Europe

Balkan Round Table 2014

IUSY Secretariat

We are happy to invite you to the

BALKAN ROUND TABLE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE –
The Future of Social Democracy in the Balkans

from the 11 to the 13 of July 2014, Belgrade (Serbia)

The Balkan Round Table gathers young leaders of the IUSY member organizations in the Balkan area, with the aim of strengthening the organizations and the cooperation within the region. Together we will discuss the current political situation and elaborate strategies to face the challenges that lie ahead.

The main theme for Balkan Round Table will be The future of Social Democracy in the Balkans. The political program contains seminars on topics that are identified as common challenges for the region, such as youth unemployment, labor rights, cross-border issues and the EU, minority rights and gender equality. As a lot of our member organizations face organizational challenges, there will also be a seminar on organizational structure and project management that will present methods and tools to strengthen our organizations. Since the future is ours to shape the weekend will be an interactive one, with country reports, sharing of experiences and ideas, workshops, political actions and of course building networks and making friends!

The meeting is organized in cooperation with YES – Young European Socialists. Olof Palme Centre’s Global Project finances the Balkan Round Table. The meeting will be hosted by our Serbian organizations Democratic Youth and Social Democratic Youth in Social Democratic Union. Each organization can register up to two participants, must be gender balanced, if possible age balanced, holding some kind of leadership position within the organization since the regional meetings are the most important platforms for the regions in between the congresses and councils.

 

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

REGISTRATION AND PARTICIPATION FEE

You will need to register your participant in the online registration system here. Registration is open until Monday 30th of June, but we want the names of your delegates as soon as possible in order to go ahead with preparations. Please contact the IUSY Secretariat in case you should have any problems with the registration.

The participation fee is 30€ per participant and is mandatory once the registration is done. This amount must be brought in cash in euro to the meeting or transferred to the IUSY bank account in advance.

Transfer to the IUSY bank account:

  • Bank: BAWAG
  • BLZ (BIC): 14000
  • Account number: 0531 0660 380
  • IBAN: AT41 1400 0053 1066 0380
  • SWIFT code: BAWAATWW
  • Reason for payment: Your name and your organization’s name

Apart from the participation fee, the Global Project will finance the travels, accommodation and food during the weekend.

ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES

Arrivals of all the participants are foreseen for Friday the 11 of July at 12.00. Departures are foreseen for Sunday the 13 of July at 15.00. Please make your travel arrangements accordingly and do not forget that IUSY will not be able to cover accommodation or any other expenses for delegates who need to stay additional nights in Belgrade.

ACCOMODATION AND MEETING VENUE

You will be offered accommodation during Friday and Saturday night. We will get back to you on the location of the hotel and the conference venue.

HOW TO GET TO THE HOTEL

In the online registration form you will be asked to give us your exact arrival and departure details. For everybody that put in all necessary information until the closing of the registration on Monday 30th of June, there will be transport organized from the airport to the hotel. For the participants who do not send their travel details until the closing of registration we will not be able to provide any transport from the airport. Kindly note that in this case any costs of transport from the airport to the hotel will NOT be covered by travel reimbursement.

TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT

The Global Project will be able to support your travel costs with a fixed maximum amount for each participant (see attached table).We strongly urge all organizations to book your tickets immediately in order to get the best possible price. Only economy class tickets will be reimbursed. According to IUSY rules, business or first class tickets will not be taken into consideration under any circumstances. When traveling by car we ask you to try to organize with organizations whose country you might pass through to reach Belgrade. Gas money will be reimbursed in accordance with a fixed model based on gas price in country of origin and distance.

Please note that IUSY can only reimburse cost of travels proven by original documents. Therefore do not forget to keep and hand in to the IUSY Secretariat ALL of the following documents:

  • If you arrived by plane, bus or train – original invoice showing the date, exact price and currency with which the ticket has been paid, and original boarding passes, bus or train tickets of your full journey (in case you had connection flights – all of them)
  • If you arrived by car – original invoices of the fees for which you claim reimbursement (tolls, petrol). We need the receipt of one fueling in your home country upon arrival, but the price or the amount won’t effect the reimbursement, it is just for the accounting.

All travel reimbursements will be made in Euro by bank transfer after the meeting. Please note that only the participants who attend at least 75% of the meeting will be offered travel reimbursement.

CONTACT DETAILS

Stina Garefelt
Project Manager Global Project  |  Tel: 0043 699 135 329 70  |  Mail: stina.garefelt@iusy.org

Rocío Cervera
Project Manager IUSY  |  Tel: 0043 699 170 734 41 |  Mail: rocio.cervera@iusy.org

 

 

Call for Applications

IUSY Secretariat

Vetted Roster of Experts on GEPA

UNDP’s Democratic Governance Group and Gender Team have developed a Global Initiative on Gender Equality in Public Administration (UNDP GEPA initiative).

