THE UNION WE WANT A proposal from the New Europeans
About us The New European Citiziens is a projects co-funded by the Europe for Citizens programme. The main objectives of the project are: developing an active dialogue and comparison on EU future development and citizenship rights between youngsters born or grown up in the EU countries, both with and without EU citizenship developing an action research carried out by youngsters who already enjoy full citizenship rights and those excluded about their perception of actual EU shape and future development, analyzing and tackling by their own perspective the anti-eu movements growing in their countries 3. analyzing youth participation in the recent EU Parliament elections and vote s outcomes fostering youngsters capabilities in order to become active promoters of awareness and knowledge about active participation and citizenship among their peers by focusing on positive achievements of EU and designing further possible positive evolutions and benefits for young citizens The project has been developed through an initial action-research carried out by youngsters about EU citizenship rights and access to citizenship for 2nd generations, youth participation in the last 2014 EU Parliament election and results, mapping of main anti/skeptical EU groups in each country. Then the core of the project were 4 transnational meetings where youngsters coming from 9 different countries had the chance to meet and discuss about the main topics of the project. During the last meeting in Athens, Greece, youngsters discussed The Union we want: a proposal from the New Europeans, the young Europeans Manifesto which results are gathered in the following document.
Who we represent Why a Manifesto Project s beneficiaries are youngsters, the future of Europe: as new generation, they should be main actors of the European debate and have the possibility to influence its development. The project aims at promoting a wide range of different point of views, involving both youngsters who already enjoy citizenship rights and those who are excluded from that: 2nd generations, sons and daughters of migrant born or grown up in Europe but still without citizenship, and youngsters of the latest candidate State, Albania, whose engagement must be prepared. They may be the citizens of tomorrow, whose engagement and understanding of EU democratic life The main focus of the project is to analyze and spread their perception about EU actual and future role, as well as their citizenship rights and their participation to democratic life in increasingly multicultural societies, where a growing number of youngsters feel European at all effects, but are excluded from the fully enjoyment of citizenship rights. This increase the democratic gap, lower youngsters participation and effective exercise of citizenship right. The project has involved 9 different countries: Italy, Spain, France, UK, Greece, Germany, Lithuania, Romania and Albania: our call is to enlarge the discussion on the topics analyzed also to other EU countries and candidate states, and bring it to the attention of the European institutions, in order to create a debate on youngsters participation and contribution to the EU future. Participants elaborated a proposal, The Union we want: a proposal from the New Europeans, a brief declaration of intent with main proposals emerged during the project addressing EU institutions to factually contribute to the future of the Union, promote active citizenship and express recommendation and suggestions on youth policies. We believe that youth is the main engine of development and consolidation of a supportive, aware, participative Europe. At same time, we see a growing gap about their effective participation, the possibility to discuss and organize themselves to be heard by European institutions. Cooperation among youngsters from different countries and different social, cultural and economic backgrounds, gave effectiveness to European motto united in differences and foster the will to be active actor of the change in the European Union approach to citizenship, participation and youth opportunities to be heard and effectively affect EU institutions choices and strategies for the future. We can all contribute to build a better society and a more social and inclusive Europe, and this is our concrete contribution and proposal for the future of EU. Aggiungi corpo del testo
Key priciples 1. EU Education Most of the EU citizens don t know much about EU and the influence on their national institutions and laws. In our opinion this depends first from a lack of education about European issues. Children should receive a proper European education since early childhood on EU principles and values, because that will affect their whole lives. We want to introduce European Civic Education training in all European schools, to set and grow common values and sense of belonging. The main topics to be addressed could be: Human rights and citizenship rights, continuously unpdating National institutions and law, constitution EU history, institutions and main programmes We also believe that is very important to increase non- formal education when we talk about EU education, the most effective mean to learn about Europe. The Union should increase funding and support to projects based on non-formal education on European issues and a bottom-up approach through a direct involvement of youngsters in planning and implementation. EU for Citizens is one of them, and deserves more resources. 