OBESSU 2nd European Summer School 2011 by OBESSU

Introduction word to the Summer School

rom 17th to 24th of August 2011 OBESSU gathered more than 50 school students from all over Europe, together with their peers from other continents, in Amiens, France, to take part in the 2nd European School Student Summer School. With the title “One World, One Care”, the aim was to discuss topics such as Human Rights, Youth Rights and Global challenges in general. The Summer School was a great place for the development of plenary sessions, workshops and working groups which aimed at fostering the sense of global solidarity and the active part-taking of young people in the democratic life. Moreover, it was a place for socialisation and informal exchanges among the participants of the Summer School. Bearing in mind the background theme of the Summer School titled “One World, One Care”, the focus was especially put on the Access to Education, Quality and Nature of Education, Participation, and Knowledge, Skills and Competences. Guest speakers such as Aniela Firulovic fromthe European

Tim Gruen feld , DOS, Slovenia

Peer Training Organisation, Miguel Silva from the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe, Micheal Opeyemi Ige from the All African Student Union and Anemone Birkebaek from the European Youth Forum raised discussions on topics such as “Peer-topeer Human Rights Education”, “Knowledge, skills and competences: tools to overcome global challenges and foster youth rights”, and “Student participation in society trough Youth Rights”. Moreover, Member organisations of OBESSU such as ESCU, ESSA, UDS, AKS, UNSS and SLL held workshops for their peers at the Summer School that focused specifically on School Student Rights as one of the most important segments of school student reality nowadays! ** The Summer School was a great experience and OBESSU wishes to thank to the Prep-team members for contributing to the work of OBESSU and for organising this wonderful event!

Ivica Alpeza,

Board member of OBESSU

1 "Discover yourself"

A word from the Prep-team

Yoruba

One world, one Care Aye kan, Ife kan Human Rights Eto awon eniyan Access to Education ona abayo si eko Participation Ibasepo

tionalities from different corners of Europe with different working methods sometimes required patience but, overall, has been a great learning experience that we can refer back to whenever organising such events in the future.

he role of a Prep-team member differs from day to day. In order to ensure that everything is prepared, we started each morning with a Prep-team meeting. As the tasks and responsibilities vary a lot, the meeting was sometimes the only moment of the day - apart from the meals perhaps when all the members actually saw each other at the same time.

All in all, preparing the event has been a long and demanding project that has required lots of commitment for several months before the actual Summer School. It has been a rewarding but challenging process and it must be emphasized how amazing it is to see how all the ingredients, such as countless email threads and bunch of session templates, turned into reality. Watching participants completely forgetting place and time and focusing solely on the discussion or a given task is the most satisfying feeling - and the best possible feedback you can get.

Usually not all of us were not needed during the sessions so some were instead preparing the following one or working on the outcomes of the previous ones. It was also never a bad idea to just sit down and take a deep breath for a few minutes - which actually helps you to clear your thoughts and focus on the coming session as well. Whenever we had nothing else to do, participating in the sessions was super cool, of course! Being a Prep-team member doesn’t mean that we were not here to learn from each other and work together just like everyone else. In practice, being part of the Prep-team meant lots of session planning by yourself but also giving inputs and comments to those tasks that were not your responsibility. Working in a team of five different na-

Ville Majamaa,

WG on Global Networking

Introduction to the venue of the Summer School - Amiens, France

e decided to hold the 2nd European School Student Summer School in France, more precisely in Amiens. Situated 120 km north of Paris, Amiens is a middlesize city that offers a wonderful place to gather young people. Thanks to the local partners we could both enjoy a very nice and calm venue and hostel as well as be close to the city center. We offered our participants the chance to get a short tour of the city and admire its famous cathedral,

which contains the largest medieval interior in Western Europe. It was a wonderful experience to keep on discussing global issues in the evening while walking along the Somme canal.

Victor Grezes, Board member of OBESSU

Atmosphere, spirit and experience of OBESSU events

tribute to create general happiness in which we smile 24 hours a day. Our large mixture of nationalities, cultures and backgrounds enriches the group and all its individuals by opening our eyes and our minds.

BESSU offers a space for people to come together and discuss things that are important to them. OBESSU can be recognised as an extraordinary youth organisation for several reasons. In our opinion, the main things that make this association different from others are the intercultural spirit, extremely friendly atmosphere and unstoppable bursts of laughs. All these things wouldn’t be possible without us, the European school students. All of this together is OBESSU.

We make a new country where everybody is welcome, no matter his or her gender, nationality, race, age, sexual orientation... This is what we call “OBESSU-land”.

OBESSU events are different from anything else. It is amazing how everybody respects everybody, and how it is nearly impossible to find a sad face or a quarrel. We all con-

Jaime Se villa Lorenzo, CANAE, Spain

When we gather together, we believe we have the power to change things for the better, no matter how small or big those things might be.

OBESSU-land for me would be the perfect example of the perfect world. You gather people from all over Europe/ the world and everyone completely respects each other and it only takes a few days for those people to become so close and good friends that it seems that it will last forever. There we are free to express ourselves and completely be ourselves. No matter how clever or stupid we may sound, there is a place for all ideas, suggestions and emotions.

Eyd is Helga Arnadottir, SÍF, Iceland

Interview to the Prep-team members

Hungarian

One world, one Care Egy világ, egy erdek Human Rights Emberi jogok Access to Education Hozzáfèrès a tanuláshoz Participation Részvétel

romanian One world, one Care O lume, o grijă Human Rights Drepturi umane Access to Education Acces la educaţi Participation Participare

OBESSU atmosphere , spirit and experience of OBESSU events

1. How did you feel about the event?

Malene :

team-building games and quickly reacting to our needs. All in all, OBESSU is an organisation sparkling with youth enthusiasm, ever lasting motivation and tolerance.

n my opinion, OBESSU is a place where you can feel free to talk, behave and express yourself as well as always feel listened to. This happens not by accident: we all create such an atmosphere in order to be a small, happy, efficiently working and highly-motivated group of people. We become friends no matter the background we come from. We are all different but at the same time all equal and this shapes the OBESSU spirit: different attitudes, experiences, ideas, thoughts and most important tolerance towards each other. When creating this atmosphere, the Prep-team gives a great input by providing participants with

Tad as Sakunas, LMS, Lithuania

The 2nd European School Student Summer School ‘’One World- One Care’’ is one of those events that moves something. To gather so many young people and work on the topics of Human Rights, Youth Rights and Global Challenges, and to see them working together, discussing and co-operating, was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever been part of. The Summer School really made me believe that we can change the world - together. It was amazing to see how people participated in workshops delivered by the different member organisations. Everybody put so much energy in the Summer

School. I could not stop smiling when I went to bed at night.

Victor:

I personally felt very good; especially while looking at how much the participants enjoyed it. I was in charge of the technical details, as well as running sessions on access to education. It was the first time I organised an event on behalf of OBESSU and the outcomes were amazing. The feedback we received after the event will be of great help to improve OBESSU’s knowledge and expertise.

2. What was the biggest challenge for you?

Ville :

Sue :

The week was absolutely fantastic! To be honest, I was a bit unsure about actually organising an international event for the first time - not participating, as always before. But, having said that, it was awesome to see that everything went so smoothly and that the participants really enjoyed their time in Amiens.

The preparing phase, without ever seeing the people I’m working with. I’ve never organised anything with people I can only communicate with via email. It was challenging for me to keep the motivation up, but seeing the whole event take shape according to our electronic templates was amazing!

3. What does ‘One World, One Care’ mean to you personally?

Ivica:

Sue :

“We are all unique and irreplaceable human beings; sometimes our uniqueness makes us feel proud, sometimes shy or ashamed. Nonetheless, we all share the fact that we are human beings and this makes us feel closer to each other.”

We all live within a massive network. All of my actions influence somebody else in one way or another. In order to be aware of our positions within the network and be able to act in a harmonic way with the environment and the future outcome of our decisions in the present, we need global education!

4. What is quality education for you?

Victor:

Education must be and remain the highest priority of every government. Quality education for me is free, secular and neutral education. It’s education with pedagogical methods and with properly trained teachers. Education is a tool to live in a community and develop our own skills; therefore it should put an emphasis on competences, not just knowledge.

Vile :

Quality education is not about pouring in students the knowledge, which is always defined for you by someone else, but providing them with tools and skills to search for valid information and learn from it.

5. What do you expect OBESSU member organisations will do after the event?

Ivica:

knowledge they gained from the Summer School to their members; in their school bodies and in their countries. I hope they will be able to discuss the importance of the subjects, and most importantly turn thoughts into action, making decisions and carrying out projects about Human Rights, Youth Rights and Global Challenges on a longer term. And off course I hope that they will stay in contact with each other and share thoughts, ideas, experiences and knowledge.

As always, I believe in united school student movement and therefore OBESSU member organisations will stay close to each other; sharing and learning from each other, whilst always bearing in mind the gained knowledge that can be implemented into local, regional and national work.

Malene :

I don’t expect them to do anything. But I hope that they will be ready to pass on the

Mirosla v Caksiran, UNSS, Serbia • Kris ten Aigro, 7

ESCU, Estonia

Background information on Global Networking

• Roxanne Sourbron,

VSK, Belgium

n spite of being an organisation representing European school students, OBESSU is aware that the world is bigger than Europe and, therefore, it stands for the development of free public education, respect of human rights, the environment and youth participation worldwide. Global Education is one of the organisation’s main focuses and a global approach on educational issues is strongly needed.

