Executive Board Member
Below you can find the current published candidacies for the position of Executive Board Member of JEF Europe. Four persons can be elected for this position.
Aléxandros APOSTOLIDIS
Contact Aléxandros
EMAIL: kk.apostolidis@gmail.com
About Me
I am a passionate JEFer since 2012 and the International Officer of JEF Greece since 2016. Through JEF, I am also a board member of the Alumni Network of the European Charlemagne Youth Prize in charge of political contacts and of the communication with the European Parliament and the Charlemagne Foundation. I hold a Bachelor’s in International and European Studies and a Master’s in Democratic Education and Social Competences, and I am now starting my second Bachelor’s in Law. I am currently working for the Franco-German Forum for the Future and in the last years I have gathered valuable experience in the University Grenoble Alpes, at the German Parliament and at UNESCO. I speak German, French, Spanish, Italian, English and Greek.
During the last decade, JEF has offered me amazing opportunities to meet like-minded people from different countries and backgrounds, to participate in exchanges and trips, to grow my capacities and improve my social competences through trainings and workshops, to create a network of socially engaged young people in all Europe, and to raise awareness about European citizenship and the vision of the federalization of Europe – often in activities I organized myself and often in activities where I was a participant of.
Motivation for the Position
During the last decade JEF has been a constant factor in my life, helping me grow as a person and as a citizen. Sometimes it has been through trainings, workshops and seminars, sometimes it has been through political activities, online campaigns and street actions. Most importantly, JEF is its members on all levels – and so I have gained many valuable friendships and numerous chances to exchange perspectives with like-minded people from different backgrounds and with different life stories. After I had the privilege to happily profit from all the various activities of JEF as a member and on national level, now it is time for me to give back to JEF Europe as much as I can. I want to invest all the experience that I have gathered as a JEFer and all the competences that my studies and work experience have offered me as an executive board member. I will dedicate myself in the activities of the board and contribute to the preparation of our activities, putting the transparency towards all members and the community building as priorities.
My Vision of the Future of JEF
JEF is simultaneously a youth organization and a youth community; we are in JEF because we want to engage in civil society and promote our agenda for youth participation in European politics, but also because we are like-minded people, passionate about an idea that often does not get the recognition it deserves and is misrepresented by the mainstream media and most political parties. I want to contribute to making sure JEF stands for a strong community building among its members from all levels and that it remains a safe space for a healthy debate and creative social interactions. Furthermore, JEF should prioritise the expansion of its network of politicians and stakeholders, and safeguard that as many members as possible come in contact with them and profit from opportunities to interact with them.
My opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces/ Working Groups
As an executive board member, I will advocate for the creation of a Task Force on the Network of Stakeholders, with the task of expanding our contacts with politicians and the civil society and with the goal to create a method and various opportunities for as many members as possible to benefit from the interaction with them. I also believe that our Task Force on Green Transition would profit from a focus on all Sustainable Development Goals and would propose having a Task Force on Sustainability instead of a Task Force on Green Transition; this Task Force would benefit greatly from contacts with institutions in charge of the monitoring and the promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals in the different countries and organisations.
Kati SYSTÄ
About Me
Hi! I am Kati, a JEFer since 2017 from Finland. My history with JEF Finland started at our yearly Castle Seminar in August 2017 and I was a member of the national board in 2020. I am currently working as advocacy coordinator for a large youth organisation and my academic background is in public international law and human rights law.
For the past two years, I have been a directly elected member of the Federal Committee, having also co-chaired the taskforce Empowerment & Diversity. In this role we have worked to make JEF more inclusive as a network and on issues of accessibility, mental health, and lastly updating of the JEF Code of Conduct and the internal resolution on inclusion and empowerment. Outside of JEF, I have more than 10 years of experience in boards of youth organisations on local, national, and international levels which I am sure will be useful in this role as well. Feel free to reach out to me and ask anything!
Motivation for the Position
As a federalist, I believe that a strong European Union is needed in solving the global challenges we face, and that by only this way can Europe be an impactful force for democracy and human rights globally. As a feminist I believe that this future is for all, and everyone should be included in building it. This means that civil society and organisations need to take active steps to be more inclusive for people from different backgrounds. Therefore, I am very much a fan of scary f-words.
