Welcome Booklet

Welcome BookletMatosinhos 2016 - Inter-Regional Forum

European Youth Parliament Portugal

APPEJ - Associação Portuguesa do Parlamento Europeu dos Jovens / European Youth Parliament

Portugal Rua Dona Antónia Augusta de Sousa, no 63, 4460-665 Custóias, Matosinhos, Portugal

www.pejportugal.com · geral@pejportugal.com

Table of Contents

Welcome Words from the Head-organisers

Welcome Words from the President

The Session

Provisional Programme

Session Moments

Dress Codes Explained

Participating Schools

Topics

Legal Notes

Contacts

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Welcome Words from

We are Bruno Ribeiro and Michael Machado - the Head-organisers of Matosinhos 2016, and we are thrilled to welcome you aboard this session, one we are sure will be everlasting in your memory but also a very demanding one on your skills. This session, that has been

bestowed on us, has proven itself to be both a privillege and a lesson, as we must make sure the session is at its best, but we still find ourselves learning from EYP. Learning something that we will take to our lives beyond it, and that we want to share with you.

Having such a remarkable city - one with so much history and beauty - as a canvas, eases our work, as we have so much in-spiration to turn to. This Forum will be the perfect opportunity for you to bring out your best and show what we, as young europeans, can bring to the ta-ble in shifting the currents our society currently follows.Bringing together around 90 participants, from different regions, cities, countries and backgrounds, how easy do you deem the task of zooming them all in the same direction - progress?! EYP promotes youth empowerment and it is under this sentiment that Matosinhos 2016 will be driven. Looking into some aspects of this century’s civilization, can we - as its future - see where we’ve gotten sidetracked and grasp how we can get back on the path we should be following.For now we understand that you may not share the same

excitement for this cause, but we strongly recommend that you carefully read through this booklet and acquaint yourselves with the programme and its moments as we will be available to answer any questions you might have.We look forward to meeting you this May in Matosinhos, and we hope that you find your way here with enthusiasm, an open mind, a lot to say, and above all , that you are ready to make Matosinhos 2016 the best it can be, as it is as much up to you as it is to us.For a whirlpool of unity,For a whirlpool of change.Welcome to Matosinhos 2016

Bruno RibeiroMichael Machado

the Head-organisersDear Delegates,Esteemed Teacher,Fellow Officials,

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Matosinhos ’16 will be a great European Youth Parliament (EYP) session! Now that I have caught your attention, let me try to briefly explain why, in a more objective manner.Most likely, the majority of the participants will be first-timers in EYP and consequently clueless about what to expect.

Therefore, here go some spoilers: EYP is an educational organisation which aims at teaching young Europeans the basic procedures of EU politics, and debating with respect while promoting active citizenship. It also puts a lot of emphasis on cultural diversity which derives from

the EU’s main motto “United in diversity”. And all of these are carried out through a very unique and extraordinary methodology which definitely involves a lot of fun, too. On the whole, the organisation actually remains politically neutral, meaning that every participant brings along and represents only his/her own views. So, how difficult can it be to be yourself?The session will follow the standard 3-day EYP structure. Day 1 is Teambuilding where the participants play games and get to know each other better, originally all together and later on separated in com-mittees. Day 2 is Committee Work where each committee convenes on their specif-ic topic and comes up with a resolution. Day 3 is the high-light of the session where all committees come together to discuss and debate on their resolutions during the General Assembly.

Matosinhos has all the requirements to exceed your expectations since on top of the aforementioned EYP elements, there will be a series of extra advantages. Namely, the breeze of the Atlantic ocean, the warmth of the Portuguese sun, delicious local food and a whole lot of lovely people. The Board of EYP Portugal, the Head Organisers of the session and myself have already shown great dedication and commitment to this project in order to guarantee the best possible result for you, the ones who will complete the picture of what promises to be an outstanding and unforgettable event.I cannot wait to meet you all in person there!

Alexios Nompilakis

Welcome Words fromthe President

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The SessionOverviewMatosinhos 2016, the Inter-Regional Forum of the European Youth Parliament Portugal, will take place in the astonishing city of Ma-tosinhos. This sea jewel of Portugal’s coast will be in 2016, one of two cities sharing the title of “Cultural Capital of the Atlantic Axis”.

