INTERNATIONAL EYP FORUM IN ARMENIA
International European Youth Parliament Forum in Armenia
Yerevan, Armenia 2-9 July
President’s Vision Head Organisers' Welcome Speech TOPICS Welcome to Yerevan The European Youth Parliament EYP Forum Methodology Accommodation / Dress code How to Participate? Travel information Preliminary Agenda
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INTERNATIONAL EYP FORUM IN ARMENIA
RODRIGO VAZ
Youth has never been more at the forefront of discussions across Europe and the globe than ever before. And yet, it has been a long rhetoric weapon older than any concept of ‘young’ can encompass – the cliché that ‘youth are the future’ being the very proof of that. And yet, young people – in Europe and beyond – have never been so sidelined from the society they live in. Arguably, the future of young people has never been so bleak since 1945: youth unemployment the European Union in the last quarter of 2014, according to the Eurostat, fared high at an average of 21.4%. Even this number, however, hides deep
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regional asymmetries – the 7.4% of Germany have little in common with the staggering 51% of Greece and Spain. And yet, this might be the generation with the most access to information, with the most freedom. While freedom is also endangered today, it can be argued young people in Europe were never as free to do as they please: this remains, after all, the ‘easyJet generation’ that Timothy Garton-Ash once described. Exchange programmes like Erasmus, the borders taken away by the Schengen agreement and several other agreements make easier than ever before for young people in
Europe to meet the continent that surround them. What is, then, the power that young people have? What matters more to them – f r e e d o m f r o m unemployment or freedom to travel? These are the questions we will be addressing at IEFA. We are looking forward to make this forum a means to get your voice heard. We are looking to discuss the challenges young people face – before that, though: will you step up to this challenge?
Head Organisers' Welcome Speech Dear All, When back in 2014 both of us were delegates at IEFA, neither of us could imagine that the experience IEFA gave would be so remarkable that two years later we would be the people making IEFA 2016 reality. Considering the significance of the IEFA for EYP Armenia as the flagship event of the year, it has been both great pleasure and even greater responsibility to take IEFA to a new level. Gathering together 200 of the brightest youth from all over Europe and providing them with the opportunity to discuss relevant issues of the time, IEFA will also be an unforgettable chance for getting familiar with Armenian culture and
history. Together with the organising team of the forum, we have been doing all the possible and not only to make sure that IEFA gives each and every one of you the experience that it gave to us and today London is the capital of Great Britain* Now it is your turn to take a step forward and become a part of the experience which will pave the way for an unforgettable journey of diversity with EYP. Having experienced all the roles at EYP sessions, we have put ourselves into others’ shoes and tried to make sure that everyone appreciates this experience. We will give chairs a possibility to reschedule breaks according to the
needs of their committee. With the reach cultural programme, we will do our best to ensure the groundbreaking experience of delegates and will give rich soil for media team’s self-realisation. With the possibility to choose between several events, we want to assure that no one is left out of the adventure that is called IEFA 2016. We truly hope that IEFA and EYP Armenia will take their special place in your EYP history and will ignite that warm feeling which makes us come back to EYP with more enthusiasm every time! *this is to make sure you are reading this, congratulations:)
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The Delegates Will be Allocated in 10 Committees to Discuss the Following Topics 1. Constitutional Affairs (AFCO).
2. Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON).
3. Foreign Affairs (AFET).
In the light of the continually declining voter turnout in European and national elections: in an age wherein the world's leading democracies are making a shift into the digital world, what should Europe do to re-vitalise its democratic culture?
Protection of the national legal standards and differentiation of illegal tax evasion from legal tax avoidance: How should the EU deal with financial havens, offshore accounts and taxavoidance regulations in its Member States and EaP countries, having in mind scandals caused by the leakage of “Panama Papers”?
Having in mind the findings of the European Commission's 2015 Annual Progress report on Turkey, how best should the EU address the ongoing violations of human rights and press freedom while maintaining the cooperation on tackling the refugee crisis stipulated in the EU – Turkey Joint Action Plan?
4. Fisheries (PECH).
5. Human Rights (DROI).
6. Security and Defense (SEDE).
Overfishing continues to pose a threat to fish stocks throughout the world. As the situation in the Mediterranean is proving problematic, the EU has demonstrated commitment to solve this issue through partnership agreements and common fisheries policy. However, the EaP countries lack a coherent policy on this issue, which causes overfishing and extension of certain species in the waters of EaP countries. What should be the levers of the EU assistance to the EaP countries to tackle the posed issues?
