 |
Editorial
Dear readers,
In this issue, read about the outcomes of the European Youth Forum’s General Assembly, European Youth Capital 2015 winner Cluj-Napoca, what happened for youth at the European Summit on the 2014-2020 budget, the new ‘rethinking education’ strategy and much more!
The European Youth Forum hopes that you enjoy reading this new edition of Youth Policy Watch and, as always, please feel free to send us any comments you have on the publication to press@youthforum.org. If you wish to subscribe to Youth Policy Watch and have it delivered directly to your inbox every two weeks, please send an email to subscriptionypw@youthforum.org.
The European Youth Forum
The European Youth Forum Welcomes New Members and Leadership
 The 22nd - 24th November 2012 saw youth delegates come from the four corners of Europe to gather in Maribor, Slovenia, for the European Youth Forum’s General Assembly. During the event, representatives from 97 Member Organisations exchanged their visions on the future of the platform. This led to many important outcomes.
Firstly the members elected a new leadership.
// Top Story
European Union Budget for 2014-2020 Put on Hold
 The European Union Budget for 2014 – 2020 was at stake during the European Council meeting on 22nd – 23rd November 2012. Many discussions had preceded the high-level meeting and much tension had been building up in its run-up. In times during which many member states have reverted to austerity measures, outlining the Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014 – 2020, was no easy exercise. In the end, on 23th, it became clear that opinions of the different key actors were too far apart and that more time is needed to be invested in consensus building.
// Top Story
United Against Austerity
José Manuel Barroso was awarded the ‘Nobel Austerity Prize’ and workers across the Iberian Peninsula stopped working in a four hour strike hitting the biggest towns and cities in Italy. These were only some of the events marking the first ever pan-European strike. Called for by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the coordinated day of action carried a message of disagreement with the dominant culture of austerity that currently reigns across the European Union.
// Employment & Social Affairs
High Youth Unemployment: becoming the norm across EU
Throughout the last months, Eurostat, the statistics agency of the European Union, has repeatedly released worsening unemployment figures and it seems unlikely that this trend is going to change in the near future. Looking to the autumn economic forecast, released by the European Commission on 7th November, high unemployment numbers, and particularly youth unemployment numbers, are looking to become the norm in the European Union.
// Employment & Social Affairs
Mobilising for Erasmus Amidst 2013 Budget Issues
‘Education and training must be at the heart of Europe's response [to the crisis]. Any civilised society wants to invest in the future of its young people.’ These are the from an open letter to the European Union’s heads of state and government, signed by more than 100 European personalities from the worlds of education, art, literature, economics, philosophy and sport. The appeal comes in a context of austerity, leading to budget cuts hitting education as well. Worrying signals have as such come on the Erasmus programme.
// Education
Rethinking Education
Youth unemployment figures across the European Union are approaching 23% and might break new records next year. When we look at the labour market itself though, it is hard to ignore the 2 million job vacancies that are out there. To bridge the gap between education and the labour market, the European Commission called to rethink Education.
// Education
Children’s Welfare in The Spotlight for One Day
23 years ago, on the 20th November 1989, the General Assembly of the United Nations signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Since then the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children have been formally inscribed in the treaty. Today, all Council of Europe countries have signed the Convention and the 20th November is celebrated as the Universal Children’s Day. That children will account for 90% of the next billion people by 2025, is only exemplary to illustrate how important this group is for the future.
// Human Rights
Discussing on Internet Governance in Azerbaijan’s Capital
‘Internet Governance for Sustainable Human, Economic and Social Development’ was up for discussion at the 7th internet Governance Forum (IGF), in Baku, Azerbaijan, 6th - 9th November. Organised by the United Nations, the Forum brings together various key stakeholders to discuss internet related topics. As such, government representatives met with civil society, internet service providers (ISPs), international institutions, think tanks and the providers of infrastructures for the web from all over the world.
// Human Rights
Cluj-Napoca: European Youth Capital 2015
The title of European Youth Capital (EYC) is awarded every year to a city that encourages youth participation, not only at a local level but though building bridges with the European level. Holding the title means that the winner gets the chance to showcase its youth-related cultural, social, political and economic life and development for one year.
// Participation & Youth Policy Mainstreaming
|
