European Youth Parliament the Netherlands
Call for VPs, EA, Jury members and Organisers for Breda 2021 the 21st National Selection Conference of EYP NL
Call for VPs, EAs, Jury members and organisers
It is with great excitement that EYP The Netherlands would like to announce that the call for Vice-presidents, Editorial Assistants, Jury members and organisers for the 21st National Selection Conference in Breda is now open! The call will be open until Friday the 16th of October 23:59 CET and all applications will be submitted through the members platform. The selection panel will discuss each application individually and all applicants will be notified personally of the selection result.
Theme of the Session “Regulating the future of Europe - taking a critical look at innovative technology” Over the past few decades, agenda setting and policy making have brought about a demand for innovation to the point that it has surpassed the pace at which new legislation is being formed. This causes these new innovative technologies to often go unregulated and cause more harm than good. Although innovation results in many technological benefits, it also comes with its risks. In today's age of technological advancement, ethical dilemmas are gaining momentum. A classic example is self-driving cars, which can raise questions such as: ‘should an autonomous vehicle form a risk to other road users by prioritising the safety of its passengers, or the other way round?’. Tackling these kinds of questions requires a critical view on new technology and regulatory policy to ensure the safety of future society. Together with you, we want to challenge the delegates to think about such difficult yet important topics. Other subjects that fit our session’s theme are for instance: artificial intelligence, data privacy and genetic engineering. These subjects are not only relevant worldwide, but also on a European level, considering Europe is one of the leading continents when it comes to technology.
What you need to know about Breda 2021 The session will have around 125 participants, of which around 50 officials and 80 delegates. The Academic team will consist of a President, 3 VP’s and 8 chairpersons, depending on whether there will be co-chairs or individual chairs. There will be 8 committees during the National Conference. The Media Team w ill be made up of 1 Editor, 1 Editorial Assistant, and 8 Media Team Members. The Jury Team will consist of 1 Head of Jury and 3 Jury Members. To familiarise yourself with the Jury Criteria of EYP NL for your application, please visit eyp.nl/jury-criteria The session will take place between the 28th of January and the 1st of February 2021. For officials, activities start on Thursday morning with a day of CMOJ-training. Delegates arrive on Friday morning, after which they will have Teambuilding and Committee Work on Friday through Sunday. On Monday, the General Assembly will take place which is followed by a Closing Ceremony.
COVID-19 Please note that, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is possible that the government of The Netherlands or your country of residence may issue a negative traveling advice to/from your country or The Netherlands. EYP NL holds the right to block your participation if this is indeed the case. Safety first! In case you are selected, we will recommend you to purchase travel tickets once there is clarity on this matter and we ask you to keep yourself up to date regarding this travel advice. If you buy your tickets too early without discussing with the NC Board or Head Organisers and a negative travel advice is issued, the travel reimbursement will not apply.
Vision of the Head Organisers Our vision for the National Conference of 2021 is one of exploring differences and promoting inclusivity. W e want to create a safe and inclusive learning environment for all participants. The session should be an opportunity for participants to express themselves without judgement. They will also get the chance to interact with people who may have different beliefs than them. The conference should impact participants by helping them develop their communication skills when interacting with people from different backgrounds. Because the National Conference of 2021 will be held in the region of Noord-Brabant for the very first time, we will have the opportunity to introduce all participants to the most ‘gezellige’ province of the Netherlands. The annual carnival2 and popular local delicacies such as ‘worstenbroodjes’3, are aspects we want to include in our session as much as possible. Furthermore, as Breda is a very young, popular and vibrant city, we want to incorporate its features and characteristics and thereby make the National Conference of 2021 a session typical for the city. In terms of organisers, we are looking for a team of motivated, creative and committed individuals. Since Breda 2021 will be the first National Conference in Breda, we are entering into uncharted territory and will need a team with the ability to develop innovative solutions to problems we come across while organising. Moreover we highly value teamwork as the cornerstone of a successful organising team and are furthermore hoping to place participant welfare as one of our top priorities. With your help we can lead the first National Conference in Brabant to a success. We’re looking forward to reading your applications and hopefully welcoming you to join our team! Sophie, Yannick and Sanna
1
Gezellig is a Dutch word used to describe a cozy, convivial and lively atmosphere, typical for the city of Breda. 2 Carnival is an annual celebration in the Southern provinces of the Netherlands, usually around February. It lasts for a few days and typically features people in costumes and carnival music.