From Friday, May 13th, and until Sunday, May 15th, around 90 young europeans will gather in this acclaimed city to experience a three-day programme, packed with all the fundamental EYP elements, as well as other complementary activities. For more detailed information about the various elements that will make up Matosinhos 2016 please see “Programme” and “Session’s Moments” on pages 7 and 8 below.

All session’s officials are asked to arrive one day earlier (by 10 a.m. GMT of Thursday, May 12th) to attend Team Building for Officials and receive Training in their respective competence areas. Arrivals and pick-ups will be arranged directly with each Official.

All delegates must arrive until 9:30 a.m. GMT on Friday, May 13th. Arrivals will be co-ordinated with each delegation’s responsi-ble Chaperones.

After the session, the seven most suitable Portuguese Delegates will be selected to represent EYP Portugal in a foreign international session or forum. This session is yet to be determined, and the decision will be announced in due time to the delegates of Matosinhos 2016.

The team of 3 Jurors that will be selecting the abovementioned seven Delegates will be announced in the session’s page, and these Jurors will continuously observe the performance of all Delegates throughout the Committee Work and the General Assembly, taking turns and comparing notes until they reach a final verdict.

As for the criteria the Jury will be looking at and evaluating, they are quite clear and straightforward. In no particular order:

1) knowledge of the topic and pertinence of the interventions; 2) creativity and originality of the stances taken; 3) language fluency and oratory coherence; 4) evolution throughout the session;5) posture and attitude during the debate.

SelectionLooking back at the influences that led to our present times, we should take into con-sideration the currents that brought our so-ciety to where it now stands. Only aware of our past can we trail a progressive path for the future.As one of the main sociological streams suggests, change is most likely to occur through conflicts. Touching upon this, the participants will envisage progress and a whirlpool of positive change by composing contradictory views and, consequently, op-posing currents in society.In Matosinhos 2016 we will dwell on how we have affected the climate with the waste our lifestyle originates. Furthermore, we will examine the correlation between the re-cent refugee flows and EU border controls, as well as what influence gentrification has on our urban everyday lives. External part-nerships of EU with third parties will be yet another topic to be discussed, without of course neglecting the cultural origins of our continent. In general, we will try to look at the impact today’s fast changes and growth have on the roots previously laid: either cul-turally, ethically or economically.The challenge will be to take upon all this knowledge and wield it in a way that we can channel our actions towards a more sus-tainable route, not only for the future of our host planet, but of ours and our offspring’s too.

