Founded 2002 Location Ukraine Key people Kristina Chelmakina | Type Educational Charity Area served Europe Website EYP-Ukraine | |
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European Youth Parliament Ukraine (EYP Ukraine) – is a politically unaffiliated, nonprofit organization that encourages Ukrainian youth to be actively engaged in civil and cultural understanding. It is not connected to any religion. The EYP Ukraine represents one of the 39 National Committees of EYP International.
Contents
History
The European Youth Parliament was founded by Bettina Carr-Allinson as a school project at the Lycée François-Ier in Fontainebleau. There the first, second and fourth International Sessions of the EYP were held in 1988, 1989 and 1990 respectively. From 2001 to 2004 the EYP encountered various financial problems and did not meet. However, on November 4, 2004, it was reborn due to a mutual agreement between representatives of the EYP's Board of National Committees, EYP alumni and the Heinz-Schwarzkopf Foundation. The politically impartial Heinz-Schwarzkopf Foundation Young Europe was founded in 1971 in Hamburg. The foundation's name was changed to the Schwarzkopf Foundation Young Europe.
Since then the EYP's has been overseen and supported by the Schwarzkopf-Stiftung Junges Europa and is hosted in Berlin, Germany.
As an organization the “European Youth Parliament Ukraine” (EYP-Ukraine) was registered with the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine on February 18, 2002 and became a full-fledged participant in the development of civil society. EYP-Ukraine has successfully operated in Ukraine since 2000. It encourages youths to take part in one of the largest platforms for debates, intercultural meetings, educational work and exchange of ideas among young Europeans. Every year EYP Ukraine conducts a National Session where delegates to represent Ukraine at the International Session are selected.
The organization has gained professional knowledge and experience in conducting youth activities: regional sessions and International forums, national conferences, workshops and seminars. EYP-Ukraine is the United Nation's main partner in conducting youth forums to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in Ukraine and a major youth partner of the EU Delegation during the celebration of Europe Days in Kyiv and other cities.
Main targets and spheres of activity
Structure
At the international level, EYP is governed by an international board, a six-member Governing Body elected by National Committees and by alumni. A representative of the Heinz-Schwarzkopf Foundation also serves on the Governing Body. The board is largely responsible for quality assurance at International Sessions, but also takes responsibility for the overall direction of the organisation and its long term sustainability and protection. Day-to-day business is administered by a hired manager. Philipp J. Scharff served from 2004 until 2008. Jan-Phillipp Beck (DE), the President of the 56th International Session in Kyiv, headed the organization from 2008 until April 2011. At that time Ville Vasaramäki (FI) took over this role.
National Committees are free to choose the form of management though they must comply with basic democratic principles. In Ukraine the Board consists of the President, 2 Vice-Presidents, 3 Board Members, 1 Secretary and 3 members of the Auditing Committee. Members of the Board are re-elected annually on the basis of voting by the EYP members by relative majority rule.
Sessions
EYP-Weekend is a two-day event that aims to promote the organization and to train youth to participate in bigger EYP-events such as the National Session. Mini-sessions they can be organized in many regions of the country. During the annual All-Ukrainian InterRail tour, mini-sessions occur simultaneously in many cities, united into regional “chains” (North, South, West, Central etc.).
A National Selection Session occurs once a year. National Session is organized by the National Committee to select participants who will represent Ukraine at the International sessions. National sessions usually gather 100 to 130 participants from across the country and last from 4 to 6 days.
Regional sessions and International Forums are held throughout the year and gather 70 to 120 participants (delegates, journalists and moderators). The geographical diversity of the countries, whose representatives take part in these events, make them a real platform for intercultural communication.
The International Session of the European Youth Parliament takes place three time a year (spring, summer, autumn). It usually gathers about 300 participants from 35 European countries. During the ten days delegates work in international committees to develop solutions to political, economic, social and cultural issues that are on the agenda of the relevant committees of the European Parliament. The goal is resolutions. Those that are approved at the General Assembly are submitted to the European parliament as the European youth initiative.
Members of the EYP Ukraine take part in such events abroad and organize sessions within the country every year. Thus, during the years of its activity the organization has held such events: