Autumn 2014

THEBUZZZ

/ 2

EDITO

EU IN FOCUS

GEF NEWS

KEY FIGURE & QUOTE

COMPETITIONS CORNER

PORTRAIT

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...

The Ambassador Network is back! Page 4

Brazil without borders – order and progress? Page 10

Azadeh Alian, a young diplomat in Afghanistan Page 11

Erasmus Voting Assessment – the results are out! Page 5

Silvia Costa, Italian MEP, S&D, Chair CULT Page 8

Focus on Page 6

My Choices Planner – Evaluation Page 6

A youth perspective on the Italian Presidency of the EU Page 12

Erasmus+: An integrated programme Page 13

Përgjegjësia sociale e kompanive në tregun financiar Page 14

CONTENT

Copyright © 2014 Generation Europe Foundation. All rights reserved.Publisher: THE BUZZZ is published by Generation Europe Foundation. We welcome your questions and suggestions on info@generation-europe.eu

Become a fan on facebook.com/generationeuropeFollow us on twitter.com/GenerationEurop

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Generation Europe Foundation.

Cover credit: Cécile Graat(via www.freeimages.com)

2

Shape your own future!

With the focus in Brussels this year having very much been on the European elections, it has been a busy and exciting time at GEF. We produced educational material about the European institutions and the European elections, in order to inform young Europeans about their choices and encourage them to vote and decide who will shape their future, and the future of Europe.

The Erasmus Voting Assessment project, which aimed to find out if going on Erasmus may lead to a more positive European identity feeling, and consequently to increased voter participation in European elections, recently ended. During the final conference in the European Parliament in September, GEF, as the project’s scientific partner, presented the final publication and the main outcomes of the research (see p.5). MEPs Brando Benifei, Marlene Mizzi, Michaela Šojdrova and Liliana Rodrigues, as well as stakeholders, youth organisations and young people discussed about how the Erasmus experience contributes to a future generation of more involved European citizens.

Youth organisations and young Europeans are awaiting the new directions that will be taken by Tibor Navracsics, from Hungary, who was selected as the new European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sports. On this, and much more, we will hear from MEP Silvia Costa, the newly appointed Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education, whom we had the great opportunity to interview, and who will play a very important role in working towards a brighter future for Europe’s young generation (see p.8-9).

We receive much input from what goes on across Europe from our youth Ambassadors. With lots of new faces as well as a brand new blog where our Ambassadors share their thoughts on all sorts of topics, the network has undergone a revitalisation (see p.4).

On p.11, you can read what a day in the life of Azadeh Alian, a young Swedish diplomat, looks like. Working on development in Afghanistan, she helps building towards a better future in the field of politics, human rights and economics. Also concerned about her and her fellow countrymen’s future, is Anxhela, our Albanian youth Ambassador. She shares her thoughts on how the financial system should change in order to create more fairness and opportunities for all (see p.14).

Calls for more opportunities and a better future were also heard in the lead up to, as well as during, the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Valentina, our new Hungarian youth Ambassador writes. Apart from showing high quality football and welcoming many visitors to Brazil, the event also highlighted the discontent among many (young) Brazilians in the way how public money has been spent in recent years (see. p.10).

Finally, p.6-7 gives an overview of the very successful pilot year of the My Choices Planner. This educational tool teaches young students about healthy lifestyles, and how to make choices for a healthier and happier future.

Wishing you a happy, healthy and pleasant read and future!

Johanna, (Editor-in-Buzzz) and the GEF Team

The ‘future’ issueEDITO

Credit Sebastian Fissore via ww

w.freeim

ages.com

/ 3

After a wave of recruitment, the Ambassador Network, GEF’s eyes, ears and hands in 25 countries across Europe, is back in action with fresh faces joining the experienced guard.

GEF NEWSThe Ambassador Network is back !

FacesOur network consists of 27 talented and opinionated young people with a variety of backgrounds, but a common interest in European affairs. While the majority has their background in political sciences or economics, we also have lawyers, engineers, communication experts, biologists, educators, and a strategic planner. They are active members of civil society, being involved in NGOs such as AEGEE, AIESEC, the European Youth Parliament, Youth for Exchange and Understanding, but also local NGOs. On average they speak 2.6 languages. If you want to make them all happy at the same time, send them on a trip: While they have many different interests, they share a passion for travelling.

ReunionsGEF’s Ambassador Network meets - online and offline!

Since we have an updated team, we have had more regular Skype meetings, cathing up with each other and developing new ideas for the network.

Whilst travelling around Europe, GEF staff member Johanna also had the chance to meet some of our Ambassadors in person.

Hopefully many more of these meetings will happen. And we are working on planning a big live meeting with all the GEF Ambassadors

Want to join the family?Drop us an email at info@generation-europe.eu or see

www.generation-europe.eu/our-partners/ gef-ambassadors/ for more information.

In particular, we are looking for representatives for Belarus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Kosovo, Iceland, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

OpinionsMix different countries, cultures, interests, hobbies, fields of studies, and experience in one network, and what will you get? A colourful potpourri of different opinions! We believe that our Ambassadors have interesting stories and thoughts to share, so we have provided them with a platform to do so: The Ambassador’s Corner. The new blog has an article nearly every week.

