European Youth Forum of Alternatives

Five delegates from COE Europe will be attending the European Youth Forum of Alternatives (EYFA), taking place from the 25th of August to the 2nd of September. The forum will gather together youth from all over Europe in order to render visible and share proposals, alternatives and all kinds of concrete contributions. The Summer Camp will take place in Le Marais Poitevin, near Niort (France).

We, EYES (Empowering Youth in a European Society), plan to organize a European Youth Forum on Alternatives (EYFA). This aims at providing a platform of discussion for young Europeans – and friends from other countries, to empower youth and to build a new Europe which addresses the multiple crises putting at risk our future. We aim to come together to find real alternative solutions in order to build a democratic Europe which is participatory, integrating and non-exclusive. Thus, beginning of July 2013, in Toulouse (France), we will bring together around 5000 young people from all 27 EU states as well as other continents for an event that accepts all types of contributions to its construction, as an horizontal open process that not only hopes for, but requires the implication of the networks and organizations you belong to in order to guarantee its success and self-management. We demand sustainability and the expansion of forms of participatory democracy in Europe to be the core principles of all European actions, for which a stronger involvement of youth and civil society in decision-making processes is a fundamental prerequisite.

Therefore, we wish to invite you,Children of Earth,  to join the EYFA Facilitating Committee (EFC). The EYFA is something too important to be build alone, it needs to be build collectively, through a participative and democratic process, with other dynamic youth organizations and networks. The EFC is the concrete space where this process will be put in practice. Overall it will be composed of around 15 European youth organizations and networks. As a first step the EFC will adopt a common call to be spread to European youths, in view of mobilizing towards the EYFA.

INFO SHEET EYES SUMMER CAMP 2012

From 23/8/2012 to 01/09/2012, 80 young people from 16 European countries will meet at Le Marais Poitevin in France for the EYES Summer camp. The petits débrouillards from the region Poitou-Charentes will host this rally of European youth.

On the program:

1. training in debating techniques, group facilitation and organizational skills with a street action exercise in La Rochelle
2. discussions rounds on social and ecological transition with scientists, civil society activists and politicians
3. balance of the EYES campaign YOUth in transition and of the People's Summit at Rio+20; elaboration of a conclusive document that will be presented to politicians
4. workshops on the EYFA – European Youth Forum of Alternatives

The EYES Summer Camp will be a major step towards the realization of the “European youth forum of alternatives”, that EYES will organize in July 2013, in Toulouse, France. (5000 young people, 250 youngsters per country, all 27 countries ; modeled as an open forum, like the World Social Forum). For this, participants of the camp are invited to present the organizations they are part of and share their experiences and projects within the following thematic groups (provisory):

• science & education
• sustainable cities
• ARTivism
• environment & energy
• empowerment & democracy
• international solidarity
• visions for Europe

Within these groups participants will develop ideas, visions, and concrete proposals for the forum in a self-managed manner.

5 people per country can participate (3 people 18-25 years, 2 people 18-30 years). Food and accommodation are free. The camp will happen at the eco-camping http://www.lafrenaie.org/. For UK participants, EYES takes in charge 150€ of their travel. Arrival of participants: 23th of August; departure: 1st of September

EYES (Empowering Youth in a European Society) is a network of over hundred young Europeans from different EU and neighboring countries, existing since 2011, which pursues active self-empowerment to become actors in society. It is an open space of permanent reflection and action on socio-ecological issues, education, and employment. It organizes its by itself the training and support needed to achieve its goals (trainings, seminars, meetings, street action, campaigns.

“The utopia is on the horizon line. Walk two steps, it moves away two steps and the horizon goes ten steps further. So, what does utopia serve for? Walking” Eduardo Galeano.