Globalisation
is the cobweb of the 21st century. It transcends all boundaries and borders, and
has economic, political, cultural, as well as social implications. Through
globalisation, people become more able - physically, culturally and
psychologically - to engage with each other in 'one
world'.
AEGEE,
the European Students Forum provides the ideal platform for students and young
graduates to voice their views and vibrant opinions on contemporary issues in
world affairs. For the year 2003, 'Youth & Globalisation' represents the
yearplan project within the wider framework chosen of 'Europe in the world' which aims at
attracting European students’ attention to global issues and give them the
opportunity to make their voice heard, to wake up the sensitivity of the others.
The ultimate challenge of the project team will be to organise a meeting
gathering both European and non-European students to interact and above all to
discuss the possible ways of cooperation on the grassroots level, provide
alternative solutions to protect weak, take away the sharp edges of the
phenomenon of globalisation and sketch up how the youth would like to see the
globalised world of the year 2015.
The World Youth
Summit, December 2003, Brussels will be the grand
closure of the 'Youth and Globalisation' project, the Year Plan Project of AEGEE
for 2003. In essence, the World Youth Summit aims to bring together 200 youth
opinion leaders from all over the world to create an analysis of globalisation
from a European perspective. This is done by providing valuable input from young
citizens and key actors in the globalisation process for the decision makers of
today.
The comparative
analyses of the participants with the European perspective will give the
discussion further depth while at the same time raise the awareness among
European youth of ways in which globalisation affects Europe and the world.
Consequently, the role that the European Union should play in the globalisation
of the world will be clarified. By bringing all these different perspectives
together, the participants will create strategies for dealing with the process
of globalisation in form of a Strategy Policy Paper.
The
whole Summit is based on a series of six seminars dealing with different aspects
of Globalisation, a survey and several debates organised by local bodies of
AEGEE all over Europe. The six seminars have been taking place throughout the
summer months and will end early November 2003 in a joint seminar analysing the
five-angled fold discussion on globalisation. In conclusion, the results and
opinions of the participants will be assembled and will form the basis of the
position paper that will be presented at the World Youth Summit where it will
serve as the spring-board for further discussion.
The Study Meeting
on Geocommunication “Communication as a Privilege?” took place in July in
Bayreuth, Germany. The seminar looked critically at the matrix of high speed and
interconnected telecommunications in developed countries, ‘the information
society’. Participants discussed the growing digital divide, both between the
developed and the undeveloped world as well as inside the developed world. It
has been affirmed that the ownership and control of information together with
the role of communications in the 21st century will increasingly be of
importance and therefore, our society must ensure that everybody has the same
possibilities and rights.
In the end of July, the World Bank
in Paris, France hosted the Study Meeting on Economics “The Rich Get Richer And
the Poor Get Poorer.” Here the participants investigated the risks and
opportunities of globalisation for Europeans, as well as explored policy options
for securing stable and just economic conditions on a global scale. In its
conclusion, limelight has been thrown on the International economic
organisations as well as transnational companies which should play a stronger
role to unleash the potential of global development and to treat global issues
with a worldwide dynamic approach.
In August, the cultural aspects of globalisation
was studied at the seminar “Towards a Blurring of Identities?” held in Riga,
Latvia. The processes of cultural integration set in motion by the breakdown of
physical, mental and social borders were investigated. The participants also
addressed the future of ‘European’ values and which values the Convention’s new
constitutional treaty should endorse.
In the forthcoming weeks,
students will gather in Cluj-Napoca, Romania to discuss politics under the
topic“Europe the Mediator, Europe the Superpower?” This
seminar will explore the future of the European Union, having
particular regard to
the balance of intergovernmental and supranational powers and what roles and
rules the European Union should adopt in order to ensure stable, transparent and
democratic development in a globalised world.
All
these five study meetings results will be discussed in Trieste and Udine in
Italy in November. The joint session will bring together the participants of the
previous seminars in order to combine the results and draft the position paper
that will be finalised at the World Youth Summit in December 2003. This
conclusion will outline concrete policy recommendations for the European Union
in addressing globalisation, as well as institutional guidelines for the future
role of Europe in the world.
The AEGEE
network consists of 260 local branches in 42 European countries, gathering
17.000 members. Our aim is to promote a unified Europe, cross-border
co-operation, communication, integration among students and we strive to create
an open and tolerant society of tomorrow. Our main fields of action are Higher
Education, Peace and Stability, Cultural Exchange and Active Citizenship. www.aegee.org.
For more
information please contact:
Monica
Zarna
“Youth
and Globalisation” PR Responsible
at
[log in to unmask]
website:
http://www.aegee.org/globalyouth