Find the blog at http://generationeuropefoundation.wordpress.com/

Or follow GEF’s Facebook page for new articles! Feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts!

/ 4

As part of the project, five respondents of the survey were randomly selected and won a trip to Brussels. The lucky winners spent two days in the European capital, enjoying a city tour, a lunch at the GEF office and the attendance of the final conference, where they were invited to give testimonials on how their Erasmus experience influenced their lives.The winners were Tatiana from Slovakia, Nikesh from Ireland, Kostas from Greece, Martin from the UK, and David from Germany.

On 24 September, Generation Europe Foundation, together with our project partners AEGEE-Europe, and ESN (Erasmus Student Network), held the final conference of the Erasmus Voting Assessment project at the European Parliament, during which the study’s results were presented. In addition to the presentations of the project partners, several MEPs and the European Commission contributed to the discussion.

This one year research project, funded by the European Commission under its Lifelong Learning Programme, aimed to explore the attitude of students towards European identity and the European Parliament elections that took place in May 2014 – namely, do Erasmus students feel more European? And if so, does this reflect in a higher percentage of Erasmus students taking part in the European Parliamentary elections − compared to their non-mobile peers?

Generation Europe Foundation, the scientific project partner, was in charge of carrying out the study, consisting of two surveys, which were sent to current and former Erasmus students as well as non-mobile students. The project team gathered 4,233 valid respondents in the first survey and 3,074 in the second, resulting in a ‘merged’ data set of 2,598 respondents who participated in both the first and second survey. GEF then analysed this data and produced the project’s final report.

The results of the research are very interesting. Among others, it proves that Erasmus students:

• … have a more balanced view: EVA respondents are more likely to recognise and identify with positive perceptions of the EU. For instance, they are more than twice as likely to identify the EU as "a way to create a better future for young people" and almost 50% more likely to see it as "a way to create jobs".

• … are more likely to vote: 81% of EVA respondents who had completed their stay abroad answered that they had voted in the 2014 EP elections, compared to a general election turnout of 42.5%.

• … develop a European identity: Erasmus students are more positive about the EU and have a greater sense of European identity. 91% of the EVA sample says they often or sometimes think about themselves not only as nationals of one European country, but also as a European citizen, compared to 54% of the Eurobarometer respondents.

The research concludes that an ‘Erasmus experience’ seems to be the major factor influencing respondents’ voting behaviour, significantly increasing the likelihood of voting. Approximately 35% of the EVA respondents that have been on Erasmus believe that participation in the programme has made them more interested in, and willing to vote in the EP elections. Among the EVA sample, which has a high level of "closeness" to the EU, those who had been on Erasmus show an increased level of civic participation in European elections. This increased participation remains as such, regardless of their level of knowledge and their feelings towards the EU.

It is alarming that, while respondents are generally more willing and interested to participate in the European elections, 59% of respondents that were abroad during the elections did not vote in 2014, while the percentage of former Erasmus students that voted is very high (81%). This shows that the obstacles for students to vote while they are abroad are very high. One of the main recommendations of the project team is therefore to make it easier for students living abroad at the time of elections to cast their vote.

The final report outlining the outcomes of the research, as well as more information about the project is available on the project’s website:

www.erasmusvoting.eu/news/erasmus-voting-assessement-final-report

Generation Europe Foundation has been the scientific partner in the project. As such, our role was to:

> Draft the background report;

> Design the surveys;

> Test the surveys during a study trip to Madrid;

> Analyse and process the survey data;

> Draft the final research report;

> Generally promote and disseminate the survey and its results to participants and stakeholders.

the results are out !

/ 5

Erasmus Voting Assessment –

Eras

mus

Vot

ing

Asse

ssm

ent:

GEF

Team

During the past year, Generation Europe Foundation has piloted the "My Choices" initiative: an educational tool aimed at students aged 12-14 and their teachers. The main objectives of the initiative are to improve the health profiles of young people, teach crucial life skills such as critical thought, goals-setting and self-analysis, and to introduce effective education on healthy lifestyles as part of national curricula.

More than 800 schools in Germany, Greece and the UK have used the student planners and the accompanying teacher guide, which provides lesson

plans divided into several units, covering a different topic in each unit. Part of the Planner was also translated into Polish and downloaded by 100 teachers in Poland.

In order to test the success of the initiative, GEF carried out an extensive evaluation, during which students, teachers and parents filled in questionnaires, and teachers and students were interviewed during focus groups in Greece and the UK. As the outcome of this evaluation we have found that the “My Choices” Planner is an excellent tool to teach about healthy

lifestyle choices. It is seen as an excellent resource, both by teachers and students, and is perceived to be more interesting and convincing than traditional curricular resources. It has also been effective in modifying health-related behaviours: overall, the health behaviour of at least 50% of students changed over the course of the school year.

88% of teachers say they would like the “My Choices” Planner initiative to be renewed

This year, GEF again devoted its resources to developing educational material about the European Union and its institutions. We produced a Focus on about the EU Institutions and a Focus on about the European Elections.