To take the first steps, an Intercontinental Task Force was established in Vienna at the 6th European School Student Convention in 2009. However, soon enough the members of the task force realised that the couple of months’ time period was far too short in order to establish long-lasting co-operation. To overcome this problem, OBESSU member organisations decided to dedicate one working group entirely to Global Networking from autumn 2010 onwards.

What do we do?

Why network globally?

ur primary missions are to establish contact with representatives from School Student unions on other continents; establish cooperation with relevant institutions regarding Global Networking at continental and global level and focus on Global Education. In practice, we’ve had two working group meetings first in Berlin, Germany, in November and then in Montpellier, France in April. In addition to the division of other tasks and developing the 2nd OBESSU Summer School we divided the world into different regions so that everyone would have a specific area to focus on.

e believe that sharing information, experiences and best practices is relevant to every school student union in order for them to develop and prosper. We believe that only by working together on global education we can promote active citizenship, youth participation and democracy. School student unions around the globe struggle with more or less the same questions: supporting each others makes us all more influential and thus, most importantly, helps to raise global awareness on school student rights.

Background information on global networking

WHO ARE WE? Ivica Alpeza\

Victor Grezes\

“Ivica Alpeza, previous President of Administrative Board and Officer for International Relations of the Association of Secondary School Students in Bosnia and Herzegovina (ASuBiH). Now, Board member of OBESSU in charge of the Working Group on Global Networking.

“Victor GREZES, previous Board Member and International Officer for Unions Nationale Lycéenne (UNL) the French school student union. Now, Board member of OBESSU, member of the Working Group on Global Networking.

Within the Working Group, besides leading the group, I am in charge of setting and maintaining relations and communication with partners and stakeholders in the field of Global Education and Global Networking such are the North South Centre of the Council of Europe and UNESCO.”

Within the working group, I’m in charge of communication with partners from the African Continent as well as all the technical details and organisation of the Summer School. For me we have to think global in order to change mentalities and move toward better understanding. Network globally is necessary for OBESSU to keep on growing.

/Malene Nyborg “My name is Malene Nyborg Madsen and I come from a small country in Scandinavia called Denmark. I have just entered my final year at the gymnasium in Copenhagen where I live. The organisation I work for is called DGS (Danish Gymnasium-student’s Association) where I have been a board member for a year now. My responsibility in the working group on global networking is to establish contact

Within the group I’m responsible to connect with organisations in Oceania and South-America. It’s been more difficult than I expected to find democratic organised school students organisations. What I love about this work is the possibility to interact with a great team from all over Europe and organise amazing and inspiring events like the summer school!”

with student organizations in North America. This means that I spend time on contacting organisations that works with the same topics as we do in OBESSU.”

Ville Majamaa\ “My name is Ville Majamaa and my home organisation is SLL (Finland) where I’m a member of the Committee on International Affairs and have been involved in international cooperation for the past two years.

Sue Laager\ “I am Sue Laager from Switzerland. For the last couple of years I've been member of USO (Union der Schuelerorganisationen CH/ FL). There I've been board member and am now part of the monitoring committee.

I enjoy working on global networking especially because it gives me an opportunity to examine my own thinking: what do I take for granted and how do people living around the world see it differently? It helps me understanding other opinions better and being more open-minded. My specific responsibility area is Russia, Middle-East and Asia.”

The working group on global networking is interesting to me because it's based on the thought that we can share what we have achieved with OBESSU so far. Sharing knowledge helps everybody.

Estonian

One world, one Care Üks maailm, üks mure Human Rights Inimõigused Access to Education Ligipääs haridusele Participation Osalemine

Youth in Action

he European Commission, the European Parliament and the member states of the EU set up the programme Youth in Action to support non-formal education of young people. It is based on several similar programmes, which were active before. The Youth in Action programme is implemented during 2007-2013 and promotes active citizenship, the raising of tolerance and solidarity and the improvement of mutual understanding by giving young people the possibility of youth exchanges, youth democracy projects, voluntary activities abroad, support for youth workers and many more various projects.

The Youth in Action programme was presented at the OBESSU Summer School in the form of an interactive workshop. The participants were given sheets of basic information about the programme, its character, goals, priorities, features and much more. Then the participants were divided into smaller groups and given 2 tasks: the first was to draw a picture/ write a poem/ take a photo, which would depict what the Youth in Action programme is about. All the groups showed their creative skills and presented many beautiful works of art, all depicting the programme. The second task was to create a Youth in Action event. This task was much harder, as the participants had to think about all the details for a successful event. In the end, we got a lot of fresh ideas about creating various projects through the Youth in Action programme and we are determined to use these in our local communities.

Tomas Morochovic, SUS, Slovakia

How was this publication developed?

iving a proper follow-up on the Summer School was a major concern for the prep-team. At the same time, we wanted to reflect both the atmosphere and the outcomes of the event. Therefore, in line with our work on peer education and youth participation, we decided that the

dutch

One world, one Care een wereld , een zorg Human Rights mensen rechten Access to Education toegang tot onderwijs Participation participatie

participants themselves should be the ones proposing the format and the content. We all agreed on a booklet and they organised into mixed groups to start brainstorming and writing. They finalised their inputs after the event at home and everything was sent within the deadline and all did a very good job."

Victor Grezes,

Polski

One world, one Care jeden swiat, nasz swiat Human Rights Prawa czlowieka Access to Education Dostep do edukacji Participation Partycypacja

Board member of OBESSU

Slovenian One world, one Care En svet, ena skrb Human Rights Clovekove pravice Access to Education Dostop do izobrazbe Participation participatie

French

One world, one Care Un monde, une preoccupation Human Rights Droits de l’homme Access to Education Accès à l’éducation Participation Participation

ASU is simply ALL - AFRICAN STUDENTS UNION. AASU is a continental representative organisation of democratic student unions founded in 1972 with 54 member unions from Francophone and Anglophone Africa. Affiliated to the International Union of Students (IUS), AASU has a Consultative Status with UNESCO and ECOSOC, is accredited with UNCCD and enjoys a cordial working relationship with the UN system. The activities of AASU are carried out within the framework of its constitution. These, among other things, are: to develop working relation/co-operation with other subregional, regional and international youth and student organisations and governmental, inter and non-governmental organisations on issues of common concern and interest; i.e. access to education, democracy, projects on HIV\AIDS, ICT in higher education, gender issues and academic freedom.

All-African Student Union Parts of the aims and objectives of AASU are advocating for equal access to education, for university autonomy and respect for academic freedoms, and for a true reform and democratisation of education. AASU also creates among the broad target of the African people a sense of awareness of the problems confronting Africa and of the need for students - as an integral part of their society - to be fully involved in all efforts aimed at resolving them. Furthermore, AASU promotes social, economic and political integration of the states and peoples of Africa; collects information on student problems and disseminates information to national, regional and international student organizations and to all other interested world bodies.

The North-South Centre of the Council of Europe

The Global Education Programme of the North-South Centre

he North-South Centre (NSC), officially named the European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity, is a Partial Agreement of the Council of Europe. It has 22 member states: Azerbaijan, Cape-Verde, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Greece, the Holy See, Iceland, Italy, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. On the basis of Resolution (89) 14, adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE) on 16th of November 1989, the European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity opened in Lisbon in 1990.

he North-South Centre’s objective as regard to global education (GE) is to develop, enhance and sustain strategies and capacity-building for global education and to target institutions and practitioners in the field of global education in both formal and non-formal educational sector. This work is based on the conviction that global education is a holistic “education that opens people’s eyes and minds to the realities of the world, and awakens them to bring about a world of greater justice, equity and human rights for all”. With this in view, “Global education is understood to encompass Development Education, Human Rights Education, Education for Sustainability, Education for Peace and Conflict Prevention and Intercultural Education; being the global dimension of Education for Citizenship”.

The North-South Centre’s activities involve two lines of action:

Micheal Opeye mi Ige , AASU

Raising European awareness of issues of global interdependence and solidarity through education and youth programmes; Promoting North-South solidarity policies in conformity with the goals and principles of the Council of Europe through dialogue between Europe, the Southern Mediterranean countries and Africa.

Miguel Silva

North-South Centre of the Council of Europe

Georgian

One world, one Care Erti msoflio, erti zrunva Human Rights Adamianebis uflebebi Access to Education TGanatlebis khelmisatwvdomoba Participation Monatsileoba

European Youth Forum AND VOTE@16

Furthermore, a few years from now the composition of the electorate in Europe will be very different from what it is today. In general, life expectancy is increasing and the proportion of young people in the population is declining. In 2000 12.4% of the population was between the age of 15 and 24 years, where as the group of 65-90 year-olds made up 16.2%. Eurostat numbers show that in 2020 the group of 15-24 years will make up 10.9% of the population and the group of 65-90 years of age will constitute 20.6% of the population. This is a great political problem that needs to be addressed. Lowering the voting age is an essential step to be taken, which would contribute to maintaining a demographic balance between generations, because it would force politicians to formulate solid and substantial youth policies by addressing a younger constituency.

he European Youth Forum (YFJ) is an independent, democratic, youth-led platform, representing National Youth Councils and International Youth Organisations from across Europe. The YFJ works to empower young people to participate actively in society to improve their own lives, by representing and advocating their needs and interests and those of their organisations towards the European Institutions, the Council of Europe and the United Nations. OBESSU is one of our 98 Member Organisations, and working with stressing the importance of school students’ rights, OBESSU is an important cooperation-partner and fellow stakeholder when it comes to educational policies in Europe. One of the core issues the YFJ works with, is the active and democratic participation of young people in civil society. Young people need to gain influence on political agendas that affect their lives and well-being. One of the more obvious ways of participating in democratic life is by voting. Young people under the age of 18 do not have access to exercise this democratic right. The European Youth Forum believes that the voting age should be lowered to 16. It needs to be acknowledged that young people today have greater knowledge of society and are more informed than previous generations. Allowing better recognition of the views of young people and giving them real influence would encourage them to participate in decision-making processes.