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A worstenbroodje is a typical southern Dutch sandwich, featuring a sausage rolled in dough.
Vision of the Head of Jury EYP does not change the world, but it changes the people that will later have a chance to do so. This quote has stuck with me the most out of all that has been said about EYP. My vision for NSC Breda 2021 is based on these words. Rather than aiming for grand change, I want to work with a group of people that have the capacity to change themselves and those around them—and along with them, the world. My Jury Team at Breda will have the opportunity to grow as individuals and work as a team. I do not come to the session with all the lessons and answers; rather, the team will generate their lessons and answers in cooperation with me. Our work will focus on the development of cooperation skills and communication skills, and anything else the Jury members want to contribute or focus on. When you are part of my team, I will listen to you and learn from you as much as you will from me. I want to create an environment in which Jury members can learn not only from me, but also from each other and from the entire officials’ team. There are so many people to work with, why would we limit ourselves to just our team? Perhaps most importantly, I want to ensure everyone’s well-being and a fun atmosphere throughout our working process. I truly believe that the best way to grow as an individual is to learn while doing something you genuinely like doing. As a Jury Team, we will do Teambuilding and train in a way that will be more like socialisation than education. I do not intend to change the world in Breda; I want to foster an environment in which change is encouraged, challenges are faced head-on, and people can have a good time throughout. That way, when my team parts ways after the conference, they can take on any teamwork challenge that comes their way long after Breda 2021 is over. After all, the world is not changed by one individual, but by people working together.
Editorial Vision Hello! I’m delighted that you’re interested in becoming part of the Breda 2021 Media Team! Hopefully, we will start working together on finalizing the session’s media vision and shaping its output very soon (woot woot get excited)! But for now, these words will offer an overview of what we are trying to create. The session’s theme of fostering diversity and challenging conventions conveys the ideal vibes for participants to set their imagination free and to not just think outside of the box, but to reimagine the whole box! The Covid-19 pandemic has forced us all to critically examine multiple aspects of our lives which we had long considered as normal and eternal in nature. As the pandemic recedes and life slowly assumes its regular pace again, though, we will need to reinvent our reality and selectively keep only those elements which can indeed make the world a better place. And what better way to achieve this new, better normal than through proliferating the voices of the youth? The media landscape offers a plethora of potent avenues which we can follow in our quest of nurturing individual expression and projecting fresh ideas in a creative and dynamic manner. Originality will be at the core of our team’s functions, which will be complemented by the notions of fostering growth and encouraging independence. This is what the Media Team of the 21st National Selection Conference of EYP NL will look like in a nutshell! I hope this short, but sweet intro, has gotten you as excited about Breda 2021 as I am and if so, keep reading to discover more about the editorial vision! If you’re already captivated by the idea of joining a Northern European session (with all the organizational excellence and amazingly cool vibes that EYP NL can secure) with a Southern European editor (with all the chaotic good (?) energy I have been piling up throughout quarantine), then apply through the members platform! I can’t wait to work with you and make Breda 2021 a truly unique and memorable experience! Lots of love, Marilena
Vision The Media Team of Breda 2021 will be founded upon two cardinal values: Originality and Growth. However, before diving deeper into what each of these concepts will represent, it should be noted that enjoying the session and its people will be our utmost priority. So, see this as an opportunity to first of all have fun and to also help drive change! Structure
The Media Team will not be a strictly hierarchical and leveled cohort where people feel like they have to report to superiors. Rather to negate the stress-inducing force of power dynamics between the editorial team and journalists, we will be adopting a flat team structure, not only in the sense that editorial team members have equal responsibilities and standing, but rather this structure will be implemented in the entire team. EAs, MTMs and Editor will all have the same power and can be both producers and receivers of knowledge. CJO day will be shaped in such a way so that all modules, even the basics of multimedia, are delivered in a collective and cooperation-geared way. Everyone will be a teacher, and everyone will be a student, and all together we will put all the pieces of the puzzle together and develop all necessary media skills.