The Focus on about the EU Institutions is available for Cyprus, Denmark, France, Greece, Hungary, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The Focus on about the European Elections is available for Cyprus, Denmark, France, Greece, Luxembourg, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Translations into more languages will be available in the future.

‘Focus on’ is our free teaching kit for secondary school teachers, and ideal for teaching about subjects that are typically not covered by the school curriculum, but

which are essential for preparing students for the ever-changing world around us. It is composed of information sheets for students and ready-made lesson plans for teachers.

How to download this free material:Teachers can download the work sheets along with the lesson plans from our website:

www.generation-europe.eu/resources/teaching-resources/online-library/

Students can find the text (without the lesson plans) here:

www.generation-europe.eu/resources/teaching-resources/online-library/

You can also sign up to our mailing list to be kept up-to-date when new ‘Focus on’ material has been released:

http://www.generation-europe.eu/media-centre/magazines/

Focus on Teaching Material

My Choices Planner - Evaluation

/ 6

Country Number of schools

Number of students

Germany 496 28,225

Greece 198 26,225

United Kingdom 112 11,550

/ 7

Teachers who ordered the "My Choices" Planner indicated that its subject-matter was relevant to their teaching, 97% of teachers said that this expectation had been met. Although we found there to be overlap to some extent with topics covered as part of the curriculum already, the Planner was reported to provide high added value to usual teaching materials because:

• the size, format, and design of the "My Choices" Planner are more attractive;

• the editorial style of the Planner, which treats young people as responsible individuals, leads to greater acceptance of the information;

• the lesson plans and classroom activities are more engaging and have the capacity

to involve even the shyest and most aloof students.

Students also reported on the impact that the Planner has had on their families: "When I realised some of the things I used to do were bad and some of the things I used to eat were bad, I talked to my family to try to avoid them and to change our habits and the way we eat, and that was really effective because as a family now we eat better".

One parent reported: “The book has very positive effects in my son’s dietary habits. He has learned many useful things about his health”.

Overall, the "My Choices" Planner was able to achieve its objectives. We are happy to

report that 88% of teachers say they would like the "My Choices" Planner initiative to be renewed. A renewal and expansion of this initiative would enable its effects to become deeper and more widespread.

If you are interested in being part of the continuation of this project, as national partner or as sponsor, do not hesitate to contact us on:

mychoices@generation-europe.eu

For more information, visit the project’s website:

www.mychoices.eu

Topics covered in the Planner:

Unit 1: What is health?

The way I think affects the way I feel, and the way I feel affects the way I think. Both my thoughts and feelings affect my behaviour, which in turn can influence my health and well-being.

Unit 4: Energy balance

What happens to the energy that goes into your body? It’s used up, or stored for later use; this affects body composition.

Unit 2: Healthy eating

Different foods and drinks provide different nutrients in differing amounts, and different nutrients have different functions. Use current healthy eating advice to choose a balance and variety of food and drinks.

Unit 5: ‘My Choices’

Healthy lifestyles are all about making choices. Choices are influenced by our friends, family, culture, the environment. How should they all fit together?

Unit 3: Active lifestyles

There are different types of physical activity, each develops different aspects of the body. Moreover physical activity is not limited to sports, and benefits are greater than physical health.

PORTRAITSilvia CostaItalian MEP, S&D, Chair of the CULT Committee

Throughout your career in politics, you have been dealing with educational policies, from the regional to the national and the European level. How did you get engaged in this field of politics?

Maybe it was a kind of... predestination. Since the beginning of my political career I have been committed to social and cultural issues, the promotion of women’s rights, education and training... following my interests and passions.These issues have accompanied me all my life, first as Under Secretary of Education, then as Assessor for the Region of Lazio and now in my current role as Chair of the CULT Committee.

Traditionally, the chair of the CULT committee has been quite influential in shaping EU educational policies. What would you like to achieve between now and 2019? What do you see as the main

challenges and opportunities for the upcoming term in the CULT committee and educational policies on a European level?

We all agree on the key issues we have to face: the quality of education systems and youth policies in general. They should be more central in Europe 2020 (the EU’s growth strategy for the coming decade), as they are crucial for the practical realisation of the principles of the Treaty, but also to understand what ideas of Europe we share and what kind of human and social development we are proposing.Since the post-war period Europe’s population aged below 25 has continuously decreased and rates of unemployment have grown. It is a clear signal that we need to respond by preparing policies aimed at young people, such as the Youth Guarantee

and Erasmus+, but especially by enabling "younger" and innovative policies based on skills, empowerment, the use of new technologies, and on a new impulse to culture, tourism and development of the territories, promoting the greatest access to the opportunities afforded by the new EU programmes.

And what would you like to see as a commitment from the next Commissioner in charge of Education and Youth? Do you share concern/criticism on the Commissioner-designate, Mr Tibor Navracsics, who was a member of a governement that implemented reforms in the Hungarian education system which reduced access to study opportunities for less wealthy students and fostered the segregation of the Roma in schools (i.e.: refoms that have been criticised by the European institutions in the past years).

