Our target group met in Hessen, Germany: 90 young Europeans formed a voice for the youth on the continent, on a regional level. A wonderful source of inspiration and a good opportunity to understand the need of the folks we make indigo for.
Quiz. In which country can the following region be found? Guria, Somogy, Sormland, Zagrebacka zupanija, Lviv. Yes, that’s all Europe, according to the Assembly of the European Regions (AER), who’s 25 year old youth and citizenship officer Malgorzata Kucinska from Poland and others organised the conference. Look at the map: It’s the indigo-Europe. Way more than these iron borders of the EU that we don’t like at all.
The founding fathers (and mothers) of the AER Youth Network.
It was Joeri, Irene and me going to the conference in the parliament of Wiesbaden, capital of the German federal state of Hessen (Hessen has a terrible prime minster, but that’s a different story). Unfortunately, we spoiled a good marketing opportunity as nobody took copies of indigo. Anyway, we did target group studies and networking. And had a little bit of the smell of this we-are-young-and-change-the-world-feeling that we share at our indigo meetings. If we didn’t fight about section names in the magazine. Somehow the slogan of the conference reminds me of indigo: “The future belongs to us – but how should we handle it?”
Subsiwhat?
The idea of the whole meeting was to start up a “AER Regional Youth Network”. A platform for all kind of organisations, councils and youth parliaments of the member regions. Because they focus on the regional level they attempt to be more than just another network of youth organisations. They even used this no-go-word “subsidiarity” to explain their goal. Suggestion to everybody using the word subsidiarity: In future, call it Doitwhereyouare. Otherwise people will grow old on their couches without knowing what the hell they are supposed to do. Besides, the AER-spokesman jumps from bridges to explain the people what it means. Cool.
Anyway, goals of the Network: Communication, political participation, civic culture, education, governance and networking. I’m quoting. Example: 29-year-old translator Lika Glonti takes her president’s promise for more democracy literary. She comes from the region Guria in Georgia and if you ask her about the war this summer, she still needs time to find the words for her shock although her English is fluent. Now she wants to start up a youth parliament in Guria. She learns how to do it best from people like Charlotte Kude, 17 year old pupil in her last year of education in France. Charlotte fights for waste separation and partnerships with foreign countries in her school, is active in Sarkozys party and member of the youth council in her city. In total she’s involved in seven different youth organisations.
50 percent unemployment rate
Most interesting observation: As often in such conferences, most of the participants come from countries that are new to the EU or want to join. For them Europe is still a thrilling emotion, they think of the freedom they’ll have and about studying and travelling without borders.
Fights for his region: Srdjan Mazalica
Again Charlotte Krude, her biggest concern about the future is climate change. Whereas Goran Grobolek, 22-year-old political youth activist from Krapinsko-Zugorska (Croatia) says in an urgent voice: “Stop the anger that is rising again on the Balkans.”
Srdjan Mazalica is not just about two meters tall, the 29-year-old electrical engineer is also member of the parliament of the Republica Srpska. Ever second young man or woman in his region must have the feeling of having no future at all: The region has the incredible high unemployment rate of 50 percent among the youth. “My biggest concern is how to feed my family”, he says in the name of those who wait for a better future. As German, I would never have thought that one of the main concerns of the participants is that they have to migrate to other countries or regions because they can’t find a proper work and future where they live.
Lessons for indigo
What does this tell to indigo? Concerns such as climate change or the spread of green energy, let’s call it high-level concerns, are a mayor subject to those who have the feeling of a secure future in prosperity. The others care about it as well, but not at first. Our target group is vastly divided and with the most different needs you can imagine. But they agree on one thing: best solutions can be found together. Europe must prove they are right. And a European magazine also has to be a voice for all of us.
And peace? For most of the participants the old argument of Europe as a peace project is not the driving argument - besides the Georgian delegation. Peace is something we obviously take for granted. „We are a very lucky generation“ stated Malgorzata Kucinska. And added, that we have to take the opportunity and shape the future of the continent.
More democrazy
Workshops at the meeting: Policy means a place to skate.
That means for example more democrazy (indigo-spelling of democracy). Learn from the Swiss: Beat Rohner, 21 years old member of a youth council in St-Gallen, says policy means creating a place to skate or to fight for better bus connections during night time. That’s the first lesson. The second is, Beat does not want Swiss to join the EU. Bastard? No, his argument is democratic: He thinks directly voting on things like in his country is a good thing and joining the EU would mean to give away democratic rights to intransparent Brussels office buildings. Good point. (Besides that he stated that Swiss would pay too much if they’d join the union. But that does not really fit in the picture of a brave Swiss democrat I want to paint. Forget about it.)
After working in five groups, they all agreed on a common resolution what their new organisation want to stand for in future. Next step will be to elect a president on a meeting in Dolnoslovskie (Poland) in June next year. We’ll be there, this time with brand new copies of the latest issue, indigo number three. Till now, you have to do it with our second issue (download here).
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