I am very happy to provide you here with the speech given by James Doorley, the Vice President of the European Youth Forum at the last meeting of the Youth Working Party of the EU Council of Ministers for Youth.
Youth Working Party - Council of Ministers for Youth
Brussels, Friday December 9th 2005
On behalf of the European Youth Forum I would like to thank the UK Presidency for inviting us to make a contribution to your meeting today. We are particularly pleased to be present at this meeting as the issues covered today are very important concerns for us in the European Youth Forum. We believe that young people clearly have a role to play in challenging discrimination and in promoting diversity and I am willing to present you today our positions as well as our motivation to get engaged at the occasion of coming activities that have been included in the European Union agenda.
But more specifically, I would like to answer the question you have asked me before I came to this meeting: What is the role of the European Youth Forum, its Member Organisations and youth organizations in challenging and confronting the development of racism and xenophobia in Europe? In my view the most important contribution of youth organizations is the daily work done by thousands of youth groups, networks and organizations all over Europe. I know from my own experience at local level that this involves youth orgs reaching out and being inclusive of young people of all backgrounds, traditions and cultures. This work also includes bringing young people from different backgrounds together so as to challenge myths, stereotypes and build understanding. It also involves young people and youth organizations speaking out against racism and taking part in local campaigns and being positive promoters of diversity and that belief that we may all be different, but also all equal. We in the European Youth Forum are very committed to this area of work and were actively involved in the European Conference “Youth in Action for diversity and tolerance” that took place in Berlin from November 6th to 9th . This conference, which was jointly organized by the European Commission DG EAC and the German Federal Ministry of family, senior citizens, women and youth, has indeed been a very important moment for young people involved in youth work against racism and intolerance to come together, take stock, learn what others are doing and reflect on the current situation and devise strategies for the future. By developing projects, organizing peer to peer learning and engaging in a dialogue with policy makers at all levels, youth organizations are highly committed to confront and fight against the rise of racism and xenophobia in Europe. We acknowledge that this is not always easy and is a struggle, because one inflammatory statement or stupid action can easily undo years of hard work to build understanding.
I would like to recall here how important it is for the European Youth Forum to work closely with the institutions of the European Union. The dialogue we have engaged in with the Council of the European Union and its working structures is essential for us in the Forum. On a sensitive question like the fight against racism and xenophobia, speaking with the representatives of EU Member States is all the more important to us as each European country face different challenges. The implementation of the “Council declaration on racism and intolerance in relations to young people” adopted by the Council for youth on May 28th 2004 should be high in your agenda. I want to tell you here that within the European Youth Forum membership, the National Youth Councils are ready to get engaged alongside your respective administrations in a fruitful dialogue that would eventually lead public authorities and youth organizations to working together in the fight against racism and xenophobia.
Let me share with you a thought that is critical to understand the message I want to pass you on today. Europe is by nature a diverse continent, whose history has led diverse populations to live together. This diversity is an asset for the future of Europe, indeed our diversity should be a source of celebration rather than conflict and discrimination. Indeed we have to get the message across that not only do we inflict pain and suffering on the victims of racism and xenophobia but that the scourge of racism is a blot on all our societies and that we all suffer the consequences of such attitudes and behaviours. I acknowledge that the promotion of diversity is a complex exercise that requires dealing with peoples’ mentalities and inherited stereotypes. Indeed, young people are in a better position to understand the value of diversity in our ever globalised world. It is of utmost importance that young people are active in “shaping their world”. It is because “young people are co-creators in society and culture, shaping the environments in which we live, responding and stimulating contemporary cultural changes, and ultimately inheriting and adapting the social systems that are currently in place. Thus, it is a social responsibility of adults and institutions to educate and support young people to meet their current and future challenges as citizens”.
The European Youth Forum acknowledges the important efforts that have been deployed by the European Union to develop a set of legislation to fight against discrimination in Europe. This legislative effort is particularly important as it provides the victims of discrimination with the legal means to have their case listened to and their damage compensated by Courts. In the current context, we urge EU member States to ensure good quality implementation for these directives. Unfortunately much of the discrimination and racism experienced by young people and others is insidious and therefore not always easy to prove in a court of law.
In addition, the European Youth Forum calls for the development of new directives that would complement the current European legal framework to fight against discrimination. In particular, we believe that age discrimination faced by young people is not sufficiently monitored and that the scope of the protection provided by the current “Employment Equality” directive is too limited. In the coming years it is essential that we learn more through research about the nature of discrimination faced by young Europeans. In addition, it is vital that we challenge age discrimination not only in the labour market but also in other areas of social life such as the access to goods and services.
Lastly, we share the idea expressed in the “Framework Strategy to fight against discrimination and for equal opportunities for all”, published by the European Commission last June 1st 2005, that it must be a priority to raise European citizens’ awareness of their actual rights. The decision to have in 2007 the European Year for Equal Opportunities for all” is an initiative that the European Youth Forum welcomes very much. We are willing to take an active part during this year and to contribute to it so as to bring in it an indispensable youth perspective. To do that, the European Youth Forum notably plans to work with other important European NGOs such as the European Network Against Racism.
The European Youth Forum is very concerned by the rising trends of extreme nationalism and the incitement of fear against of different cultures and backgrounds. This worrying development should lead policy makers to embark on ambitious policies to promote diversity, not only to fight against discrimination. Promoting diversity should involve supporting people to understand why our societies benefit from diversity. We believe that building a positive approach to diversity is of paramount importance. In this regard, both formal and non formal education are very important instruments to build upon if we want to have a longstanding impact on the way in which diverse people live together in Europe. In addition, we believe that “dialogue” should be the approach as it would allow every interest to be heard and defended, while at the same time allowing people from various backgrounds to build together in the same direction.
