OUR PROGRAMS

We aim at giving diaspora youths the opportunity to get familiar with the EU institutions.

THINK LOCAL, GO GLOBAL

“Work with your MEP” is a program aiming at developing an inclusive and collaborative framework in which the youth can be more involved in the work of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) through the development of concerted action created to improve their lives. Through this program, we want diaspora youths to better understand EU policies, the SDGs and its legislative process making young people the actors rather than observers of EU development.

We believe that going beyond the simple exchange and providing a concrete framework in which young people can follow the progress and the implementation of the actions agreed with the MEPs, will build greater confidence in the importance of their votes; in their representative and will help to stimulate their membership of the Union.

Team Antiracism/Discrimination

The anti-racism team has 5 german speaking members based in The Netherlands and Germany. They will be working on the review and implementation of the EU Anti-racism Action Plan together with MEP Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana & ARDI the European Parliament anti-racism intergroup.

An action plan is a document that outlines all the detailed steps, tasks and actions that must be taken in order to address a specific goal. It also defines deadlines and assigns tasks to either persons, institutions, department etc.

Example: two major resolutions pushed through by ARDI the EP anti-racism intergroup, anti-racism civil society organisation and citizens on the street lead to the first ever EU anti-racism action plan in September 2020.

Team Education

Together with MEP Salima Yenbou, the Education team has 13 French-speaking members based in Belgium, France, Italy and Portugal. Together, with MEP Salima Yenbou, they will be working on an own-initiative report regarding the role of culture, education, media and sport in the fight against racism.

An own initiative report is a document that allows the MEPs to influence and push for a legislative or non-legislative proposal from the European Commission.

Example: Tourism, which had never been funded by the EU, is one of the sectors that have been severely affected by the pandemic! Therefore, an own-initiative report had been submitted in October 2020 to help push the European Commission to propose an adequate plan and financing to relaunch of the tourism in Europe.

Team Environment

The environment team has 7 French-speaking members based in Belgium, France, Italy and Senegal. They will be working on a resolution on textile with MEP Saskia Brickmont which will impact the future EU Action Plan on Textile to be published by the end of 2021.

Resolutions set up the position of the European Parliament on topics related to EU competences. They are not legally binding and aim to push the Commission to develop a legislative proposal.

Example: one of the most recent and famous one is the one of June 2020. Following the killing of George Floyd and BLM movements all over the world including in Europe for months, the European Parliament submitted a resolution concerning racism, slavery, discrimination, colonialism and police brutality towards black people in Europe.

Team Gender/Employment

This team has 2 Dutch-speaking members based in Belgium, The Netherlands and France. Together, with MEP Samira Rafaela, they will be working on the EU Pay Transparency directive.

Directives are one of the five legal acts of the EU. They give objectives to all EU countries and deadlines to reach them. However, they let the national institutions choose the way those objectives will be reached. They need to be transposed into national law to be effective.

Example: In 2016, a directive has been voted to outline all the goals of the EU in order to improve its quality of air.

Team Human Right

The Human Rights team has 14 members working in English. They are based in Belgium, France, Italy and the UK. Together with MEP Maria Arena, they will be working on the reform of the EU Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+) regulation.

Policy reform consists of updates, in this case of a regulation, made in order to ensure that the policies allies with our current economic, social and cultural society but also anticipate any future development in those areas.

Example: One of the most (in)famous reforms which you can find in many countries is pension reform. In Belgium the pension reform of 2016 placed the age of retirement at from 65 to 66 years starting in 2025, and at 67 years old in 2030.

PAST PROGRAMS

#DiasporaVote!, a citizens’ initiative shaking the European codes

#DiasporaVote! Event

We supported our young ambassadors in the organization of 7 events in different European countries. Bringing together citizens and candidates for the European elections on the same table; national representatives and representatives from European institutions; allowing intercultural and intergenerational exchanges took place.

Ta Minute Européenne

An educational and recurring audiovisual programs explaining the European landscape, the role of institutions; European issues as well as the role of the citizen in the European legislative process.

Training

9 diaspora youths benefited from a visit of the European Parliament , met the representatives of the European Commission and Council of the European Union and had specific training on elections and EU institutions, and their impact at the local level.

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