European Youth Convention is just a joke

There’s a big gap between Europe and the ‘citizen’. How many times we’ve heard this already? And justly by the way.
The Flemish Youth Council permanently stimulates the involvement of youngsters in the European decision-making process. The ‘adult-Convention’ in Brussels from 11 till 14th July 2002 wishes to create a framework in order to keep an extended European Union workable and at the same time to guarantee a good participative model. As a good example of the latter, the Convention is in real ‘apartheidstyle’ preceded by a Youth Convention (9-14 july 2002). A kind of playground for youngsters, preceding the serious work. Is this the participation that we want? According to the Flemish Youth Council this approach is highly questionable.

But it doesn’t stop there. Besides the approach, also the procedure can’t be called democratic. The Youth Councils from the three communities in Belgium have each the mandate from their parliament and government to represent children, youngsters and the youth sector on international fora. That’s why we proposed to jointly appoint the young people for the Youth Convention, in order to include these mandates in an existing and good working support structure. By our contact with both youthwork organisations and individual youngsters, occupied with international themes, we always succeed in compiling a well-balanced and widely supported delegation. In this way we achieve a sufficient representative group. Moreover, afterwards we can present meaningful feedback. Finally we feel supported by the official procedure of selection, which speaks about ‘an overall balance among the young people’. Also mentioned is that the Convention members ‘have been asked to take into account the proposals submitted by youth organisations active at national level’. This used to be called democracy…

We are concerned about the reactions of the Belgian Convention members. They believed it was fully unnecessary to select the youngsters in a well thought out and good way. As a representative of the federal parliament in the Convention, Karel De Gucht (chairman of the Flemish liberal party) answered that we can participate in his essay-contest about ‘The future of Europe’. Thereby he asks youngsters – quote – “ to defend, next to me, his or her liberal vision on Europe in the Convention” – unquote. The winner will be his youth candidate. Or how you can change Europe in something for an elite and make participation dependent from talent to write.

If there’s one thing that youngsters (and not only they) question about Europe, it surely is the democratic degree of it. Who takes decisions on what base? How to prove a real democratic control? How does one involve children and youngsters in European matters? And how can one believe in real, meaningful participation if even the Convention members don’t want to listen to ‘the’ voice of young people, but only to the voice that suits them. And these same people have to mould a ‘new’, workable Europe and guarantee this meaningful participation. We cross our fingers! The Youth Convention seems to become a missed opportunity!

More information: the Flemish Youth Council (Vlaamse Jeugdraad)
tel. 02/5511371 (Bart Verhaeghe)
tel. 0486/954754 (Steven Wouters)