Originality
The notion of originality assumes a dual conformation. On the one hand, we will be maintaining high standards when it comes to producing innovative content and exploring new unconventional types of media. On the other hand, we will be creating a safe space where all identities and ideas are respected and valued. The underlying concept in both cases is the idea of remaining truthful and committed to yourself and to your role in the session, and to not compromise one or the other. The team will be exposed to a variety of mediums and media techniques and will also complete a “Creativity, Innovation and Design” training which will nurture crucial skills that urge people to use their imagination, think of the unthinkable, reframe it and create something truly unique and revolutionary. This will be a team of unapologetic dreamers turned into inspired pioneers! The team will first be equipped with all the technical knowledge required to produce innovative output and then project ideas will be finalized through a process of brainstorming and bouncing off ideas collectively. Technical support with equipment and software will be provided in every step of the way, both by the members of the editorial team and by journalists themselves, so that peer-to-peer learning is fostered and everyone feels like an intrinsic member of the team and the output. Being truthful to yourself and the session as a whole will also be emphasized. It is very easy to lose yourself in an EYP event, whether that is due to work overload or by the pressure to socially fit in, but similarly, it is equally easy to lose sight of your goals and feel overwhelmed. We will thus set rules and structures in place so that support is offered on both an emotional and a working level, and people can have a balanced and harmonious experience. Growth
EYP is a youth organization, yet there exists this stressful expectation that all of our work should fully meet professional standards. Striving for excellence in itself isn’t harmful, however, in its extreme expressions, it may deter people from trying new things and thus have them settle for easy projects which are conveniently positioned in their comfort zone, or worse, it may emerge as a major stress factor which completely blocks creative faculties. EYP is a learning space, and so in this team making mistakes will be required, since it is only through trial and error and a continuous process of evaluating what can be altered and adjusted that one can truly learn. The passion and zeal with which people used to work will be maintained and further ignited, it will however be channeled to projects revolving around the idea of personal growth, and not necessarily delivering an excellent final product. Growth is also inextricably coalesced with the idea of ownership. The more confident you become in your skills and the more invested you become in your ideas, the more you can start feeling these projects as your own. I want each media team member to be proud of their projects and happy with their efforts, having undergone a process of developing rough ideas to final polished products. In the spirit of bolstering growth and providing all tools for people to succeed, the team will be heterogeneous in terms of previous media experience, thus allowing for people from different backgrounds to join and contribute their unique perspectives to the ideation and creation process. Software and camera settings can be taught, ingenuity and creativity, though, are innate! ----- I hope you take this leap and join me in Breda’s Media Team this January. I can’t wait to read your applications and welcome you to what is definitely going to be an amazing session!