These are some of the reasons why YFJ will focus on Vote@16 in 2012. A pan-European campaign will be established, and we hope that many of OBESSU’s member organisations would be willing to participate. More information can be found on www.youthforum.org in January 2012.

Anemone Birkebaek, European Youth Forum

European Peer Training Organisation ““One World One Care!”, was a wonderful experience through meeting 50 youngsters full of desire for learning new things and taking action in making this world better in any way. It was a delight and a challenge to bring more awareness where the youth already had so much knowledge. The idea of the activity was to sensitize the participants on discrimination, stereotypes and intercultural differences. Through experiencing greetings from different cultures, creating stories of lemons and other fruits in Lemon world, we approached in a creative way this topics and raised awareness on the fact that creating categories is a natural process, but stereotypes are learned and can be unlearned!”

Italian

One world, one Care Un mondo una preoccupazione Human Rights Diritti umani Access to Education Diritto allo studio Participation Partecipazione

Furthermore, EPTO and close partners (LECS, Instants Productions and Urungano Youth and Media) have lead an ambitious project called “Take your Chance, Be the Change” which was an opportunity for 24 young journalists (12 from Europe - 12 from Africa) to be trained in Kigali-Rwanda and to challenge stereotypes and prejudices through the media. Pedagogical tools are now available online on www.takeyourchancebethechange. com. This year, EPTO is also contributing to the development of the Learning For Well-Being Youth Movement, which is a partnership platform supporting young people in realising our unique potential through the development of our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual aspects in relation to self, other and the environment. More information following this link: www.learningforwellbeingyouthmovement.org

(From LECS Romania, Aniela Firulovic, representing EPTO)

he European Peer Training Organisation is a network of young people and nongovernmental organisations active in the field of youth who use peer education as a way to overcome all forms of discrimination. EPTO trains and supports young people to lead workshops that challenge stereotypes and to become activists against exclusion within their environments.

As further priorities, EPTO ambitions consist in creating more specific training materials, developing itself as a membership organisation and to continue to advocate for more inclusive societies and the recognition of skills gained through peer education. For more in-

In 2011, EPTO has been involved in developing a campaign called “Together We Learn-Together We Change”, promoting peer education and youth activism in Europe (www.peertraining.eu). The online platform provides a space for youth organisations to get information about peer education and to showcase their best practices.

formation about EPTO, please have a look on this website (www.epto.org/twl).

Aniela Firulovic, European Peer Training Organisation 16

Ghana and Georgia, feelings

Swedish

Georgia

One world, one Care En värld, samma omsorg Human Rights Mänskliga rättigheter Access to Education Tillgång till utbildning Participation Deltagande

acted in a particular way. I took my time to listen to words spoken by different participants, their accent, their diction, their way of reasoning, their opinion, their experience. I was able to blend in easily and make friends because in the middle of the Summer School I noticed that there was just a thin line between everyone and maybe sometimes we don’t even see this line. The focus of the entire programme was on Education and Youth rights. I noticed most ideas are similar but off course still different to our African experience. I was amazed too as most participants displayed a high level of intelligence when it comes to discussing key issues and I am happy that they were all interested in political and economical issues. The teaching techniques were very good and the energizers were really a brilliant idea. The games had a way of bringing everybody together and bring people out of their shell: they made me closer to everyone I had an encountered during the School. The games also had a way of bringing intimacy. I also liked the part of the American debate and when we were asked to do some group work; it gives me a broad way of thinking and it also helps to develop a good team spirit. By the end of the week, I felt like we shouldn’t bring the curtain down yet; like we should have one more week. But I knew that it’s not the end but only a beginning: the beginning of implementing what I learned and making use of the acquired skills and teaching techniques.

ou all know that Georgia is a developing European country. We are just working to found a healthy civil society in our country. We think that the main responsibility is imposed to Georgian youth, because we are the new generation who is capable of making changes for a better future. That’s why we are working to found a Georgian School student Union Alliance and also establish partnership with OBESSU. In our opinion, participation in OBESSU’s Summer School was a really big experience for creating our organisation. We think that this Summer School was a very productive event and we would like to have the opportunity to gain more experience. After this Summer School our desire to create a Georgian School Student Union's Alliance became stronger. Now we know why we are friends with OBESSU and why we want to collaborate with OBESSU. Our Union will do its best to become an OBESSU member.

Gubaz Koberid ze and Sulkhan Charge ishvili, Ghana

GSSUA, Georgia

y feeling as an OBESSU participant for the first time is what I can describe as “stimulating”; it was actually a new experience for me because I have been to several Summer Schools but I haven’t been to one where people actually come from a totally different background and culture. I took my time to try and understand some of the participants and the reasons why some of them

Micheal Opeye mi Ige ,

AASU, Ghana

Week Summary: Access to education

slovak

One world, one Care Jeden svet, jeden záujem Human Rights Ľudské práva Access to Education Prístup ku vzdelaniu Participation Participácia

people in OBESSU-land gathered again to discuss inclusion and stereotypes, shared some sad and happy experiences and agreed that we should not have an opinion about someone before getting to known them. And everybody lived happily ever after.

Peer to peer - human rights education

he morning started out great in OBESSUland. Aniela Firulovic had arrived to explored with us peer-to-peer education. She projected videos on the wall that showed us the incredible effects of this type of education. We tried out different greetings from different cultures. After that she introduced us to some very yellow lemons. People were split into smaller groups to connect better with the lemons and get to hear about some of their incredible life experiences. Every group documented these tales and shared them in creative ways. After this brief encounter with the lemons they were brutally taken away from us. This proved that we had started to care about our lemons and even though they looked the same, they were not the same to us. After we learned our lesson the lemons were allowed to rejoin us.

Social and Economic Dimension of Education

“H

ow can you represent access to education?”. In the ‘Social and Economic Dimension of Education’ session we had an exhibition of pictures that showed different aspects of access to education. Five of those pictures were chosen to be analysed in groups. We discussed our personal opinions about the social and economical barriers that now affect the access to education. For example “Rich Parents for Everyone” stated a poster from AKS (Austria) that ironically claimed more money for everyone instead of cutting the cost of education.

A foreign fruit was introduced into the groups and decisions had to be made: should they be included or not? A traitor had been brought into every group that was told to disagree with everything that was said and some heated discussions came up. But in the end most of the fruits were accepted into the groups, and the lemons gained lifelong friends. All the

We also discussed student welfare, school infrastructure and students who need to work to pay for their studies. We summarized all this and presented it to the other groups. We saw that we have a lot of work to do.

Week Summary: Access to education

The burning car

“Hit the road, Jack”

he session “Social and Economic Dimension of Education” was suddenly interrupted when a car was put on fire behind the meeting room. Everyone had to be evacuated and the conference room filled up with smoke due to the open windows. The police and the fire department were notified and it turned out that it was a stolen car that had been put on fire to destroy the evidence. The brave OBESSU people got free time instead since the meeting room was filled with toxic chemicals. They played a lot of games and icebreakers in the park, which brought them even closer together. However, this interruption mixed up the whole agenda since workshops had to be postponed due to the delay.

t around 10 o’clock, a strange group is gathering in front of the restaurant. People are talking about a „great party” that is going to be held. Although, the clothing of these people doesn’t tell us what kind of party it is: different suits, tuxedos, dresses, sunglasses (at 10 o’clock in the evening? why?), strange hats and hair styles. Then, the ritual continues with people forming a line and going inside in pairs. Strange. Hard to tell what is going on. Someone tells us that the party theme is „Hit the road, Jack!”. This still doesn’t make sense, but inside the conference room there is a party atmosphere: balloons, music, people dancing and taking pictures. The music isn’t just from the 50’s, 60’s or 70’s, like the theme of the party would suggest; instead it is very diverse and entertaining: waka-waka, club music, limbo, dancing in pairs and so on. People are having a lot of fun, but later, they start thinking about the morning after so they slowly go to sleep after this amazing night.

He id a Saebergsdottir, SIF, Iceland

Week Summary: Participation

Icelandic

One world, one Care Einn heimur einn hugur Human Rights Mannrettindi Access to Education Rettur til menntunnar Participation Þàtttaka

the wizards took the heroes’ advices back to their wizard castle in their foreign magical lands.

nce upon a time, in a fabulous OBESSUland, there was a gathering of young people from every corner of the world. They were pursuing the great treasure of knowledge of human rights, youth rights and global challenges. On a pretty summer day, when the weather was good and the spirits were high, the fair maidens and knights had to overcome their first big challenge: breakfast. They faced strange baguettes and magical marmalade. When they had been victorious in their first challenge of the day, it was time for them to split up into 3 different raiding parties and every group got a different quest from the rulers of OBESSU-land. One of the groups had to face “Reality”, against the English guild of ESSA. After the heroes were watching devastating magic illusions, they were given the task to protect the rights of their natives around the world.

