Labour and Co-operative Member of
Parliament for Kemptown and Peacehaven

My Nomination to the European Youth Forum

by Lloyd on 08.10.12
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You can download my nomination here: http://s.coop/youthforum

The slogan for my nomination is “Don’t Stop, Thinking about Tomorrow” listen to the song bellow:
Election 2012

 

Dear members,

I am delighted to be nominated by the British Youth Council for the position of Vice-President in the National Youth Council pillar. I am confident that I have the skills and passion to represent you, to develop the Forum and fundamentally make sure that tomorrow is better than today for young people across Europe.

I believe passionately in youth work and changing Europe so that young people are better off, that we tackle the multiple crises that we find ourselves in and that youth organisations are seen as the heart of that change.

In 2010 I quoted the Chief Executive in the UK Commission for Racial Equality saying: “If people who are supposed to be the beneficiaries of change do not know it is happening – then it probably is not”. I stand by that, and recognise that far too often young people across Europe are not touched by the actions of the Forum. If elected I will do more, I will focus my work around the priorities that you have set the Forum: Participation, Strong Youth Organisations and Autonomy & Inclusion and make sure that young people’s lives change for the better.

In a time of mass unemployment, ecological degradation, social immobility and rising racism we need people with a proven track record to build the forum into the relevant body it can be. I believe we have achieved a lot in two years, but Rome was not built in a day and I am in this for the long haul.

My Record

I have a background of over 10 years in international youth work. From 2002 where I successfully lobbied for the inclusion of youth councils as a key way to achieve Sustainable Development to organising demonstrations against deportations, but I know we have a lot more to do. I am a fighter who believes that the Youth Forum has an awesome potential if we work together and not apart. I believe, if elected, through my experience of two years on the board and working with other candidates, we can make that change we want to see.

You can see from my CV the broad background from which I come, from camping based organisations to my roles as a full time Student Union officer. From running my own business to developing local and national youth councils, my cross pillar experience embodies the very essence of the Youth Forum and is one of the key reasons that as your Vice-President I would help build bridges, not walls.

In this mandate I have worked on Sustainable Development and supported a frustrating, but broadly (from a youth engagement perspective) successful Rio conference; Youth in Action fighting to keep and improve the present programme, we have re-claimed the argument to have a separate youth programme into opportunities which I hope will see increased youth funding, secured admin grant and the retention of the Youth in Action brand (something almost unthinkable a year ago). I have supported health and children’s rights issues, for which we are now considered an expert in the Council of Europe and whilst the brief has been large, I have also supported board members in other areas. My successes in these areas are coupled with frustrations that I was not able to do more and that there are areas that I would like to have been able to support better, but I believe the role of a board member, is not to fulfil one’s own ego, but to support the team in achieving your priorities: the memberships priorities. This is why your priorities for the next two years will be my priorities.

Participation

I have a strong background in Participation and Votes at 16. In the 2005 UK general election I ran the campaign with the UK Youth Parliament (part of BYC) to get students to vote, called Operation Student Vote and was on the national steering committee to increase voter turnout. I also have an educational background in the National Youth Agency, supporting self-assessment for quality participation of young people.

In times when Europe’s democracy is in crisis, I believe we need more democracy not less, a strong federal Europe at the Union level, but also support for all Europeans to get active in local and national life. As Vice-President I would bring the skills of running a national campaign for voter turnout, feed into the League of Young Voters and call for young people to be at the heart of Europe through our New Deal for Youth.

Strong Youth Organisations

I have been Chair of a national youth work organisation, and Vice-Chair of British Youth Council. I was a board member when my organisations government grant was stopped due to changing funding priorities, and I helped lead the campaign, in parliament and in the national newspapers to re-instate government funding for our youth organisation.

In times when National Youth Councils and International Youth NGOs are struggling and their funding is under threat I would focus my skills on campaigning for the continuation of administrative support for all youth NGOs, whilst supporting them to diversify their funding so we are strong whatever the political weather. We must not celebrate too soon, and I will fight until the end for a strong independently branded and operated Youth In Action programme whilst also making sure that the European Youth Foundation is not only protected but also grows.

Autonomy and Inclusion

I have run a social enterprise, bought a house through a co-operative and sat on patient panels for the National Health Service. I know the importance of universal health care, of support by governments and banks to get into business and the desperation of not being able to find or afford a house.

I will bring to the table my experiences in order to call for a paradigm shift in the economic prospects of young people in Europe. The gap between the rich and poor continues to grow at Europe’s peril and I will fight for the Forum to priorities action, not just words, in tackling youth unemployment and the marginalisation of the poorest young people in Europe.

As your Vice-President, I will continue the work that we have started, lean from the set backs that we have faced and make sure the youth of tomorrow are better off than they are today.

I hope that you will be able to pledge your support for me and so we can fight for youth in Europe together. Please contact me on the details above at any time during this campaign, check out www.russell-moyle.co.uk for more information on myself and I look forward to seeing many of you at the General Assembly where I hope to secure your vote for a better tomorrow.

Yours faithfully,

Lloyd Russell-Moyle

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Labour and Co-operative Member of
Parliament for Kemptown and Peacehaven

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