News from EurVoice London : European Youth Parliament UK

Posted by KevinG Posted on May - 27 - 2013

On Friday 3rd May, as Europe?s workers returned to work after the May Day austerity protests, students from London?s inner city schools marched through the wrought iron gates of the Houses of Parliament to discuss some of Europe?s most pressing issues.

The event began by splitting students into small groups, each discussing two out of the five following topics:

• Britain?s place in Europe ? Is Europe?s financial meltdown a signal that Britain should sever its ties with the continent, or should the crisis prompt the UK to play a larger role in stabilising its neighbours? What effects will the widening of Europe?s borders have on the UK?
• Crime ? What can be done to manage the rising tide of drugs and gun crime in the UK and internationally? Does society treat celebrities engaging in criminal behaviour differently to the general public?
• Religion ? What does religion mean to young people today? Is faith a necessary component of a fulfilled life?
• Youth Unemployment ? How are rising tuition fees affecting young people?s decisions to enter higher education? In the light of high levels of youth unemployment, how significant is the risk of simply delaying unemployment by attending university?
• Welfare Reform ? Will the government?s reforms of the welfare system protect the most vulnerable in society and get more people into work, or will they encourage a benefits culture that threatens to harm the country?s future prosperity?

After the arrival of the panellists (Sophie Farthing ? Liberty; Philip Souta ? Business for New Europe; Jaqueline Gomes ? Lambeth Youth Council; Daniel Tansey ? Christians Against Poverty), the discussion took on a Question-time format. The schools probed the panellists for their views on the issues that arose in their group discussions. Among the matters explored were the strength of the link between unemployment and crime; whether British business is compatible with European interest rates; if there is a xenophobic element to the prevailing arguments on secession from the EU; and if Euroscepticism has debased the UK?s position in Europe.

On behalf of EYPUK,?we would like to thank the panellists, schools, volunteers and the Education Outreach team at the Houses of Parliament for their time and contribution to what we hope was a stimulating day of discussion.? We also like to thank EYP France, who sent a delegation to participate in EurVoice London.

Shyam Desai, European Youth Parliament United Kingdom

Source: http://eypuk.co.uk/news-from-eurvoice-london-2

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