The spring of 2024 is an appropriate moment to discuss how Europe is seen through the lens of education, but also to propose concrete actions for the European mandate 2024-2029 and the long-term future. 

European Student Forum AEGEE-Europe and MEP Victor Negrescu, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education, organized on March 5, 2024, in the building of the European Parliament in Brussels the “Agenda 2024-2029: Education” debate. On this occasion, the AEGEE report on the perspectives of educational policies in the 2024-2029 mandate was presented.

“We have identified, over the last months, segments that require rapid development, such as digital literacy, pedagogical skills of the teachers or support to innovate education. We also analysed the impact of the twin transition in educational policies, but we also proposed new ideas, such as the development of the Erasmus beyond Europe program“, stated Kirsten Broekema, president of AEGEE-Europe.

Organizations involved in the development of educational policies, as well as representatives of the European institutions, openly discussed at the event what is realistic for the next five years from the point of view of a European education adapted to the citizen’s needs.

“The future of education is now and we need to act together. We need to boost citizenship education, tackle the skills deficit and define key areas for training and reskilling, but we also need to modernize the education system and learn how to use new technologies to support education, without leaving anyone behind. I call for the creation of a European Education Plan with financial resources to support quality of education and teacher training, and reduce early school drop-out rates. If we are seriously thinking about the future of Europe, then we must think strategically about the future of education.”, stated MEP Victor Negrescu, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education.

The participants realized the importance of the current moment, proposing that European education occupy a central role both on the agenda of European institutions and EU member states.

The European Commission must focus their strategic priority over the period 2024-2029 on a development of European education, a new leap in this field like the one realized in the 1990s, and the idea of a Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for European education can give a clear signal to everyone. Participants to the event also welcomed the creation of a European Year for Education.

In order to give European education the necessary importance, it was suggested launching an Intergovernmental Conference in the spring of 2025 to present the integrated vision of the Member States and the EU on the educational perspective for 2040.

The full scale invasion has led to immense human suffering, the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives, including tens of thousands of civilian casualties. Since the escalation of the war, nearly 1 800 children have been killed. It has forced many millions of Ukrainian residents to flee in search of safety, creating the biggest refugee crisis in Europe since the end of the Second World War. According to UNHCR Statistics, as of the beginning of 2024, there are 3.7 million internally displaced people in Ukraine, 6.3 million people fled the country and 14.6 million are in need of humanitarian assistance. 

Since a few months, the war has reached a bloody stalemate, where neither side is gaining any significant advantage.The civilian population is still experiencing immense suffering, with no resolution to the conflict being feasible in the foreseeable future. In the last few months Russia has further intensified its attacks and is expected to escalate even more. Furthermore, ongoing investigations conducted by among others the ICC, show strong evidence of Russia committing war crimes and crimes against humanity including: torture, rape, unlawful deportation of children, targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, executing prisoners of war, as well as many more atrocities. 

We, as young Europeans, stand united in our condemnation of this flagrant violation of international law and the basic principles of human rights and sovereignty. This aggressive act has not only led to a tragic loss of life and widespread suffering among the people living in Ukraine but has also threatened the foundations of global peace and security. We believe that Ukraine has a right to restore its borders to the state under its 1992 constitution in order to protect its citizens.

We remain to stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian youth, which was deprived of its right to education and a chance at creating their lives in peace. Young people not only represent the future, but also shape the present narrative, driving social change, and fostering peace-building efforts. This is why we believe that youth has a vital role to play in finding the resolution to the conflict. 

For the aforementioned AEGEE-Europe: 

• Condemns all attacks on civilians committed by Russia;
• Condemns in the strongest terms suffering brought on children and youth, who have been deprived of their education and a chance to live a happy, peaceful lives;
• Applauds the continued effort and commitment towards helping Ukraine, highlighting especially the role of youth and youth organisations;
• Calls for the international community, especially the EU, to strengthen its commitment towards helping Ukraine and providing necessary equipment for the defence and restoration of its sovereign territory;
• Demands continued humanitarian aid for those affected by the conflict;
• Demands strengthening the sanctions against Russia, to hold it accountable for its unjustifiable invasion;
• Hopes for the just resolution of the conflict and future peaceful coexistence of both states, while recognizing the difficult process that needs to happen in order to achieve it.