I see that we should look over our processes and whether our European-level activities are easy to participate in for all young people. This includes events, trainings, and various meetings. I believe that network-wide capacity building is a way to achieve this. We should also look to make the ways we develop our political positions accessible for all. While I enjoy academic debates, these can be more difficult to approach for some. Our aim of a united Europe needs young people from all backgrounds to understand our goals and purpose. This means that our work needs to be easy for anyone to join.
I also believe that change and new ideas come from the grassroots level. Therefore, it is important to work for JEF Europe to be more approachable for all different levels of sections and to develop our network together. Communication is not only a one-way street, and we should be developing our messages and campaigns together with our sections. Shared campaigns, also outside of election campaigns, will make our message heard louder and clearer across the continent. These messages need to be developed together and in time.
Finally, I would like to work to develop our cooperation with other youth NGOs and movements. We can act as a valuable partner or an ally to a cause that supports our aims and can find valuable allies for our goals. My experience is that such networks and cooperation carry long into the future and help everyone’s voices to be heard louder. I wish to work to recognise if we have any blind spots in the field of youth organisations. My work in advocacy and with various other societal actors has given me good tools for planning and doing advocacy for various issues, as well as building partnerships.
My Vision of the Future of JEF
1. Elections & advocacy in collaboration with our sections
2024 is a big election year. This is clearly the focus of the first half of the first year of the mandate which is soon followed by advocating for our positions, also post-election, to the new elected representatives of all Europeans. This should be done in cooperation with national sections. Our goal should be to meet every single newly elected member of the European Parliament – which is something the work of the national sections would be vital in.
2. JEF 2030 & 2050
JEF has developed and matured as an organisation which requires us to think long term. The increased size of the European-level activity, as reflected in the larger budget, gives us whole new opportunities and expectations to take even bigger roles in various forums. We need to look at the development of the membership numbers across the continent and ensure growth also in this front. Long-term approach is not just looking at the next project or the one after that – as a strong pro- European youth organisation is needed also in the coming decades. The steps to set our network in the path of where we want JEF to be in 2030 and 2050 need to be established already today.
3. Open and approachable JEF
Easily approachable advocacy and understandable positions open doors for more young people – large part of this work is done on national level and locally. The European level has developed various tools for this. There are also resources available for sections to develop their work, and the European level should be available to support sections also through training. Ideally, we would also have forums and platforms where sections could share their tools and best practices.
We also need to be present at all European level forums where relevant topics are discussed. This means continued active participation within the European Movement and the UEF, and participation in the European Youth Event. We should also be visible at other events where civil society movements meet, e.g., the EuroPride. We must recognise that young people engage in a range of movements. To meet as many young people as possible, we need to also go outside of our traditional forums. Even if these movements may not be personally relevant for all JEFers, showing allyship to our members and other movements will translate into allyship towards our vision as well.
My opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces/ Working Groups
I believe it is up to the Federal Committee to decide which Political Commissions and Task Forces are needed. As a member of the outgoing FC, I would however invite them to consider which organs serve the goals they set for their mandate best and how these organs can work in the best way. I also see potential in project-specific task forces.
Nikos CHIRCOP
At 22 years of age, I am currently undertaking a traineeship in Brussels with a Member of the European Parliament. I am currently a member of the Supervisory and Arbitration Board of JEF Malta while also serving as as the Advocacy Officer of the Malta National Youth Council (KNŻ). Meanwhile, I am also serving as a member of the Supervisory and Arbitration Board of JEF Malta and as the Advocacy Officer of the Malta National Youth Council (KNŻ).
Motivation: I am proud to be a JEFfer and have deep respect for what this organisation has achieved. From the initial post-war actions dismantling Frano- German border posts and foreshadowing Schengen decades in advance, to our position on the Euro, and most recently following the pandemic, deeper fiscal integration, JEF, time and time again has showed that we are not just dreamers, but simply a generation ahead. Where I to be elected on the EB, I would be mindful of the steps made before me and strive to channel the interests and sentiments of all sections into an effective approach along with my colleagues. If I were to be given the opportunity to serve the organisation, I would aim to advance my top three priorities listed below but ultimately always strive to build consensus on the board.
