Young European Federalists (JEF) – enthusiastic, open-minded and political

Movement Profile

For us, Young European Federalists, borders within the EU should be regarded as historical relics, which date back to the time of a non-integrated Europe where mobility was only allowed on strict national terms. Today, we share a European house, which means that we share mobility beyond the four walls of our own country’s castle, along with organisation, responsibility, solidarity and a feeling of belonging to a community. This is why JEF volunteers to make the European freedom of mobility a reality for all of our fellow citizens and why we are active in preventing the reintroduction of border controls in Europe. But that’s not all!

About the organisation

The Young European Federalists/Junge Europäische Föderalisten/Jeunes Européens Fédéralistes are a supranational, politically pluralist youth NGO with members in over 30 European countries. Our goal is to create a democratic European federation as a guarantor for peace and a more free, just and democratic society. We work mainly with issues related to European integration: European citizenship, questions of expansion and integration of the EU and the challenge of bringing Europe closer to its citizens. If JEF feels and acts European, it is about critical and constructive activities and political positions – we are not a European Union promotion tool! As an international organisation, JEF is structured as a multi-level international network with levels of engagement from local, regional and national sections to the European-wide umbrella organisation. Members from all sub-European sections meet biannually for the ‘European Congress’. Most recently, we held the 21st Congress at the end of October 2011 in Helsinki.

Our ideas for a federal and integrated Europe are present in all of our activities, such as international seminars, trainings, campaigns and street actions. These actions range from regular campaigns, such as for the 9 May and European elections, as well as for specific political issues, such as the protest against the Belarussian dictatorship in the heart of Europe. In addition, we engage in citizen education activities, especially in schools and universities and through field trips, youth exchanges, publications and more. We co-operate with other (youth) organisations from the local to the European level, act as mediator for conflicting political positions and make our voice heard in Brussels: the network between former JEFers and our today’s members allows us to reach Europeans from all walks of life. Our actions and opinions are brought to our members and interested followers through newsletters and our webzine The New Federalist with respective English, German, Italian and French editions. All activities aim to promote the ‘European spirit’ to young people, which also includes the prospects of European mobility via the manifold possibilities the EU grants to support mobility, such as its Lifelong Learning programmes.

To JEF, as young people who volunteer for ‘more Europe’ in our respective countries, you can attribute the following concrete activities: JEF has been very active in the Green book process regarding the European Citizenship Initiative; we advocate for the reduction of visa barriers between the European Union and other European states and try to foster exchanges between young Europeans, with the explicit inclusion of non-EU countries such as the Western Balkans; recently, we organised a transnational demonstration against the reintroduction of frontier controls in Denmark. These are just three examples of what JEF has worked to achieve.

Our vision for EU mobility

Mobility is a fact of life to JEF. It is a vital part of our organisation, which stretches from Kosovo to Spain, from Finland to Turkey. JEF members, located in almost all European – and not only EU – countries, live mobility as a political aim, in our everyday lives and within our associations’ activities. Most of our members experience mobility via our activities, volunteering, holidays, training or professional stays. Mobility and intercultural exchange are our daily work and an important feature when organising events, at meetings and when debating European politics. For us, European mobility is crucial for further EU integration. The various personal, intercultural and professional enrichments mobility delivers are the European spirit. Our founding momentum is about mobility, too: JEF sections were first founded from the late 1940s and early 1950s when young Europeans symbolically burned boundary-posts at the Franco-German border. For over 60 years, JEFers all over Europe have been united in the belief that Europe is our future and that only a more federalist and integrated Europe can cope with the challenges of a multi-polar and interconnected, mobile world.

Our vision for EU mobility goes beyond the EU’s borders. We hope to make the freedom of mobility a reality for all European citizens. We are convinced that this is critical in order to develop an identification with Europe and to make citizens embrace and shape the European spirit. Therefore it is important for us not only to expand programmes of education mobility within Europe but also to increase access to these programmes by better communication and above all the recognition by our societies of the added value of mobility in general and educational mobility in particular. Better communication for us means getting educational staff and institutions in schools, universities and for example chambers of commerce to spread enthusiasm about educational mobility. And closely linked to this, recognition of mobility means that degrees and certificates – especially in nonformal learning – need to be valid in all European Member States for people to have a real incentive to live and learn abroad. A special focus should be given to those who have not yet benefitted from these programmes: non-university students, young employees and many others. We are certain that encouraging the mobility of all European citizens will increase European integration and provide a more stable, peaceful and connected society for everyone in the European house.

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