The 3rd war band chose to be taught by the Italian masters. They went to a hall, where they discussed a lot about what people should pay in their home city to go and learn how to read and fight with swords. The differences between the villages turned out to be quite big. The heroes decided that they needed a place where they could see each other’s fees. That way they would be able to put pressure on their kings, so everybody in the world could have equal rights. After the lacking lunch, the heroes continued in their challenges. Again they parted their ways and faced the strong warriors and mystical creatures of OBESSU-land in 3 groups. The first group ventured into the dark forest of Democracy in Schools. There they encountered a race that was thought to be forgotten for a millennium: the fair elves of AKS. Two of them welcomed the foreigners and gave them the wisdom of introducing democracy to schools, school systems and students. The champions and elves shared experiences about democracy in schools in their respective lands. Together they faced the old threat of the forest: the great goblin called ‘How could

The second group met with some wizards from the heroic guild of ESCU. The wizards wanted to gather all student rights’ knowledge around the world into a huge magical library. They needed to work with the heroes of OBESSU because they needed a plan on how to make the library so that also farmers and common people can use it. The heroes were inspired by the wizards and

Spanish

school student councils and the right to vote in school boards. Our champions gained the skills of communication and negotiation with the government.

Participants’ experiences and impressions on workshops

After the heroic deeds were done, the champions returned to the fair capital and enjoyed their free time with various activities. Some swam in the lakes, competed with other knights in football, bought new armor, or visited the menagerie full of exotic animals.

AKS Workshop - How could a democratic school be organised?

UNSS Workshop

In the eve of the day, before the moon rose to the horizon, the heroes gathered in the golden halls of the restaurant for a feast. They sung bard songs from their homelands and consumed oriental meals and drank magical potions. With their bellies full and with bottles in their hands, they celebrated their victories until dawn.

Week Summary: Participation

a democratic school be organised?’. The battle was vicious and exhausting, but in the end, the united forces of OBESSU champions and elves defeated the goblin with magical spells and dialogue. When the sun was at its highest, another group of heroes was taught about how to lobby their awful enemies. They told each others who their enemies and who their mates are, what they fight for and what their arms are. They were given a lot of knowledge and tools that made them really powerful. And what happened to the third group? They visited the famous theatre of UNSS, where they did role plays. Split into 3 groups, they were all given their roles: national unions, governments and media. The play was glorious: they acted about changing the law. The media bards sung heroic songs about the battles between the government and the activists. In the end, the participants were victorious, defeating the government and gaining obligatory

Mi tchell,

ESSA, United Kingdom

Eyd is Helga Arnadottir, SIF, Iceland

"My expectations were to work closely with other countries around the world to see their views towards human rights abuse and also their views on access to education as a whole. I was also really nervous about meeting everybody. I can say that overall I had an amazing time and learnt so much to take back to my own country and I would just like to thank OBESSU for the opportunity.”

One world, one Care Un mundo, una conciencia Human Rights Derechos Humanos Access to Education Acceso a la educacion Participation Participacion

t the UNSS workshop, a role game about the possibilities of affecting law by school student unions was played. The participants, divided into 3 groups, were given their roles: national youth union members, the government and the media. The activists were supposed to change the law about making school student councils obligatory and making the possibility to vote for a school board mandatory. They were faced with 5 different situations in which they had to act. The goal was always making an agreement with the government. The media had the role of reporting about the cooperation of the activists and the government. In the end, the activists were successful: they made the governments recognise their needs and achieved their goals.

he workshop by AKS was focused on implementing democracy in schools. It was divided into two parts. In the first part, a discussion was held about the amount of democratic principles in schools around Europe. The discussion showed very big differences in the possibilities of students to be part in the decision-making process throughout the countries and an agreement was made that the situation needs improvements. The second part was focused on the practical side of introducing democracy to schools. Separated into smaller groups, the participants looked for ways of making schools more democratic and wrote down goals which should be achieved, so we could be satisfied with the amount of democracy in schools.

Participants enjoyed the acting and we all had a lot of fun together. Also, we gained essential skills for communication with governments, lobbying and making agreements.

From a participant’s point of view, I was really satisfied with the workshop. It provided me with valuable information and made me able to compare the school system in my country with school systems in other countries. I took home many ideas about introducing democracy in schools!

Tomas Morochovic,

SUS, Slovakia

Participants’ experiences and impressions on workshops Swiss German

My Personal Experience of the 2nd OBESSU Summer School 2011

hat can I say? The second OBESSU Summer School has been a HUGE success, full of joy, laughs and also tears. OK, so I admit I was incredibly nervous about the event: I did not know what to expect, what the people would be like and what I would during the week. After the 3rd or 4th day, we really started to feel comfortable but, to be honest, I do not think there was enough time to develop a close relationship in such a short time so I really hope that I will stay in contact with everyone and especially those who are closer to me. My favourite moment in the event would have to be Katie and I running a workshop on Human Rights on behalf of ESSA: I was so anxious as to whether people would enjoy our workshop and it turned out amazingly well. During our session we took a five minute break and I expected everybody to just have a normal conversation but I was proved wrong as the discussion continued. I was so happy that our workshop had made people want to discuss issues on human rights and it showed that they were truly interested and inspired.

One world, one Care ei wält, oisi wält Human Rights Mänscherächt Access to Education Zuegang zu Biudig Participation Partizipation

A low moment in the event was receiving bad news from home in the beginning of the event and it really made me think about a lot of stuff that was 'whizzing' around in my head. Without the support of the amazing people at the Summer School I would not have been able to stay strong and positive and I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank those who really supported me and were always there if I needed to talk. In conclusion, even though I had been to a few OBESSU events before, this one has been the most interesting, inspirational and moving for me. I just want to give a MASSIVE thank you to the Prep-team and OBESSU board members for providing such an impressive event. I have a lot to take back to my own country and organisation. THANK YOU!

Mi tchell Cox, ESSA, United Kingdom

Where do you stand: statements and arguments

the learning process because teachers would not have enough time to work individually with all the students in the class. Also it would be difficult to make student groups whose learning process takes the same amount of time. For some students it can take too long, while others might end up frustrated and unmotivated to learn because it goes too fast. On the other side, participants mostly talked about inspiration and motivation of both students and teachers. If both sides are willing to cooperate then quality education can be achieved. It is totally up to them. Also there are lots of creative and innovative methods of learning through group work, workshops, peer learning, etc.

his article is about a debate we had in one of our sessions. Basically, the main goal of this article is to encourage school students to think about these statements. I will provide you with some of the statements and what the participants said about them. We had many kinds of statements, mostly connected to the field of education. One of them was: “Computers are essential for quality education”. On one side, participants were talking about how computers are truly essential for education for many reasons. One of them was that in this information era we just need to have education with computers. Also, by studying with the help of computers, students have access to all studying materials and don’t need to pay for books. Most common arguments from the other side where related to the question: “Are they truly essential?”, like there can not be quality education without them. Of course, better quality of education can be achieved with computers, but who can say that it cannot be achieved without them? Also, not every student can afford to buy one for himself. Those students would be therefore excluded from learning. We made a compromise that computers are not ESSENTIAL for quality education, but education can be much better with the help of computers.

The next question was quite interesting to debate about due to many different experiences of participants. It said: “Is the quality of education better in private schools?”. We all know that private schools and the quality of education in them differs from country to country. Participants were mostly debating about how education shouldn’t be privatised and that there should not be profit in organising education for students. Also private schools are often very expensive and therefore exclusive to those who can`t afford to attend them. But, there are also very good experiences with public schools. In the end I can only add that debating about these statements was truly interesting and productive. I think discussing is the first step to solving a problem.

Then came the next statement: “Quality education is possible in a class of thirty students”. People argued pretty in-depth on this one. On one side this would not be good for "Yesterday, time was money. Today, time is life."

Micheal Opeye mi Ige, Ghana

Sasa Pesic,

UNSS, Serbia

What is peer to peer education?

Croatian

One world, one Care Jedan svijet, jedna briga Human Rights Ljudska prava Access to Education Pristup obrazovanju Participation Sudjelovanje

“For me, peer education is probably the best way to learn things. Being able to learn from peers offers more space for students to be open about things they really want to know. It offers a way of learning that is not provided in formal education. Being able to do and experience things for yourself makes you so much more involved in the things you are learning. The best quote I've heard about peer-to-peer education is that it "allows students/ people to learn things for themselves, not constantly being fed with information you could easily find out on your own."

eer education is considered non-formal learning and with no doubt the method of today. Every time we discuss education, it is important to keep in mind that we are all different and we learn in different ways. The methods used in peer-to-peer education can easily be adapted to fit the group, and it's desired to have the group involved in creating and choosing the methods. Peer education is therefore a way of learning that suits all kinds of groups.

Sasa,

UNSS, Serbia

The educators in a peer education session are, off course, peers and equal to the rest of the group. They might not know more about the topic than the rest of the group, but they are not supposed to... because they are not teachers. Due to this the methods that can be used are usually of a different kind, where the participants learn by discussing and sharing their own experiences. Peer education alone is not always something to pursue, but I strongly believe it can be applied in all schools and in every class at least partly. English. Art. Why not maths? Peer education is important because it gives every student a chance and is a great way to discuss difficult topics. It gives the students a feeling of understanding and a belief that they have something to give.

Eyd is Helga Arnadottir, SIF, Iceland

Id a Kreutzman , FSS, Finland

"My expectations for the Summer School were to meet new friends, share experiences about different topics and learn a lot about other OBESSU member - and observer organisations. In the end I can say that I am truly satisfied with how it all ended and that I am carrying home a1bunch of positive energy and inspiration.”