#StandWithUkraine

For our previous statements please refer to:

Statement | One month since the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam – AEGEE-Europe
Statement | One Year Since Russia’s 2022 Invasion of Ukraine – AEGEE-Europe

Sources:

https://www.unrefugees.org/emergencies/ukraine/ 

https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/01/1145262  

https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/10/1142617 

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/02/08/ukraine-new-findings-russias-devastation-mariupol 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/jan/06/russia-ukraine-war-aid-white-house-putin-zelenskiy?page=with:block-6599340a8f08640ae963b0b9 

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/01/europe/ukraine-kyiv-mourning-new-year-intl/index.html 

https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/01/1145567 

Sustainability is part of AEGEE’s core values and it is part of our strategic plan to work towards a society that respects planetary boundaries in the fight against climate change. In this statement we want to highlight the agreements that have been reached during the 28th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, COP 28, that was held in Dubai from November 30th to December 12th of 2023 and to raise awareness on the decisions that affect the future on Earth and whose effects might be irreversible. Thereby, we think it is important to express our opinion with regards to it.

A COP is an annual conference that takes place since 1995 and it is the supreme decision-making body from the UN Framework of Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) 1. In the conference the ratifying states or parties are represented, and they assess the effects of the measures implemented by the convention. At this COP, key climate change issues were discussed such as the first stocktake on the progress of the Nationally Determined Contributions, NDC goals of the Paris Agreement, the implementation of the loss and damage fund established in COP27, the phase out of fossil fuels before 2050, the increasing of climate finance, innovative economic strategies, and working towards adaptation. All of this, in the warmest year on record 2 and with an increasing trend on natural disasters over the last decades 3.

One of the main outcomes and achievements of COP 28 is the agreement of countries on the need to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems 4. However, there is no obligation for countries to take any specific action, there is no specific timescale and this agreement only aims at the energy supply, instead of the economy as a whole, thus disregarding other fossil intensive activities and products such as plastics or petrochemicals.

It is worth noting that fossil fuels are the main cause of global warming 5 and we are not on the way to achieve our goal of slowing the rise of temperature as shown by the first stocktake of COP Paris 2015 6, which settled to limit the rise of global temperature to 1,5 degrees higher with respect to the preindustrial times by the end of the century. But even so, progress has been made, since a commitment was made to triple the renewable energy capacity by 2030.

In the field of climate finance, wealthier nations have committed to pay 792M $ 7 to the loss and damage fund to help developing countries to treat climate change and the devastation effects of climate catastrophes. Although this is a start, it is hardly enough for the developing nations to deal with climate effects 8. Not to mention that it is not clear whether these pledges will be carried out and whether they will reach the people who really need them 9.

The need to address the implications that climate change has on health was referred to with the Health Day being held for the first time and the commitment of the Global North to pay 777M $ to combat neglected tropical diseases such as the river blindness and lymphatic filariasis 10. Besides the implementation of these funds, it was agreed to the replenishment of the Green Climate Fund, Least Developed Countries Fund, Adaptation Fund, and Special Climate Change Fund 11.

In AEGEE-Europe, we strive for sustainability and for a just and inclusive transformation of societies. We think there is room for improvement in the climate change conferences and we want to demand a stronger commitment to fight climate change.