Experience in JEF Malta: I recently finished by mandate as Vice President and International Officer of JEF Malta, which played a major formative role in better understanding both the workings of JEF Europe on an operational level but also of the different circumstances, needs, and specificities of the different sections, candidate sections, and interest groups. Indeed, this mandate’s highlight was in successfully hosting the Spring 2023 Federal Committee in Malta. Something which my Maltese colleagues and I had been preparing for months in advance with the indispensable help of the JEF Europe Secretariat. Prior to this, I had served as the JEF Malta Secretary General, where I had presided over the domestic political orientation of the organisation, working beyond simply promoting the European Union and making the organisation proud to be Federalist. I was also happy to have seen our first post-COVID Erasmus+ funded civic education initiative Launch Your Potential successfully get implemented. However, my first EB role in JEF Malta probably remains closest to my heart, were as Press Officer I had the opportunity to handle the organisation’s written online content. AA New Federalist article which, irrespective of the pandemic, brings me fond memories is entitled Power and Purpose in a European Federation (link). Writing remains an example of something I am passionate about and that JEF helped give me a platform to improve upon. For this reason, I remain grateful for the many friends I made in JEF it who encouraged me continue bettering myself. Kindness, mutual encouragement, and acceptance are perhaps three of the basic elements that make networks like ours stronger, but perhaps more importantly, much more inclusive, and human.
Other Formative Experiences: I started off my academic journey by pursing an undergraduate degree in International Relations with Anthropology at the University of Malta, where I wrote a thesis on EU relations with Tunisian Civil society. Following this, I recently finished my Master of Public Administration in International and European Governance from Leiden University, the Netherlands. The subject of my master thesis being on the Populist Assault on the Asylum Seeker in post-2015 Hungary and Italy. While studying in the Netherlands, I was also active in JEF Rotterdam/The Hague, were I contributed as an interim board member. Aside from this, I also have experience working as a Research Assistant to an International Relations Professor on EU relations with Middle East and North African (MENA) Civil Society Organisations, and also as a Child Support Worker in a state- run Summer School in Malta.
The A-B-C to remaining simply a generation ahead is in understanding that following a Pandemic and the start of a full-scale Russian Aggression against a future member state, Ukraine – our Union yet again finds itself at a historic turning point. We either allow nativist populism to take the upper hand, perhaps spend some more money of defence and leave everything else the same, or as Young European Federalists, we seek to continue doubling-down our pressure to instigate the inclusive, green, and lasting deepening and widening of our European Union, a peace-making political project that must also radiate sustainable and just peace in its neighbourhood. With this in mind, these are my three priorities:
A Union fit for a minimum of 30, by 2030: We cannot let the current drive towards enlargement fizzle out into nothing. We must continue our work towards pressuring for enlargement, and the required treaty change that must come with it. We need to push for a Union not only of a minimum of 30 by 2030, but a Union that recognises how like a chain, it is only as strong as its weakest link. This means that we must pay special attention to the needs of smaller member states and outermost regions, to ensure that they feel just as heard as any other regions, we must pay special attention towards the Recovery and Resilience Facility’s Implementation and the future of the Cohesion Policy as a tangible driver towards the Fiscal Union that drives Social and Green investment and economic prosperity to all. Finally, we must work towards ensuring that all groups in our society feel safe no matter where they go. What is a non-negotiable is that we need to push for stronger guarantees for enlargement, and stronger implementation of the Union’s Social Pillar.
Building a better Neighbourhood: As times have shown us, Europe does not live in a vacuum. We can never be a force for good in the world if we cannot be a force for prosperity in our Eastern and Southern Neighbourhoods. To the East, we have human tragedy, where our only solution at this moment is to remain resolute and United against the aggressor – hence why initiatives like EUKraine are indispensable. Meanwhile, to the South, a myriad of challenges, such as the ongoing tragedy in the Mediterranean Sea, persist, but many opportunities also exist. As JEF, we should however also do more to engage with civil society in the MENA region which promote values similar to our own. I feel that we can do much more to strengthen our role in the Southern Neighbourhood beyond migration, and towards promoting people-to-people engagement, and our values.
Consolidation & Continuity: The mandate’s most immediate goal is seeing EurHope to the finish line. My intention to facilitate the smooth conclusion and evaluation of campaign. EurHope is ultimately a testament to the value of teamwork and consensus and is designed to be implemented in a differentiated way to be decided on by the individual sections and local branches. It is with this spirit I wish to enter the board where I do not intend to ‘fix what isn’t broken’. Rather, I would wish to build and innovate on the hard work done before and focus on addressing any specific issues raised to ensure best practice. Consolidation and continuity mean that the board must strive to continue listening and understanding different requirements of sections and have the capacity to be flexible so long as we would remain just with everyone.