/ 8

GEF had the pleasure to pose questions to Silvia Costa, who, during her second mandate as MEP for the Italian Partito Democratico (S&D), was recently elected as Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education. Prior to becoming an MEP in 2009, she held the position of Assessor for the Region of Lazio, working on Education, Right to Education and Training, after her post as Under Secretary of the Ministry of University and Scientific and Technological Research.

/ 9

The outcomes of the CULT Committee vote were reasonable. They took into account two elements: the concerns expressed about some sensitive points of cultural and educational policies and citizenship, as well as the formal commitment of Mr Navracsics during the hearing; to make sure that the Treaty of the European Union will be respected by everybody, including the Hungarian government.

Youth unemployment rates are increasing almost everywhere in Europe. Some experts think that unemployment among young people could be tackled by providing education that is more focussed on the job market and career opportunities. Do you share this view? And what do you think the European Parliament can do to foster such reform in the national curricula?

The fact that 13.2% of Europeans under the age of 24 are not studying or working (the so-called NEETs) and that a total of 6 million young people are unemployed, demonstrates the need to spread quality education and professional and technical training, and to avoid the disinvestment that has affected these sectors in several Member States in recent years. We need to act to reduce the jobs-skills mismatch in our labour markets, by aligning the educational curricula with the two million job vacancies in Europe. We have to foster the completion of the European Qualifications Framework system for the certification of qualifications and credits and provide support, also through the European Structural Funds, to guarantee funds and incentives for youth entrepreneurship. The tools are scholarships, internships, dual education, as well as the implementation of the Youth Guarantee in connection with opportunities for quality education and support for entrepreneurial skills of young people. From Europe, we need a strong encouragement to Member States and Regions.

The Italian presidency mentioned that they want to promote investment in education. With the crisis, the budgets

for education and youth have been cut in many countries. Do you expect a reversed trend in this area?

I believe that the Italian Presidency can represent an opportunity for the EU and for our country, to relaunch, in a holistic way, the knowledge partnerships (vocational education and training, research and business) in various areas, including the cultural and creative ones, as a priority to align skills, employment and economic and territorial development.

Youth are often mentioned as a priority for the next years. However, young people are often disengaged from European politics and the European Parliament; therefore they are rarely involved in decisions taken on the EU level that affect them. How can this be improved?

The practices of direct participation, made possible by the constant connection and digital tools, have deeply changed the relationship between citizens and politics. This is even more true for young people, who are calling for new ways of consultation and active participation in the upward phase of the decision-making process, a necessary condition for strengthening the democratic legitimacy.

You have also been very engaged in gender equality and women’s rights. What has the Parliament achieved in the last years in this area? Has there been notable progress? And how do you judge the discussion around gender balance in the formation of the new European Commission?

This issue still needs to be addressed through specific policies and actions, as identified by two important measures passed in the last term: first, the report on gender stereotypes, and secondly the one about the impact of the economic crisis on gender equality and women’s rights. The first is a strong incentive to create tools, also legislative ones, to overcome prejudices that cause women’s

exclusion and lack of participation in social, economic and political life, in order to protect their dignity. The second shows how the crisis has weighed on an already disadvantaged condition of participation in the labour market, wage gap, under-qualified work and higher risk of exposure to poverty for women, considering that austerity has reduced the social protection of motherhood, family and work-life balance, and influences the worsening of violence. This makes it urgent to integrate the perspective of gender equality in the strategies of public authorities to tackle the crisis. The improvement in women’s lives and the promotion of their rights is a condition for full democracy and measures the quality of all our societies. In Italy, in Europe and in the rest of the world.

And finally, what opportunities did you get in your education that helped you get to where you are today? And in that line, what message would you give to today’s youth?

I can say with conviction that my training has positively influenced my whole career. I studied humanistic studies and I think I brought with me throughout my personal political and professional experience, a special point of observation that has somehow "gone along” with my skills and allowed me to develop these skills through my life.Today’s young people are living in a condition of objective difficulty, compared with the previous generation and, as is evident from the data on NEETs, losing hope is a daily risk. But their contribution is crucial in making communities grow, and their access to culture and all levels of education is the main way towards building a society with more mature and aware citizens.We need to cultivate talents in a European perspective, so that all young people can consider Europe as their ”home” and take into consideration all the opportunities it has to offer. Erasmus is a symbol of this generation, and that’s not a coincidence.

Nowadays, wherever our sight wanders, we often meet a special flag made of green and golden colours, surrounding a piece of night sky. Visible on windows, on television, and on all sorts of promotional merchandise, the spotlight was on Brazil this year, the country that hosted the FIFA World Cup. But what do we really know about Brazil, apart from its rich football culture?

Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world

and it has the seventh largest economy, being

a member of the so-called BRICS countries,

which account for the most rapidly rising

economies of today. Economics, however, are

influenced in large part by the political sys-

tem, which is believed to be a troubled area

in Brazil. The presence of corruption and high

criminality is a major source of instability and

often an obstacle to further development.