A Climate summit should not be just greenwashing for nations and organisations but they must be fully committed to the agreements and do not put other interests that go against the fight on climate change first. An increase in transparency has been done yet there should be a clearer way to tackle the conflicts of interests that have been evident in this summit 12, where the COP president is the CEO of ADNOC, the United Arab Emirates’ state oil company, and the enormous presence of fossil fuel representatives and lobbyists with at least 2456 delegates, almost four times the number at COP 27, overtaking delegates from the most susceptible countries 13. Furthermore, hosting the COP in a non-democratic country, where human rights are not respected, discourages dissidence 14. Climate summits must work according to the common goals to preserve the climate, where fossil fuel companies should have a limited role, they should not influence climate policy since they can take advantage of that.

As stated by IPCC 15, it is urgent to transform the economy on a planetary level towards a circular model, based on the sustainability of all productive resources, and to change the consumption habits and lifestyle of the population, especially in developed countries. The unequal development in the different regions of the world has created the paradox that the ones that most carry the burden of the costs of climate change are the ones that contributed less to creating it.

The transition cannot wait and should not rely on carbon capture techniques 16, which are costly technologies that are not yet fully developed and might fail at a large scale as a tool to mitigate climate change 17. They are only a strategy for fossil fuel companies to delay it and not to lose their profit and their hegemonic position while repositioning themselves in the new sustainable global market. So they should not be used as an excuse or distraction to phase out fossil fuels.

We consider the aforementioned betterments essential to be able to reduce the effects of climate change, although we fully support any actions that can help us preserve the environment and do not compromise the future on earth, and we fully embrace any step that can lead to a sustainable society.

Sources

https://www.cop28.com/en/

https://unfccc.int/news/cop28-agreement-signals-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-fossil-fuel-era

https://climate.copernicus.eu/record-warm-november-consolidates-2023-warmest-year

https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/number-of-natural-disaster-events

https://unfccc.int/process/bodies/supreme-bodies/conference-of-the-parties-cop

https://www.cisl.cam.ac.uk/cop-climate-change-conference

https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/causes-effects-climate-change

https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/12/1144742

https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/12/global-what-happened-at-cop28-essential-need-to-knows/

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-67143989

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-67704098

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/environment/2023/12/09/climate-change/cop28-oil-gas-presence/

https://kickbigpollutersout.org/articles/release-record-number-fossil-fuel-lobbyists-attend-cop28

https://www.carbonbrief.org/cop28-key-outcomes-agreed-at-the-un-climate-talks-in-dubai/

https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/international-summit/2023/12/01-02/

https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/tackle-climate-change/climate-change-stories/cop-climate-change-conference/

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-67508331

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-67581277

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-67701412

https://www.who.int/news/item/02-12-2023-over-40-million-health-professionals-demand-bold-health-and-climate-action-at-cop28

https://www.who.int/news/item/04-12-2023-global-partners-pledge-usd777-million-to-combat-neglected-tropical-diseases

https://healthpolicy-watch.news/first-ever-cop28-health-day-unfolds-amidst-uproar-over-cop-presidents-fossil-fuel-remarks/

https://prospect.org/environment/2023-12-12-cop-28-uae-climate-change-flop/

https://www.npr.org/2023/12/09/1217970348/what-it-means-for-an-oil-producing-country-the-uae-to-host-un-climate-talks

https://www.npr.org/2023/12/07/1217504214/a-record-number-of-fossil-fuel-reps-at-cop28-climate-talks

https://www.ciel.org/news/475-carbon-capture-lobbyists-at-cop28-exposes-fossil-fuels-grip/

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-67607289

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/activists-protest-against-fossil-fuel-industry-cop28-climate-summit-2023-12-05/

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/what-are-loopholes-cop28-climate-deal-2023-12-14/

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-67701544

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-64723497

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-67679734

https://www.nrdc.org/bio/joe-thwaites/cop-28-climate-fund-pledge-tracker

https://www.greenclimate.fund/news/cop28-green-climate-fund-reaches-record-funding-level

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/who-is-pledging-climate-finance-cop28-how-much-2023-12-06/

https://unfccc.int/topics/introduction-to-climate-finance

https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/what-you-need-know-about-cop27-loss-and-damage-fund