On PCs/TFs/WGs: The current Political Commissions and Task Forces structures works well. I believe that there is room for a Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and its different practical uses for sections. Namely what the best practices for using generative AI in our policy related activities and campaign strategies, understanding better how AI can potentially challenge NGOs like our own and ultimately developing an AI toolkit for sections. What I would also like to see especially is the continuation and strengthening of the Migration working group. I think that there is also room for a working group on Inequality, specifically tackling inequalities between member states, candidate countries, and at the regional and local level – perhaps discussing the future of the RRF and Cohesion Policy.
Hanna LEIN-MATHISEN
Contact Hanna
EMAIL: hanna.lein-mathisen@europeiskungdom.no; hanna.lein-mathisen@hotmail.com
ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Instagram @hannasifaka; Facebook Hanna Lein-Mathisen; LinkedIn Hanna Lein-Mathisen; Twitter hannalm02; +47 40520206
About Me
Heisann, hello, olá, bonjour, guten tag!
I am Hanna, a Norwegian JEFer running for the executive board 2023-2025. I joined JEF about five years ago and started as a board member in my tiny local section. Since then I have been active in different parts of the organization locally, nationally and internationally. I have the pleasure of having been Norwegian International officer, and now wish to further my reach of how I can work for a more closely knit federalist Europe!
I am a student of political science and international relations at London School of Economics, now on exchange in Paris. I also write on a monthly basis for Norwegian EU-political magazine iEuropa, as well as having experience as a journalist and communications adviser. I am passionate about learning languages on the side, and have also lived in Lisbon and Frankfurt apart from in Norway. I speak Norwegian, English, Portuguese and am working on my French. My German has deteriorated badly, and I would love to pick it up again to discuss federalism with some aid from the German-speaking sections!
I have been politically active on the side of JEF for seven years, if you do not count when I was elected to the local board of the organization “the environmental spies” as a child of about eight years old. I followed my successful climate espionage by being elected vice president of the Young Friends of The Earth Oslo, where I started my interest in political campaigning and especially political communications. I there had the great honor of being a part of starting the Fridays for future-movement in Norway, and was awarded with much media attention and multiple interviews, TV and radio debates and some international press. I worked a lot on media representation when I was later president of the Young Liberals “Unge Venstre” biggest chapter for two years, as well as sitting on their national board and on the board of the Oslo chapter of the Norwegian liberal party and representing us in the Renew Europe group youth academy. I believe it is a strength that we have JEFers from every side of the political spectrum, as they both have different views on European treaties and policy as well as having different perspectives on how to run an organization effectively and the possibility of using our network to advocate in a higher amount of EP groups and in different creative ways with different lobby groups and organizations that have similar views to us. JEF should utilize every ally in the fight for a progressive, democratic and federalist Europe!
Otherwise I love my cats more than anything, spend all my down time playing HayDay, dancing to preferably techno or reggaeton and reading political comedy and history. These days I am also binging the tv-shows Weeds, Friends, Please like me, and my guilty pleasure, The Miss Universe competition:)
Motivation for the position
I want a European Union thinking bigger. I want an EU that works systematically to bring cooperation between states to the next levels, towards security and military cooperation, a larger eurozone and a Schengen where you will never be woken up from the night bus to check passports and visas. I want an EU that can take over the traditional role of an unstable US as the guarantor for safety, liberty and human rights in the world. I want Europe to guarantee aid in conflict zones, to lift people out of poverty and to rehome those running from insecurity and conflict.
I have headed electoral campaigns and became good at working with the press and formulating my opinions, especially on EU affairs and international politics as well as environmental issues, so I would like to contribute to JEF Europe’s campaigns and advocacy. I was proudly one of the strong voices turning the second party in Norway to go for a Norwegian EU membership, and the support is on the rise!
I have previously had a focus on EU-Brazilian relations in my studies, and am now focusing on political behavior and electoral patterns in my studies, which gives me yet another reason to count down the days to the EU elections and excited by the EurHope campaign. However, I have the very sad perspective of being a national of a country stuck on the outside when the EU makes decisions, which is why “Europe, what if?” is a useful initiative. Changing this has been my main goal for long. Now I wish to take a broader perspective, working within advocacy, projects and communicating for a broader and more inclusive Europe, a haven for democracy, freedom and subsidiarity. And JEF Europe is the perfect place to do that!