Europe, Asia, Africa

Lithuanian

One world, one Care vienas pasaulis, vienas rupestis Human Rights Žmogaus teises Access to Education pasiekiamas išsilavinimas Participation dalyvavimas

ur society has to face many global issues like global warming, draining natural resources, social inequality, financial crisis, lack of access to education, lack of quality welfare, biodiversity reduction etc. The group has decided to choose one of these global issues (social inequality) and

try to find the necessary knowledge, skills and competences to solve this. Due to diversity between continents on social, economical, educational, environmental levels, the respective issue has been discussed in three groups separately applied to three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa.

Europe

Asia

Every educational system should provide its in habitants with the necessary competences to use their natural resources and make a system where everyone profits from it; The state should provide people with the basic welfare and security like education, health care, social security etc.; The educational system should provide every student with basic competences about human rights; The state should enforce the law while respect ing it itself; Social mentality should exist and be encouraged by the state.

Communication skills, competences; Bigger influence of free media; Create independent trade unions; Raise awareness about human rights Access to education: local schools, trained teachers and respecting the culture; Strict laws for foreign companies; Banning child labour.

The situation in these continents differ from each other; no global solution has been found. It is not easy to implement the local solutions that have been enumerated, but the future generation could be ready for these changes.

AFRICA Intercultural peace management; Strict exporting laws for foreign companies; Micro credits; Human rights being respected; Free and quality education to everyone; Creating more workplaces with employment helping welfare; Independent economies and political systems which help democracy improve.

Antonio Juric,

NSCC, Croatia

Rajmund Lukacs and Zoltan Torok-Czirmay, MAKOSZ, Romania

Initiatives on Student Welfare

German

One world, one Care eine Welt, unsere Welt Human Rights Menschenrechte Access to Education Zugang zu Bildung Participation Partizipation

UDS Campaign "EVERYBODY FREE".

his campaign starts from the idea that student welfare is an important tool to remove economic and social inequalities and also to allow every student to access formal and informal education. So, every government should fund students. The purpose of this campaign, however, goes further: it is also the need to perceive that students are citizens and they have to be heard and protected. Students don’t become citizens only when they acquire the right to vote or are consumers, we are already citizens.

It’s really important to increase the number of scholarships funded by the state to access formal education and to pay all the necessary tools and fees. It’s equally important to promote the creation of student cards to allow everyone cheaper books, access to cinemas, museums and theaters and the ability to move freely.

and learn about the world. Moving is very important for the informal education process through new discoveries and experiences. For this purpose we consider essential the creation of mobility cards that give priority to sustainable transport.

1) FREE TO CHOOSE:

3) FREE OF LIVING:

Participation has 2 meanings:

We promote a student income, already allocated in many other European countries, to enable students to freely choose their future without depending on their families. Detaching themselves from their families means not being afraid to weigh too much on the pockets of their parents. It also means giving students the freedom to choose independently, without being forced to respect the choices and expectations of parents who finance their studies.

Today there are many students who move away from their home town to study.

2) FREE TO KNOW:

Every day our organisation promotes active citizenship in all European schools, but this sense of citizenship is often not perceived by students. It is not hard to understand why: student citizenship is not recognized enough by governments and students are not taken into account in decision-making processes.

In Italy the right to study, after a Constitutional reform, is organised on a regional basis. This means that not all regions have scholarships and invest in schools and universities. We require that all regions have the same opportunities to reduce the phenomen of brain drain and the mass transfer from the south to the north of Italy. Like in Italy, in Europe we should have the same access to study: the birthplace of the students can’t decide on their way of life and their future.

This campaign’s name is “Everybody free”, because everyone has to be free to access education, to get training, to think and to be the person everyone wants to be without limits.

We think, especially in this time of international crisis, it is really important to fund education more because it will determine the future of European countries.

It’s necessary, therefore, to reflect on how important it is for a student to have an healthy environment to study. Student dormitories are few and private rents cost a lot, so many students can only live in isolated slum or in small storage rooms. Therefore, it’s necessary to invest in social benefits on rents and promote the creation of dormitories and housing in populated and active districts. No one can study in an unhealthy and unsafe environment!

4) FREE TO MOVE: Students must have the tools to attend school. Among these tools the freedom of movement is essential. It is not only important in school trips, but also to open our cultural barriers

5) FREE TO PARTICIPATE: The first is a democratic value, because we believe that all students have to be heard in decisions that have effects on school and have to take an active part in the decision-making process. Very often, however, the students are subjected to other people choices and therefore aren’t educated to participate actively in society. We have to change this phenomenon! The second is a practical value. Students must be able to live and fill the city with their colors and their laughs. It’s very important to have gathering places to improve informal education processes and to be able to share experiences and friendships. Therefore we consider essential to open new youth centers where students can freely express themselves.

Mar tina Carpani, UDS, Italy

"When I signed up for the Summer School I expected to meet and exchange ideas and views with people from all over Europe, broaden my perspective and learn new things. I did not know that I was in for an adventure which exceeded all my expectations. The spirit of the event and its participants was exceptionally active, social and warm, which acted as a basis for rich co-operation and extreme fun. This event was definitely one of my greatest experiences. A warm thanks to 2 everyone who rode along!”

Sami Gabbouj, SLL, Finland

Initiatives on StudenT Welfare

SLL research “High School 2.0”

UNSS project "Social Day"

eing the expert on how to improve upper secondary schools, the Union of Finnish Upper Secondary School Students (SLL) has published many research on, for example, the wellbeing of upper secondary school students and the functionality of the upper secondary school system from the viewpoint of the student.

n the past few years of working, UNSS recognized the need for establishing a fund where student councils could apply for projects. Student councils are informal groups, so they can not apply for project proposals to the government and most of funds that already exist. So basically the concept of Social day goes like this: there is one day in the year when students don’t attend school, but instead are working at some local entrepreneurs and companies. The wage they would earn is paid directly by their employers to the fund where students councils can apply for their projects. Every year the topic of the fund is different. Last year it was school environment and this year it is going to be culture.

The latest of these is called ”high school 2.0” which aims at updating the Finnish high school system truly to the 21st century. In this research, SLL interviewed over 2700 upper secondary school students across Finland on what they think of the current state of upper secondary school system and how to develop it. The update of the upper secondary school system has to be started immediately. The update must apply to the economic resources of upper secondary school education, the general goals of education and pedagogics, the networking of upper secondary schools, connections to working life and the information technology used in studying.

Sasa Pesic,

UNSS, Serbia

AKS campaign “No home for prejudices”

At least as essential is that the update guarantees equally the quality and accessibility of upper secondary school education regardless of student’s place of residence. The upper secondary school in Finland is a place of growing up and learning, which has to develop along with the students. No institution can afford to stand still in today’s world, and this also applies to the upper secondary school system. Upper secondary schools are for its students, not vice versa.

KS started its new campaign against racism and prejudices in time for the school start this year. For this campaign AKS formed a partnership with Zara, which is an NGO that fights racism in Austria. In October, AKS will organise a congress where AKS activists will discuss a topics connected to anti-racism. Also, there will be info stands and workshops in every region of Austria. Over the first semester, AKS will collect racist incidents that school students all over Austria have experienced and

Tuomas Tikkanen , SLL, Finland

form an Anti-Racism School Report. AKS hopes to bring schools and society one step closer to be free of racism.

Right now, nothing is done in France to promote the well-being of students and give a proper follow-up to their training. A previous school reform merged together the 4 years of VET studies into 3 years. The concentration of programs from 4 years to 3 years for savings’ sake made the students learning conditions even worse.

Sara Hop f, AKS, Austria

UNL - VET : a training that requires rights and deserves a labour code !

UNL already started to lobby to transform the system towards the government through the Higher Council of Education where the French union was elected to represent the high school students. Some of their main claims are: - A minimum legal wage for internships and launching a national database so that everyone can access the companies’ offers; - A strict compliance with legislation and at least the same rights as stated in the French adult professional labour code; - Hire more teachers and give them a proper training as well as monitor them; - Upgrade the vocational courses.

ast February, UNL, the first French student union, has started a working group on VET. The objective was to build a political platform based on clear demands coming from students who made this training choice. This working group, composed of students in vocational high school, has published after several months of consulting and meetings a Labour Code for the VET students as well as a campaign called “VET is a vocation, not a garbage route”.

UNL says vocational programs must have enough resources to fulfil their role and the state must take its responsibility to ensure students their rights. The French student union will bring VET as a key issue for their back to school campaign. UNL is also happy with OBESSU’s lobbying towards VET and its recognition through their Working Group and their hiring of a VET officer to launch a VET campaign.

The starting point was the evidence that no clear regulation was in place in France regarding VET students and internships. Therefore, abuses from employers would not easily be recognised and no real way of contesting was offered, especially when it comes to the non-respect of the working hours or bad working conditions. “Students doing training within companies are too often considered as cheap labour force and end up doing tasks that no one else wants to do, usually with no link at all to their field of training and this is unbearable” says Victor Colombani, President of UNL.