Opposing currents in society:a whirlpool of change

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Provisional Programme

Day 0 - 12th MayTHURSDAY

Day 1 - 13th MayFRIDAY

Day 2 - 14th MaySATURDAY

Day 3 - 15th MaySUNDAY

until 10:30

10:30

10:50

13:20

13:30

14:15

14:20

17:30

17:50

20:30

21:40

21:50

22:00

10:50

13:20

13:30

14:15

14:20

17:30

17:50

20:30

21:40

21:50

22:20

00:00

Officials Arrival at School

Gathering

Team Building Officials I

Gathering

Lunch

Gathering

Training I

Coffee-break

Training II

Officials Eurovillage

Gathering

Transfer

Evening Socializing

until 09:30

08:00

11:00

11:10

11:30

11:45

13:00

14:00

16:45

17:15

19:30

19:40

20:10

20:20

20:40

22:30

22:45

23:15

11:00

11:10

11:30

11:45

13:00

14:00

16:45

17:15

19:30

19:40

20:10

20:20

20:40

22:30

22:45

23:15

Check-in

Gathering

Kick-off

Team Building I

Lunch

Team Building II

Coffee-break

Team Building III

Gathering

Transfer to School

Settling in

Outfit Change

Eurovillage

Gathering

End of the day

Arrival of delegates at Accomodation Venue

Transfer toTeam Building Venue

Transfer to Accommodation Venue

07:30

08:15

08:30

09:00

09:15

11:15

11:45

13:15

14:30

17:30

18:00

20:30

21:30

21:45

22:00

00:00

00:30

20:30

21:30

02:00

08:15

08:30

09:00

09:15

11:15

11:45

13:15

14:30

17:30

18:00

20:30

21:30

21:45

22:00

00:00

00:30

01:00

21:30

02:00

Breakfast

Gathering

Transfer

Settling in

Committee Work I

Coffee Break

Committee Work II

Lunch

Committee Work III

Coffee Break

Committee Work IV

Dinner

Outfit change

Transfer

Theme Party

Transfer

End of the day

Chairs Dinner

Typing

Chairs Team Transfer

07:15

08:20

08:30

09:00

09:15

10:15

10:45

11:30

12:15

13:00

13:10

14:10

14:15

15:00

15:45

16:30

16:45

18:00

18:20

19:00

08:20

08:30

09:00

09:15

10:15

10:45

11:30

12:15

13:00

13:10

14:10

14:15

15:00

15:45

16:30

16:45

18:00

18:15

Breakfast

Gathering

Transfer

Settling in

Opening Ceremony

Coffee Break

Resolution I

Resolution II

Resolution III

Gathering

Lunch

Settling in

Resolution IV

Resolution V

Resolution VI

Coffee Break

Closing Ceremony

Closure Comittees

Departure of Delegations

Departure of Officials

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Sessions MomentsTeam BuildingOn Friday, following a ‘kick-off ’ activity involving all the participants, the Delegates will gather in their respective Committees, together with other Delegates from different schools (including internation-al Delegates) and a Chairper-son (who can be either Por-tuguese or from a different European country). Coming from different backgrounds and, most likely, never having met before, by the end of the day the Delegates will have got to know one another and learnt how to work as a closely knit team. Under the guidance and facilitation of their Chair-persons and the Board of the session, the Committees will engage in a variety of indoor and outdoor activities; some physical, others demanding creativity, communication and problem-solving skills, but all of them fun and engaging. These activities are designed to help these mixed groups of people work as teams – and, especifically, as members of the same Committee, who will be tackling the same issues during the Committee Work.

An EYP session needs its pillars -

Team Building, Committee Work and General Assembly.

At Matosinhos 2016 you will be capable of learning beyond

them and experience a lot.

Each School Delegation at Ma-tosinhos 2016 will put togeth-er their own stand, featuring items from their city or region (or country, for international Delegates) - souvenirs, infor-mation brochures, national or regional flags, everything is welcome - and, most import-ant, many culinary specialities to be sampled. The EuroVillage will serve as everyone’s dinner on Friday, too, so be sure to leave no one hungry. Although it won’t be possible to cook dishes, there is the possibility of heating up pre-cooked ones or refrigerating others that may need it. Finally, while typ-ical beverages are welcome, the Delegates (regardless of their age) will not be allowed any alcohol, while other par-ticipants will not be allowed beverages with alcoholic con-tent above 16% vol.

This is perhaps the central part of any session. The Dele-gates of each Committee will come together, now work-ing well as a team after a full day of Team Building, and sit down to discuss their given topic. Their goal is to write a Resolution on that topic with which they can all agree and, of course, defend at the Gen-eral Assembly. This is no easy task: people from very differ-ent backgrounds often have as many different perspectives and will almost certainly have to reach compromises if they are to find agreement within the established time. To help, each Committee will contin-ue to be accompanied by an experienced Chairperson, an

older EYP Alumnus/a, who will ensure that all voices are heard and that the Resolution reflects the ideas of the whole group. While discussions may be heated, the end result will doubtlessly be that the Del-egates will have learnt an in-credible amount about the is-sue and really thought about the implications, developing and redeveloping their own views. The skills learnt during the Committee Work – dis-cussing, debating, persuading, negotiating and compromis-ing – will prepare the Dele-gates not only for the General Assembly, but for life.