However, with a new, politically more aware

young generation arising, it seems that the

youth want to make a change: awareness

of this was raised when the news was buz-

zing with images of demonstrations against

the World Cup, after Brazil won the right to

host this popular event. More than a million

people were out on the streets, protesting

against the unreasonably high expenditures

against a background of high levels of so-

cial disparity, low levels of social spending,

underdeveloped infrastructure, and low

investments in the health care system and

the educational system (particularly a poor

primary and secondary school system).

Nevertheless, the World Cup turned out to

be a tremendously popular sporting event,

attracting the attention of more people than

ever before. Even if a big part of the Brazilian

population initially objected to it, they gradu-

ally became captivated by the show as their

own team climbed higher and higher up the

qualification ladder. Although many showed

little interest in football due to the circum-

stances, the success inevitably awakened

hope. While the social difficulties continued,

the protests seemed to slowly fade out dur-

ing the World Cup, partly due to enforced

police action in some municipalities, and con-

cessions by the authorities in others. Many

Brazilians also waited for the World Cup to

end and hoped that the elections, which took

place on 5 October 2014, would bring change.

One of the main concerns of the protestors

was the chronically underfunded educational

system, which is notorious for its social and

regional disparities. However, despite gen-

eral malfunctions in the education system,

universities set a high standard. Having a

mixed system of private and public funded

universities, it is the public ones that offer a

higher quality education. In fact, it is so hard

to get into a public university that some stu-

dents need to prepare for years before they

take the entry exam to the most prestigious

institutions.

In 2011, the Brazilian state launched its

so-called “Science Without Borders” schol-

arship programme allowing students in the

STEM (science, technology, engineering and

maths) areas to study abroad for 6 to 12

months. Apart from giving participants a

life-changing experience, the scholarship also

prevents brain-drain by binding them to re-

turn home to finish their studies. According

to current President Dilma Rousseff, Brazil

is creating an “innovation policy", aiming to

send 100,000 students abroad by September

this year, which demonstrates the popular-

ity of the scholarship. Nevertheless, only a

privileged few can benefit from these kinds

of programmes.

In the end, the student community was one

of the main carriers of the protests 2013 and

2014, protesting not only for an improve-

ment in the educational system, but also for

improved social conditions on a broader level.

The Olympics, due to take place there in 2016,

will pose yet another challenge to the gov-

ernment and citizens. Moreover, the results

of the recent presidential elections will also

have a serious impact on future spending in

the disputed policy areas. Although both the

World Cup and the Olympics contribute to

building a positive image of the country, the

priority should be set on building trust among

the locals. To achieve this, it would be favour-

able to reach an agreement with the wishes

of the majority of the Brazilian population.

By Valentina Raths

(GEF Ambassador, Hungary)

Brazil without borders – order and progress?

/ 10

Bra

zil p

lage

© M

elin

da S

zabo

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Bra

zil f

ootb

all ©

Mar

cello

Cas

al Jr

/AB

r

Azadeh Alian, 29, is a Swedish diplomat in training. After a short introduction with the other young diplomats in Stockholm, she was posted in Kabul, Afghanistan in December 2013. Her portfolio covers a wide scope of issues: politics, human rights, economics, etc. GEF is now very curious to hear about her experiences:

What does a normal day for you look like?

Most days I’m at the office at 8 am. It’s

a short walk, just 50 meters from my

apartment and I cherish the calm hour that

I usually have before everything starts and

e-mails start popping in. It’s the moment of

the day that I usually get most work done!

Usually my days are packed with meetings

of various kinds – internal embassy related

ones, coordination meetings with the

international community and meetings with

Afghans, of course. I also do spend a lot of

time writing and reading reports − it’s crucial

to update and be updated.

Is it what you expected when you found out

that you were going to be posted there?

Yes and no. Before my deployment I had the

opportunity to visit the Embassy once and I

got a hunch of the situation, but I would say

that the job has been far more stimulating

and challenging than I had first expected. It’s

hard work and long days but at the same I

can’t imagine a more stimulating job. It’s an

honour to be in this country at such a crucial

time and to be able to follow the events from

the first row.

Has the experience in Afghanistan changed

you in any sense and if so, how?

Perhaps it’s still a bit early to answer this

question; I still have one more year in

Afghanistan. I must say that I have had the

opportunity to test my limits and also see

what I’m capable of doing and in some ways

surprised myself − in a positive way.

When did you know you wanted to become

a diplomat?

That’s a good question! I had known for

a long time that I wanted to work with

international relations and work abroad,

but it took me some time to figure out how

and in which capacity. After my internship

at a Swedish Embassy in the Middle East in

2010 I became more sure of that diplomacy

could be an interesting path professionally.

The multifaceted and complex nature of the

job attracted me – one day you are working

with trade promotion in Seoul, the other day

with political affairs in La Paz and the third

at the Eastern Europe desk in Stockholm!

It’s a profession that never bores you and you

constantly get to learn more about the world.

What is your advice for other young

people who want to follow a similar career

path to yours?

Be both idealistic and strategic. Focus

on things that really interests you, no

matter if it’s security policy, energy politics,

Latin America or human rights, and at

the same time make sure that you know

what the formal (and informal, if possible)

requirements are for getting the job. Do

you need to learn a new language? Or

perhaps update your knowledge about the

EU? If you are really good at something you

will get your dream job sooner or later. But

patience and hard work is needed. Few

people get jobs in my field without working

as unpaid and/or poorly paid interns for a

long time.

