53rd International Session of European Youth Parliament

The Voice of the Youth

Having considered EYP-Ukraine's contribution into development of the European Youth Parliament in the post-communist region as well as having taken note of the recent political changes in Ukraine, it was decided to grant EYP-Ukraine with an opportunity to organize international session in Kyiv in autumn of 2006. In the course of ten days, session participants worked in the committees to design solutions for the urgent political, economic, social and cultural issues in the EU and internationally


By KSENIYA OKSAMYTNA
from Kiev, UKRAINE


KIEV - On October 13-22, Kiev hosted the 53rd International Session of the European Youth Parliament. It was attended by 300 young people (delegates, journalists, chairs, teachers, international organizers) from 30 European countries.

In the course of ten days, session participants worked in the committees to design solutions for the urgent political, economic, social and cultural issues in the EU and internationally. They produced a resolution with ideas and decisions, discussed and approved by the committee. Every committee presented and defended its resolution at the General Assembly. The resolutions which passed by the simple majority vote at the General Assembly were sent to the European Parliament as the voice of the European Youth.

Kiev International Session, internally labeled as KIS(S), also offered an extensive evening program. Certain elements of it were typical for all the EYP sessions. The first weekend of every session is traditionally devoted to teambuilding with a view to make the following committee work effective and enjoyable. For that, KIS(S) organizers took the participant to a recreation zone near Kyiv -- although it was scary in those woods at night, the EYPers embraced the experience.

Important Youth Participation

The teambuilding part of the session was closed with the Eurovillage, an evening devoted to the presentation of different countries and cultures, with national food and drinks of course. Later at night, groping around for the way to your room after mixing Belgian beer, Romanian wine, and Serbian rakia, the only thought that runs through your mind is 'Europe: United in Diversity!'

In the middle of the session, the Committee Dinner took place, and each committee had a chance to enjoy the delicious food and cozy atmosphere of one of the Kyiv restaurants.

Another fantastic event is the Euroconcert, this time held in the Kyiv Conservatoire, which allowed the participants to show their talents in playing musical instruments, singing and dancing.

Out of the special features offered by the Ukrainian organizers it's worth naming the KIS(S) party and No KIS(S) party. At the KIS(S) party, all the participants were given stickers in the form of a heart, which they had to give to a person they found attractive, lovable, and deserving a kiss. The person who collected the majority of 'hearts' was considered the ultimate winner. As it was revealed, the most beautiful girls live in Norway, while the most attractive boys are to be found in Ireland.

At the No KIS(S) party (in fact, a kitsch party) there was a contest for the best costume (in fact, the worst costume), won by a creative young man wearing a motley made of pizza boxes. Another noteworthy event was the auction, where the participants offered different pieces of their clothes, and later their fellow delegation mates, for the most attractive lot -- a kiss from a handsome chair of a committee.

The Farewell Party took place in a newly-built Puppet Theater in Kiev, with an interior resembling both the Buddha Bar in Paris and 'Alice in the Wonderland' illustrations. As the participants themselves confessed, for many EYPers this session became the time of their life.

Portrait of European Youth Parliament

From the aforementioned paragraphs, you might have got a distorted impression about the EYP activities. In fact, it's one of the most important tools the youth has to participate in the decision-making on the international level. The International Session of the EYP enables young people to share their thoughts, to get closely acquainted with issues of European and international concern, to make friendships that pass all boundaries, nationalities and religions. Sessions provide young people with invaluable experience of parliamentary decision-making and equip them with teamwork, presentation and persuasion skills.

The European Youth Parliament (EYP) is an international politically neutral organization aimed at encouraging young people to have their say in shaping the future of Europe. One of the main tools EYP utilizes is the organization of international sessions.

Locally, EYP is represented by National Committees, which are responsible for the selection of the delegates that will represent their country at an international session. Further information can be found at http://www.eypej.org/ . 'European Youth Parliament - Ukraine' was founded in 2002, and from that on, it has been working on a variety of projects related to democracy, human rights, civil society, and creating a positive image for Ukraine in the international society. Further information is available at http://www.eyp-ua.org/en/.

Having considered EYP-Ukraine's contribution into development of the European Youth Parliament in the post-communist region as well as having taken note of the recent political changes in Ukraine, it was decided to grant EYP-Ukraine with an opportunity to organize international session in Kyiv in autumn of 2006.

From its inception in 1987, international sessions of EYP have always enjoyed generous support of the national and international top officials, members of the Royal Families, Members of Parliament, and City Mayors. 53rd International Session in Kyiv was no exception: Javier Solana was the patron of the session, and the Opening Ceremony was attended by Borys Tarasyuk, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine; Yuriy Pavlenko, Minister for Family, Youth and Sport of Ukraine; Ian Boag, Head of the delegation of the European Commission to Ukraine; and Ruslana Lyzhychko, Ukrainian MP and Eurovision 2004 winner.

The 53rd session was unique in many instances, and one of the distinguishing features of this session was the Special Programme on the history of human rights violations in Ukraine. Apart from the research projects prepared by the participants, the young Europeans had a chance to meet with the 'time witnesses' -- Ukrainians who survived World War II, regime repressions, and forced labor.