My vision of the future of JEF
I want to work for a proactive JEF that the institutions look to first when listening to the young and progressive voice of Europe. I wish to focus on advocacy, especially in terms of why we need the EU in the first place: for political issues without borders. We need to fight the controversial fights, to debate the refugee crisis, how to stop talking and start solving the environmental crisis, not just in Europe, but across the world. We have to cooperate more with the global south, discussing human rights and democracy in a language everyone can understand and implement, not just in the EU, but in JEF.
We need a more diverse JEF, with more voices with different backgrounds, languages, vocations and cultures to represent the EUrope we all love. I am also very interested in inclusionary policy, LGBTQIA+ rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights. On inclusion for all I have used a hearing aid for long myself, and know how hard it can be to have a disability when trying to work 200% volunteering. I wish to be a voice and an aid to those who need a little extra help to be the best they can be for a stronger Europe. This includes my view that we should increase the solidarity fund to allow more people to participate in our organization, no matter the size of their wallet.
We need stronger local, regional and national sections with more possibilities to work internationally and cooperate more in between sections. We need solidarity with countries within our own union falling into populist hands as well as a focus on enlarging the union through our organization advocacy, strengthening the sections working to include their nation in the EU.
I would love to work with EU enlargement and the Democracy under Pressure campaign, security and defense, environment and extra-EU relations with the global south or electoral reform to make the EU more democratic.
My opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces/ Working Groups
It is important for JEF to further EU policy and create solutions for our European future. I also very much like the idea of a task force on communications!
Julius LAJTHA
Contact Julius
EMAIL: lajtha@outlook.com ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Instagram, Linkedin, Twitter, +43 660 3784874
About Me
I am a long-standing advocate for a greener, more united and more citizens-centred Europe especially within JEF environment for the last years. Having grown in up in Austria but with family in Hungary and Germany, being mobile and connected with the European continent has been part of my life from a young age. A big passion of mine is travelling by rail across the continent - and on Insta you will see that I encourage others to do so more as well. Moreover, I love disconnecting from the activist life in the beautiful Alpes and other remote regions or while dancing, which JEF meetings are often keeping me away from ;-)
History of Activism: Since the age of 15, I have been dedicated to social, and societal causes more generally, on various fronts and with various organisations- This includes chairing youth political conferences such as Model United Nations (MUN), European Youth Parliament (EYP) and founding, co-founding or advising pro-European initiatives focusing on climate action, civic education, electoral and civic participation, human rights, youth empowerment and media literacy. The European dimension has been integral to my activism from the start.
Major Roles Held: Amongst other roles, I have served as the President of the Young European Movement UK (the UK branch of JEF Europe), as an Observer for the UN Framework Convention for Climate Change at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, the EU Delegate for Climate at the Young G20, in the Youth Task Force of the European Climate Pact of the European Commission and as Observer for the OSCE Election Observation Mission (ODIHR) in the National Elections of Azerbaijan in 2019.
Education and Work: This summer, I finished my academic career by graduating from my M.A. (Double Honours) in Politics, International Relations and Law in Scotland. During my degree, I have gained work experience at the worked at the European Parliament & Commission, in programme management at a consultancy, and in traffic & infrastructure consulting. Currently, I work in European Capacity Management for the German National Rail (Deutsche Bahn).
JEF: In 2017, I discovered the European Youth Parliament (EYP) which operates under the brand of JEF in Austria, and started being fascinated by youth work as a concept and civic education in particular. Throughout the I Choose Europe campaign ahead of the May 2019 European Elections, I became more involved in JEF beyond domestic activities by participating in simulations of the European Parliaments and workshops in schools. By dedicating fully around 5 months to EU election activism after my internship at the EU Parliament (working for an MEP) finished in 2018, I got to see the huge unleashed potential of youth working for youth in this domain of election mobilisation.