I would also strongly recommend to do

some research about what the job really

entails. Working with diplomacy for a

national foreign service, the European

External Action Service, the UN or regional

organisations can prove to be very

different from each other! Make sure that

you make an informed choice and have

at least an idea of what you are getting

yourself into, it will pay off in the long run.

‘a young diplomat in Afghanistan’

/ 11

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...

Azadeh Alian, Second Secretary for Political Affairs at the Swedish Embassy in Kabul

Recovery from the economic and financial crisis, rise of employment rates, regaining people’s support for the European integration process: these are the key points of the Italian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, aimed to address the situation that today we count about 26 million unemployed Europeans, as well as increased distrust towards one of the biggest supranational political projects in the world: the European Union.

The speech given by Mr. Renzi, Italy’s Prime

Minister, at the European Parliament in

Strasbourg (July 2014), marking the beginning

of Italy’s mandate, was appreciated for

having defined the EU as a ”community of

values”, rather than just an economic one.

But the focus of the speech on growth

and flexibility, apart from financial stability,

also drew some criticism, particularly from

Manfred Weber, (MEP for the German CDU

and leader of the EPP in the European

Parliament) who reminded everyone that

it was important to stick to the rules: Fiscal

flexibility would not lead to results, but to the

demolition of those already acquired.

These tensions in the European Parliament

don’t come as a surprise. In fact, the same

situation occurred several times during

the previous Presidency, under the Greek

leadership. It is clear that the transfer from

Greece to Italy has a lot of continuity aspects

given the sufferings that the economic crisis

has brought on both countries.

Some aspects of the Greek Presidency will

be continued: the reinforcement of the

subsidiary principle between the EU Member

States, the will to redefine cross-border

cooperation in employment, and most

of all, the outline of energy and industrial

policies, such as the reduction of greenhouse

gases, blue innovation in the Mediterranean

maritime area and radioactivity thresholds

of products in circulation.

But Italy has also proposed a lot of new

ideas: There will be a focus on relaunching

the negotiations for Turkish entry in the

EU, the maritime policies will be enlarged

to include not only energy production, but

also employment and ecological exploitation

of the seas, the international discussion

on security and cooperation themes will

be reintroduced (Western Balkans, North

Africa and Middle East), and the direction of

the economic efforts will be centred on the

creation of SMEs.

Considering the rate of youth unemployment

in Italy (43.7%), one of the focus areas of the

Presidency is youth policies. This means

a heavy investment in education and

sustainable economic growth as a result,

the enhancement of digital education,

favouring the autonomy and social/political

youth participation as a method of social

cohesiveness, strengthening of the Youth

Guarantee and the Youth Employment

Initiative, including through the European

Social Fund.

The aim of these investments is mainly

increased action towards those who have

dropped out of (or are likely to leave) school,

creating alternative pathways of work and

study, job placements, apprenticeships,

internships and entrepreneurship paths in

a context of strong cooperation between

national, regional and local institutions.

The creation of integrated networks and

platforms will also allow for continuous

monitoring of the interventions, their

evaluation and correction.

Will this be the right recipe for putting the

European Union, which is more and more

under pressure from internal tensions and

an identity crisis, back on the right track?

As a famous Italian writer, Alessandro

Manzoni, said: "ai posteri l’ardua sentenza"

(Posterity will judge).

By Mattia Abis (Italian student)

A youth perspective on the Italian Presidency of the EU

/ 12

EU IN FOCUS

/ 13

With soaring youth unemployment levels all over Europe, it is clear that young people have been among those hardest hit by the economic crisis. In today’s world, a person’s ability to find a job is more than anything linked to education. Recognising the need to support young people in education, training and sport, the European Commission, in April this year, launched the new Erasmus+ programme, which provides increased opportunities for young Europeans.

What is Erasmus+?

Erasmus+ (2014-2020) is a new 14.7 billion

euro framework for education, training youth

and sport. The new programme combines

all existing EU youth programmes, including

the Lifelong Learning Programme (Erasmus,

Leonardo da Vinci, Comenius and Grundtvig),

Youth in Action and five International

cooperation programmes. While the previous

programme cycle is mostly known for its

successful Erasmus programme, which

facilitates mobility between young Europeans

in higher education, the new integrated

programme will also target primary education

and vocational education and training. The

programme also incorporates a funding

programme within the area of sports.

How is Erasmus+ different?

The Erasmus+ programme provides a more

integrated EU framework for young people,

as well as staff mobility programmes and

cooperation between higher education

institutions, all of which ensure a transparent

and effective framework with more simple

application procedures. The new programme

has received an increase in funding of nearly

40% compared to the previous programmes,

which means that more Europeans will be

able to benefit from it.