Vision of the President “Regulating the future of Europe - taking a critical look at innovative technology”. In a world focused on creating, on moving forward and making improvements, it's easy to put up blinders and ignore the inevitable pitfall that is innovation for the sake of innovation itself. This is where we step in, the youth, born into the idea of innovation and creation, now (hopefully) equipped with a critical eye, not as baffled by what has come, but inspired to be a part of what can be. I don’t mean this is a naive “everything is gonna work out” kind of manner, but as the resourceful youth, we have the obligation to be prepared for what is to come. We do not know what the inventions of tomorrow might bring, nevertheless it is our obligation to reflect on what is now. We must facilitate our own future safety, moral ground, happiness and success, by preparing for the challenges to come and dealing with the ones we are presented with now. I would like to emphasise this being a suggestion with correction, modification and improvement not only welcomed but invited. The invaluable resources the team will bring should not go unexplored, further feeding into the larger vision and goals. Information adaptation : As the session will have a strong technological focus the need for thorough concept and technical understanding will be essential. I am therefore wanting us to consider restructuring the TO format, to include more tailored information presentation. Accessible information is one of my great focus points through my last couple of years in EYP, and something I hope to continue to improve on with our team here in Breda. We'll be looking for individuals ready to use their different insight into this issue, ensuring the Breda2021 academic output being accessible, educational and enjoyable. My personal working style is based around appreciation for and focus on long term planning and clear, structured communication. What this does for the team is foster a safe base structure for us to start working from, making it possible to take bigger chances and push harder, because we know at the end of the day there's a safety net to fall back on. It lets us skip the phase where we need to start from scratch, but rather build from floor one, reevaluate what we have, adapt it to our needs and change what needs changing. My hope is that by putting together a team with diverse experiences we can use our shared knowledge to support and learn from each other from the very beginning, and through this synergy build the academic team of Breda2021. Lastly I want to emphasise the value and importance of giving people, and especially the ones we´ve chosen ourselves to work with, the benefit of the doubt. Second chances are not a luxury, not something people need to earn, it is something to be given with ease, an open heart and understanding. For that we, the youth, are under such vast development we are bound to make mistakes, and when we do the only way we can learn from it is through honesty and self-reflection. I hope that the session we create gets to represent all our strengths and differences, because together we are stronger than the sum of our parts. What we´ll be looking for are individuals with a can-do spirit, who want to see the bigger picture and make challenges into new solutions.
Application Procedure The selection panel will consist of the Head-Organisers of the session, the President, the Head of Jury, the Editor and 2-3 relevant NC board members. Applications are to be admitted only via the Member Platform. Applications are not limited in terms of creativity or form, however, your answers always have to be provided in text as well. The deadline for the applications is the 16th of October, 23:59 CET.
Questions for Vice Presidents: ● ● ● ●
What does leadership and responsibility mean to you? Please also explain how you envision the leadership of Breda 2021? Explain how you view the role of a Vice-President. What is your niche, and what do you want to do at the session? What experience in your non-EYP life has changed your priorities in the world? Describe a time in an EYP context where you were involved in a difficult conflict between others, which you were responsible for resolving. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome? Would you do anything differently now?
Questions for Editorial Assistant: ●
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Since the team will be all about having fun and learning in a relaxed environment please create a meme to describe one aspect of your personality (can be satirical or a very realistic reflection of yourself)! Copy and paste the link to your image! What is one thing that the Covid-19 pandemic and quarantine has taught you? (200 words max) Taking into account your personal and technical strengths and weaknesses, what do you think makes you the ideal candidate for the EA position? (300 words max) Which aspect of the vision inspires you the most and how would you expand on it? (250 words max) Attach a link to your personal portfolio! (may include projects completed within and outside of EYP)
Questions for Jury Members: ● ●
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Introduce yourself: Who are you and what is something you are passionate about? Describe a situation in which you have dealt with biases of yourself or of others. How did you approach the situation? What was the eventual outcome? (The situation does not have to be related to EYP.) Explain how you deal with disagreement and pluralistic ignorance (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluralistic_ignorance) in team meetings. (Don’t worry, your understanding of the term “pluralistic ignorance” does not have to be perfect!) Based on your own experience and the EYPNL jury criteria (https://www.eyp.nl/jury-criteria/), what kind of delegate should be selected to go to an IS?
Questions for Organisers: ● ● ● ● ●
What is your motivation to join this session? The lunch is delayed by multiple hours because of a mistake on the caterer’s part. It’s your responsibility to manage the situation. What would you do? What are your strengths and weaknesses as an organiser? What obstacles do you expect to face as an organiser at Breda 2021 (especially regarding the pandemic)? What is your availability in the coming months?
If you have any questions concerning your application, do not hesitate to contact Sanna (sanna.grootenboer@eyp.nl), one of the Head Organisers of the session. Best of luck writing your applications!