2. Europen Policies regarding citizenship There are some lacks on European policies that should be filled by common policies between Member States in the process of citizenship acquisition for so called 2nd generation youngsters. Europe should promote a strong process of agreement among the laws of Member States in the field of citizenship acquisition for who was born or raised up in our countries, and then when reaches the age of 18 automatically becomes a foreigner to States and Europe. It is a crucial issue for our future. Europe should ensure the acquisition of the national citizenship through Ius soli for children born in a member state, and give more importance to the Ius culturae for immigrants sons and daughters that has grown up here. We also believe that the creation of an EU identity card could represent an improvement to foster a sense of belonging among EU residents and a valuable tool for travelling, studying and working all across Europe. 3. Youth engagement and participation to the EU decision-making process We believe that young Europeans are not aware and involved enough in the Union s democratic processes. Our research made it clear: most of European youngsters are not properly informed and interested about European policies and institutions, which is confirmed by the low rates of participation in the EU parliament election and it is fostered by the increasing of euro-skeptical parties in all member states. This is caused by a lack of education in this field and also by the fact that Europe is still perceived far away from citizens everyday lives and needs. To contrast this trends, we propose some ideas: The valorization of social media and really accessible and attractive online tools to talk to youngsters, not only through polls and surveys, but also to know more on specific issues, get real time answers from the EU institutions, exchange ideas, doubts, experiences The promotion of projects that could increase youth awareness and exchanges such as the New European Citizens, to directly participate and improve the knowledge on the Union by experience. For this, we ask more funds on initiatives and programmes that allow direct participation of youth associations, more accessible, as Europe for Citizens Enhance capabilities and skills of youth networking and associations, especially young migrants and youngsters with migrant background, both at local and European level To valorize opportunities for youngsters to meet local, national and European institutions, such as the European Youth week and other less formal occasions, to reduce the gap between them and youth and contribute to increase participation from local to global.
4. Media We believe that EU should promote noninstitutional, fresh and engaging media for youth, directly involving and valorizing youth skills. We propose some tools that can be used by youngsters: A European youth TV channel (ETV, as an European MTV!) made by youth for youth, both cable and streaming, where young European can discuss specific topics and news regarding Europe and share their European experiences (policies, institutions, events, projects, etc ) A high quality and engaging app/game about European history, institutions, policies, news to download on mobiles and mutually played by youth from all Europe and beyond, also foreseeing rewards (e.g. a mobility in another EU country) in order to widen participation. Let s make Europe also funny and engaging! Non-formal information opportunities to learn and share about Europe, such as social events, and non formal methods, such role playing and storytelling, should be valorized: they represent the best way for youngsters to meet their peers, share experiences and information and learn diversity 5. Solidarity in time of crisis Although financial crisis still affect the lives of too many people in Europe, conflicts all around the world have forced millions of people to leave their countries looking for a better future here. While European institutions should implement and foster policies to support solidarity and welcoming, we believe that youth can play a very important role in this. So first, we ask Europe to promote effective welfare policies to help people, especially youth, to face this crisis: policies to guarantee adequate housing; equally paid interships and jobs, support to access the labor market for youth, including young asylum seekers and unaccompanied minors; facilitate access to credit for youngsters that want to start a business: there are many training courses, but money are still too hardly accessible for youth. To play a relevant positive role in this mass migration time, the Union cannot close its borders and keep acting with an emergency approach: Union and States must support development, growth and rights in the countries where migration comes from, limit the production and export of weapons of member States to these countries, define a common policies in the field of asylum and fair reallocation of asylum seekers. At same time there is a lot that we, the Young Europeans, can do: we would like the Union to support a gap period for all youngsters to work and learn as volunteers in another European country, as a great opportunity to build skills, meet people, support a fairer society and foster European civic participation.
OUR CALL THIS MANIFESTO IS WRITTEN BY YOUNG EUROPEANS AND IT IS ADDRESSED TO LOCAL, NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS, AS WELL AS CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS AND ALL EUROPEAN CITIZENS. WE WANT OUR VOICES TO BE HEARD AT DECISION-MAKING LEVEL, BECAUSE WE ARE THE FUTURE OF EUROPE AND WE WANT TO LIVE IN A UNITED UNION THAT PUT THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE AT THE CENTRE. THIS MANIFESTO WANTS TO BE SPREAD AMONG PEOPLE AND INSTITUTIONS, TO GIVE A CONTRIBUTION AND GET AN IMPACT IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. LET YOUNGSTERS CONTRIBUTE TO BUILD THE FUTURE OF EUROPE.