Presidium

Young people demand the election of the President of the European Commission remains democratic

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Statement from political party youth organisations on discussions by Heads of EU Member States to block the “Spitzenkandidaten” process of electing the President of the European Commission. 

The 2014 European elections were the first time voters were able to have a say on who should run the European Commission, with the five main European political parties putting forward candidates who became known by the German term “Spitzenkandidaten”. The main European political party youth organisations have strongly defended this democratic system following reports[1] that almost all EU Heads of States or Government are planning to revert to the previous system, under which they decide on the President behind closed doors.

The European Union is facing challenges on multiple levels, and clear European leadership is essential if Europe is to act cohesively to solve its existential issues. It is vital, therefore, for the EU’s future that it strives to be ever-more democratic and transparent. The process of European elections determining the next President of the Commission has been a hugely positive step in empowering citizens to choose the direction of the EU, adding transparency and more democratic legitimacy to the process. Reversing this would be a regressive step in the democratising trend that has been ongoing in the EU for several decades, especially at a time when the citizens already feel that the EU lacks legitimacy.

The Spitzenkandidaten process gave a face to European leaders. It helped to open up EU democracy, which often seems to be very distant from citizens, especially for young people. In 2014, the European Youth Forum, along with the University and City of Maastricht and Euronews, organised the first-ever televised debate between these Spitzenkandidaten. This debate, broadcast live to millions of viewers, focused on youth issues. Over the course of the elections, the Spitzenkandidaten process contributed to bigger media coverage and, in several Member States, it stopped the tendency of continuously decreasing participation rates.  A regressive move back to the old system would risk further alienating voters, particularly young voters, who are often sceptical of engaging in traditional politics. To secure more popular support, the European Union needs to be more democratic, not less.

It is in the interest of our national leaders to support the continuous opening up of European democracy. Therefore we demand that they follow the recent call from the European Parliament to secure and develop theSpitzenkandidaten process.[2]

After all, is it not better that one of the key leadership positions of the EU is decided on by its 500 million citizens rather than just by 28 heads of state?[3]

 

YFJ – European Youth Forum

YEPP – Youth of European People’s Party

DEMYC- Democrat Youth Community of Europe

FYEG – Federation of Young European Greens

EFAY – European Free Alliance Youth

LYMEC – European Liberal Youth

JEF – Young European Federalists

IFLRY – International Federation of Liberal Youth

IUSY – International Union of Socialist Youth

YES – Young European Socialists

YDE – Young Democrats for Europe

AEGEE-Europe / European Students’ Forum

[1] http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/eu-parlament-mitgliedsstaaten-wollen-macht-der-waehler-beschraenken-1.2971462

[2] http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-%2f%2fEP%2f%2fTEXT%2bTA%2bP8-TA-2015-0395%2b0%2bDOC%2bXML%2bV0%2f%2fEN&language=EN

[3] Not all 508 million Europeans have the right to vote. In some MS citizens have the right to vote from the age of 16, in others only at the age of 18.

 

Here you can see the statement in the YFJ website:
http://www.youthforum.org/pressrelease/young-people-demand-the-election-of-the-president-of-the-european-commission-remains-democratic/

THERE IS A MASSACRE IN SURUÇ!

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A suicide attack has killed until now around 30 people and wounded nearly 100 others in Suruç, near the Syrian border in the Kurdish parts of Turkey, where hundreds of young people gathered to help Kurdish people in Kobanê to rebuild their casual life.

 

We, as Young European Socialists and International Union of Socialist Youth, condemn this horrible terror attack. The terror attack is one of many terror attacks being conducted in the region the last months. Furthermore, we are condemning the actions of the ruling party in Turkey- Justice and Development Party (AKP)- for their lack of actions against ISIS terrorists. AKP has repeatedly refused to even recognize ISIS as a terrorist organisation and have not been able to give a notable explanation regarding the guns transported to Syria through the Turkish controlled borders. AKPs actions will not be forgotten. Young people’s desire for peace, democracy and freedom must and can‘t be silented by national, religious or financial interests. AKPs desire for an intervention by the Turkish government in Syria through co-operation with ISIS will not be accepted. Equality, solidarity and democracy will prevail!

 

Young European Socialists and the International Union of Socialist Youth stands with all the resisting people in the Middle East and all of those who are fighting against the violent radicalisation in the region. Peace in Middle East can only be reached with diversity, secularism, solidarity and respect. The answers are spelled- equality, freedom and justice for all!

 

Peace cannot and will not come by violence against young innocent people, whose brave ideas aims to reach a region for all!

 

Solidarity with Suruç and Kobanê!