We strongly believe that the European Youth together with youth organizations have an important role to play in building a diverse Europe where respect of the others is a value. At the Policy level, the work plan of the European Youth Forum for 2005 and 2006 includes the development of a comprehensive policy on Equality and Diversity. A European Youth Forum Expert Group on Equality and Diversity recently met in Moscow to start this work. The European Youth plans to adopt this new Policy Paper in its next Council of Members that will meet in April2006.
Youth organizations are already extremely active and perform a lot of missions that would normally fall in the hands of public authorities. In particular, youth organisations are actively involved for the promotion of equality within the European society. They voice the injustices faced by young people from minorities and of all these young people that are discriminated against because of their ethnic origins. They provide support to young people with disabilities that are facing many challenges to find their way in the so called “normal” environment. Youth organizations are also involved in work and activities to promote respect and tolerance for young people with different sexual orientations. Being young can indeed be a time of storm and stress, for young people who are deemed different in some way by others can add to that pressure. Therefore youth organizations play a vital role in supporting young people to navigate these different challenges and obstacles and in challenging the mindsets of others and society in general.
However young people can only be “actors of change” if they are supported in their action by policy makers. Youth organizations should be supported in their work notably when it comes to build upon the others’ experiences. Youth Organisations’ Networking activities should be encouraged notably through the use of new technologies. The creation of DASH – Europe must be seen as a good example in this regard. This internet platform of and for young people that was developed within the past three years with the support of the YOUTH programme of the European Commission and the German Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, is a very important tool for youth workers to share their experiences and challenges.
The work done by youth organizations from local to global level should be more encouraged than it is the case today. Efforts have already been made in this sense, notably through the YOUTH Programme 2000-2006. The implementation of the “Youth in Action” Programme 2007-2013 should be respectful of the commitment already agreed upon by Member States to have a clear focus on the work done by youth organizations to promote young peoples’ social inclusion. The current negotiations that will lead to the adoption of the Financial Perspectives of the European Union for 2007-2013, hopefully this December, should secure adequate funding to the “Youth in Action Programme”.
Apart from increased financial support, youth organizations are calling for the development of new “partnerships” between public authorities and youth organizations at all levels. At the local level, this should be done through the implementation of the Council of Europe “Revised Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life”. At national and European levels, the co-management systems operated at local, regional and within the Council of Europe must serve as good examples of co-operation between youth organizations and public authorities. The coming assessment of the implementation of the Open Method of Coordination in the youth field should be used as an opportunity to reinforce the role and recognition of youth participation in the European Union.
Let me conclude my intervention with the initiatives and activities the European Youth Forum has undertaken for the development of Equality and Diversity in Europe.
The most striking example is the creation of an Expert Group on inter-religious dialogue, composed of religious youth organizations and other organisations and in which the European Youth Forum takes part as a facilitator. This expert group was launched following an event co-organised by the European Youth Forum and the Forum of European Youth and Muslim Youth Organisations (FEMYSO) whose title was “Muslim Youth in Europe – Enrichment of Society?”. Today this inter-faith group gathers around ten organisations and it has embarked on European activities with the financial support of the European Union. The European Youth Forum will closely follow its further developments as we believe that the promotion of inter-religious dialogue is critical to the development of a diverse yet equal European Society.
The European Youth Forum has also been very active for the promotion of equality of young women and young disabled people, by co-organizing two seminars, respectively with the European Women’s Lobby and the European Disability Forum in 2003 and 2004. Our work in the fields of Equality and Diversity will be further elaborated through the adoption of an important policy paper on the issue in the course of 2006.
Last but not least, because working for diversity and Equality in Europe is above all about reaching people and telling them about their rights and about the needs for change, not only the European Youth Forum but also the thousands of youth groups actively involved in this work on a weekly basis. We are pleased to learn that young people will be a target group of the EU Campaign “for diversity – against discrimination”, and I want to tell you here that we are very willing to be involved in this Campaign in 2006. In addition, this EU Campaign is complementary to the initiative we have been developing jointly with European Governments, in the framework of the Council of Europe, to have in 2006-2007 a new Campaign “All different – all equal” whose focus will be put on Human Rights, Diversity and Participation.
I want to encourage here the European Commission and the Council of Europe to collaborate as much as possible in these occasions so as to unite the forces available for and with young people. This is especially important as these coming activities have a real potential for improving the situation of millions of young Europeans. That is why I believe we must see the coming months and years with hope and trust in our capacity to help a lot of young people understand why we all need that they also get engaged to build a better society, in which equal opportunities is offered to young people. Our goal and I am sure the goal of all of us here is to build a Europe where every young people is respected and valued and where they are supported to be active citizens and achieve their full potential. If we allow racism and xenophobia to go unchallenged and unchecked we not only undermine the future of many young people we undermine all our futures.
Once again thank you for the invitation and we look forward to working with you on this important topic.
James Doorley,
Vice President of the European Youth Forum
Quotation from Robin Sclafani report and recommendations on « anti racism work with youth in the European Union ».
Directives 2000
The following objectives have been included in the EC YOUTH Programme for 2000-2006:
Open up greater access, in particular to young people living in difficult circumstances or young people with disabilities, whilst helping them to eliminate all forms of discrimination and promote equality at all levels of society;
Permit young people to give free expression in their sense of solidarity in Europe and the wider world and support the fight against racism and xenophobia;
Promote a better understanding of the diversity of our Common European culture and shared heritage.
