Statement on transparent and productive communication between Romanian youth stakeholders
17th April 2019 – The European Students’ Union (ESU) is aware that The National Alliance of Student Organisations in Romania (ANOSR) student leaders call for the resignation of the Romanian Minister of Youth and Sport, as a result of indifference to the youth component.
Primarily, ESU expresses its concern to the numerous violations and general maladministration in the National Program “Student Camps”(1). The National Program “Student Camps” offers a space for Romanian higher education students to create a diverse community composed of youths coming from different socio-economic backgrounds and youth activists; whether involved in cultural centres, student unions or voluntary organisations.
In its Strategic Priorities 2018-2020, ESU recognizes that society and higher education are mutually dependent. The importance of investing in and maintaining such communities is rooted in giving youths space to develop skills beyond what is taught in the formal education setting. Furthermore, attention and prioritisation to such safe spaces for youths enhance the empowerment of youth through social inclusivity and positive mental health and wellbeing.
Social inclusivity and mental health and wellbeing are addressed by the European Students’ Union through the Social Dimension. ESU’s position on the social dimension is certainly not limited to ensuring allocation and distribution of financial support, but rather, we aim to identify and understand opportunities from empowering inclusive environments, whether within our higher education communities, or society at large. A spectrum of opportunities may be offered to youth through social inclusivity and positive mental health and wellbeing which include cultural, political, scientific and human development. As the European Students’ Union, we believe these opportunities should not be overlooked, nor underestimated when allocating funds to such beneficial programmes.
The European Students’ Union also believes in empowering the representation of students’ educational, democratic and political and social rights by strengthening the voice of its’ member unions on their national platform. We, therefore, support ANOSR’s demands for transparent and productive consultations between Romanian youth councils and the Ministry of Youth and Sport. We also call on Romanian governing bodies to use the opportunity of holding the Presidency of the EU Council in setting a precedent for the empowerment of European youth involvement and participation.
On behalf of the Executive Committee of the European Students’ Union
(1) https://www.anosr.ro/studentii-vor-demisia-mts/