As part of that initiative, a roster of vetted experts on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Public Administration is being established, in order to provide demand-driven advisory services, access to knowledge, and technical backstopping to UNDP country offices, regional service centers and other offices.

Applications are solicited until 30 June 2014, from highly-qualified experts and experienced individuals (not firms) to be considered for inclusion in this new thematic expert roster. We are looking for a diverse group of people in terms of expertise, skills, languages and seniority.

Interested experts should review the announcement and apply only if they meet the minimum requirements as specified in the call for applications. Candidates are welcome to apply in the UNDP working language they wish (English, French or Spanish).

The Gender Equality in Public Administration Vetted Experts Roster announcement is available in English | French |Spanish. Please note that this call for experts is not linked to other UNDP rosters or to a specific UNDP recruitment opportunity. You may send an email to gepa.roster@undp.org for any questions or clarifications.

WFD 2014 – Call for Participants

IUSY Secretariat

Dear friends,

We are pleased to inform you that the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe is launching a call for participants to a youth activity within the 2014 edition of the

WORLD FORUM FOR DEMOCRACY:
FROM PARTICIPATION TO INFLUENCE: CAN YOUTH REVITALISE DEMOCRACY?

taking place in Strasbourg from the 31st October till the 6th November 2014.

As a result of this call, 300 young people, out of 75 which non-European, will be selected to participate in a youth meeting prior to the World Forum (31st October-3rd November, and to the World Forum itself (3rd-5th November). Selected participants will work together on an online platform between July and October to explore the concept of democracy, share existing good practices and develop new prototypes of democracy.

This year, we want young people to go beyond existing challenges
in order to DREAM DEMOCRACY. 

You will find the detailed presentation of the event as well as the call for applicants here.
Please note that your application should be composed of both an online filled-in application form AND a short video. All detailed instructions can be found on the website notably the need for your reference letter if you represent an organization.

The deadline for applications in Sunday 22nd June!!!
For more information about the World Forum for Democracy, please look here.

In order to apply, you should:

  • Be aged 16-30 (exceptions can be made in special cases);
  • Be resident in one of the 50 signatory States of the European Cultural Convention of the Council of Europe; 75 places will be made available for participants from other regions outside the European continent;
  • Be able to communicate and work in English;
  • Be actively involved in civil society Democracy initiatives;
  • Be motivated to contribute to developing new ideas on youth and democracy;
  • Be supported by a youth organisation or network or informal group working on democracy; some non-organised individuals will also be accepted;
  • Be ready to adopt a solution-oriented approach by bringing in new ideas and visions of democracy;
  • Be ready to dream democracy;
  • Be available to participate fully in the World Forum on Democracy and the preparation process before.

 

Devastating Floods in Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia&Herzegovina

IUSY Secretariat

The International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) would like to extend our deepest condolences to people of Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina who have been affected by the catastrophic floods that swept through these areas in the last week.

Thousands of people have been left without houses and been deprived of their property in these floods; the worst that were ever recorded in this area. Many people are still waiting to be evacuated. Unfortunately, we still don’t know how many have lost their lives.

The worst has not yet passed, since we still can expect that there will be more floods due to the rainfall upstream in Bosnia and Croatia. At this point, it is also expected that around one third of Serbia is going to stay without electricity.

We, IUSY, call out to the European Union and the European community to get involved as soon as possible in helping these affected areas. Countries have already organized their teams that are helping in the field. However, there is a urgent need for some basic things as groceries, clothing and hygienic supplies.

For further information and your involvement we kindly ask you to contact the embassies of the countries affected in your country or to contact the Red Cross to put you in contact with its local branches.

In case of inquiries or need of more information, please contact us.

End criminalization and discrimination of LGBT all over the world

IUSY Secretariat

On the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT), the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) would like to express our solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people all over the world who are facing criminalization and gender discrimination.

Today, homosexuality is considered a crime in 83 countries around the world. This unacceptable statistics tells us that many LGBT including young LGBT people are facing every day struggles with regards to their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.

On the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, we call to end criminalization and discrimination all over the world and demand our member organizations to comply with the principle of non-discrimination. We also demand the United Nations to pass the legally-binding human rights instruments for LGBT rights promotion and protection including the establishment of the United Nation Special Rapporteur on LGBT rights.

IUSY reaffirms the foundation principle that all human beings are born free and equal. No one should be criminalized and discriminated based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.

EVS Volunteer Wanted!

IUSY Secretariat

After great experiences with the EVS – European Voluntary Service – we as IUSY would like to involve another volunteer from one of our member organizations for another year.

The main purpose of the project will be to assist the IUSY Secretariat in strengthening networks of youth cooperation, including young people in a worldwide debate on current issues, promotion of the core values of our movement and finally empowering each individual activist dedicated to participating in the development of her/his society to be able to use her/his capacities to the fullest.

As the working field from the Secretariat provides a wide spectrum of activities, we offer the volunteer to choose the involved working field that matches the most with her/his profile and interests.