In 2019, in my first university year, I rebuilt my university branch (Young Europeans Aberdeen) and got the involved with the national level of YEM UK to try and see how a relaunch could be done. In 2020, I was elected President of YEM UK for my 1st mandate and together with the team I put together we started a great journey of recovery of what can now be called a reputable section of the JEF network. It was incredibly tough to work with the lack of in-person events and effectively empty university campuses at the time, and to feel like having an impact. In 2021, by reconciliation of our relationship with our umbrella organisation, European Movement UK (NB: a little fun fact is that this is the largest EM of all with 21k members!) we recruited our first staff member and were able to see considerable growth in our (re)built branches in London, Manchester and Aberdeen. In 2022, we also started our partnership with the EU offices in London. I also decided to run for a 2nd, final mandate as President of YEM UK. with an office team of up to two interns, our permanent staff member and a growing amount of teams we developed immensely through internal capacity-building activities which have become a fundamental component of my “strategy” for our organisation. In 2023, having succeeded to become an official partner in a 580k EUR grant from the EU on “Building a new relationship with the United Kingdom” and also successfully implemented other grant agreements, it was time to say farewell to YEM UK with my time in the UK coming to an end. During my presidency, we revived YEM to become a strong JEF youth voice in the UK and despite its status as the first JEF section in a former EU member state.
I still consider it the biggest challenge of my life to date to have contributed so much to rebuild this organisation, and as specific the situation is in the UK, the competencies I have acquired throughout these almost 4 years of senior involvement in JEF in the UK are undoubtedly very transposable, sustainable and relevant for the work at the European level.
In terms of other involvement in JEF, I officially joined the JEF Pool of Trainers in 2021 and recently got my mandate renewed as well. Spoiler Alert: If elected, I would be happily devoting my time to contribute to quality trainings for activists and members of our wonderful European network. Furthermore, together with Kati Systä and Ophélie Omnes, I have the honour of occupying what I consider a really important position in the organisation: Permanent Contact Person. Linked to the Code of Conduct of JEF, with this position I can help ensure that members feel safe and comfortable within the organisation and that any misconduct gets addressed.
Motivation for the Position
Through JEF and various other spaces of civic activism I have expanded my set of strengths significantly. When reflecting on what to do after my presidency of YEM UK ended 6 months ago, I noticed a) that I really miss activism and JEF life and b) that the challenges I see for JEF Europe in the present and the future are at times very similar as those we faced in YEM UK.
Based on the above, if elected, I would hence like to ensure we a) refocus and strategise on what to do and where with both our organisational (long-term, sustainable growth of small sections, focus on the Eastern Europe and non-EU countries, etc.) and political objectives (JEF as opinion-leader on youth advocacy for EU institutional and political reform, JEF speaking eye-to-eye with MEPs and European political youth parties to ensure real-world impact, etc.) at the core
b) construct long-term, fruitful partnerships with not just like-minded but also very “out-of-scope” organisations to increase the light we shed and genuinely improve diversity in JEF whilst not swaying our political or topical focus
c) secure more sustainable and diversified funding for our work stemming from a mixture of public and private and, notably, new funding sources hitherto never accessed
d) construct a JEF where the European level acts as an organisational and experiential back-bone of the JEF family that is basing its projects, campaigns etc. on the superbe work of its sections and ensures the utilisation of synergies of the work going on in sections
I truly believe I can deliver this by bringing all my experience together and, together with a self-reflecting and hard-working team give back to an organisation that has allowed me to grow immensely on a professional but also on a personal level. .
My vision of the future of JEF
Having worked closely with JEF Europe, as co-organiser of projects or as facilitator and by partaking actively in all the Federal Committee meetings since the start of the pandemic, I have developed a great amount of understanding of what could be improved to increase our political impact and our organisational health.
First, If elected, I would therefore put a great focus on internal, strategy-based capacity building, which is more than just capacity building and includes bespoke projects, focussing on the needs of our organisation. For me this includes a specific focus on the FC as the governing body of the organisation in determining the needs of the network, which the EB and Secretariat must respond to. My 2nd mandate as Trainer for the JEF Europe Pool of Trainers and my great enthusiasm to invest my own time into visiting sections delivering bespoke trainings focussed on their specific needs, shall also be mentioned here.