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/12/global-cop28-agreement-to-move-away-from-fossil-fuels-sets-precedent-but-falls-short-of-safeguarding-human-rights/

https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/11/29/cop28-opens-un-should-take-uae-task

https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/11/24/repressive-state-activists-raise-concerns-about-surveillance-and-arrest-at-cop28

https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/what-is-carbon-capture-and-storage/

https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/figures/summary-for-policymakers/figure-spm-7/

https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-cycle/

https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ipcc_wg3_ar5_chapter6.pdf

https://www.carbonbrief.org/in-depth-qa-the-ipccs-sixth-assessment-on-how-to-tackle-climate-change/

https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/2/2019/02/SR15_Chapter2_Low_Res.pdf

https://canadiangeographic.ca/articles/the-truth-about-carbon-capture/

https://ieefa.org/resources/carbon-capture-crux-lessons-learned

https://www.globalwitness.org/en/blog/carbon-capture-oil-lobby-cop28/

https://www.globalwitness.org/en/press-releases/world-cannot-meet-climate-targets-relying-carbon-capture-and-storage/

Disclaimer: Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

According to the International Organization for Migration (2023), approximately 27.600 people have lost their lives or are reported missing in the Mediterranean region since 2014, with almost 2.000 people in 2023. Drowning, violence, and lack of access to adequate health assistance or to food, water and shelter are listed among the main causes of death. Unfortunately, in 2023, there are still many unnecessary barriers for those seeking safety at the European continent’s borders. These include the erosion of the right to asylum, systemic pushbacks and mass deportations, police brutality, a slow response in the EU’s action on search and rescue missions, the criminalisation of solidarity in Europe and an increase in smuggling and human trafficking (Human Rights Watch, 2021). Once they reach the European continent, migrants held in overcrowded camps often experience inadequate living conditions and the lack of access to basic services such as health or legal assistance is heavily restricted. 

The Social Equity and Political Activism Working Groups of AEGEE-Europe organised this month an online campaign to raise awareness about the human rights violations and consequences of the European migratory laws and the migration business. They emphasised the urgent need for change in addressing such violations and the importance of standing as allies against discrimination based on place of origin. 

Over the last three years, AEGEE engaged in advocacy efforts and raising-awareness activities with relevant stakeholders to contribute to achieving meaningful change and address discrimination based on place of origin. Therefore, we urge authorities involved at the borders of Europe to take immediate action against the abuse and human rights violations in border control operations. 

We condemn the violent pushbacks, lack of response to distress calls, and the inhumane treatment and human rights violations conducted by national and European authorities at the border and in refugee camps. 

We call upon the European governments to take full responsibility for aiding migrants on the European continent, participate in search and rescue missions and fulfil their obligations under the EU and international law. 

We call upon the European countries and EU institutions to provide a concrete accountability system and put in place measures that would ensure transparency and effective investigations into search and rescue missions.

We condemn the increasing criminalisation of solidarity and we urge the European countries to eliminate the laws that criminalise those offering humanitarian assistance to migrants and refugees on their journey across Europe. 

Sources

Human Rights Watch (2021) Greece: Events of 2021, World Report 2022. Available at: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/greece (Accessed: 11 August 2023).

International Organization for Migration (2023) Data | Missing Migrants Project. Available at: https://missingmigrants.iom.int/data (Accessed: 25 July 2023).

International Rescue Committee (2023) Greek shipwreck: Everything you need to know. Available at: https://www.rescue.org/article/greek-shipwreck-everything-you-need-know (Accessed: 11 August 2023).

United Nations (2023) Save lives, UN agencies appeal, after yet another tragedy in the Mediterranean. Available at: https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/08/1139622 (Accessed: 11 August 2023).

During the EYE, I had the opportunity to take part in various sessions that focused on active participation, with an emphasis on the upcoming European elections.