In general, the new programme is more

ambitious in nature as it seeks to strengthen

the synergies between education and jobs,

while it maintains the aims of improving skills

and employability, as well as supporting the

modernisation of education and training. In

terms of specific advantages for Erasmus

students, Erasmus+ offers increased access

to the programme by:• offering stronger support to students

wishing to improve their language skills

before undertaking an Erasmus experience;• targeting more strongly the specific needs

of the applicant and adjusting more to living

costs in the destination country;• making it possible to apply for more than one

Erasmus experience, such as an Erasmus

university or work placement, Erasmus for

entrepreneurs, etc., although priority may be

given to those who have not yet benefited

from the programme;• introducing a loan guarantee scheme to

help Master’s students finance a full degree

abroad;• contributing to a high quality learning

experience with a new Erasmus Charter:

more concrete agreements between higher

education institutions which will specify

required language skills, housing and visa

issues.

Who is eligible?

Erasmus+ is open to students, teachers,

apprentices, volunteers, youth leaders and

people working in grassroots sport. This

means that all people from an EU-country

enrolled in higher education, or in vocational

education and training, can apply for an

Erasmus grant to undertake a semester

abroad, either at another institution, or to

do an internship. Teachers can also apply

for funds to go abroad in order for them to

develop vital intercultural skills. It will also

provide funding for partnerships between

educational institutions, youth organisations,

enterprises, local and regional authorities

and NGOs, as well as support for reforms

in Member States to modernise education

and training and to promote innovation,

entrepreneurship and employability.

Is the European Youth Guarantee related to Erasmus+?

No, the new Erasmus+ programme is

but one of several new initiatives created

to promote personal development and

employment among young Europeans. In

addition to the Erasmus+ programme, the

Commission has targeted youth through the

Youth Employment Initiative, and has most

notably created a European Youth Guarantee

which aims to ensure that all young people

under 25 will get a good-quality offer of a

job, apprenticeship, traineeship or continued

education within 4 months of leaving

formal education or becoming unemployed.

Unfortunately, only two countries have so far

received the funds to implement the Youth

Guarantee scheme, namely France and Italy.

By Marie Louise Gammelgård Larsen

(GEF Ambassador, Denmark)

Learning mobility, such as offered by the Erasmus+ programme, helps young people to develop

skills which put them ahead of their non-mobile peers in the race for jobs. However, the benefits

of such programmes reach far beyond employability. One of the original ideas behind the Erasmus

programme was to create a European identity in participating students. We examined these

benefits in the Erasmus Voting Assessment project, a study which aims to find out whether

Erasmus students have a more positive attitude towards the European Union and are more likely

to vote in the European Parliament elections. To read more about this project go to page 5.

Erasmus+: An integrated programmefor education, training, youth and sport

Eras

mus

+ ©

Chris

toph

er F

utch

er

/ 14

A mund të flasim sot për etikë e rrugulla të mirësjelljes në tregun financiar?Konceptimi i ekonomise dhe raporti midis të drejtës së individit dhe ekonomisë ka pësuar një trasformim negativ të thellë. Mendoj se e gjithë ekonomia botërore, nuk mund të ”shërohet” nga kriza, nëse nuk implementohet ndershmeria morale e cila është themeli i tregut financiar.

Veprimi brenda etikës, moralit dhe rregullave të mirësjellsjes, duhet të përfaqësojnë shtyllën e një themeli të fortë, e cila duhet të orientojë në veprimtarinë e tyre protagonistët e botës financiare.Dua të citoj një paragraf të Papës Benedikti i XVI, që shkruan në librin « Caritas in Veritate », "Ekonomia dhe financa, si instumentë, mund të keqpërdoren atëherë, kur dikush i përdor për qëllimet e veta egoiste. Kështu që ato mund të shdërrohen në instumenta vërtetë të mira ose në instrumenta të dëmshme. Por është arsyeja e errësuar e individit që i prodhon këto pasoja dhe nuk janë aspak instrumentat. Si rrjedhim nuk janë instrumentat që duhet vëzhguar, por individi, arsyeja, morali dhe përgjegjësia morale dhe sociale”. Vihet re në këto fjalë të Papës, që i bën thirrje veprimtarisë së individit për tu ndërgjegjësuar e për ti nxitur drejt veprimtarive të drejta e brenda rregullave të mirësjelljes dhe moralit. Në ditët e sotme në Shqipëri, lufta për pushtet ekonomik e financiar, është tepër e eger dhe për rrjedhojë reflektohet tek individët kapitalistë të cilët me bizneset e tyre e ushtrojnë veprimtarinë duke patur si qëllim kryesor vetëm të pasurohen me ç’do mjet të mundshëm edhe nëse nuk është brenda normave të etikës e moralit. Sipas mendimit timë, ështe detyrë e qeverisë shqiptare të ndjekë një politikë financiare të mirëfilltë, që të ketë si objektiv konkurencën e ndershme në veprimtarinë e biznesit dhe brenda rregullave morale, duke lejuar veprimtari ekonomike jo vetëm brenda ligjit por edhe vlerave të respektit midis palëve, e cila si synim duhet të ketë luftën kundër papunësisë dhe varfërisë që çon në rritjen e mirqenies së përgjithshme. Qeveria duhet të ndërtojë rregulla punësimi, duke ndërhyrë si interlokutor në mes të punëdhënësve të biznesit dhe qytetareve në nevoje. Në mungesë të këtyre principeve, si suksesi ekonomik i kompanive por edhe suksesi i qeverisë, do ishte i pafuqishëm për të zgjidhur problemet thelbësore të individëve në shoqërinë shqiptare. Të përvetësosh si biznesmen një sjellje etike do të thotë të jesh më i frymëzuar në ushtrimin e biznesit, me maksimumin e korrektësisë, duke dhënë kontribut të dobishëm në shoqëri.Tregu i lirë me rregulla të mirësjelljes, por dhe i ndershëm, është forca e gjenerimit të mirqënies shoqërore.

