ry:n nuorisojärjestö. Eurooppanuorten puheenjohtajana 2013 toimi Hanna Harrison ja vuonna 2014 toimii Mariam Rguibi.

EU:n maatalouspolitiikkaEU:n maatalouspolitiikkaEU:n maatalouspolitiikkaEU:n maatalouspolitiikkaEU:n maatalouspolitiikkaEU:n maatalouspolitiikkaEU:n maatalouspolitiikkaEU:n maatalouspolitiikkaEU:n maatalouspolitiikkatakaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja

kohtuulliset kuluttajahinnatkohtuulliset kuluttajahinnatkohtuulliset kuluttajahinnatkohtuulliset kuluttajahinnatkohtuulliset kuluttajahinnatkohtuulliset kuluttajahinnatkohtuulliset kuluttajahinnatkohtuulliset kuluttajahinnatkohtuulliset kuluttajahinnat

Euroopan unionista pitää tehdä laadukkaan työelämän moottori. Akava haluaa edistää osaamista Euroopan tasollakin, sillä osaava Eurooppa takaa työpaikat ja kilpailukyvyn. Verounioni ja vahva talouspolitiikka luovat hyvinvointia.

EU:ta tarvitaan lisää, mutta parempana. Akavan mielestä EU:n toimintaa pitää parantaa: tarvitsemme nykyistä sosiaalisempaa, taloudeltaan vahvempaa ja kansalaisille läheisempää Euroopan unionia.

Lisätietoja www.akava.fi/eu-tavoitteet

Enemmän,mutta parempaa EU:ta

Akava_ Eurooppanuorten ilmoitus .indd 1 25.11.2013 14:16:14

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EU:n maatalouspolitiikkaEU:n maatalouspolitiikkaEU:n maatalouspolitiikkaEU:n maatalouspolitiikkaEU:n maatalouspolitiikkaEU:n maatalouspolitiikkaEU:n maatalouspolitiikkaEU:n maatalouspolitiikkaEU:n maatalouspolitiikkatakaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja takaa ruokaturvan ja

kohtuulliset kuluttajahinnatkohtuulliset kuluttajahinnatkohtuulliset kuluttajahinnatkohtuulliset kuluttajahinnatkohtuulliset kuluttajahinnatkohtuulliset kuluttajahinnatkohtuulliset kuluttajahinnatkohtuulliset kuluttajahinnatkohtuulliset kuluttajahinnat

Euroopan unionista pitää tehdä laadukkaan työelämän moottori. Akava haluaa edistää osaamista Euroopan tasollakin, sillä osaava Eurooppa takaa työpaikat ja kilpailukyvyn. Verounioni ja vahva talouspolitiikka luovat hyvinvointia.

EU:ta tarvitaan lisää, mutta parempana. Akavan mielestä EU:n toimintaa pitää parantaa: tarvitsemme nykyistä sosiaalisempaa, taloudeltaan vahvempaa ja kansalaisille läheisempää Euroopan unionia.

Lisätietoja www.akava.fi/eu-tavoitteet

Enemmän,mutta parempaa EU:ta

Akava_ Eurooppanuorten ilmoitus .indd 1 25.11.2013 14:16:14

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Youth Participation and Democracy

Documents

Transcript of Youth Participation and Democracy