Detainees in prison facilities are often stripped of the proper legal safeguards for their fundamental rights execution as well. Which common guidelines should the EU Member States agree on regarding detainees' rights and freedoms, detention facilities, a n d s o c i a l rehabilitation?
Taking into account double standards based approaches of global stakeholders regarding reconciliation of the frozen conflicts, what steps should the EU undertake to guarantee peaceful resolution of the conflicts within its neighbourhood borders and prevent the possibility of military actions on the ground?
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7. Legal Affairs (JURI).
8. Development (DEVE).
The protection of the intellectual property rights has been an issue in the countries of the Eastern Partnership for 2 decades with no credible solution suggested yet. What model of the intellectual property rights protection will assist EaP countries to boost growth and better integrate in the European framework?
Although the EU has been consistently contributing to institutional reforms and development of anticorruption policies in EaP countries, corruption remains one of the most striking problems in all six EaP member states. What new approach should the EU take to ensure institutional reforms against corruption practices in the EaP region?
9. Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). The inux of refugees into Europe has caused a rise of ultra-right political circles throughout Europe. Taking into account this situation what measures should the EU take to prevent further escalation of the similar phenomena?
10. Public Health, Environment and Food Safety (ENVI). Considering that COP21 Summit in Paris has paved the way for a global climate deal, what actions can the EU take to promote a global emissions trading scheme, similar to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS)?
The EYP Armenia team will be also organising a range of evening activities to create a platform for non-formal and cultural communication as a supplement to the academic aspect of the forum (refer to the forum schedule). The organising team will do its best to ensure high quality of the forum and unforgettable experience for all the delegates. We are working hard to make the upcoming forum outstanding and provide an insight about the urgent issues of Europe to our delegates. We look forward to meeting you in Yerevan, at the 3rd International EYP Forum in Armenia.
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The history of Armenia can be traced back to the establishment of the Armenian Kingdom in the 6th century BC which reached its height under Tigranes the Great, becoming one of the most powerful kingdoms of its time within the region. In 4th century AD, Armenia becomes the 1st country in the world to adopt Christianity as its state religion, thus pivoting a new era of cultural prosperity. Armenia lies in the highlands surrounding the Biblical mountains of Ararat, upon which Noah's Ark is said to have come to rest after the flood. Yerevan, the capital and largest city of Armenia, lies on the edge of the Ararat plain. According to the legend, after the Deluge, Noah saw a land from the Mount Ararat and cried “Yerevats, Yerevats!”(I see the land), which is believed to be the origin for the city's name.
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Being on the crossroads of West and East it has harmoniously combined the best of the two. The city is now proud to introduce its architectural jewels like the Republic Square, the Opera House, the Cascades, as well as numerous galleries, museums and parks. Entertainment, recreation, night walks along the Singing Fountains together with the hos p i ta b l e c om p a ny of the residents assures one's entire enjoyment of the flamboyant city life. Thus, 2795 years old Yerevan is pleased to whole-heartedly welcome all the delegates!
he European Youth Parliament The European Youth Parliament (EYP, www.eyp.org) is a non-partisan and independent educational project which is tailored speciďŹ cally to the needs of the young European citizen. The EYP encourages independent thinking and sociopolitical initiative in young people and facilitates the learning of crucial social and professional skills. Since its inauguration, in 1987, tens of thousands of young people have taken part in regional, national and international sessions, formed friendships, pondered over urgent issues of Europe, proposed solutions, made international contact across and beyond borders. Today the EYP is one of the largest European platforms for political educational work and the exchange of ideas among young people in Europe and has been granted patronage from Thorbjorn Jagland (Secretary General of the Council of Europe), Martin Schulz (President of the European Parliament), Jose Manuel Barroso (President of the European Commission), and many other outstanding ďŹ gures in the European politics.
The EYP consists of a network of more than 41 European associations and organisations which target to empower the young people through the involvement in the decisionmaking process. The EYP Armenia has been established and recognised as a full member of the European Youth Parliament network in December of 2012. Since then our delegates have taken part in numerous regional sessions, international forums, and got involved in various projects with the most recent being 2nd Edition of International EYP Forum in Armenia, DECODE International Forum of EYP Armenia on "Democratic Citizenship: Obtaining, Developing,
Empowering", 2nd National Selection Conference ,etc. Overall, EYP Armenia has implemented 25 projects which involved around 3000 young people, hosted 400 foreign students from 68 countries of Europe, Asia, Africa, Americas and Australia and 45 volunteers from Armenia, Georgia, Sweden, Romania, Austria, Czech Republic.
