27-30.04.2023 Regional Session of the European Youth Parliament - Venice

 

From April 27-30, 2023, the Regional Session of the European Youth Parliament Association (EYP) was held in Venice. The event featured about 60 high school students from the province of Venice and an international staff of young people from 13 countries, including Armenia, France, Romania and Serbia. The event was organised by the European Youth Parliament Association in cooperation with Europe Direct Venezia Veneto of the Municipality of Venice, the Veneto University and the Chamber of Commerce of Venice-Rovigo with the patronage of the Veneto Region, the Municipality of Venice, the CEI Central European Initiative and the Consular Corps of Venice and Veneto.

Harmony and Conflict was the central topic of the event that was divided into 3 days: 

 

The European Youth Parliament (EYP), founded in Fontainebleau in 1987, is a European network dedicated to involving young Europeans in the institutional life of today's society through the promotion of debate, constructive international dialogue and intercultural communication. EYP events and activities involve 30,000 young citizens between the ages of 16 and 25 from more than 40 states each year. EYP has been recognized by the European Parliament as a prime example of an educational program for involving young people in democratic dialogue and is one of the leading youth organizations at the Future of Europe Conference. It has been a program of the Schwarzkopf Foundation "Junges Europa" since 2004 and is located in Berlin. 

 

The European Youth Parliament Association (EYP), established on March 28, 1994 in Milan, promotes the European dimension and identity in Italian universities and upper secondary schools as the Italian National Committee of the European Youth Parliament. EYP involves more than 1,000 young participants including Italian high school and university students and international students in its events annually.

 

The events were English-language simulations of the European Parliament's decision-making process. Participants were divided into its Committees, each of which was assigned a certain topical issue for which participants must collectively develop solutions to be included in a parliamentary resolution. In this process, participants were guided by the Chairperson, a specially trained facilitator.
The division into committees caused participants to work with different students from their home institution, encouraging the exchange of views and working methods among participants.

 

The central theme of the Session taking place in Venice from April 27-30, 2023 was Harmony and Conflict, related to the concepts of environmental and social sustainability within the European Union. This topic was chosen for its metaphorical value, as Venice has always been a land of contrasts and friction, constantly struggling with nature to establish its own existence, but nevertheless in harmony with the sea, its essential resource of life.
The event was divided into three main phases:

during Teambuilding , students got to know their fellow committee members through a series of games and interactive activities designed to break the ice and create a strong team spirit;
during Committee Work, they discussed and reflected on a specific issue together with their fellow committee members, analyzing the problems and challenges related to it and then proposing solutions to them and coming up with a written resolution. These two phases took place at the island of San Servolo.
When the work was completed, each committee presented its proposals in the third and final phase of the Session, which was hosted by Ateneo Veneto, namely the General Assembly.

Issues discussed included topics such as sustainable business models, resource intensive exploitation in the fashion industry, protection of LGBT rights, police brutality, sustainable fishing, cultural decolonization, air quality, and greenwashing. After a debate phase during which delegates raised points from the floor or gave speeches at the podium, each resolution was put to a vote.