Call for applications CHAIRS, EDITORS, VICE-PRESIDENTS 75th International Session, Riga 2014
The session The 75th International Session of the EYP will be held in Riga, Latvia from 14th to the 23rd of March 2014 and presided by Milda Sabunaite (LT). You are invited to read about her vision on the session below. More information on the session can be found on the event’s Facebook page.
We are now looking for 15 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 Riga 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 Riga one or two days prior to the start of the session in order to attend the chairs’ training. Departures are on Sunday 23rd March. 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 31st January to 2nd February 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 Dear EYP Community, It is my great pleasure to address you for the first time as president of the 75th International Session in Riga. Myself and the organising team have been working tirelessly to make Riga 2014 an international session that stands out with the quality of our events, creativity of our ideas and commitment of our officials. Riga 2014 will excel at those session elements the EYP has perfected through the years; and at the same time, find space to be different and unique by building its own session character. Now, four months until the session begins, I am thrilled to invite you to join my team, and, together with the most experienced and skilled young leaders of EYP, work as a chairperson, editor or vicepresident. The Team As session president, I place having the right leadership team as a top priority. For Riga 2014, I am looking for a team of trendsetters – individuals who stand on a solid foundation of leadership experience, and are able to build on this foundation using their own ideas, insights and reflections. For me, EYP has always been a platform to learn, as well as a platform to innovate and design new ideas – I will encourage my chairs’ team to do exactly that. I am looking for vice-presidents, chairs and editors who will bring competence, as well as endless enthusiasm; who will be proactive when working in a team, as well as reflective towards their own goals and experiences.
Our topics will deal with issues that directly affect the youth of Europe, and make direct links between the policies we discuss and the life of a 16-year-old European citizen. Our session theme will look at Europe’s culture; not that of hundreds of years ago, but one that Europe lives and breathes today. Riga 2014 will be a session that has Presence. Our activities will not end with debate – we will be active and visible in the city, meeting the people of Riga and engaging with them. Our session officials will not hide in meetings – they will be present in all session activities and lead the way by example. Our delegates will not merely nod along – they will be well-informed, opinionated and eager to present their views to the EYP community. Riga 2014 will encourage Learning. We will provide delegates with a strong learning environment – strengthening both their knowledge about Europe and about themselves as individuals. We will support delegates in finding their roles as they work in a team environment, evaluating their personal strengths and developing these strengths further. Riga 2014 will be the starting point for the generation that will build the future steps of our organisation – my team will be there to ensure that they never forget this starting moment. Working as an official at international sessions is by far my fondest memory of the EYP; as Riga 2014 approaches, I am thrilled to be able to offer this opportunity to the most talented, committed and motivated young people our organisation has to offer. With this quick glimpse into the ideas behind Riga 2014, I cannot encourage you enough to consider your motivations, challenge your strengths and take this opportunity to join me at the 75th International Session of the EYP as a chairperson, editor or vice-president.
In exchange, I offer excellent training opportunities, continuous individual support and encouragement, as well as an opportunity to set high personal goals and work towards them with the support of a strong team of young leaders. I offer the chance to be part of a team that is creative, inquisitive and eager to make a visible contribution to the session; a team that recognises both the time to honour a tradition and an opportunity to break the mould.
I look forward to reading your applications in December.
In my vice-presidents, I look for support in providing continuous training and guidance for the chairs as a team and as individuals throughout the session. Vice-presidents of Riga 2014 will not chair individual committees, but instead work with a co-chair, thus being able to fully commit to their role of providing substantial training and guidance for the chairs’ team.
President of the 75th International Session of the European Youth Parliament in Riga 2014
Warmest wishes, Milda Sabunaite
The Session With a strong team of young leaders by my side, I wish to welcome the delegates of Riga 2014 to an extraordinary EYP experience. Riga 2014 will be Relevant. We will encourage the young generation of the EYP to be passionate about European issues, and show how their everyday lives are affected by European-level decision making. European Youth Parliament, Sophienstraße 28-29, 10178 Berlin, Germany. www.eyp.org. info@eyp.org
European Youth Parliament, Sophienstraße 28-29, 10178 Berlin, Germany. www.eyp.org. info@eyp.org
Criteria
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.
According to EYP policies, the Selection Panel is looking for individuals with the following qualities:
The Panel will consist of the Session President (Milda Sabunaite), Past Session President (Jari Marjelund) and a Member of the Governing Body (Andris Suvajevs).
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
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 at (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 75th 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, 9th December at 12.00 CET. 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/eyp-materials.
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 weaknesses as Chairperson/Vice-President/Editor and how you intend to work on the latter at the session. (max 250 words)
Additionally for Chairs: 3. 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). 4. In your view, what role does chairing play within EYP? In what ways will delegates benefit from having you as their chairperson? (max 150 words) Additionally for Vice-Presidents: 3. 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). 4. Leadership and Riga 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: 3. Explain how a media team led by you would contribute to the academic and social experience of the participants of Riga 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)
The deadline for submitting your application is Monday, 9th December at 12.00 pm CET. All applicants will be informed individually about the outcome of the selection process. For any questions regarding the application procedure, please contact the HR Officer at hr@eyp.org.
European Youth Parliament, SophienstraĂ&#x;e 28-29, 10178 Berlin, Germany. www.eyp.org. info@eyp.org