Yseline Four tic, UNL, France

Youth Rights we don't have: education systems all over the world

ver these past years, the education system has progressed in the world. Even though a lot of adults never studied, more and more children learn to read and write today. Still, there exist a lot of difference between African, American, Asian or European education. European education systems are very different to the African or American ones : In Africa, 60% of children from Francophone countries are educated. The education conditions are not easy: in cities, there are about 60 pupils in a class, for only one teacher. In the countryside, there are approximately 100 pupils in a class, still for one teacher! Since the independence of these countries, education has improved, but money remains still a problem. In Europe, education systems have similarities but some are more selective than others: in Germany, pupils are separated early according to their advancements in studies; whereas in Scandinavia, pupils go to the same school

Jaime Se villa Lorenzo, Canae, Spain

from elementary school to high school and 95% of pupils get a degree. In France, Italy, Spain and Greece, there is a system of knowledge control with exams and more graderepeating pupils. Concerning school rhythms, each country has its specificities: in Poland, a 17 year-old studies between 180 and 190 days a year. In Chili, that pupil would study 42 hours a week and would have 2 months and 2 weeks of holidays each year, while in Tunisia this pupil would study about 30 hours a week. In France, at high school, a pupil studies from 30 to 35 hours a week.

Agnes Annor, AASU, Ghana

Victor Colombani, UNL, France

“When I arrived at the Summer School, I was expecting to meet people from different countries with the same interests as me and to learn as much as possible about student organisations outside of Spain. I can say I’ve had an awesome international and intercultural experience which has been much more than I imagined. The inputs this event has given me are countless.”1

SCHOOL STUDENTS RIGHTS! BETTER EDUCATION IMMEDIATELY!

owadays, school students have many problems in their schools. Questions students have for their governments were and will always be based on those problems. Each country has different relations with their students. In some countries these relations are better than in others. However, the basic school student rights are universal.

‘One world, One care’ sent a clear message that the position of students can be raised to a higher level than it is now. We could hear that school students from many countries still have many obstacles in access education. First of all, if they want to attend school, they need to pay very often fees which are still high. We heard examples from some countries that books, food and travel costs are expensive. Some unions are protesting and some of them are preparing for it. This shows that students are aware of their position, and they know the importance of education in their lives and in the future of their countries, which will be run by these students some day.

Students need to have a right to be educated, have quality education and be objectively evaluated and graded. They need to have the most specific information about the educational institution they’re planning to attend and they must be actively involved in the decisionmaking process. Students should have a place where they can organise themselves. They need to be able to express their own opinion in the way they feel more comfortable with. Important are also the benefits guaranteed to the status of students, for example discounts for books and other goods. Irrespective of our origins, each educational system must teach classes in minority languages. Vocational school students need to have a chance to find a job responding to their qualifications and interests and they shouldn’t be considered as a replacement for employed workers. In order to achieve gender equality in education, sexes must not be presented in stereotypes in the educational process.

We all know how these things affect educational systems and thus our rights. But, we also know that we, through our student bodies, student councils and student unions, can show what powerful students we are. Getting new skills, travelling around and being a part of the OBESSU family, we can share our experiences, talk about concrete problems in our countries, lobby for our rights, and make our governments more proactive by showing them that we are worried about our future. By doing different activities, making campaigns and implementing different ideas, we can be the persons that change so many things in this world.

SCHOOL STUDENTS RIGHTS! BETTER EDUCATION IMMEDIATELY! edge and experiences and can be a tremendous source for all of us!

Globalisation is a long-lasting process which increases ties between societies and problems. In the field of education, global education is a way of approaching everything we teach and how we teach it.

How can you begin? Did your organisation translate OBESSU’s Declaration of School Students Rights? If this is not the case, go to the OBESSU website and translate it to your language and share! If it is, ask yourself, is everything from that Declaration respected in your country?

We need to develop skills and attitudes which will enable people around us to take responsibility for their own lives and the world we live in and become active global citizens. By doing this, we exert influence and show what our needs are.

TAKE RESPONSIBILITIES AND MOTIVATE STUDENTS AROUND YOU!

We need to be persistent, realistic and face our problems if we want to change something we don’t like! OBESSU is a force full of knowl-

Mirosla v Caksiran, UNSS, Serbia

"When I decided to go to France to spend one week with OBESSU, I wasn't really sure about what I should or should not expect as I have never been to any Summer School before. All I knew was that I would meet many interesting people again and that I would learn something new and I would leave motivated and inspired. After the first 2 days, all the ideas about why I came here and what do I want to take from it became clearer. As the end was coming closer, we all knew that coming here was a great decision: it gave us all new friends, knowledge, energy and for some, maybe like me, the feeling that sometimes the output of something can be better that our expectations."

Dasa Koribanicova, SUS, Slovakia

“I didn't know what to expect when I arrived to the Summer School. I knew there were going to be people from over whole Europe to discuss about HR and Global Networking. I was quite happy when I saw familiar and new faces. I knew that we were going to share experiences and other perspectives on different subjects. I had really great inputs from the week and those inspired me to change something within myself. Back in Belgium, I felt satisfied about the new things I learned and the great experience. Now I'm ready to bring some things back to my organisation. Thank you for this great opportunity.” 1

Jean-Marc Guessou , VSK, Belgium

Steps towards school democracy

Serbian

One world, one Care Vodimo raČuna o jednom svetu Human Rights Ljudska prava Access to Education Pristup obrazovanju Participation UČEŠĆE

The student council

Advocacy in schools

student council is a representative structure for students through which they can become involved in the affairs of the school, working in partnership with school management, staff and parents for the benefit of the school and its students.

tudent councils practice advocacy and lobbying on a school level. The advocacy aims to influence the decision-making within the school by making sure that the student’s opinion is heard and taken into consideration in all decisions concerning students. There are several forms of advocacy, which can be practiced by any student within the school. The board of the student council should constantly be in contact with the school principal and organise regular meetings with him/her in order to discuss the current situation as well as future plans. The students should be represented in the teacher’s meetings as well as in other possible decision-making bodies within the school. Students should also practice advocacy towards the student council, for example by making proposals for the GA or the board meeting. In order to guarantee that the student council is truly representing the opinion of its students, any major opinions and goals should be decided upon in the GA and the student council should organise surveys for the students.

Student councils function differently from country to country. However, some functions are present in almost all student councils across Europe. Most student councils have a president, who normally chairs council meetings and represents the student body in meetings with the school administration members; a vice president, who assists president and stands in for him when necessary; a secretary, who keeps record of meetings and student activities, programs, and sessions as well as a treasurer, who is in charge of the council’s funds. The student council plays a very important role in every school. Its objectives are to provide a democratic form in which students can address school related issues which affect their lives, to maintain open communication between students and school staff and also to train students in their duties and responsibilities of active citizenship.

Copenhagen (Denmark) and Devon (England) are home to pure democratic schools, where all the stakeholders of education within the school - being the students, teachers and the principal - take part in the decision-making, each with one vote.

Steps towards school democracy

Cooperation

ooperation between school staff and students is essential in functional school democracy in order for the students to be able to bring their opinions and ideas to those who make decisions and affect their own learning environment.

are dealing with a common issue. A single student council can affect decisions made within their school, but a joint effort of several student councils can achieve much more. With cooperation between schools, students can also share experiences and exchange solutions for common issues.

We believe that when students and youth feel that they are involved in the decision-making concerning their own lives, of which the school is a big part, the whole school environment will work better and this is beneficial to all stakeholders.

Vote at 16 Should 16-year olds be able to vote or not?

Sasa Pesic,

UNSS, Serbia

Cooperation between schools and student councils within different schools is an efficient way to improve the students’ possibilities to be heard, implement new working methods and organise larger events together. School student councils within the same region can influence the opinion of the decision-makers if they

Tuomas Tikkane n , SLL, Finland

Sami G a bbouj , SLL, Finland

“When I arrived at the OBESSU Summer School in Amiens, I had no idea what to expect. But as soon I was hit by the buzz of numerous voices talking in different languages in the reception area, I was filled with excitement and wonder. During this week, which I consider one of the best in m life so far, I met people from all over Europe with cultures and lives with many differences and similarities to my own. It has been such a pleasure to meet all these people with who I became close and to learn so much about various topics that currently affect the student life. Now, a week later, I am back in Switzerland but definitely enriched by many experiences I thought I never would have (learning Finnish for example!). Thank you so much!”

Elsa Lenge ler, USO, Switzerland

But maybe you don’t have to be mature to vote, you just need an opinion?

ince June 2011, the Council of Europe (CoE) supports the right to vote at 16. But this topic is still debated in many countries. Austria is the only country where 16 year olds are allowed to vote in all elections. Miloš Aligrudić, from the Council of Europe, explains why he believes that the voting age should be lowered to 16 :

Surveys show that young people wouldn’t give themselves the right to vote even if they could. In most cases they said: ”I could vote, but the other ones don’t know enough to be able to vote”.

“The increasingly low turn-out at elections throughout Europe shows that something must be done to involve more of society in the election process. By taking this step, young people would feel more included and are more likely to be engaged in the political process as they grow older. This expands democracy and makes politics in general more representative. Significant demographic changes in Europe could lead to the increasing marginalisation of young people in the political process, which could easily destabilise democracy at a time when social cohesion is more important than ever.”

Moreover, in most elections throughout the world, a voting age of 18 is by far the most common - why change it if it works? The line has to be drawn somewhere anyway and since 18 is an age where you get other responsibilities as well, it's considered to be a good age. One of the arguments most used by opponents of ‘vote@16’ is this one: ”Young people are not interested in politics and politicians can influence them”. But, how are they supposed to be interested if they are not taught anything about society or politics, and if no one expects them to know anything? A lot of old people aren’t interested in politics either: they never read newspapers or watch TV, but still, they are allowed to vote.