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The 2nd International EYP Forum in Armenia (IEFA) on “Democratic Citizenship Obtaining, developing, empowering”, which took place on May 21-28 and gathered 250 participants from 52 countries of 5 continents. IEFA launched by Opening Ceremony at Municipality of Yerevan on May 21st. Furthermore, it comprised Euro Village, Committee Work in 10 committees, EuroConcert, General Assembly, Committee Tours, visiting Wings of Tatev, etc. In the scope of IEFA 7 Armenian Delegates were recognized the best and will represent us at Leipzig 80th International Session of the European Youth Parliament. Also a delegate from Bosnia & Herzegovina has been recognized the best international delegate and received travel reimbursement.
Dilijan Academic EYP Forum (DAEF) on The Eastern Partnership and EU “On the way to a deeper integration” (DAEF), under the motto “Initiate. Debate. Empower. Advocate. Leverage” (I.D.E.A.L.) Dilijan Academic EYP Forum was a forum by the European Youth Parliament – Armenia taking place October 8 – 14 in the beautiful city of Dilijan. 120 participants from 20 countries of Europe got together in this small, yet historically rich city to discuss the respective topic of EU-Armenia further integration in 6 committees of Foreign Affairs, Legal Affairs, Economic & Monetary Affairs, Civil Liberties, Environment & Public Health. The Academic Forum was organised with the support of German Federal Foreign Office, in the frames of BASES (Building a Strong European Society) project.
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International EYP Forum on Activate Youth for sustainability: obtaining & rebuilding (AYSOR) AYSOR took place November 19 – 25 in Yerevan and gathered 150 participants from around 30 countries of Europe. The Forum lasted 7 days and comprised of Teambuilding, Committee Work, Cultural Dinner, Euro Village, Euro Concert, Trip to Zvartnots Cathedral, General Assembly. The Forum was organised in the scope of the BASES project (Building a Strong European Society) funded by the German Federal Foreign Office. The Opening Ceremony of AYSOR 2015 took place on 21st of November at the Komitas MuseumInstitute. It was attended by Dr. Martin Galstyan - Head of Research Center of Central Bank in Dilijan, H.E. Ambassador Mr. Piotr-Antoni Switalski - Head of EU Delegation to Republic of Armenia, Chairman of Schwarzkopf Foundation - Dr. Andre Schmit-Schwarzkopf and many other prominent guests. After the official Opening Ceremony of AYSOR a panel discussion was held on “Challenges of sustainable development in the EU and Eastern Partnership countries” moderated by Hovsep Patvakanyan President of EYP Armenia, where the youth actively took part with interesting and thought-provoking questions directed to the speakers.
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YP Forum
Methodology
EYP Forum follows a similar programme and is based on the same methodology of teambuilding, committee work and General Assembly (GA) synthesised with the evening activities.
TEAMBUILDING:
Young people coming
from very different backgrounds and having never met before will gather in committees. They need to function as a close-knit team working together in a collaborative and mutually respectful environment. The preparation for this challenge is the aim of the teambuilding activities. In conjunction with the committee chairperson, the delegates in committees engage in a variety of indoor and outdoor activities. Some of these are physical, others creative or problem solving but all of them are designed to get the group of people working as a team, creating the basis for an open, productive and fair political discussion in an atmosphere of trust among the participants.
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COMMITTEE WORK:
Committee
work is the central part of any session of the European Youth Parliament. The delegates of committee come together after the teambuilding to work on the particular topic allocated in the scope of the general topic which will result in a resolution. Resolution itself includes introductory and operative clauses: identiďŹ cation of the existing problems and the ways to solve them. The principle of consensus is central to the EYP method and it can be a huge challenge for the group to reach a compromise in the end. Chair is facilitating the group discussion and gives the insight into the speciďŹ cs of the discussed topic.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY: The General Assembly reunites all the participants of the session in order to consider the results of the committee work. Each committee presents a resolution, which furthermore is defended, attacked, debated and, ultimately, voted on based solely on the personal conscience of each delegate. The Resolution is successfully passed if more than half of delegates voted in favour.