Secondly, I have witnessed a large gap opening wider and wider between what JEF is doing on the ground and what the European level is working on. I see this as a significant bottleneck for this EB to resolve, and I consider the EURhope campaign a first good step in the right direction, but more action must be taking in multiple areas. Concretely, I noticed impracticalities in handling projects due to large dependency on grants from either the Council of Europe or the European Commission / Parliament, which renders organisational resilience tricky. Diversifying our funding is, therefore, crucial to mitigate the negative impact associated with public hand funding (such as long-term commitment, strict deliverable agreements, little scope for individual organisational focus). This can be done by working with non-public or semi-public donors (such as private donors, foundations, research institutions or companies) as well as by creating a more direct working relationship between the EB and the FC. Input (see below for details) is very welcome!
Thirdly, Growth of a Political JEF: By aiming to be “one generation ahead”, JEF Europe will never be a mass membership organisation but rather an avant-garde group of activists, thinkers and do-ers who are - while being as inclusive as possible - pushing a future oriented agenda. However, at times I feel like we are trying to be both. JEF must not become a youth engagement unit of European institutions or the go-to Brussels bubble organisation of the European Youth Forum (NB: none of these bodies are bad in any way!). Instead, I see JEF’s Unique Selling Point (USP), and JEF has always been very successful with that, to provide a framework for political solutions to the crises unfolding rather than advocating for specific policy areas in particular, depending on what is trendy on social media or in the interest of public hand donors. I, therefore, believe we must make JEF more political in where it puts the organisational focus. JEF can also ensure this by giving the membership opportunities to acquire knowledge and tools to enter politics and stand in elections. This includes establishing ties with political parties at the European level, especially the youth wings. Finally it means that we need to encourage our members to carry the JEF flag into spaces outside the organisation they enter, such as advisory bodies, youth councils, or other settings where they are asked to represent youth interests. This way, JEF can become a really strong voice of youth advocacy, as is the case already in a small number of national sections (kudos!).
A final note on long-term strategy: We must think way beyond the EE2024 - because, whilst those are always a wonderful opportunity for activism, loads of initiatives pop from the ground like mushrooms and rarely ever prevail further. JEF is here to stay and has the (honourable) duty to keep pro-European momentum alife also in the interim between elections.
My opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces/ Working Groups
I do not consider it my place to make a wishlist on this front here, as this is very much the competency for the wider network to decide. For me, what counts the most is a working strategy leading to long-term impact. I would, therefore, want to review the situation of the FC in great depth (and happily talk about it with anyone ahead and during the elections!) and find a path forward that can guarantee: a) direct involvement in the activities of JEF Europe b) real accountability of (co-)chairs, c) organisational/administration/communication support from the EB and Secretariat to the former and d) political impact of the excellent work of many of our PCs in translating the results into campaigns (something that has not happened enough so far).
Alexiane TERROCHAIRE- - BARBANCON
Contact Alexiane
EMAIL: alexianeterrochaire@hotmail.fr
ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Phone / Whatsapp : +33 6 33 97 88 67 ; Facebook : Alexiane T-b ; X : @Alexiane_TB
About Me
Alexiane, or Alex, a 24 years old French citizen coming from a small island on the Western coast, yet, working in Paris, formerly for an NGO focused on mentoring and reducing social and school inequalities (Afev), then, currently, as Sciences Po’s academic partnerships officer.
I would like to run as an Executive Board Member, to continue the JEF journey I began in 2018. When I finished my Erasmus in 2018 and that JEF contributed to open my eyes as my interest in European affairs, I decided to first get active for one of JE-France’s local sections, at my home university, Sciences Po, as their head of Europe at School programme. During the first lockdown, in 2020, I became Le Taurillon France’s head of podcasts, and I produced, wrote and coordinated the team in charge of the series of podcasts called « Our Europe » / « A nous l’Europe ». As my second year of master took place in the United Kingdom, during the Brexit negotiations (I studied European Affairs in the first-ever country exiting the EU country– a bit contradictory I know !), I was elected JEF London’s President and shortly after, JEF UK’s International Officer, until March 2022. Then, I decided to focus on digital activism, and I was elected as JEF UK’s podcasts and video Officer. In August 2023, I joined JEF Europe’s pool of trainers.
By the way, did you know that I am a huge fan of Swedish kannelbulle (do not check what it looks like on the internet if you are hungry !) ; cats, and lattes ? Then, if you are too, let’s connect over the phone or hopefully, at the next FC 😊 Sadly, due to work-related obligations, I will not be able to meet you in person in Madrid.