The plenaries I attended gave myself and other young people the space to voice our issues on many aspects of events taking place throughout the EU. I was able to even speak directly with some of our leaders and hear and learn from them. 

The EYE had many elements that focused on both personal and professional development of young people which I was able to take part in, such as learning about job opportunities and volunteering opportunities across Europe. I was able to hear directly from different organisations and NGOs and see what interested me. From this event I left feeling like I understood how our European political space works, how young people and their views influence it and how I can further be involved!

Written by Jana Niedringhaus

AEGEE (Association des Etats Généraux des Etudiants de l’Europe/European Students’ Forum) is a non-governmental, politically independent, and non-profit student organisation, which was created in 1985. The mission of AEGEE is the creation of a borderless Europe, based on democracy and respect for human rights, by bringing together 13,000 students in around 150 cities and 38 countries with different cultural backgrounds. We strive for a democratic, diverse and borderless Europe, which is socially, economically and politically integrated and values the participation of young people in its construction and development. Our main goal is to strengthen mutual understanding among young Europeans and bring Europe closer by empowering them to take an active role in society. The current focus areas as defined by the members at a grassroots level are: Climate Emergency, Mental Health, Political Activism and Social Equity. 

This paper sheds light on AEGEE’s position towards Circular Economy. AEGEE acknowledges the importance and the urgent need for a more Circular Economy in Europe. The current system is flawed and raw material extraction and systematic (waste) leakages need to be minimized. Especially the focus which is often put on recycling as a solution for the existing waste and resource problems conveys a distorted picture of how the current crisis can be tackled. In addition, due to a lack of education and transparency it is difficult for European citizens to grasp what Circular Economy really entails which makes it harder for citizens to advocate for a change of the existing linear model. Therefore, AEGEE tries to offer a space for non-formal education in the field of Circular Economy, as we believe that this is an important component.

One important aspect which is required for a successful transition to a more Circular Economy is targeted formal as well as non-formal education in order to enable European citizens and particularly youth to make informed decisions and properly advocate for their needs. It should teach relevant skills, like evaluating outcomes of our decisions, systems thinking, having a flexible mindset, communication as well as collaboration and leadership skills. Unfortunately, formal education is currently not equipping students with the right skills. Nevertheless, European citizens and especially young people should be willing to (re)learn and develop skills in order to always be able to question the system and show alternative ways.

Another important part for a transition towards more circularity is the empowerment of consumers. The current system often focuses on recycling which should rather be treated as the last resort. We, as a society, should focus on extending products’ and materials’ lifetimes through designing for repair, by empowering people through relevant legislation, spaces, and education, which highlights the need for EU legislation to set down these rights. Keeping products and materials in use as long as possible as well as a right to repair strengthens communities and (local) economies. Realizing these crucial aspects of Circular Economy requires commitment, transparency and accountability of business. 

A key component which could foster both education as well as consumer empowerment is national and European legislation. In this process youth should be a permanent stakeholder, as young people are a main driver of change while at the same time being affected long-term. Legislative barriers need to be removed in order to enable a swift and easy transition to a Circular Economy for producers and consumers. There is still much room for improvements to realize a Circular Economy.

Circular Economy provides opportunities on many different levels. Not only is it a necessary step towards more sustainability but it is also a new way of thinking, approaching problems and valuing resources. AEGEE believes that society needs politics to implement policies for a circular system. In turn, politics needs society to express their needs and especially producers to adapt their behaviour. Circular Economy has several social benefits, such as providing meaningful work and helping to remove the gap to the labour market of disadvantaged groups. Enabling a just and inclusive transition is very important to AEGEE!

AEGEE acknowledges the efforts already being made by the European Union and national governments. However, AEGEE believes that in order to reach climate-neutrality by 2050 and fulfil the goals of the European Green Deal more effort is required. Currently, there is an overall lack of progress in terms of legislation, education, changes of production and consumption patterns, transparency and cooperation. It needs a combined effort of all parts of society. Therefore, we believe that we ourselves have to keep working and improving, but at the same time also producers and decision-makers have to push forward and lead the way. This is the only way we can reach the goal of an economy that is more circular, regenerative, inclusive and which stays within the planetary boundaries!