Dress code: comfortable

EurovillageDress code: casual will do; regional/ national costumes preferred

Committe WorkDress code: smart

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“Work hard, party hard!” or so goes the saying. This is true also at EYP sessions, where, following day of Committee Work, the Delegates will have the chance to unwind at the party, under the theme “Enchantment under the sea”. For this part of the session, everyone is expected to dress up as a character associated with the aquatic world, or to wear an accessory or ornament related to this theme. You can dress up like the sweet Ariel or the funny Spongebob.Above all, this will be the time to relax and have fun whilst being surrounded by dozens of fellow EYP’ers, ready to enjoy Matosinhos 2016 to its full extent.

On Sunday morning, all participants will gather to o officially open the event. This will be the first truly formal (and, incidentally, also public) moment of the session and, as its name makes clear, will mark the moment when the Parliament will go into session. Several important personalities will be addressing the Delegates, motivating them to debate and make their voices heard and, after the European Anthem has been played, the President will declare the session to be officially open.

On Sunday morning, the par-ticipants will gather to debate the matters at hand. For each Debate, the Resolution being proposed will be presented, defended, attacked, debated and voted on. As such, it will be of paramount importance that all Delegates are familiar with not only the topic of their own Committee, but also with those of others. While it is true that, in several cases, the Eu-ropean Parliament has gone on to discuss issues brought up by EYP Resolutions, the aim of this activity is not to exert political influence, but rath-er to provide an educational experience for the individuals taking part.

Following the last Debate on the day of the General Assem-bly, representatives of EYP Portugal and of the various teams of Officials will hold a series of speeches, helping the participants reflect on what we are certain will have been a life changing experience. In the end, we will close the session in the same way we will have opened it: with the words of the President of the session, right after the Europe-an Anthem.

Committe Work Theme PartyDress code: themed

Opening CeremonyDress code: work-formal

General AssemblyDress code: work-formal

Closing CeremonyDress code: work-formal

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Dress CodesExplained

Different moments require different sets of clothes.

In this section, you can find a short explanation of what

each dress code means. Please remember that, while their

descriptions are indicative, these dress codes are, for the

most part, mandatory.

Also, bear in mind that Matosinhos is a coastline city with a

possible windy atmosphere. Be sure to check the weather

forecast and pack accordingly.

COMFORTABLE

CASUAL

SMART

THEMED SMARTThis is how you should dress for the Team Building. While we all know that

first impressions count, please bear in mind that you will be performing a se-

ries of outdoor activities, some of which more-or-less physically demanding.

Make sure you wear clothes that are comfortable and can get dirty. Depend-

ing on the weather, you might also need a warmer jumper.

This is what you can wear outside the official moments of the session. Basi-

cally, whatever you feel comfortable in is an option, as long as it is decent.

This is what you must wear for the Committee Work. While ‘smart’ attire may

be difficult to pin down, it definitely excludes tennis shoes, sports trousers or

jeans and t-shirts. In other words, we would recommend: for the gentlemen:

a pair of dressier shoes and trousers, a button-down shirt with a jumper and/

or a jacket; for the ladies: either that or a dressier skirt, with a shirt and a

jumper and/ or a jacket.

As you have just read, this session’s Theme Party will be related to an “En-

chantment under the sea”. To celebrate in style, you are asked to bring an

accessory/ornament that, in your opinion, symbolises the best character or

attribute of the aquatic world. Better yet, make it a whole costume!

A simple starfish may suffice, but you may feel the urge to go further and

create your Poseidon or Ariel costume for the session.

PS. Please restrain from anything too revealing or ofensive, and be creative!

Good luck!

FORMALThis is what you must wear for all the more formal moments of the session.

For the Opening Ceremony, the General Assembly and the Closing Ceremo-

ny, formal attire that is appropriate for a work/business environment will

be accepted. This means, for the gentlemen: a business suit, dress shirt,

dress shoes and a sober tie; for the ladies: either a suit, a tailleur or a combi-

nation of a sober, knee-length skirt, a dress shirt and an appropriate jumper

will do. In all cases: nothing ashy, please.

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Participating Schools

Colégio Internato dos Carvalhos

Agrupamento de Escolas de Moimenta da Beira

Escola Secundária de Tomaz Pelayo

Agrupamento de Escolas Ferreira de Castro

Colégio de Vizela

Escola Secundária de Cinfães

+ 8 Individual Delegates

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ECONFrom San Francisco to New York, from

Porto to Berlin: Gentrification has

been taking its toll on disadvantaged

residents in several cities around

the world, causing socio-economic

suffocation on low-income households.