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EUROCONCERT & EUROVILLAGE: The idea of the Eurovillage event is for all the delegations from all the countries to put together their own stall to present local products and culture. The presentation tables usually include a variety of local food and drinks, brochures, small gifts and other products. Quite often the delegation even wears their respective national costumes to make the event a colourful celebration of the different nations. Every delegation will be asked to bring their national food and products. The talents of EYPers are various, and in recognition of the many musically gifted among the participants, this event is a chance for these musicians to show their abilities, playing a variety of instruments, singing and dancing. Euroconcert is yet again a possibility to explore and share the diversity of more than 20 different cultures.
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Visit to Garni and Geghard. Garni is a major village in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. The settlement has an ancient history, and is best known for the Hellenistic Garni temple. The area was first occupied in the 3rd millennium BC along easily defensible terrain at one of the bends of the Azat River. The fortification at Garni was erected sometime in the 3rd century BC as a summer residence for the Armenian royal dynasties. Nearby is the Garni Gorge with wellpreserved basalt columns, carved out by the Goght River, which is typically referred to as the "Symphony of the Stones". Garni lies along the road to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Geghard Monastery, which was founded in the 4th century at the site of a sacred spring inside a cave. The name commonly used for the monastery today, Geghard, or more fully Geghardavank, meaning "the Monastery of the Spear", originates from the spear which had wounded Jesus at the Crucifixion, allegedly brought to Armenia by Apostle Jude, called here Thaddeus, and stored amongst many other relics.
ccomodation International delegates will be accommodated in Rafael, Bridge and JR's House Guest Houses (to be confirmed). The Guest houses are located in the city center within 5minute walk to the main jewelries of Yerevan: Republic Square and Cascades that are considered to be openair museums and one of the most striking sights in the region. The accommodation venue is fully equipped, has free Wi-Fi and all the facilities to make your stay unforgettable.
ress code SMART:
During Committee Work you will be
required to follow the smart dress code. You will not be expected to wear your suit, but worn-out jeans with sneakers or flip-flops don't quite fit the smart clothing requirements either - preferably you wear something in between. For example, trousers with a shirt or a blouse will suit perfectly for Committee Work.
CASUAL:
This dress code applies to Team-
building, where you will be doing various activities, both indoors and outdoors, depending on the weather conditions. You are free to wear any type of clothing you feel comfortable in, as long as you are able to move around actively.
FORMAL:
During the Opening Ceremony,
the Euroconcert and the General Assembly you will be expected to dress formally. This means suits with ties for the gentlemen, and suits, dresses or skirts of an appropriate length for the ladies!
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ow to participate? We are now happy to launch a call for International and Armenian Delegates for the 3rd edition of the International EYP Forum in Armenia (IEFA). Participation fee for international delegates covering accommodation in the Guest House, meals (HB), tours, conference materials, internal transportation is €60. The official trailer of the event can be found here: http://bit.ly/1rW0OGU Here previous participants of the Forum share their experience: http://bit.ly/1BYrr1f Online Application can be filled out here: http://goo.gl/forms/BrVQx23syU Deadline: May 15th, 23:59 CET Participation fee for Armenian Delegates is 5500 AMD, covering lunch, coffee breaks and conference materials. The Members of EYP Armenia in case of being selected will not be charged the participation fee. If you have any question, do not hesitate to contact us: iefa@eyparmenia.org.
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ravel Information VISA: Entry visa to Armenia is not required for a year-long stay for the nationals of the following countries: the European Union Member States, Andorra, Iceland, Norway, Georgia, Belarus, Russia, Moldova, San Marino, Switzerland, Ukraine, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania. Citizens of states not mentioned above will be required to obtain visa either in the Armenian consulates in their home countries or once they arrive at Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan. Details of visa policy of Armenia for your country can be found here: http://bit.ly/1pVPUt8
In comparison with Central and Western Europe, the prices for most of the goods and services are 3-4 times cheaper. Here are some hints: Sandwich – € 0.7-1.5 1 km, taxi cab – € 0.2 A bottle of water (0.33 l.) – € 0.2 A bottle of wine (0.75 l.) – € 2> Mobile card – € 0.5 Tariff for the mobile cards – €0.02/min for both local and international calls
HOW TO REACH ARMENIA: ROAD WAYS: There are two ways you can use to reach Yerevan, the roadway and airway. Find the detailed information below.
M O N E Y A N D P R I C E S : AIR WAYS:
Armenian currency is called dram (AMD), 1 euro = 530 AMD. The daily exchange rate of Armenian dram can be found at www.cba.am. Currency can be easily changed in the banks, supermarkets, special check-points and there is no quantity limit. Credit & debit cards are accepted in the shops, stores, hotels, cafes, pubs, etc.
Aerosvit, Aegean Airlines, Ukrainian International Airlines, AtlasGlobal, etc. For the Polish, Ukranian, Belarusian and Slovak participants the cheap way to get to Yerevan is taking Wizz Air budget airlines (http://wizzair.com/). The latter performs flights from Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Hungary to Kutaisi (a city in Georgia, 5 hour ride to Yerevan) at the rate of € 80-130 for round-trip ticket. Please also check out the Fly Pegasus low cost airlines (http://www.flypgs.com/en/default.aspx) that perform flights to Tbilisi (Georgia) with average price of round-trip ticket ranging from € 100-200, the bus from Tbilisi to Yerevan (the venue of the conference) takes 4-5 hours and costs € 10 (one way).
Flights from Central and Western Europe take from 2.5 to 4 hours; regular flights to Yerevan (http://www.zvartnots.am/en/) are from Vienna, London, Paris, Minsk, Moscow, Prague, Warsaw, Riga, Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt, Berlin, Kiev, Istanbul etc. The airlines performing flights to Yerevan include Austrian Airlines, Czech Airlines, AirFrance, Aeroflot, Air Baltic,
Buses to Yerevan depart from Thessaloniki, Istanbul, Trabzon with prices ranging from €30 to €70 for one way ticket. Buses leave for Yerevan from Tbilisi on the daily basis with the price range €8-11 for one way ticket, the International railway connection is also available from Georgia (€12-20 one way).
All the International Delegates arriving at the airport or railway station will be met by the Organising Team and transferred to the Guest House.
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reliminary agenda SUNDAY, July 3
Tuesday, July 5
Thursday July 7
09:00 - 11:00
Arrival of international delegates
10:30 - 12:00
World Cafe
10:00 - 12:30
11:00 - 13:00
Teambuilding (1)
12:00 - 16:00
Treasure Hunt
13:00 - 14:00
Lunch
16:30 - 17:00
Committee Lunch
12:30 - 13:00
Coffee Break
14:00 - 16:00
Teambuilding (2)
17:00 - 19:00
Free time
13:00 - 14:00
GA, Committee 3
16:00 - 16:30
Coffee break
19:00 - 19:30
Transfer to Dinner Venue
14:00 - 15:00
Lunch Break
16:30 - 18:00
Teambuilding (3)
19:30 - 00:00
Dinner at Megerian Carpets/
15:00 - 17:30
GA, Committees 4, 5
18:00 - 19:00
Transfer to Eurovillage Venue
Watching football in a pub
19:00 - 21:00
Dinner
19:00 - 23:00
Eurovillage and Vardavar Festival
21:00 - 00:00
Free time
Wednesday, July 6
Opening of the General Assembly. Committees 1, 2
Monday, July 4
09:00 - 11:30
Committee Work (4)
Friday, July 8
09:00 - 10:30 Opening Ceremony
11:30 - 12:00
Coffee Break
10:00 - 12:30
GA, Committees 6, 7
10:30 - 11:00 Reception
12:00 - 14:00
Committee Work (5)
12:30 - 13:00
Coffee Break
11:00 - 11:15 Transfer to CW Venue
14:00 - 15:00
Coffee Break
13:00 - 14:00
GA, Committee 8
11:15 - 14:00 Committee Work (1)
15:00 - 16:30
Committee Work (6)
14:00 - 15:00
Lunch Break
14:00 - 15:00 Lunch Break
16:30 - 17:00
Coffee Break
15:00 - 17:30
GA, Committees 9, 10
15:00 - 17:00 Committee Work (2)
17:00 - 19:00
Committee Work (7)
17:30 - 19:30
Closing Ceremony
17:00 - 17:30 Coffee Break
19:30 - 21:00
Dinner
20:00 - 02:00
Farewell Party
17:30 - 19:00 Committee Work (3)
21:30
(Only for chairs) Resotyping/ Chairs' Dinner
Saturday July 9
Party/ Watching football in a pub
All day
19:00 - 20:00
transfer to EuroConcert Venue/ Rehearsal
20:00 - 21:30 EuroConcert 21:30 - 23:00 Dinner
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21:00 - 00:00
Seeing off International Delegates
FUNDED BY:
INITIATED BY:
The Schwarzkopf Foundation is the international umbrella organization of the European Youth Parliament (EYP). EYP Armenia is a National Committee in the EYP Network
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INTERNATIONAL EYP FORUM IN ARMENIA
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