The European Youth Conference of the third phase of the Structured Dialogue took place in Nicosia, Cyprus on 11-12-13 of September 2012. The theme priority of the 18 month Trio Presidency (1 July- 31 December 2012) Poland, Denmark and Cyprus was the youth participation in democratic life in Europe. The Cyprus Presidency was focused on "Youth Participation and Social Inclusion", focusing on young people with migrant background".
The main topics of the Conference were How youth participation leads to the social inclusion of all young people, with emphasis on the inclusion of young people with a migrant background as well as The importance of the participation of young people and youth organizations, especially in decision making for the creation of inclusive, democratic and prosperous societies.
The youth delegates and the Directors General of EU Member States jointly defined the following recommendations based on the outcomes of national consultations:
1. Member States and the Commission should establish, support and further develop youth
information and counseling services that target young people with migrant background,
in order to provide tailor-made and innovative information and counseling via face-toface and online methods.
2. Member States and the Commission should encourage and support the cooperation
between youth organisations and media in promoting an unbiased image of young
people with migrant background in order to enhance social inclusion.
B: EDUCATION AND LANGUAGE – Quality education for quality inclusion
1. Member States should introduce citizenship and intercultural education as curricular
subjects in schools from an early age and ensure the training of teachers in cooperation
with youth organisations and relevant institutions, in order to foster the social inclusion
and active participation of youth.
2. In order to promote social inclusion of young people with migrant background, Member
States should encourage the learning of the official language(s) of the host country by
providing free language courses.
1. Within the next generation of EU programmes for education and youth, the Commission
should strengthen the support and funding of youth activities at all levels that focus on
social inclusion and intercultural dialogue of young people from EU and non-EU
countries.
2. Member States and youth organisations should cooperate in developing, promoting and
supporting accessible peer mentoring systems through which non-migrant youth can
help young people with migrant background to integrate into society by fostering mutual
respect, tolerance and intercultural understanding.
D: EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES – From combating discrimination to equal access to
labour market and social welfare
1. Member States should ensure equal access to health services, including non-urgent
health care, for all people living in an EU country, including undocumented immigrants.
2. Member States and the Commission should facilitate the exchange of good practices,
such as vocational training, counseling centres and job mentoring schemes, in order to
improve the access to the labour market and ensure fair working conditions for young
people with migrant background.
E: SUPPORT MECHANISMS AND TOOLS – Better policies, programmes and practices
for better social inclusion
1. Member States and the Commission are urged to fully implement the social inclusion
plans, especially the European platform against poverty and social exclusion and Youth
on the Move, as well as other youth related initiatives, in order to reach the
benchmarks of the Europe 2020 Strategy.
2. Member States and the Commission should promote cross-departmental work as well
as consult and involve youth organisations and NGOs working with young people with
migrant background in decision-making, implementing and evaluating policies and
programmes that involve and affect these young people, in order to address their
specific needs.
F: PARTICIPATION – Youth participation in democratic and social life
1. Within their respective spheres of competences, the Commission and Member States,
including regional and local authorities, should create financial, political and legal
conditions for the empowerment of all young people to participate in social and political
life through youth organisations, social media and other participatory fora.
2. In order to enhance equal rights, Member States and the EU institutions should ensure
the right of all long-term residents, as defined by national law, to vote and run for office
at local, regional and national level
.
G: YOUTH ORGANISATIONS – Supporting the role of youth organisations in social
inclusion
1. The Commission and Member States should ensure sufficient long-term financial
support as well as administrative and logistical support to youth councils and youth
organisations, in order to enhance their role as facilitators of social inclusion and set up
easily accessible micro-grant schemes for youth-led initiatives.
2. The Commission and Member States should promote the specific role of youth
organisations in fostering social inclusion through validating non-formal learning and
recognising youth organisations as key providers of non-formal education.
Source: Official Website of the Cyprus Presidency
For more information about the conference visit the official website of the Cyprus Presidency.
Photos of the Cyprus Presidency Youth Conference by the European Youth Forum.
Photos of the Cyprus Presidency EU Youth Conference by Eurodesk Cyprus.
The main topics of the Conference were How youth participation leads to the social inclusion of all young people structured settlement quote
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