COMMISSION REACHES OUT TO YOUTH

By Maria Betânia Ribeiro

President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, was a key figure during European Youth Week celebrations in Antwerp. Reflecting on European policies, the Portuguese politician sought to appease the spirits of a continent affected by economic and social crisis. This included the future of young people, and issues related to employment and education.

José Manuel Barroso with award winners at the European Youth Prize ceremony

Stressing the fact that the rate of youth unemployment is double the rate of unemployed adults, Mr Barroso said it was the “first time this has happened in Europe since the Second World War”.

One of the Commission’s roles will be to open doors for anyone that wants to study or work in other country, he said.

That implies there will be recognition for 0skills and training of young people abroad, which, according to José Manuel Barroso, can be achieved through politics and European investment, creating a “window of opportunity”.

Adding to his speech, he said that the European Commission has “a duty to invest in young people”, placing European programmes related to youth, such as the ‘Youth on the Move’ initiative, at the top of the agenda.

Promoting active participation of young people through national and European organisations, political involvement and volunteering is of upmost importance, he claimed.

YOUNG PEOPLE ARE THE FUTURE

“This is a complex problem,” Mr Barroso said. The Commission will have to appeal to a sense of responsibility and solidarity, while facing fragmentation and the growth of nationalist ideologies; something “inappropriate at strategic level, and stupid”.

Looking for an end of the international economic crisis and preparing the EU’s economy for the next decade, the President highlighted two objectives in the ‘Europe 2020 strategy’ concerning youth and education;  encouraging more young people to enter into higher education, and reducing the number of early school-leavers.

Cultural diversity in the conference room during EYW

At the forefront of analysing the Europe 2020 strategy is the Federação Nacional de Associações Juvenis (‘National Federation of Youth Organisations’, or ‘FNAJ’).

During the 20, 21 and 22 of May, FNAJ have organised a national meeting which will be attended by representatives of government agencies and beneficiaries of Youth in Action,  as well as 200 youngsters.

The meeting, which closes European Youth Week, takes place in Figueira da Foz, Portugal, at the Centre for Arts and Performance.

A WINNING STRATEGY?

According to officials of FNAJ, the European Commission launched this discussion around the Europe 2020 strategy document, describing it as a plan to help Europe emerge stronger from the economic crisis and to “turn the EU into an intelligent, sustainable and inclusive body, providing high levels of employment, productivity and social cohesion”.

The European Commission’s Europe 2020 strategy represents a vision of a social market economy system for a 21st-century Europe.

“We believe it is the right time to do a thorough evaluation of the programme that has been implemented over the last year and, at the same time, prepare for the near future, that is, until 2020″, say FNAJ leaders.

João Vilaça, Policy Officer of the National Agency claimed that, “Outlining strategies related to Structured Dialogue, and sharing the best practice methods for non-formal education should  strengthen relations with the National Agency for the Youth in Action programme, increasing it’s effectiveness in different regions”.

VOICING CONCERNS

In Brussels, representatives of the national youth council, Conselho Nacional para a Juventude (or CNJ)  Magda Alves, Bruno António, and Ivo Santosare gave a voice to the concerns felt by Portuguese youth.

Executive Adviser, Ivo Santos, believes initiatives such as the ‘Youth in Motion’ programme, seek to empower young people through structured dialogue with policymakers.

Through a process of listening to more than 150 young Portuguese people, during discussion meetings about youth employment in five cities, organising a national meeting with union leaders and policy-makers related to youth issues, and by performing an online survey with 900 participants, representatives of CNJ identified the main difficulties.

Ivo Santos, executive adviser for the National Youth Council

By assessing the implementation of Structured Dialogue at national level, delegates from 33 European countries sought to find solutions. It was a task that, according to Ivo Santos, was fairly easy to achieve.

“In principle, all countries share the same problems,” he says.

The consensus on priorities and responses will then be a strength for the young delegates, who believe that through this sense of union, policy-makers will have to listen to their recommendations.

Photo credit: All pictures taken by Maria Betânia Ribeiro