People against ‘vote@16’ however say that young people aren't dedicated and educated enough yet to make an independent and reflected vote. Most of them are not on the working market so they don't know much about how it is to be a "contributing citizen" that pays taxes, rent,... To sum up, 16 year olds are not mature enough.

Vote at 16

Those in favor of the ‘vote@16’ have ever more arguments: 16 and 17 year olds are an equal part of society: they can pay taxes and are legally responsible; they can leave school, get married, have children, join the armed forces and claim benefits. They should be able to choose the people who set policies on these matters. Moreover, it would increase the political activity among young people, and young people would probably vote for younger candidates, which would help bring younger people to the parliament. Our society changes, evolves, and the law must adapt to these changes. The voting age has been changed in the past; maybe voting age should be adapted to take into account new realities. This is a topic that we, as young people, have to think and talk about.

G alla A lth a be goi ty, UNL, France

AKS: Having a choice in Austria… … means that everybody at 16 years or older is allowed to vote. In 2007, the law passed and especially socialist and alternative youth organisations made campaigns to accelerate the process of giving young people the chance to influence Austria’s politics with their voice. Before they finally found a compromise, a lot of debates took place. In school, courses about politics should help students to learn something about how elections work. By passing the law, Austria is the first country of the EU in which the age of being able to vote is that low. Only 10 other countries in the world have a similar system. This change happened very quick but effectively and now the rates of young voting people is high. In my opinion, it’s very important for young people, but also for politics, that they influence the decisions and raise their voice! My first election was when I was 16, so I really was excited to be in the generation of people who can vote at 16 for the first time. I am sure that young people can decide and must have the chance to express their opinion!

Ve ronika Hesse , AKS, Austria

Human rights: Rights and freedoms to which you are entitled or versal Declaration allowed; they are guaranteed and you have them of Human Rights simply because you are human. that was adopted by the United NaThey apply to absolutely everyone, everywhere.1 tions General Assembly They are universal and equal. They are listed in Uni- in 1948.

ACCES TO EDUCATION The financial aspect

Danish

One world, one Care En verden, fælles omsorg. Human Rights Menneskerettigheder Access to Education Adgang til uddannelse Participation Deltagelse

Fees

It is the opinion of the participants of the workshop “Access to Education” that the following financial aspects of education should be guaranteed by the state. Off course, the following statements only reflect the outcomes of our discussion.

Quality education should be available to anyone, regardless of their parents’ bank account. We agreed that as a student or as a parent, one shouldn’t feel obliged to pay large sums of money in the form of school fees to receive privatised education and that privatized education should not necessarily mean a superior standard of education. In the event of private school nevertheless being the best possible option for quality education, there should be enough scholarships available so that students with limited economical means can likewise benefit from better facilities and a higher standard of education. Furthermore, if there are minor fees for items such as books or class trips, the state should be able to give scholarships or subsidies to those who can’t afford those fees.

Transport In order to guarantee an equal access to education for everyone, transport costs for students must be paid for by the state. Students often have to undertake long journeys to get to school, which can become quite costly for the parents of the given student or for the students themselves. To avoid this cost becoming a factor in whether the student attends school or not, these fees should be totally or at least partially covered by the state.

Food

As one of the universal Human Rights guaranteed by the UN, education should be available to everyone, regardless of their social, economic and ethnic background. This is of course broadly stated, but it should encompass a variety of examples, such as further discouraging child labour or limiting the access of education for financial reasons. The door of quality education should always stay open to everyone!

The participants agreed that food should not be paid for by the state. This was argued with the fact that wherever students eat, e.g. in town, at home etc., they would have to pay for their food anyway. However, it should be taken into account that the meal prices should remain within a standard student budget.

ACCES TO EDUCATION

Infrastructure

Disabled students

The need for access to education is not limited solely to actually getting to school, but concerns also the school itself. The school and its surroundings should provide a peaceful, productive and pleasant study environment for students. The student’s special needs should be taken into consideration too.

When discussing access to education, disabled students and their needs should not be forgotten. Schools should be adequately equipped with special infrastructures for disabled young people (lifts, ramps, special desks, etc.). Special school transportation should be organised for a student in the event of him or her not being able to use public transportation. Disabled students should also be taken into account when organising events for students. Disability should not decrease the possibilities and chances of participation within the school.

Classrooms, hallways and common areas should be spacious and well air-conditioned. Hallways and common areas should be fitted with benches or sofas and tables. Acoustics should be taken into consideration when designing auditoriums and ergonomics when acquiring new chairs and tables. The school should be able to facilitate decent indoor as well as outdoor physical education and sports. The school surroundings should allow students to enjoy fresh outdoor air during their breaks.

Elsa Le nge le r, USO, Switzerland

Jonas Egli, USO, Switzerland

S ulkh an Ch ar ge ishvili,

The school should offer students’ access to computers during and outside lesson time to ensure a wider access to information. Up-todate and modern teaching equipment should be used to gain access to different learning methods, such as online exercises and videos.

GSSUA, Georgia

Sami G a bbouj , SLL, Finland

Advocacy and lobbying – National School Student organisations

dvocacy and lobbying practiced by national student organisations aim to defend and advance student and youth rights and interests. The work should be well planned and correctly timed. The active members and students practicing advocacy should be well trained, since advocacy is all about possessing the needed knowledge (background information, statistics, etc.) and skills (e.g. rhetoric and argumentation skills) in order to lobby and advance your case, not forgetting the essential spirit and the will to influence.

National level advocacy concerning students and youth can be practiced in the form of meeting ministers, candidates (during elections) and members of the parliament, national level officers and other national bodies who decide on these matters, voting in national elections and publishing resolutions in the media as well as generally attracting media attention e.g. by organising demonstrations. It is also important to lobby other nationwide organisations, such as parties, who possess significant influence on decisionmaking, since the more support the organisation has the greater the possible influence they exert.

Student organisation advocacy is usually divided into two levels: national and regional. National level advocacy is considered as “higher” level advocacy, since the largest and the most significant decisions concerning students and youth are made by the national government. The government decides upon the national budget, the development of the educational system and curriculum and issues concerning student welfare and support.

Regional level advocacy is regarded as ”lower” level advocacy, since decisions made on regional level affect only the area in question. Regardless of that, it is equally important to national level advocacy, though usually not as visible.

National level decision-making is relatively slow, since the proposals have to go through a number of bodies before they are decided upon and implemented. The process may take up to several years. Thus we generally talk about practicing advocacy in order to guarantee better education and rights for future students and youth.

Instead of large guidelines concerning education and youth rights, most of the practical decisions concerning schools and education are made on a regional level where regional councils can greatly affect for example the accessibility of education and the funding of schools.

Advocacy and lobbying – National School Student organisations Decision-making and implementation runs faster and is less bureaucratic than on nation-wide level. Thus it’s easier for students and youth to influence on a regional level and results can be seen relatively soon.

tions), regional level officers and other bodies who decide on these matters, attending council meetings, voting in regional elections and publishing resolutions in local media as well as generally attracting media attention e.g. by organising demonstrations and strikes.

Regional level advocacy concerning students and youth can be practiced in the forms of meeting regional councilors, candidates for the regional council (during elec-

Student organisations are advised to cooperate with local student councils and other local youth organisations when dealing with local issues.

Tuomas Tikkanen , SLL, Finland and Sami G a bbouj , SLL, Finland

Knowledge, skills and competences

Skills is an ability and capacity.

3. Negotiation

Competence is the state or quality of being adequately or well qualified.

The world is full of different people from different regions with different ideologies and different ways of approaching life. Being able to negotiate and having a win/win attitude can help to overcome many of the world’s challenges. If world leaders had good negotiation skills, many wars and chaos which have been experienced in the past could have been prevented. The need to understand and come to a compromise for the good of all through negotiation can save the world from a lot of its challenges.

Objective: What knowledge, skills and competences are needed to overcome global challenges and foster youth rights?

1. Research skills Bobs' exchange year was about to end and Hottie wanted to come with him to Spain. So when he left, she followed. They arrived in Spain and everything was great, until five seconds later: HOTTIE MELTED AWAY! Bob was so sad he immediately died. From the remains of Hottie and Bob, a lemon tree grew up. It was cool, funny and handsome. All lemons in the whole world today originally come from this tree.

Poor Bob immigrated to Alaska from Spain. In Spain he had lots of friends, and they liked him because he was funny and handsome. He went to Alaska as an exchange student. He came there, and at first he was really happy but then he realized it was cold, all the polar bears were chasing him and because he was yellow and everything else was white he couldn't hide. But then one day Bob met the coolest icecubegirl ever. Her name was Hottie. Hottie liked Bob because he was funny and handsome, and Bob liked that he could see through her.

THE END. 41

One world, one Care Yksi ja yhteinen maailma Human Rights Ihmisoikeudet Access to Education koulutuksen saavutettavuus Participation Osallistuminen

forms; from political to social and many others. Young people with adequate problem solving skills will know exactly how to handle global challenges and solve them in a peaceful manner for global understanding.

Knowledge can include facts, descriptions, information, and/or skills acquired through experience or education. the philosopher Plato famously defined knowledge as “justified true belief”.

Knowledge, skills and competence are tools to overcome global challenge and foster youth rights.

Story of Bob the lemon

Finnish

Research skills are very important in the quest to overcome global challenges. Young people therefore need to develop interest and have this skill which will furnish us with the right information and the right approach to overcome global challenges today and tomorrow. Through research many challenges in the world have been overcome. New ways of doing things and new understandings are unravelled through research.