 

 

YES- Young European Socialists              IUSY- International Union of Socialist Youth

 

 

Job Opening In the IUSY Secretariat: Call for New Project Managers

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IUSY is looking for three Project Managers to its Secretariat. The Project Managers will be assigned different portfolios.

 

IUSY Secretariat is a small team consisting of the Secretary General who leads the work, three full time employed Project Managers and one part time employed Project Manage.

 

The first Project Manager is to be expected to join the team already in the beginning of July and the other two are to be expected to join the team in the beginning of August.

 

More information is to be found via the links below:

 

1. Call for IUSY Project Manager- Activity and Financing

Expected to start in the beginning of July

 

2. Call for IUSY Project Manager- Communication

Expected to start in the beginning of August

 

3. Call for IUSY Project Manager- Administrative Support

Expected to start in the beginning of August

 

 

 

IUSY Presidium Resolution #CharlieHebdo

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As a IUSY Presidium, we are speechless and shocked about the attack against the editorial office of CHARLIE HEBDO in Paris on Wednesday 7, 2015. The attack left 12 people dead. As well, we are grieving for the victims during the hostage-taking at the Kosher grocery who were preparing for Shabbat. Our condolences are expressed to the families and friends of the victims.

 

The tragic occurrence at the editorial office of CHARLIE HEBDO was not only an attack on an editorial magazine. It was an attempt to weaken democracy and solidarity in society through aiming to attack the freedom of speech. We will never allow this to happen. The answer must therefor be more freedom and more democracy.

 

The attempt of the political right wing to exploit the violent incident in Paris leaves us angry and furious. Front National in France, as well as numerous other right-wing forces around the globe, seek to gain political capital out of this situation. They abuse the tragedy in Paris in order to justify their racist and islamophobic positions. With this behaviour the right-wing shows clearly that they have very much in common with the assassins: Both positions root in intolerance and hatred. As IUSY, we reject any hierarchisation of people, no matter whether if it is constructed with religion or origin, gender identity or sexual orientation.

 

Fundamentalism and extremism are always rooted in unjust circumstances people have to live their lives in. Their lost trust in a future in dignity. Only with fighting inequality, we can reach a future with mutual trust. Stigmatizing the Muslim community and excluding them from participation in society would only push, especially young people, into the hands of fundamentalists.

 

Whether in France, Syria or other parts of the world- in these days, our solidarity is with everyone suffering from religious fundamentalisms. We thus refuse all attempts to trivialize, exclude and villainize everyone of Muslim believe or the Muslim community as such. As a movement, we are working all around the world for an end of the spiral of exclusion and oppression, which is only strengthening religious fundamentalisms and therefor leading to attacks such as in Paris.

 

Our everyday work is about outlining an alternative vision of how we want to live together. Especially now, we have to oppose to all forces of oppression, religious fundamentalism and racism, through a strong vision of a future in equality. We will not be intimidated. We will stay even stronger together. All around the world and every day.

No more violence against women! No more gender inequality! No more excuses!

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Today, IUSY recalls once again for stopping violence against women and any structural gender-based inequality. November 25th is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 1999 and fought for by grass roots feminist activists since the 1980s.

The struggle for a society without violence must be a struggle for gender equality within society. Violence against women and girls is the most pervasive violation of human rights in the world today. It is the most alarming indicator of gender inequality.

Historically, the date commemorates the assassinations of the political activists and sisters Patria Mirabal Mercedes, María Argentina Minerva Mirabal and Antonia María Teresa Mirabal. They were known as “Las Mariposas” (The Butterflies) and were member of the opposition movement “June 14th“. They fought against the dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. On November 25th, 1960, after months of rape and torture ordered by Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, they got murdered.

To remember the fight of the Mariposas, the novelist Ángela Hernández proposed to introduce November 25th as a day of action against violence on women at a congress of South American and Caribbean feminists in Bogotá (Colombia) in 1981.

Today and in the upcoming days, there are numerous activities of IUSY member organisations all over world. Both causes and consequences of violence against women are numerous and go hand in hand with the unequal distribution of power between genders. Today is about speakig about it. About making this visible. About breaking the silence. Get involved – we need every single voice to support this cause.

Shaping a future of gender equality, all of us should also participate in today’s action day task of making the institutions that are already there to help women in situations of violence more visible. If you know places that support women in situations of violence, share this knowledge with the women you know. Stand up for more save spaces for women, stand up for more prevention measures, for better and more sensitive education on gender-based violence and oppression. We need all of you, because we are in this together. Fight with us for gender equality and against violence on women!

No more excuses – stop violence against women now!

