Entering the EYP Bubble

Entering the EYP Bubble For Jacques, #LNC15 was his first ever EYP session, never having attended one as a delegate. He offers his views on joining the EYP Bubble.

Participating in the European Youth Parliament (EYP) for the very first time is similar to going to a busy international airport. There are loads of people, all eager to communicate, eager to move around and eager to find food and a quick coffee to consume. There are people from every corner of Europe and there’s a sense of excitement amongst the participants; they are looking forward to what’s coming.

EYP officials and delegates come from various backgrounds and all contribute very differently. Whether it is their digital creativity, their persistence or their long-term memory being able to remember approximately seventy-three teambuilding songs that energise you, the inspiration is guaranteed.

Prior to my arrival to Riga, I was trying to predict and break down my expectations of the upcoming dates. Without prior experience within the seemingly close-knitted world of EYP, I was still unsure of what to expect even as it was happening right in front of my eyes. As the newcomer, and already an official at a National Session, I pushed myself to quickly adapt and understand the procedures, to learn processes and the operations of the session. Formal and informal terms, songs and phrases; all exclusive to this weird and wonderful EYP language confused me and I continually found myself trying to figure out the definitions. Once the terminological barriers were broken down, I would use these phrases myself and openly refer to things as institutional abbreviations and discuss golden rules.

The idea of EYP is simple, it is an organisation run and led by youths, for youths. It is a place where political discussions thrive and aspirational goals are established. It is an opportunity for the youth of Europe to have their voices heard, strengthened and documented.

Yet, there is a lot more included in the shiny bubble that is an EYP-session.

This may perhaps sound generic, or maybe even avant-garde to some ears, but a family is born at every session. It might be the lack of personal space, the constant coffee consumption or the almost cult-like bonding activities that bring us closer. During the session, you spend every hour awake with your team, your committee and the officials and it creates a rigid bond. We are all young, all dedicated and all out of your comfort zones, especially when the game you are playing forces you to mimic a flying chicken pilot.

Concluding by returning to the airport metaphor, instead of leaving the airport with a stamp in your passport, you leave an EYP session with an emotional stamp on your heart, and if you are lucky, a brand new facebook profile picture.