Contact languages : French, English, Spanish, Swedish and a bit of Italian (if you are not afraid of hearing me speak a fantastic mix of Spanish-Italian grammar. Arf !).
Motivation for the position
I have been a member of both a big section, France, and a small one, being the UK, during one of the most crucial political, social and economic turning points of its history. I held different types of positions, at the local and national levels. I am convinced that our federalist organisation has a key role in educating future generations about the EU, with concrete and fact-checked content ; while also advocating in favour of a stronger EU, which knows its historical roots, and reaches out to its citizens, and the neighbouring countries’ population. Hence, let me suggest the following three ideas that I would be especially interested in carrying out :
1st idea : strengthening, financing and offer training to small sections, especially the newest, in order to provide them with the network’s best practices in terms of recruitment, fundings, events’ planning and management, as well as local and regional political advocacy, towards elected officials, high school and university students, press and other NGOs. We are a network with several decades of experience : albeit our national contexts are different, why should we not support each other, not only through twinning, but mentoring programs ? Mentoring makes the difference by allowing friendships to form, and competencies to flourish.
2nd idea : use digital activism tools and strategy to reach out to euro-indifferent youth, or non-educated youth, or young people living too far away from our local sections, to communicate in stimulating, simple terms what the EU does for them, and what JEF thinks the latter can do better in terms of educational policies and involving the youth in its decision-making process. Erasmus+ is unknown for part of the youth population ; then, let us communicate what the EU does to these young people, by reaching out through social media, digital conferences, podcasts, radio shows, and local events, held with places where young people often meet (cafés, sportsclub, universities, high schools, bars, youth associations or NGOs) !
3rd idea : knowledge sharing. Who feels comfortable speaking of a wide range of EU-related topics, ranging from enlargement, to the EU’s industrial policy, to its neighbourhood one ? Our studies imply that we specialise in areas (digital, educational policies, EU institutions and decision-making process for me). However, JEF is able to critically think about all of the EU’s policies and aspects. Thus, I strongly believe that we should create a common and shared library, as well as formal and informal conferences, trainings, or masterclasses for the whole network to make sure that everyone feels entitled to take part into the intellectual debate, as well as on the ground actions.
My vision of the future of JEF
JEF’s priorities should be three-fold :
Financial stability & responsibility: In order to support both smaller and larger sections, the local grants should be maintained. JEF Europe should keep up the good work of the previous years (namely stabilising while increasing its budget). Yet, in order to think ahead, it should also look beyond public European funds to develop its funding opportunities, and expand its traditional circles, to reach indecisive donors, or firms who are looking for new projects to fund, or new ways to act in favour of inclusion, and social cohesion. However, the financial responsibility should not only rest on JEF’s shoulders. It should offer internal training, for local and national members, focused on advocacy, media relations, funding search and grant application. We should aim to stabilise fundings from all sections, although the context differs a lot from country to country.
Think of a post-EURHope campaign, to keep the renewed interest for the EU alive. Should eurosceptic or nationalists parties win more seats, the 2024 elections could be a wake-up call to a lot of pro-Europeans who would like to do more at their local or regional level in favour of EU-related actions or projects. For instance, we could target young people from rural or isolated areas, as well as coming from socially and economically disadvantaged areas should be targeted in priority. Our existings tools need to be improved, namely the digital activism toolkit, and our EuropeatSchool, or EuropeatHome toolkits and campaigns, to better communicate the importance of getting active to defend and improve the EU, with regards to the latter’s tireless efforts to enhance our living standards and futures.
Increase JEF’s visibility and influence in every corner of Europe, thanks to encouraging and strengthening digital activism, digital outreach, combined with -where and if possible – local in-person actions. Thus, I would be a big supporter of rethinking JEF’s digital strategy, and fight against the idea that digital encounters are not as useful nor inspiring as in-person ones. Covid led to many health-damaging digital practices ; based on this knowledge, we can still decide to use hybrid tools and practices to reach out to all youths, in addition to making powerful connections with the local youth ecosystem (see my point about NGOs, and firms above).
My opinion on the needed Political Commissions and Task Forces/ Working Groups
The FC should ultimately decide what their PC, TF and WG should be. However, based on my preference, you can guess that I am inclined to strengthen the TF « Capacity building », « Civic Education » and transform the EurHope one into JEF’s new campaign coordination task force...
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