CALL FOR APPLICATIONS CHAIRS, EDITORS, VICE-PRESIDENTS 76th International Session, Barcelona 2014
The session The 76th International Session of the EYP will be held in Barcelona, Spain between July 25th - August 3rd 2014 under the theme ‘Walking towards a common European spirit‘. The event will be presided by Chris Hall (UK). You are invited to read about his vision on the session below. More information on the session can be found on the event’s website and Facebook page.
We are now looking for 12 Chairs, 2 Editors and 3 Vice-Presidents. Chairpersons bear significant responsibilities and play a crucial role in the success of the event. We would thus be delighted if you were interested in contributing to making Barcelona 2014 an unforgettable event for the session’s participants and the entire EYP community. All members of the chairs’ team are required to arrive in Barcelona two or three days prior to the start of the session in order to attend the chairs’ training. Departures are on Sunday August 3rd. Additionally, please note that in preparation for the session, Chairpersons are required to attend the Chairs’ Academic Training (CAT), which will take place from the 30th May to 1st June 2014 in Berlin. Chairs need to be at the CAT venue by 12 pm on Friday. Attendance of the CAT is an integral part of a chair’s responsibilities and expenses for the meeting will be covered by EYP-SF. According to policy 18.1.18, at least two Vice-Presidents should be members of the Pool of Trainers as defined by the Governing Body. Should no such applications be submitted, the panel can disregard the criteria.
European Youth Parliament, Sophienstraße 28-29, 10178 Berlin, Germany. www.eyp.org. info@eyp.org
Message from the president Barcelona 2014 promises to be an unforgettable session. I know that the organisers are all working extraordinarily hard to put a structure together so the delegates can have the best academic and social experience possible. Barcelona is a city renowned for passion and beauty, whether it’s their architecture, their sport, or their politics. An opportunity awaits to be leaders amongst the brightest and the best, under Mediterranean sun, and in the shadow of Gaudi buildings. Of all of Gaudi’s works most famous is the Sagrada Familia, which lies magnificently in Barcelona, unfinished, and continuing to divide public opinion, and like the Sagrada Familia, the EU lies unfinished, borne from the ruins of World War II, it lives on today as the political and economic Union which dominates our continent. It, also, divides public opinion, no more so than in my home country of the United Kingdom, where independence parties grow in their popularity and negative conceptions of the EU grow more and more common. No matter what your political beliefs may be, it is true that we are stronger together than we are divided. You may not appreciate or desire any sort of European Union, but it’s undeniable that we can always learn from one another, we can always gain something from listening, and from co-operation. The theme of Barcelona 2014 is ‘Walking towards a common European spirit’ - the constant balance of celebrating our differences, finding our similarities, and not losing what makes all of us unique. If you think that striking the perfect balance is a strength that you have, keeping your eyes on multiple changes, and working towards this common spirit, then I would love to read your application. It has been said before that you should never doubt that a small group of committed people could change the world, indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. If you have any questions on the application form, or would like to discuss what you can add to Barcelona 2014, then please don’t hesitate to contact me at all. Chris Hall President of the 75th International Session E-mail: chris.j.hall1@gmail.com Phone: + 447866485552 Skype: hallchr1
European Youth Parliament, Sophienstraße 28-29, 10178 Berlin, Germany. www.eyp.org. info@eyp.org
Criteria According to EYP policies, the Selection Panel is looking for individuals with the following qualities: Chairpersons: i. excellent English language skills (French desirable) ii. good knowledge of and interest in European issues iii. high sense of responsibility, expressed motivation and commitment to further EYP’s objectives iv. previous group facilitation and EYP experience v. good planning and organisational skills vi. ability to lead a group and good understanding of group dynamics vii. ability to work as a member of a team and with individuals from various cultural and socio-economic backgrounds viii. creativity and personal vision for the role desirable Aditionally for Editors: i. a clear vision and plan for the media team and its output ii. excellent leadership skills and understanding of group dynamics iii. creativity in all aspects of the work of the media team iv. previous media team experience v. ability to critically assess contemporary media production technologies Vice-presidents: i. excellent English language skills (French desirable) ii. excellent knowledge of and interest in European issues iii. high sense of responsibility, expressed motivation and commitment to further EYP’s objectives iv. substantial facilitation experience at EYP events including a minimum of one International Session at tended as a chair v. very good planning and organisational skills vi. excellent leadership skills and advanced understanding of group dynamics as well as ability to provide feedback vii. ability to work as a member of a team and with individuals from various cultural and socio-economic backgrounds viii. a solid understanding of the EYP and a strong personal vision for the role, ix. training experience: ability to plan, run and evaluate training modules x. ability to represent EYP in an official capacity xi. a sense of awareness of one’s own strengths and weaknesses in the role
