As a delegate gets up and gives an impassioned speech to vote for hope not hate, to vote for the best not the easiest to vote individually and not for the “agreed list” the General Assembly applauded. Not 300 meters away some people are hatching a plan – votes where being calculated, manipulated and everything that delegate calls for is slowly destroyed.

Not some spy movie, or some cold war UN story but the “pretend” politics of the European Youth Forum, organisations asked for delegates to vote with their conscious but it fell on deaf ears – or as many would describe it at “the real politics”.

Our politics is what we make it – playing games with our organisations is fun (better than the soap opera Eastenders) but is that what we are really here for. Young people have a particular message that they can give to politicians. They have an ability to speak with clarity, without the baggage of the past and with the foresight of the future. Their message is not only clear, it can have the effect of great change, betterment of society and the ability to dream and reach the sky.
However, if we play the games or a soap opera, young people become nothing more that a fun French farce or the latest episode of a poor European remake of the West Wing.

I guess that because I didn’t get elected to the YFJ (the European Youth Forum), maybe I’m a bit bitter, I played the game and lost and now I want to throw the chess set away blaming the game and not our campaigns failing.

I agree that on the surface value that missing target of getting elected is a failing of us, me in BBCplus, IFM-SEI and maybe the Socialist family. “you would have played as hard as the next man” I hear you cry.

When delegates say that they “think your one of the best” or faced being chucked out of a block to support who they want as the best then I’m not sorry that I failed, but am sorry that its only the minority that actually stand up and be counted.

A culture of blocks stitching the elections up debating on how much others can give you, on a smoke filled room with young people wearing suite is not only a danger for the youth forum it’s a sad reflection on the careerist young politicising of today.

Will the habit be kicked, I hope so – but I doubt it – too many people in too many high places (well places anyway).
Maybe it is just better to watch Eastenders and get the drama from the TV!

Labels: British Youth Council, Elections, european youth forum, IFM-SEI, International Falcon Movment-Socalist Education International, Participation, yfj, youth

Hello Everyone,

Thanks for your support over the last few weeks regarding the elections to the Bureau of the European Youth Forum YFJ. The Election result was disappointing, factions; blocks and negations lead instead of debate, dialogue and content. I know that some of the elected bureau will be great and special mention goes to Ben, Marianne, Kadri, Christoffer, Xenia and Tina who I know will be excellent members. You may have played that game but you are all talented people.

If you want to read more about me, my views on the elections, on the YFJ or even creating a new politics for young people then look at www.russell-moyle.co.uk
I said that we mustn’t simulate the present broken political systems but create the ones we want to see, I said that I wouldn’t pretend to be your friend, but that you should vote for me as the best people to run our organisation.

For those who voted against me because they thought I wasn’t the best candidate, or that I wasn’t knowledgeable enough or stood for policies that you disagree, thank you, I believe you are wrong but I respect you.

If you voted against me because someone else told you to – you got an approved list of who to vote for and who to not then I’m not sure that you’re the vote that I wanted. We cannot talk of a different politics, a new future for engagement in a political system that focuses on topics and policy if we – as individuals – do not stand by our actions I can’t blame the block itself, that’s what it does, but the individuals all are accountable for their actions.

For those (of which there was at least six) who defied the your block or approved list, some of who faced exclusion from their blocks, you are braver than I and my heart goes out to you.
Thanks to everyone else that supported me and although not elected I’m proud on what I stood, proud to be from BYC, proud to be young, proud to be a falcon and proud to have a fantastic IFM-SEI Secretary General who supported me all the way.

Labels: British Youth Council, Elections, european youth forum, IFM-SEI, International Falcon Movment-Socalist Education International, Participation, yfj, youth

I've just come out of the University Council meeting where the Union presented it's way forward for both services and finances.

It was I would say a success but it still has its dangers along in the process of greater collaboration for the Union and the University. I have always believed in reform I think that our Union need to be changed to reflect the students of the future, I believe that we need to fashion a new world.

But this is different from the NUS proposals for their internal reforms and this is why:

Five years ago an organisations which I had been one of the founding members of was going though many changes - as members we voted a no confidence is some of the leadership and the AGM had t be cancelled as it fell in to farce. The Trustee's had asked the membership to approve the auditors, accounts and them without any prior documentation.

This was due just as much to neivaty as it was to democratic deficit, our organisation was only 3 years old and we where still finding our feet. That year we sent through some real hard reforms, things changed, they still are not perfect but the members became part of the governance, they controlled the organisation.

Meanwhile a year later the other national youth body (British Youth Council) was going under an equally difficult reform. Reform that was pushed through by the chair of the organisations. Now I have a lot of respect in what they did in re-forming the BYC, but there is a big problem. At first the measures where needed, the organisation had lost staff, moral and could even end up shut. Members spent their time arguing over petty issues rather than achieve change.

Neither situation was great, but as a member of both we felt like we had made a difference to the UKYP - we had set it up and would run it with our youth workers. At BYC the reforms where different they weren't from a ground swell of people, its wasn't a grass roots movement it was an academic exercise in "good governance".

five years later and if you went to either board they would have the same "power" they are as undemocratic as each other (the UKYP got a little more democratic and the BYC a little less). but one was lead by the members and one wasn't, its the direction that we must look at.

Its the same with NUS, a project developed in a office will always fail, a plan in board meetings will never succeed if its not brought to the members to bring them along. NUS governance needs changing, a "review" is needed, but it should sent NUS on a direction of opening up, becoming less centred on the head office and more on the students, instead we have something that cements power, decides policy by officers not members and sets the agenda on what will get people better jobs not members better lives.

Yes reform is needed but only when its done with the membership not without.

Labels: Education Not for Sale, ENS, National Union of Students, Participation, UBU, UK Youth Parliament, Universy of Bradford, Universy of Bradford Union