Fostering self-empowerment and self-organization among CIS youth

The majority of the population of Ukraine is under 25 and they need to find their way in a society that is politically and socially split in two. Since the Orange Revolution skepticism towards the politicians only increased. High expectations were followed by disillusionment when youth did not see their needs reflected in the new Government's policies. Ukraine has a high rate of unemployment under its youth and in the last years it saw an increase of youth feeling attracted to groups of an extreme-right or fascist nature and acting out their frustration on migrant minorities.

The forum wants to provide a space for youth to discuss and share their frustrations and deal with this in a constructive way. The program will cover a range of subjects important for a sensitive target group coming of age, including (un)employment, housing, (anti-)racism and (anti-)fascism, feminism, and producing your own media.

A cynical optimism however characterizes the majority of Ukrainian youth today and a political consciousness has replaced the apathy of former times. There is a high spirit among Ukrainian youth to also address the problems their facing that is why a strong focus will lay on youth rights, self-empowerment, self-organization and self-reliance.

The topics

• Emancipation practices / Tactics of international women liberation movement / Western European emancipation practices for Eastern Europe
• Increase of Nazism and fascism in Eastern Europe and tactics of fight / Self-organization in the anti-racist and anti-fascist movement
• Development of student trade unions / Connection between workers and students self-organization / Tactics of student self-empowerment / The precarious worker
• Role of tactical media in youth self-organization / Street media
• Development of international cooperation between youth organizations world-wide
• Environmental activism
• Housing struggles / Lack of access to affordable housing for youth
• ..... and whatever else comes up within this wide, but limited, range of subjects

Participating groups and organizations

• Uspikh (Ukraine) - Uspikh
• Zakhyst Pratsi (Ukraine) - Youth section of independent trade union
• Basta (Ukraine) - Network of civil initiatives
• New Left Movement (Ukraine)
• Students' Parliament (Ukraine) - of the teachers' training institute by Grinchenko
• Indymedia Romania (Romania) - Romania.Indymedia
• D Media (Romania) - D Media
• Nowa Lewica (Poland) - Youth Section of Nowa Lewica movement Nowa.Lewica
• Panorama (Russia) - Information and Analytical Center Panaroma
• Youth Anti-Imperialist Allicance (Russia)
• Razam (Belarus)
• Tretya Zmena (Belarus)
• Navinki (Belarus)
• Supportgroup Undocumented Women (Netherlands) - SVZV
• EYFA (Netherlands)
• Youth CAN (UK)
• Trapeze (UK) - Trapeze
• Videoaktiv e.V. (Germany) - Videoaktiv

European Youth Foundation