THINK LOCAL,
GO GLOBAL

“I have always been happy to respond positively when young people want to work with me. Especially when it comes to young Afro-Germans. That is why I have always supported German youth initiatives and projects, both in my work and in my socio-political commitment when I was teaching at universities and colleges in Germany.
I am always willing to support young people in their projects. Last year, for example, the young Afro-Germans of our metropolitan region of Bavaria (Germany) invited me to their “Black Lives Matter” event in Nuremberg to give the opening speech as a speaker.

I am convinced that in order to promote an anti-racist and egalitarian Europe, we need to work closely with young people. This is essential if we are to win the challenge of a united and diverse Europe. We must welcome young people around our table, give them the chance to participate in decision-making processes. It is therefore our task, as Members of the European Parliament, to facilitate a new approach and to develop a permanent dialogue with young people from the diaspora, especially those from migrant or bi-cultural families. ”

Dr. Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana
Member of the European Parliament

“The #DiasporaVote! initiative immediately spoke to me: it is an opportunity to collaborate with young people, to create new forms of mobilisation and proposals to influence policies. By being elected, I committed myself to bringing the voice of those who are under-represented and therefore not heard enough within the institutions. This is the case for young people, and even more so for young people from the diaspora, a double invisibilisation and political under-representation, including in the European Parliament.

#DiasporaVote! is not only about getting young people and MEPs to work together, the project is also about achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is 100% in line with my own fight for social and climate justice in the European Parliament. This is why I would like to propose to them to collaborate on a project linked to a file that I am following within the International Trade Committee of the Parliament and which aims at reinforcing the societal responsibility (social, environmental, democratic) of companies.”

Saskia Bricmont
Member of the European Parliament

“I joined the #DiasporaVote! adventure without hesitation. It is a way to create concrete links between Europe and young people and it is a real experience for them but also a form of participatory democracy that will feed my work in the European Parliament.”

Salima Yenbou
Member of the European Parliament

“What inspired me to join the #DiasporaVote! adventure is above all the meaning of the project, a citizen initiative that challenges European codes. It is important for us MEPS, who represent all Europeans, including young people and the diaspora, to participate in the development of such a tool to understand and become more involved in European political life. It is also a plus to be able to exchange ideas with young people even when they are divergent, it allows to enrich the debate and to find solutions together.  ”

Marie Arena
Member of the European Parliament