Youth Opportunities

We then travelled to Dublin on Tuesday where we met Rotary Ireland’s District Governor, Tom Murphy in the European Office who presented us with certificates. We also met a representative of the British Embassy from whom we gleaned information regarding the far-reaching consequences of the Lisbon Treaty and the British and Irish governments’ stance on the European Union. On Wednesday we visited Dáil Éireann where we sat in during a debate on public transport; unfortunately there were just three Teachta Dálas (TDs) present. The students from the Republic of Ireland later expressed their concerns about the future of the Southern economy and the increasingly strained relationship between politicians and their constituents. Perhaps the North and South are not so different after all!

On Thursday we flew from Dublin to Germany and then travelled by coach into France. When we arrived the landscape was covered in snow; as we travelled into France we saw many small war grave cemeteries and reflected on the futility of the First World War and the need for strong leadership in the future as nations face economic hardship and unrest.

The climax of the trip would be a visit to the European Parliament in Strasbourg where we would participate in the Euroscola Programme. It aims to encourage young people from across Europe to become involved and educated in European politics by offering a day in the parliament participating in debates just like an MEP. Every evening beforehand was spent in sub-groups, researching the six topic areas assigned to us by Euroscola officials. My group was tasked with creating an action plan for the future of Europe - an exciting but challenging task in light of the current feelings of despondency regarding European politics amongst many constituent states.

The Euroscola day was held on Friday and our delegation woke up early (at six o’clock!) to travel to the suburbs of Strasbourg for registration and security checks at the parliament. The facade of the building is really quite breathtaking and throughout the day we were struck by the awesome architecture. During a relaxing welcome breakfast of French pastry and coffee we met young people from all over Europe. I had great fun trying to use my French and Spanish as means of communication! Afterwards all six hundred students entered the main Parliament Hemicycle where we each took an MEP’s seat. This was quite an emotional experience; as we sat down we were struck by the importance of leadership in Europe and the wealth of people affected by the decisions made here.

Rotary Ireland is renowned for having the most prepared delegates and yet again this year we dominated in the plenary question-time and later in the sub-group sessions. After a brief welcome and introduction to the workings of parliament by a group of senior civil servants the floor was given to the students for questions. I seized this opportunity to ask the first question regarding the European Union’s plans for tackling rising levels of unemployment throughout all member states, with particular regard to making it easier for young people to find employment. Many questions were asked by the young people present, highlighting the talented young leaders both in Ireland and Europe who are primed to launch a career in politics.

In the afternoon we met as sub-groups to make decisions on the proposals we would later present to parliament. After much discussion and debate by young people from many different countries, each with their own ideals, we agreed on our proposals. The Chairperson answered questions from the floor about the proposals which were then anonymously voted on. All six topic areas were successfully voted on and passed after some very articulate and detailed questioning. The day finished with a celebration of the many different cultures present, a parade of the member state flags and the European National Anthem. 

Our final day together was spent in Germany at the Black Forest where we enjoyed the chance to do some shopping and even join in with a German street party! I thoroughly enjoyed my time away with Rotary Ireland and learned some very important life lessons. The people I met and the experiences I had will always be important to me. I am very thankful to the Rotarians at Comber Rotary Club (District 1160) whose support and guidance were invaluable to me throughout the whole process. Thank you to An Coppens, Rotary Ireland’s Youth Opportunities Chairperson whose organisation made the trip very special for us all.

Thank you also to Rotarians all over Ireland whose passion and commitment for causes such as this make a lasting impact on the lives of many people in Ireland and all over the world."

The Euroscola day is hosted 20 times a year by the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Around 500 young people from across the EU take part in a day of presentations, questions, discussions and voting on issues relevant to them. The day is led by officials of the Parliament and is structured to ensure all young people participate to the full. It is a prestigious event with the young people being treated very much as MEPs as they sit in the main debating chamber, have the opportunity to ask questions of Parliament representatives and use electronic voting. At the end of the day, each participant receives a certificate of attendance signed by the President of the European Parliament.



Youth Leadership leads to......
Clare Savage, who was herself a participant of the Youth Leadership Program a couple of years ago, is a recent member of the Club.