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In 2004, the AER decided to formalise the
role of young people at the heart of political activities. It
therefore adopted a resolution aimed at facilitating the
commitment of young people in its activities at the General
Assembly in Vienna. This resolution suggested the creation of a
"Youth Team", which would be responsible for
monitoring the integration of policies to promote young
people's interests in the work of all AER
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structures.
The Youth Team is an official body
currently including the elected representatives, who exchange
and cooperate with political leaders. The team has a
rolling two-year mandate, with 50% of members being renewed
each year.
Meetings and reports are organised each
year, particularly at two regular events: the Youth Summer
School and
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the AER General Assembly.
The Youth Team and the Youth Sub-Committee
share the responsibility for the Youth Summer School and
closely cooperate with the Organising Committee in terms of
preparation.
The team also ensures relations between
local, regional and national youth councils and the AER.
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You are aged 20 and are the brand new President of
the Youth Team. Why did you take up this commitment?
In 2005, I was a member of the youth council in my
town, Lappeenranta in Finland, and we were informed about the AER Youth
Summer School. The regional council asked our youth council to
participate to this event. I was immediately enthusiastic about the
project.
The Youth Team was set up on the basis of the
decisions taken previously by the AER. It worked with a
coordinator from the Sub-Committee Youth, and activities were running
well. However, in 2006, we decided to try a new working method, and
designate a President. My extensive interest in youth issues pushed me
to apply for the position, and I was elected to my immense pleasure.
What will be your main targets in coming years?
Our main target is to encourage the young people
in the Regions to work together on projects and activities. Until now,
each Region worked independently on their own projects. We often
have the same centres of interest and the same concerns, therefore the
creation of a network based on interregional cooperation will make us
stronger and more effective. By working together, we will increase our
influence at European level with decision-makers and politicians.
Cooperation can allow one project to be applied in different areas of
Europe.
How do you see the current situation for young
people in Europe? Do they feel European?
The position of young people in Europe has
generally improved, but we still have work to do in many fields, e.g.
Health, Equal Opportunities, etc. I feel that it is important for
political leaders to take the views of young people more into account
when considering today's central issues. They must not forget to
consider young people, and equally, young people must get a grip on
issues which are decisive for their future. Politicians often comment
that "young people are the future", which is something
of a cliché, but taking
advantage of opportunities means creating the
right conditions for action.
I believe that the Regions are the right level to
assist young people in taking advantage of these opportunities since
national governments are far less accessible for us. Young people need
to invest their time in regional and urban councils and politicians
need to ask them directly what they really need or what they really
think about any given policy.
To give an example, on my Youth Council, we have
established real interaction with local politicians via mutual
listening and dialogue. This is the message the AER Youth Team needs to
send to all European Regions.
Without going as far as to mention the existence
of a truly European identity for young people, I believe that a vague
sense of belonging does exist. Maybe that quite simply reflects the
difficulty of defining the term "European": do we mean the
continent, the European institutions or the people? This actually
depends on the context ; people feel European when they participate at
an international event, or change continent. In these circumstances,
people are happy to say "I am European".
Composition
- 8 young representatives elected from the 16
candidates participating in the Youth Summer School (1 per geographical
area and per gender)
- 6 representatives designated by the AER
Committees (2 per Committee)
- 6 representatives of the Youth Sub-Committee
© Maud Vuillardot/Régions Magazine
