Vivendi

Niamh Carey, 17 years old, Irish ambassadress to Pan-EU Youth
(ASDR 2010)

Pan-EU Youth, a platform where young Europeans can speak their minds

« Pan EU Youth offers young people all across a Europe a voice. A voice to express their ideas on issues relating to citizenship. This voice is heard by the European commission and doesn’t go unanswered. What is so unique about paneuyouth is that the project is open to all of Europe which means lots of opinions, ideas and debates.
I accepted to be a Pan EU Youth ambassador because I think it is a very worthwhile project which offers a place for the youth to come together and discuss debate and make friends. It also offers me the possibility of improving my communication skills, meeting new people and building better friendships with other ambassadors. In Luxembourg as part of European Youth Panel I got a chance to express my ideas. How I can however be the representative for all of Ireland? How can I voice the ideas of all the talented, independent thinking young people of Ireland? Before I left to Luxembourg I began talking to lots of my friends about their views on the internet. I was amazing to hear all their wonderful ideas and suggestions but now with Pan EU Youth I get to offer young people all around a chance to use their voice. For me to be given the honour of giving the Irish youth a voice is amazing, and an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.
As an ambassador I looked at three target audiences which I needed to get to. These included: My school, my community and the rest of Ireland.
In my school I firstly started putting up posters encouraging people to go on the site. I also approached CSPE teachers (civic social political education- students aged twelve to fifteen have this class once a week in Ireland) and we began using the role play, which you can download form the website, as part of the curriculum. I also established an interview with girls in my year about the topic ‘young people in the media’. This interview was recorded and despite all the giggles the girls made very good comments and this interview can be seen on the website. In my school we also have a school magazine which I wrote an article for which promoted Pan EU Youth and the importance of using your voice as an EU citizen.
Outside my school I began sending letters to other schools to inform them of the project. This letter had enclosed what the project was about, what benefits it has for students and my email address if they had further queries.
On a national level I began to pester national newspaper. Luckily I got an interview with the Irish Times and they included this article in a supplement about internet safety in conjunction with national internet safety day. I’m also a member of the national youth advisory panel for internet safety and when we had a meeting in February I spoke to each member discussing the possibilities of Pan EU Youth and encouraged them to go onto the site as well as promoting it in their own communities.
I still have lots of ideas for future expansion of promoting this project. I hope to interview a random selection of young people in my local city about issues discussed on the website- this will allow a greater variety of people contributing to the website and it also is targeting the young people directly. I also hope to get in contact with more local and national newspaper as this provides extensive coverage effectively. I also hope to further communications with other members of the national youth advisory panel who live in places in Ireland where I cannot gain access to in promotion.
It is important for young people to discuss with the industry because it bridges the gap between present day and future consumers of their products. Young people grew up with technology and know how to use it most effectively so by industry and youth talking this ensures that the industry will meet the needs of the consumer. Young people are always looking for the latest and newest technologies. The smaller, lighter, faster, the better! »