Anxhela BushatiGEF Ambassador, Albania

Përgjegjësia sociale e kompanive në tregun financiar, midis etikës në financë dhe rregullave të mirësjelljes

Social responsibility of companies in the financial market,

between ethics in finance and etiquette.

Can we talk today about ethics and etiquette in the financial

market? The conception of the economy and the balance

between the right of the individual and the economy has

undergone a profound negative transformation. I think the

entire world economy can’t "recover" from the crisis if moral

honesty is not implemented, which should be the foundation

of the financial market. Actions based within a framework

of ethics, morals and rules should represent the pillar of a

strong foundation, which should orient protagonist activities

in the financial world.

Read the rest of the article in English at: www.generation-europe.eu/media-centre/ magazines/

/ 15

This is the number of female European Commissioners in "Team Juncker", the new Commission which plans to take up its job on the 1st of November 2014.

There has been much discussion around this number. While the Commission has traditionally been reigned by men, the percentage of female Commissioners has risen from 6% in 1992 to 33% in the current Barroso Commission. Yet, this increase is slow, and 7 Member States, including Portugal and Finland, have never nominated a woman as "their" Commissioner. In 2010, the European Commission adopted the Woman’s Charter, in which it promised to increase the representation of women among its own ranks.

In his electoral campaign to become the President of the European Commission, Juncker promised a team consisting of at least 40% women. Yet, initially, Member States put forward mainly male candidates. The current female Commissioners called upon governments to nominate more women and Juncker even promised more important portfolios and/or the position of a Vice President to Member States who nominated a woman. Besides Juncker’s electoral campaign promises, there were concerns that the European Parliament would not approve a Commission with fewer female Commissioners than before.

The current figure of 9 female candidates out of 28 Commissioner delegates means the percentage has stagnated at 33%. In other EU institutions, the situation doesn’t look much brighter: 37% of the MEPs are female (an increase of 2% from the last mandate); in the current European Council, composed by the 28 Heads of State, there are only 5 women.

Fewer women in politics at EU level are repercussions of the small number of women present in national politics. We do find more and more women in political leadership positions, yet there is still a long way to go to equal representation in decision making.

Every Presidency of the Council of the European Union presents its work programme to the Parliament in the beginning of its term. The Italian Prime Minister Renzi received a standing ovation for giving an inspiring speech focussing on positive change and a future narrative for Europe. Italy has the Presidency of the Council of the European Union between July and December 2014.

To read more about the Italian Presidency, go to page 12.

“If Europe would take a selfie of itself today, it would show a bored face”.Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, 2 July 2014.

© M

aryb

60

9K

EY

F

IGU

RE

QUOTE

/ 16

COMPETITIONSCORNER

What? The three hosts of the RTL youth show ‘YOLO − Das große W‘ have launched a 10 month-long photo competition for young Europeans on Instagram! They will announce a new monthly theme between January and November 2014 on their Facebook and Instagram profiles. This month’s new theme marks the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall and the Iron Curtain.

For whom? All residing EU nationals and nationals belonging to countries with EU candidate or potential candidate status (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Iceland, former Yugoslav Republic

of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey). Maximum age limit: 30 years old.

Until when? Deadline: Continuous, every month on the 15th, until November 2014.

Prizes? Winning photos will be exhibited at the premises of the European Commission (EC) in December 2014. Winners will receive a free tour of the European institutions. All travel expenses will be covered by the

EC. A jury will then select an overall winner, who will be invited to visit the production set of the RTL show ‘YOLO − Das große W‘ (2015 season) in one of the EU countries.

Organised by: Story House Productions

More info:

www.storyhousepro.com/ instagram-photo-competition- for-young-europeans/

What? Create a short film (viral video)

highlighting the benefits of Europass,

a set of documents aimed at making

your skills and qualifications clearly and

easily understood in Europe! You can

choose any style and any media − let

your imagination run free! The link to

Europass can be obscure: the key to a

successful video is that it is memorable

and striking enough to make people

want to share it with their friends.

For whom? Any citizen over 18 years old

residing in one of the participating countries:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom.

Until when? 30 November 2014.

Prizes? 1st prize: a trip to your dream city in Europe (European Union, EEA or EU candidate countries); 2nd prize: a 1000 € shopping voucher; 3rd prize: a 500 € shopping voucher.

Organised by: Europass

More info:

http://europa.eu/youth/eu/

news/europass-2014-viral-

video-competition_en

Instagram Competition for Young Europeans

Europass 2014 Viral Video Competition