The project will last for one year, starting in October 2014. This work gives unique opportunities, both to the volunteer – for learning, gaining experience and contributing to global youth actions, and to IUSY – especially having in mind the new approaches and fresh ideas that will be implemented.

In the process of recruitment and selection of the volunteer we will need some assistance from the member organizations that are interested in taking part in it. As you may know, for being able to send volunteers to any organization, your organization needs to be accredited for taking part in the EVS. If your organization is interested in taking part in the IUSY EVS project, please let us know the following:

  • Has your organization ever taken part in the European Voluntary Service?
  • Has your organization ever received any type of accreditation before? If yes, what type of accreditation? What was the reference of this accreditation?
  • A brief presentation of your organization.
  • Your PIC code of the Erasmus+ registration.
  • Your potential candidates‘ CV and motivation letter

Since we are already sending the application for this project by the end of April, please send us your response as soon as possible, and not later than April 20, 2014 to volunteer@iusy.org. We will let you know immediately after on the next steps in the preparations.

You can find information on how to take part in the EVS programme, where to apply for accreditations, how to search for vacancies, etc. on the website of the Youth in Action Programme.

If you have any questions please contact the IUSY Secretariat. We are looking forward to receiving your answers to the questions above and to establish cooperation within the framework of the EVS.

IUSY World Festival 2014

IUSY Secretariat

We are glad and proud to invite you to the

IUSY World Festival 2014
from the 20th to the 26th of August
at the Ghajn Tuffieha Camping Site in Malta

The aim of the World Festival is to gather young political activists from all over the world to shape new politics. It offers a high-profile platform for political youth leaders and policy experts to map out their progressive vision for the future. The World Festival has a long tradition and is the highlight for IUSY, its member organizations and all the young people who come to meet new friends, have fun and discuss politics.

“Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice.
Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made
and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.”

Many great socialists and social democrats have fought for long for an equal world. One of them was Nelson Mandela has recently passed away and left us with the hope that everything is possible as long as we believe in our strength to achieve it. The World Festival therefor focuses on “15 Actions to Eradicate Poverty in 15 Years”, which we believe is one of the biggest tasks for socialism and social democracy to deal with as one of its struggle for an equal and just world. .

>> PLEASE FIND ALL THE NECESSARY INFORMATION HERE <<

If you have further questions or need support, please do not hesitate to contact us (iusy@iusy.org). Kindly note to start your preparations as soon as possible, since it will make it a lot easier for all of us and cheaper for you.

We are looking forward to seeing you in Malta!

Take Action! React Now! Save Kessab!

IUSY Secretariat

Statement by the Armenian Youth Federation  

The Armenian Youth Federation is seriously concerned about the critical situation in the Armenian-populated town of Kessab, in Syria. The last few days have been a real nightmare for the peaceful civilians of Kessab when al-Qaeda related extremists attacked the town.

Take Action! React Now! Save Kessab! 

Located in the northwestern corner of Syria, near the border with Turkey, Kessab had, until very recently, avoided major battles in the Syrian conflict. The local Armenian population had grown in recently years with the city serving as a safe-haven for those fleeing from the war-torn cities of Yacubiye, Rakka and Aleppo.

On the morning of March 21st, extremist foreign fighters launched a vicious attack on Kessab civilians. Subsequent attacks occurred on March 22nd and 23rd and included mass looting of local residences and the desecration of Armenian Churches in the area. Within days of the onslaught launched from Turkey, nearly the entire Armenian population of Kessab has fled to neighboring Latakia and Bassit to avoid slaughter. Civilians, who were not able to flee, have reportedly been taken hostage, while churches and homes are being systematically desecrated and looted. Further, there are reports that indicate that injured extremists are returning to Turkey for medical treatment.

If the suspicions that Turkey are facilitation the attacks is true it is very worrying. A facilitation of al-Qaida affiliated foreign fighters and their attacks on innocent civilians in Syria undermines ongoing international efforts to bring peace to a country ravaged by violence for far too long. Turkey’s direct cooperation with al-Qaida extremists would then show that a country which is negotiating to enter the European Union is directly linked to the world’s most extremist organization. This kind of behavior must not be excepted.

For Armenians in the region and around the world, the situation is horrifying and bitter reminder of the genocide committed against the Armenians by the Ottoman Turkish authorities from 1915-1923. The situation in Kessab is critical, and can be even more desperate if the extremists reach Latakia. We urge an international reaction on Kessab.

We urgently request IUSY and all sister organizations to urge their respective governments to condemn any kind of support and cooperation with Al-Qaida affiliated foreign fighters against the civilian population of the predominantly Armenian region of Kessab, Syria.

We together have the power to stop this support and assistance to these radical groups and send a clear message that targeted military strikes against innocent civilians are unacceptable under any circumstances and are a clear violation of human rights.

The international community must react immediately to stop further violence. As socialist youth, we cannot stay indifferent to the ongoing violence in Kessab! 

Take Action Now! Save Kessab!