4. Advocacy Young people need to develop advocacy skills and appreciate the advocacy processes needed to address youth right issues and youth based developments. Understanding how to correctly follow the advocacy processes can help prevent many problems. These processes vary from country to country due to the demands of our legislation. But there are universal and general advocacy processes from which many people can learn and that can be used as a tool to address global challenges and foster youth rights.

2. Problem solving To handle global challenges, problem solving skills are needed. Challenges come in various

SCHOOL COSTS IN EUROPE

Knowledge, skills and competences

5. Global thinking The global village in which we are today demands that people must think globally and act locally. People must develop a global thinking attitude which will enable them fit in this fast growing world. This is due to the fact that what happens in Iraq affects those in America and what happens in Haiti, China and Africa adversely affects all. Therefore, whatever the action or activity, it should have a global perspective even though it might be implemented in a local area.

has been a great tool for communication and has also enhanced the way research is done.

Young people need a global thinking attitude in developing solutions and developing themselves. Now many young people aspire to work on the international front to help solve various problems. For such people, there is the need to understand global issues which will emblem them fit into a world which at first seems so big but currently looks so small.

Bad leadership for many countries, especially in Africa and some other parts of the world, has caused many to lose their lives and lose all they have.

6. IT Skills The world is now an IT world with over 700,000,000 people on Facebook alone. The fast development of the Internet and for that matter social media calls for the need for young people to develop IT skills. The Internet

The most active in this area are young people. But there is the need to ensure that the activeness of young people on the Internet and the use of IT is channelled into helping to address global challenges and advocating for youth rights.

7. Leadership

Young people therefore need to be trained and equipped with leadership competences to enable them to face global challenges with a mind of serving others and making the world a better place for all. Proper leadership makes a country grow and develop to its fullest potential. To foster youth rights and deal with global challenges, young people need to do so with a leadership mindset.

Miche al Ope ye mi Ige , AASU, Ghana

Country

AUSTRIA

DENMARK

France

School transportation

Not Free

School Extra tools (such as pens, pencils etc.)

Not Free

School books

Not Free

Free

Depends

Residence/housing

Depends

Not Free

Depends

After school activities

Depends

Not Free

Food

Not Free

Depends

School trips

Not Free

Not FREE

Depends

School fees

Not Free

Free

Other transportation

Not Free/50% discount

Not FREE

Access to cultural places (zoo, museum, theaters, cinema etc.)

Not Free/with discount

Not FREE

Not Free/some guvernmental support

Depends

Laptop

Free

Depends

Income

YES

YES, depends on economic background

YES

Rent

Governmental scholarships Student card

Youth rights: Refers to a set of philosophies intended to enhance civil rights for young people.

GLOSSARY MADE BY

Dasa Koribanicova, 1 SUS, Slovakia

Not FREE

SCHOOL COSTS IN EUROPE

Country

FINLAND

Spain

Slovakia

Not Free, long distance school trips are supported

free, for under 16 year olds

Not Free, discount

Not Free

not free, some schools offer free books for their students

free in some regions, not free in some others

depends, mostly free up tu universities

Not Free1

Not Free

NOT FREE, some are covered partly by the school or the student council

Depends

1 Free activity

Free

Depends

Not FREE

Food

School trips

not free, some are covered partly by the school or the student council

Not FREE

School fees

Free

mostly Free

Not Free/50% discount with a student card

Depends

not free, 50% discount

not free, discount

Depends

Access to cultural places (zoo, museum, theaters, cinema etc.)

Not FREE Not FREE

School transportation School Extra tools (such as pens, pencils etc.) School books Residence/housing After school activities Food

Other transportation Access to cultural places (zoo, museum, theaters, cinema etc.) Rent

Not Free/some guvernmental support

Laptop

free only in some schools

Income

yes, income affects the support (negatively)

it's starting to be free in some levels

Governmental scholarships

yes, depending both on economic background and academic results

Student card

YES

Depends

1 - housing is provided for students attending boarding school (not free), also private companies provide cheape housing for students

Depends2 depends, but mainly universities

Country

NorWAY

SWITZERLAND

LITHUANIA

School transportation

Free

Not Free, discount

School Extra tools (such as pens, pencils etc.)

Free

Depends

School books

Free

MOSTLY

Residence/housing

Free

Not Free

After school activities

Free

Not Free

Not FREE

School trips

Free

Not FREE

School fees

Free

Not FREE

Depends

not free, discount

not free

Free

not free, discount

Rent

Free

Depends

Not FREE

Laptop

Free

Depends

Not FREE

Income

yes

Depends

Governmental scholarships

yes

In vacational education only

Student card

YES

yes

Other transportation

Not Free/50% discount

2 - depends on economic background or academic results or both combined. (differs at high school and university)

SCHOOL COSTS IN EUROPE

Country

ICELAND

GEORGIA

ITALY

School transportation

Not Free

Free

Not Free

School Extra tools (such as pens, pencils etc.)

Not Free

Depends

Not Free

School books

Not Free

Depends

not free (discount for students with a difficult economical background)

Residence/housing

Not Free

Depends

not free (free only for students with scholarships)

After school activities

Not Free

Depends

Food

Not Free

School trips School fees

Country

SERBIA

ESTONIA

ROMANIA

School transportation

Not Free

Free in regions

Not Free

School Extra tools (such as pens, pencils etc.)

Not Free

not free, governmental support for the students with difficult economical background

not free, governmental help for those with weak economic background

School books

Not Free

primary school - free, secondary school - not free

Depends

Residence/housing

Not Free

After school activities

Depends

Not FREE

Food

Not Free

primary school - free, secondary school - not free

Not FREE

Not Free

Depends

Not FREE

School trips

Not Free

Not FREE

registration fees

Free

Not FREE

School fees

Not Free

Free

Not FREE

Not Free/50% discount

Not FREE

Other transportation

Not Free

Not FREE, discount

Not Free/discount depends

Not FREE

Not Free/discount depends

Student can get discount

Not FREE, discount

Rent

Not Free

Not FREE

Rent

Not Free

Not FREE

Laptop

Not Free

Not FREE

Laptop

Not Free

Depends

Income

Only in special situations

In some regions

Governmental scholarships

yes

for students with poor economical background

yes

Depends

Student card

yes

yes, national system

yes

Other transportation Access to cultural places (zoo, museum, theaters, cinema etc.)

Income Governmental scholarships Student card

Access to cultural places (zoo, museum, theaters, cinema etc.)

Not FREE

by: Bo Alexander Granbo, SSUN, Norway; Karolina L책ng, FSS, Finland; Martina Carpani, UDS, Italy

The pan-European student rights database by the Estonian School Student Councils’ Union (ESCU)

dent representative agreed that equal rights should be one of the first priorities of School Student Unions. Many Unions already have lots of material concerning the rights, such as interactive websites, publications, Q&A sheets or even employers working on the topic, but these tools are rarely useful outside the country borders. The lack of knowledge concerning the rights that exists in other countries was highlighted several times. Through debates and non-formal group work the topic was elaborated little by little. In general, the database was seen as an interesting and helpful tool and, moreover, perhaps even as a global possibility. The actual site could include country by country information, success stories and best practices and it would be meant for both giving and receiving.

here exist many student rights: but how do they differ from country to country and even from school to school? The Estonian school students have come up with an idea of a European-wide platform: an online database for school student rights across the continent. This database would make it possible to compare rights, share knowledge and expose the violation of rights. The database would help students all over Europe to connect with each other. Participants from several countries gathered together to discover their expectations, knowledge and practices about school student rights: rights that should be equally accessible to all school students no matter their social, economic or geographical background. Each school stu-

Participation, to participate Take part in something, be involved in something. Access to education Access to education means equal opportunity in education for everyone, regardless their background, country of origin social class, disability etc.

One of the workshop participants, Jean Marc, shared his thoughts: ,,I was really into the idea of gathering all student rights into one website, so that not only OBESSU member organisations’ countries, but also people from all over the whole world could compare rights, provide new ideas, share knowledge and maybe close the huge gap between several countries. The database would be a helpful item to have a view on tools, tips and tricks when trying to raise awareness about school student rights.''

not least the funding, before this all will be reality. However, at least the students attending to this specific workshop found it something really worth working for. Eventually everything will depend on school student unions’ inputs and commitment. This is not something only one union can create, we will all have to collaborate and put our best efforts into the project in order to achieve the high potential of the database. ESCU will need all of your inputs to turn this idea into reality.

Having an up-to-date database on student rights is still a distant dream. How to make it equally accessible to everyone and ensure that the information is not turned against students? Could it be accessible for people beyond the borders of Europe? Or would it be an interactive forum or just a massive storage of information? Many questions have to be answered,

Ville Majamaa, SLL, Finland

Kris ten Aigro, ESCU, Estonia

Je an Marc Guessou , VSK, Belgium

Rue de la SablonniĂ¨re, 20 1000, Brussels Belgium Mail: obessu@obessu.org Phone: +32 2 6472390 Web: www.obessu.org

Pro Ivica ject co Alpe ord za inat Edit or Sara ors h De jaeg her a Gra nd V p h ic d Miro ivian Tomi esig aG n an c alli Pho d la t y out Ivica ogra Alpe phs za

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission and the Council of Europe. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission and the Cuoncil of Europe cannot be held responsible for any use which may1 be made of the information contained therein.