What hashtag does my Europe have?

What hashtag does my Europe have?

Did you know that in the last European elections, Slovakia ended up in last place among all EU countries with a 13 percent voter turnout? We don't hear much about what's happening in European institutions here, but it's all the more important to be interested in public affairs. Otherwise, it could happen that a few thousand people decide who will represent our country in regional, national, or European institutions. It was a project like this that literally opened our eyes and sparked our interest in the society we live in. Discussing young people's active approach to politics and comparing the social situation with countries similar to ours, but also with those where young people are encouraged to engage in politics much more from a young age than here, was a huge benefit. A young, yet very developed country like Estonia, which, like us, started "from scratch" after the fall of socialism, could serve as an example. But it has overtaken us by leaps and bounds in terms of both the education system and youth activism.

-Jeannette-

This is how our participant Jeannette shared this alarming information with us and highlighted the importance of participating in elections.

SO

To vote or not to vote? That is the question many of us ask ourselves before upcoming elections. Unfortunately, when it comes to European elections, this question often doesn't even come up. As if they didn't exist for us at all. Brussels? Isn't that some research center in Antarctica? Should we even care what happens there?

DEFINITELY!

Our participants learned about how the European Parliament works and what its function is during the youth exchange My!Europe, led by the Italian organization TDM2000 in the Sardinian city of Cagliari. Here are some of their observations and experiences.

Participant Alexandra shared with us what the main activity of this project was and what new skills she took home.

During the My!Europe – Young MEPs for democracy exchange, we had the opportunity to experience how the decision-making process in the European Parliament works through a simulation. During the simulation, each participant was a member of one of the main political parties of the European Parliament. The task of the parties was to agree within the party on opinions regarding five selected topics (Human Rights, Migration, Internet, Future of Europe, and Economy) and to write a formal statement on the given issue, proposals for changes, and a brief declaration, which was later presented before the parliament. At this stage, perhaps the most essential part of the project began, namely a reasonable dialogue with other members of competing parties, negotiating party alliances, and agreeing with representatives of another party on framework declarations.
Personally, the project enriched me with new friendships, experiences, new perspectives, and improved "soft skills." In youth projects, people are open, so in free moments or on the way to dinner, conversations can be compared to a living atlas, and so I again learned great things and broadened my horizons. I was genuinely surprised by the huge difference in the awareness and approach of young people to political events and the functioning of the EU in its various member states. As for the development of "soft skills," these were mainly teamwork and constant communication on various topics.

-Saša-

Oliver, on the other hand, writes about how even waking up early after a long night can be quite pleasant among friends:

What I really like about Erasmus+ projects is that they combine informal education with fun. I can hardly imagine a situation where I would learn a lot of interesting things about the functioning of the EU parliament in a week and at the same time meet great people from all over Europe. There is no doubt that Erasmus+ is a fantastic way to broaden horizons in the sphere of getting to know foreign cultures. One comes to the project with certain prejudices, but these quickly disappear after realizing that a "colleague" may speak a different language and live in a different corner of Europe, but there are far more things you have in common than differences. Barriers are very quickly broken down, and you gain a feeling of friendship with someone you've only known for a short time. However, you both realize that this experience is very valuable, and therefore there is no time for unnecessary conversations about the weather, but you immediately jump to questions that genuinely interest you. This unfiltered conversation absorbs you so much that you find yourself with only a few hours of sleep left before breakfast. But surprisingly, you don't mind at all. You wake up with a slight feeling of fatigue, but it disappears the moment of the morning ritual in the form of singing with your roommates, correction, now friends 🙂

-Oliver-

At the end of this article, we would like to motivate young people (yes, even you!) to give the Erasmus+ program a chance, because it is a great opportunity to educate yourself, travel to a foreign country, and meet new people from all over Europe.

And of course, #thistimeimvoting !

-Jeannette, Saša, Oliver, Noemi-