What steps could the EU take to

relieve the population affected by this

phenomenon? Is regulating the housing

market prices the way to go?

ENVI I“Climate change has the characteristics

of a collective action problem at the

global scale (...). It is virtually certain that

global mean sea level rise will continue

for many centuries beyond 2010, with

the amount of rise dependending on

future emissions”.

IPCC ‘s (International Panel on Climate Change)

Report 2014

Considering the low adherence to the

Kyoto Protocol and the divergence

in Copenhagen in 2009, how can the

EU ensure the fulfillment of the Paris

Agreement 2015 and accomplish its

goals?

“In the mature developed economies,

the waste of food is really down to poor

marketing practices and consumer

behaviour.”

(Dr Tim Fox commenting on a report

by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers)

With half of all the food produced in the

world being wasted, 1.2 to 2 billion tonnes

per year, how can the EU minimise or

even eliminate this phenomenon within

its borders?

ENVI II

Topics12

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In light of the recent refugee crisis

and Schengen agreement violations,

how can the EU effectively control its

external borders in order to reduce

illegal immigration whilst protecting

its Member States and complying to

international human rights regulations?

LIBEWith the Cotonou Partnership

Agreement between the EU and the

countries of the African, Caribbean

and Pacific group of states (ACP)

expiring in 2020 and the European

Development Fund having received

significant criticism, how should the

EU proceed with a fair implementation

of the current ‘Agenda for Change’ and

what steps should it take towards new

mutually profitable agreements beyond

2020?

INTA“The war on drugs”: While several

States maintain a neutral to negative

stance towards legalisation, Portugal’s

drug decriminalisation law seems to

be successful. If the EU was to adopt a

holistic approach on the matter, what

direction and measures should it take?

JURI

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Legal NotesThe following rules and requirements are valid all throughout

the session, from the moment of the participants’ arrival

and until their departure. The Organisers and the European

Youth Parliament Portugal will not take any responsibility

for any situations arising from a lack of observance of these

rules. Likewise, the participants are ultimately responsible

for their conduct, their wellbeing and the safety of their objects.

GENERAL DIETARY REQUIREMENTSThe Organisers will, if duly and timely in-formed, ensure that the participants’ gen-eral dietary requirements (vegetarians, vegans, etc.) are met. For this, we ask that all participants inform us with enough time in advance and ensure the con rma-tion of their requests, being responsible to get the right food and beverage types once at the session, according to their con rmed requests. The participants who make no special requests will be served the standard options and we ask that they comply with those.

MEDICINE AND SUBSTANCEALLERGY POLICYTo prevent any potentially problematic situations, no member of any team of O icials may, at any time or under any cir-cumstances, provide minors with any form of medicine – generic or otherwise and regardless of prescription require-ments. As such, we remind all participants (particularly those under the age of 18) to bring with them any type of medicine they may need, especially those of regular, pre-scribed intake, as it will not be possible for any O icial to provide them.Regarding allergies or intolerance to any substances, we ask you to be aware and inform us accordingly, whether the sub-stance(s) in question be present in medi-cines or in any types of food or beverage (e.g., coeliac disease, lactose intolerance,

etc). Regarding food and beverage aller-gies, the Organisers will, if duly 14 and time-ly informed (please clearly indicate and list all foods and beverages you can/cannot consume), ensure that viable alternatives are made available at all moments when food is served. In cases of a normal food-service-queue, these foods and beverages will be served at the participants’ request. In cases of self-service moments, they will be set separately from the remaining foods and beverages. In all cases, they will be available in quantities consistent with the number of timely requests. As such, we ask that all participants make any re-quests in time, ensuring their con rmation, and that, once at the session, they will be responsible for getting the right food and beverage types.

