Welcome Booklet- everything you wanted or needed to know -

Welcome to Brussels 2015

Dear delegates,

What has for a long time been an obscure event in the distant future is now approaching very quickly. Brus-sels2015 will take off soon, and you are in for a ride you won’t ever forget.

For the last couple of months the organising team has been working very hard to get everything ready for the session. We, the organising team, sincerely hope that Brussels2015 will be an amazing experience for each and every one of you.

As this is, for the most of you, your very first EYP event, we realise that the run-up to the session might look a bit chaotic. Hence this Welcome Booklet. By providing you with this booklet we hope to give you a better image of what will be happening at the end of February. Please read this information carefully, as it will with-out doubt help you prepare better for the session.

See you in Brussels,

The Organising Team

Accomodation

During the entire event, participants will be hosted at either Gîte d’étape – Auberge de Jeunesse Jacques Brel or Centre Van Gogh – Chab ASBL.

Centre Van Gogh – Chab ASBL Rue Traversière 8 1000 Bruxelles Tel. +32 (0)2 2 1 7 01 58

Gîte d’étape – Auberge de Jeunesse Jacques Brel:Rue de Sablonnière 301000 Bruxelles Tel. +32 (0)2 218 01 87

The Session ItselfThroughout the session, we will be having a variety of activities. To make sure you know what’s going on and what’s expected of you, the most important ones are listed below.

Panel Debate

During Panel Debate we will be Joined by a couple of real Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). The purpose is to create a lively debate with them: you will have the opportunity to ask them questions concern-ing whatever topic you like. If you are curious, for instance, about their stance towards a federal Europe, feel free to ask, we are sure you will get a heated response.

It is, however, not our intention for you delegates to ask questions to which the MEP’s give lengthy answers. We wish to spark an animated debate between youngsters and experienced politicians. If, during Panel De-bate, you have any remarks on anything the MEPs say, don’t hesitate to speak them out loud.

Teambuilding

Teambuilding is one of the core elements of the session. It will provide you with a fun and challenging way of getting to know you fellow committee members for the rest of the session.

Teambuilding aims for, rather logically, building a team. It is a series led by your chairperson to help you feel more comfortable in you committee whilst improving communication and teamwork between you and your fellow delegates.

Eurovillage

During Eurovillage, we wish to express the motto of the European Union: ‘United in Diversity’. And what better way to express the huge diversity in cultures across Europe than to bring them all together in one room?

A short time ago, every school was appointed a different country. You will be given a table that you may use to represent that country by any mean possible. share their own cultural heritage. As Eurovillage constitutes dinner for the evening, we urge all participants to bring sufficient food and drinks that best represent their assigned country. Furthermore, we also encourage all the participants to bring and wear national costumes for this event; this is the moment to show your new friends what your country is all about!

A Belgian Eurovillage table abroad - the standard has been set

Committee Work

Things are getting serious now. For two days, committees will discuss their topics in an effort to produce an excellent resolution representing their views on how to best solve the key questions at hand.

It is essential that you form your very own opinion on a topic and express that opinion to others. You can try to convince them, but at all time respect other person’s points of view. The European Union is based on democracy: a decision is the result of intense discussion and agreements. Everyone’s opinion counts.

Expert Dinners

EYP topics are never easy issues. They require sufficient knowledge and expertise in order to write a high-quality resolution. We expect you to do research at home to be well-prepared, but we gladly want to help you to make the resolutions just that little bit better.

Hence we organise Expert Dinners. In the setting of a dinner, each committee will be joined by an expert on your topic. While eating, you can have an interesting conversation with him/her. Look at it as a smaller, more specialised Panel Debate with food.

General Assembly

The climax of the session. Every committee has produced its very own resolution. These will all be presented to the other committees, who will have the opportunity to make remarks and show their point of view. Fol-lowing a standard procedure, every resolution will thus be debated.

In order to successfully defend your own resolution and attacking other’s, you will be forced to cooperate fiercely with your fellow committee members. It also requires public speaking skills: ever wanted to deliver a speech in front of 150 people? Now is your chance.

At the end of every debate, every resolution will be voted. You can either vote in favour, against, or abstain from voting.

Dress codesSince we are the European Youth Parliament, we like to do things in style. Different kinds of activities re-quire different styles, so here is a short list on how you should dress at different occasions.

Formal

You are impeccably dressed. The ladies should wear dresses or long skirts, whereas we expect gentlemen to wear a suit and a (bow)tie. No sneakers whatsoever. For the ladies: if you intend to wear high heels, a pair of more comfortable shoes in your bag could be useful if we need to walk a bit.

Activities that require formal dressing: Opening Ceremony, Panel Debate, General Assembly

Smart

You are still neatly dressed, but more comfortably, something in between formal and casual.

Activities that require smart dressing: Committee Work, Expert Dinners

Casual

Could be described as your everyday clothing. You can choose any type of clothing you feel comfortable in.