European Youth Parliament, Sophienstraße 28-29, 10178 Berlin, Germany. www.eyp.org. info@eyp.org
The overall team will also present a cohesive and suitable balance of nationality, gender and levels of experience. Applicants should be aware that failure to be selected is no reflection on their talent or ability to be part of an IS chairs’ team. The selection panel will consider first the individuals who have applied for the position and thereby thoroughly go over all the applications, following the guidelines given by the GB. The Panel will consist of the Session President (Chris Hall), Past Session President (Milda Sabunaite) and a Member of the Governing Body (Anar Kucera). A recommendation to cover the role of a Chairperson or Vice-President is a prerequisite to be considered for the selection of the respective posts. In order to be selected as Editor, please note that the candidate must at least have a chairperson recommendation. Editor recommendations are not considered a prerequisite; however candidates with press team experience will be prioritised in the selection. In case you are unsure if you are eligible to apply, you can check your recommendations and individual feedback forms with your previous Chair(s)/ President(s) or by contacting the Human Resources Officer for the International EYP at hr@eyp.org. The selection will only begin once the application deadline is over.
How to Apply? If you are available and interested in attending, you should follow these steps to apply: 1. Log on to the EYP Alumni Portal (if you do not have access or encounter any other problems, please get in touch with support@eyp.org); 2. Update your profile on the Portal; 3. Sign up for the 76th International Session as either Chair, Vice-President or Editor and fill in the “additional fields” in the application form (questions are listed below). If you would like to apply for multiple positions, please send one of your applications to hr@eyp.org. 4. Once you have submitted your application via the platform, please send your updated session history using the template provided on the event’s page on the alumni platform to hr@eyp.org. Please note that this is a prerequisite for your application to be considered. 5. The deadline for submitting your application via the platform and sending in your complete session history is Monday, 7th April at 12.00 CET (noon). All officials are also asked to make sure they are aware of the relevant policies of the EYP as listed in the official EYP Policy Compilation at http://alumni.eypej.org/governance/general.
European Youth Parliament, Sophienstraße 28-29, 10178 Berlin, Germany. www.eyp.org. info@eyp.org
Application questions Please note that the panel will be looking for quality rather than quantity, which is why we kindly ask all applicants to ensure that none of their answers to any of the questions below exceeds the word limit. All applicants: 1. Explain how you fulfil the criteria for the position you are applying for and support your reasoning with concrete examples. (max 250 words) 2. Identify and discuss your key strengths and how you think they will contribute to a successful summer International Session. (max 125 words) 3. What aspects of your own work would you want to improve in Barcelona and how do you aim to do so? (max 125 words) 4. Please put in words what it is that motivates you to apply to be part of the Barcelona 2014 session. (max 250 words) Additionally for Chairs: 5. What is your area of interest and knowledge in European affairs? Suggest a topic you would like to facili- tate at the session and explain why. (max 250 words). 6. A year on from the first successful European Citizens Initiative (ECI) - of the 15 ECIs which have been ap proved, give an outline of the one you believe to have been the most important one and why you believe so. (max 250 words) Additionally for Vice-Presidents: 5. Leadership and Barcelona 2014: In your view, what does leadership by the session board entail in the context of the session? What is your understanding of providing support to the president? (max 150 words) Additionally for Editors: 5. Explain how a media team led by you would contribute to the academic and social experience of the participants of Barcelona 2014 by outlining your vision and concrete ideas for the media team and its output. Please state in your application who you would like to edit with. (no word limit)
European Youth Parliament, SophienstraĂ&#x;e 28-29, 10178 Berlin, Germany. www.eyp.org. info@eyp.org