IUSY Presidium

IUSY World Festival 2014

IUSY Secretariat

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE IUSY WORLD FESTIVAL 2014!

A week of friends, fun and politics – that is the promise the IUSY World Festival holds. This year about 1000 young activists from around the world came together on the beautiful Island of Malta.  It was an unforgettable week at the IUSY World Festival 2014 in Malta. We engaged in discussions, we experienced international solidarity, we made new friends and we did not forget about the fun. We left the Festival with new motivation, new inspiration and also a lot of new friendships.

Our thanks go to the Maltese comrades from FZL Malta 
who were a great host for the socialist youth from around the world.

Our Participation in International Platforms

IUSY Secretariat

Montevideo, Uruguay hosted two important activities that brought together different socialist and social democratic parties and organizations to discuss an issue of great concern to the international community: Inequality.

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To these city moved a delegation of IUSY, headed by the president of the Organization, Felipe Jeldres, and the Vicepresidents Lucia Zapata, of the Socialist Youth of Uruguay and Sebastian Melchior, of the Socialist Youth Argentina to participate in activities representing both moved of the organization.

The agenda began on August 21, with a meeting of the Latin American Socialist Coordination, organization comprising various socialist parties in the region, and after 4 years again met at the venue of the Socialist Party of Uruguay. The activity began with a seminar organized by the Socialist Youth of Uruguay, youth employment and social participation. In the activity, the President of IUSY, spoke in the first panel on good labor practices in different regions, and the vision of fair employment from IUSY. The panel was moderated by Vice President of IUSY, Lucia Zapata.

Subsequently, on 22 and 23 July, the meeting of the Progressive Alliance, which had as its central theme the struggle against inequality was held in the Frente Amplio headquarters, named “La Huella de Seregni” in honour to the founder of Frente Amplio of Uruguay, Liber Seregni. Progressive Alliance is a forum for progressive political parties that seeks to promote the debate on the various issues that currently concern to the international society, with inequality in its different dimensions one.

Within this space, the President of IUSY participated as exhibitor forum “Fighting inequality” – experiences and best practices from different regions of the world, where besides explaining the vision that IUSY on inequality, and ways to combat it, appealed to different global organizations, including United Nations to take the fight against inequality as a priority in the post-2015 agenda to develop specific policies on Health, Education, Environment, Economy, Nutrition, Economics and Policies labor.

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Montevideo, Uruguay fue la sede de dos importantes actividades que convocaron a diferentes partidos y organizaciones socialistas y socialdemócratas para debatir sobre un tema de gran preocupación para la sociedad internacional: La desigualdad.

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Hasta esa ciudad se trasladó una delegación de IUSY, encabezada por el presidente de la Organización, Felipe Jeldres, y los Vicepresidentes Lucía Zapata, de la Juventud Socialista de Uruguay y Sebastián Melchor, de la Juventud Socialista de Argentina para participar en ambas actividades en representación de la organización.

La agenda comenzó el 21 de agosto, con una reunión de la Coordinación Socialista Latinoamericana, organización que agrupa a diferentes partidos socialistas de esa región, y que luego de 4 años volvió a encontrarse en la sede del Partido Socialista de Uruguay. La actividad comenzó con un seminario organizado por la Juventud Socialista de Uruguay, sobre empleo juvenil y participación social. En la actividad, el Presidente de IUSY, expuso en el primer panel sobre buenas prácticas laborales en diferentes regiones, y la visión de empleo justo que IUSY sostiene. El panel fue moderado por la Vicepresidenta de IUSY, Lucia Zapata.

Posteriormente, los días 22 y 23 de Julio, se realizó la sede del Frente Amplio, llamada “La Huella de Seregni”, en honor al fundador de la gran coalición de Uruguay, Liber Seregni la reunión de la Alianza Progresista, que tuvo como tema central el combate a la desigualdad. La Alianza progresista es un foro de Partidos políticos progresistas que busca promover el debate sobre los diferentes temas que hoy preocupan a la sociedad internacional, siendo la desigualdad en sus diferentes dimensiones uno de ellos.

Dentro de este espacio, el Presidente de IUSY participó como expositor del foro “Combatiendo la desigualdad”- experiencias y mejores prácticas de diferentes regiones del mundo”, donde junto con explicar la visión que tiene IUSY sobre la desigualdad, y las vías para combatirla, hizo un llamado a los diferentes organismos mundiales, entre ellos Naciones Unidas, para tomar el combate a la desigualdad como una prioridad en la agenda post 2015, desarrollando políticas concretas en materia de Salud, Educación, Medio Ambiente, Economía, Nutrición, Economía y Políticas laborales.

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