SMOKING POLICYWe remind our participants that, in Portu-gal, in accordance with Law No. 37/2007 of August 14th, people below the age of 18 are not allowed to purchase or consume tobacco products of any kind. While we will not act as vigilantes, the Organisers reserve themselves the right to ensure mi-nors do not smoke throughout the session and will con scate and withhold for the du-ration of the session any tobacco products in their possession. We would also like to remind our participants aged 18 and above that they are not allowed, under any cir-cumstances, to provide any tobacco prod-ucts to underaged participants.

ALCOHOL AND DRUG POLICYIn Portugal, peope below the age of 18 are not allowed to purchase or consume alco-holic products of any kind. At sessions of EYP Portugal, the Delegates (regardless of their age) are not allowed the consump-tion of any type of alcohol, while the re-maining participants may, according to their age (and taking into account also the laws in their countries) consume bever-ages with alcoholic content of up to 16% vol. Regardless, consumption level must remain adequate and cannot interfere with the participants’ ability to behave appropriately at all times - particularly in the performance of the duties inherent in their designated roles. Breaking these rules will result in the participants’ (Dele-gates or otherwise) dismissal from the ses-sion programme at their own risk and ex-pense.As far as the consumption of drugs (‘soft’ or otherwise) goes, the EYP and, thereby, EYP Portugal operate a zero-tol-erance policy. Any participants caught in possession, acquiring, selling or attempt-ing to, soliciting, o ering and/or consum-ing drugs of any kind will be immediately dismissed from the session. Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, in Portugal, as per Law No. 30/2000 of November 29th: 1) the possession and/or consumption of any kind of drugs remain illegal; 2) inci-dents involving the possession (but not the consumption) of small quantities of ‘soft’ drugs will not elicit a criminal proce-dure, but will still result in administrative punishments, including the con scation of the drugs and the possible (very likely) ap-plication of considerable nes; 3) incidents involving the possession of larger quanti-ties of ‘soft’ drugs, the consumption of any quantities of ‘soft’ drugs or the possession

and/or consumption of any quantities of ‘hard’ drugs will result in a temporary ar-rest, be criminally prosecuted and possi-bly result in a prison sentence of one to twelve years. EYP Portugal reserves the right to, depending on the gravity of the o ence, report the o enders to the police.

GENERAL RULES OF CONDUCTAll participants (or, in case of partici-pants who are under the age of 18, their parents/legal guardians) will be asked to sign EYP Portugal’s code of conduct, in-cluding rules regarding general expected conduct, as well as all further disclaim-ers and the rules already covered in this booklet. We ask that you take that code of conduct with seriousness and that you observe those rules from the moment of your arrival, all through your stay at the session and until your departure.

LEAVING THE OFFICIALPROGRAMMEManaging an event with more than 130 people is not an easy task. As such, to ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible, the Organisers will need to be able to know where to nd all participants at all times. This means that you cannot leave the session for any amount of time without express permission from the Head- organisers and, for participants other than the Organisers, the Editors, the President or the Jurors, your imme-diate superior(s) – if you are a Delegate, your immediate superior will be your Chairperson; if you are a Chairperson or a Vice- president, that will be the Presi-dent; if you are a Journalist or an Editorial Assistant, that will be your Editor.

14

Contacts

All general queries should be addressed to the Head-

organisers of the session. Any more specific queries may be

taken up with EYP Portugal. Matters of an academic nature

will be dealt with by the Chairpersons, who will contact

their Delegates directly.

APPEJ - ASSOCIAÇÃO PORTUGUESA DO PARLAMENTO EUROPEU DOS JOVENS/EUROPEAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT PORTUGAL

E-mail address: geral@pejportugal.comWebsite: www.pejportugal.com

MATOSINHOS 2016 - INTER-REGIONAL FORUM OF EYP PORTUGAL

Email address: interregionalforum@pejportugal.comOficial Facebook page: www.facebook.com/matosinhos2016

Head-organisersE-mail address: interregionalforum@pejportugal.com (reaches both)

Mobile numbers:Bruno Ribeiro: (+351) 915 132 959Michael Machado: (+351) 916 401 129

Session PresidentAlexios Nompilakis (GR)E-mail address: nobil.alex@gmail.com

Partners

Câmara Municipal de Matosinhos

Escola Secundária da Boa Nova

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