As of 2019, only about 10% of the worlds’ refugees resided within the EU with most asylum seekers originating from Syria, Venezuela and Afghanistan. As a result, refugees constitute a mere 0,6% of the entire EU population (3), a figure that stands in stark contrast to the sometimes peddled notion of an EU overrun by refugees. On the whole, young people are strongly affected by displacement as presently around 40% of all forcibly removed people worldwide are under the age of 18 (4) and youth under the age of 25 make-up roughly two-thirds of that group.

World Refugee Day is a yearly occasion created by the UN in 2001 to honour, celebrate and strengthen refugees around the world. It not only aims at shining a light on the hardships of flight but also aims to raise awareness for the resilience, needs and dreams of refugees. Therefore, the theme of the 2021 World Refugee Day is “together we heal, learn and shine” to mobilize for health care and education of refugees as well as to bring people closer together, build understanding and create environments fit to develop one’s potential (5, 6)

AEGEE was founded on the vision of a borderless Europe and promotes the ideas of democracy, human rights and diversity. We believe that the physical and psychological protection of refugees during and after escape is of crucial importance. It is necessary that their guaranteed rights under the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees are secured at any stage, whether that be while entering a country, applying for asylum or already adapting to life in a new state.  

Furthermore, we take a stance against so-called “push backs” in the Mediterranean sea which have been employed by European authorities since the start of the migration crisis to stop refugees from reaching European territories. The ECCHR defines pushbacks as a “set of state measures by which refugees and migrants are forced back over a border, …, without consideration of their individual circumstances and without any possibility to apply for asylum, ….” (9). Push backs are carried out on land by using violence to hinder refugees from entering, or at sea by pulling refugees’ boats into non-European waters and abandoning them. Since this practice puts refugees in life-threatening danger and forces them back into possibly unsafe states, it may run afoul of the 1951 Convention, especially article 33 and constitutes an inhumane practice irreconcilable with basic norms of human decency and violates the right to safety of some of the most vulnerable people.

AEGEE has always been of the conviction that the protection of refugee rights should be of high priority. To realize the guarantees given by the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees we demand:  

To the European institutions: 

• Revision of the list of 3rd-world countries which are considered to be “Safe Third Countries” due to a possible violation of the non-refoulement clause (10)
• Revision of actions with the countries which are neglecting the provisions included in the Dublin Regulation

To the single individual countries:

• Enhance their participation in the European security programs, instead of providing national, closing solutions and fences, as recommended by the same Frontex Annual Risk Analysis (2016)[31], in its scenario no. 2, a scenario that can be highly improved by more cooperation and interaction between Member states (10)

Refugee rights are human rights and national governments should increase their efforts to secure their fulfilment to the fullest. We, as AEGEEans, stand in solidarity with refugees and forcibly removed people and continue to advocate for a just and inclusive Europe for all.

Sources:

(1)  Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees art. 1 A (2) (https://www.unhcr.org/3b66c2aa10.html)

(2) https://www.unhcr.org/figures-at-a-glance.html

(3) https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/promoting-our-european-way-life/statistics-migration-europe_en#RefugeesinEurope

(4) https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/

(5) https://www.unhcr.org/world-refugee-day.html

(6) https://www.globalgiving.org/world-refugee-day/

(7)https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/opinion/2020/09/30/Afghanistan-EU-Joint-Way-Forward-migration-asylum-seekers 

(8) https://helprefugees.org/news/afghanistan-unlawful-deportations/ 

(9) https://www.ecchr.eu/en/glossary/push-back/  

(10) /policy-paper-on-migration/ 

https://www.fluter.de/bitte-mal-etwas-konventioneller 

https://www.borderviolence.eu/legal-framework/