Activities that require casual dressing: Evening Activities

Comfortable

This dress code applies to Teambuilding, during which you will have to do various exercises and games, both indoors and outdoors. Just remember that you should be able to run, and that you can perhaps get a little bit dirty.

Activities that require comfortable dressing: Teambuilding

We expect ALL delegates to arrive Tuesday morning in formal dressing, as we will immediately head to the Opening Ceremony venue. Please note that you should bring your comfortable clothes for Team-building with you in a small bag to Opening Ceremony. We are not going back to the Youth Hostel for these. You will be given the opportunity to change at the Teambuilding venue.

Session ProgrammeTuesday

8:00 – 9:00 Arrival Delegations at the Youth Hostel9:00 – 9:45 Transfer to Opening Ceremony Venue, Check-in9:45 – 10:30 Opening Ceremony10:30 – 12:00 Panel Debate12:00 – 12:45 Transfer to Teambuilding Venue12:45 – 13:30 Lunch13:30 – 16:00 Teambuilding16:00 – 16:30 Coffee Break16:30 – 18:30 Teambuilding18:30 – 19:15 Transfer to Youth Hostel19:15 – 20:15 Check-in at the Youth Hostel20:15 – 21:00 Transfer to Eurovillage Venue21:00 – 22:30 Eurovillage22:30 – 23:15 Transfer to Youth Hostel23:15 – 24:00 EYP Café 00:00 Quiet in the Rooms

Wednesday

6:45 Wake-up Call7:00 – 8:00 Breakfast8:00 – 8:45 Transfer to Committee Work Venue8:45 – 10:45 Committee Work10:45 – 11:15 Coffee Break11:15 – 13:00 Committee Work13:00 – 14:00 Lunch14:00 – 16:00 Committee Work16:00 – 16:30 Coffee Break16:30 – 18:00 Committee Work18:00 – 18:45 Transfer to Youth Hostel18:45 – 19:15 Freshening Up19:15 – 20:00 Transfer to Expert Dinners Venue20:00 – 22:00 Expert Dinners22:00 – 22:45 Transfer to Youth Hostel22:45 – 24:00 EYP Café 00:00 Quiet in the Rooms

Session Programme

Thursday

6:45 Wake-up call7:00 – 8:00 Breakfast8:00 – 8:45 Transfer to Committee Work Venue8:45 – 10:45 Committee Work10:45 – 11:15 Coffee Break11-15 – 13:00 Committee Work13:00 – 14:00 Lunch14:00 – 16:00 Committee Work16:00 – 16:45 Transfer to Youth Hostel16:45 – 18:30 Free Time18:30 – 19:15 Transfer to Evening Venue19:15 – 20:45 Dinner20:45 – 22:00 Activity by the Media Team22:00 – 22:45 Transfer to Youth Hostel 22:45 General Assembly Preparation

Friday

6:45 Wake-up Call7:00 – 8:45 Packing, Check-out, Breakfast8:45 – 9:30 Transfer to General Assembly Venue9:30 – 10:15 Debate 110:15 – 11:00 Debate 211:00 – 11:15 Coffee Break11:15 – 12:00 Debate 312:00 – 12:45 Debate 412:45 – 13:45 Lunch13:45 – 14:30 Debate 514:30 – 15:15 Debate 615:15 – 15:30 Coffee Break15:30 – 16:15 Debate 716:15 – 17:00 Debate 817:00 – 18:00 Closing Ceremony17:00 – 18:00 Transfer to Youth Hostel, Departures

What do I bring with me?The essentials

Approriate Attire Towels ID Card

Eurovillage

Food and drinks to represent your country (optional, but recommended) National costumes Any attributes that could help you represent your assigned country (flags, images…)

Please note that you are supposed to give us your Eurovillage goods separated from your main luggage upon arrival Tuesday morning. The Organising Team will see to it that it is safely transported to the Eu-rovillage venue.

Committee Work

All the research you have done to prepare for the session Writing gear, something to take notes on

We highly recommend delegates to bring a laptop, tablet or phone that can access the internet in order to help you prepare better for General Assembly Thursday evening. You are, however, completely respon-sible yourself for these.

Alcohol and Drugs Policy 1. It is the joint responsibility of both teachers and EYP-Europolis Belgium to ensure the well-being and

good behaviour of their students during the sessions, even during social events.

2. The organisers will not serve alcohol at the session. There is to be no alcohol supplied to schools dur-ing the session for free.

3. EYP-Europolis Belgium frowns upon overindulgence. Delegates are reminded that any overindul-gence in alcohol will result in them being excluded from the session.

4. EYP-Europolis Belgium operates a total zero tolerance policy with drugs.

5. If delegations decide to serve alcohol during Eurovillage, only lower alcoholic products (beers, wines,…) can be brought. In case of doubt, the participating school can always contact the National Committee prior to the session.

6. Alcohol may be served at official receptions (Eurovillage or Closing Ceremony for instance).

7. If there is an excess quantity of alcohol, the organisers retain the right to take it away for the duration of the session and return it at the end.