Why join EYP in IB?
You might have been seeing a few mentions of EYP floating around this website, popping up randomly whenever I mention a recent trip I went on or something. Well, in this post I will be telling you why you, as a European, should be joining EYP (the European Youth Parliament)! It's an incredible volunteer-run organisation that deserves much more attention than it gets.
If I'm being completely honest, you won't leave EYP without having extra knowledge: you will create friendships that will last for a lifetime (cheesy, I know), learn about politics, current affairs and (most importantly) yourself.
So, what exactly are the benefits of joining EYP?
The European Youth Parliament, as the name suggests, is a simulation of what the European Parliament actually does when dealing with different issues within the EU. This makes it a super fascinating experience where you can actually get super in-depth knowledge of what it means to be a high-ranking official and collaborating with a group of people from different parts of the world to come up with the best solution/s for a problem. Because of the internationality of delegates and officials at EYP session, the events extend past just learning about how the structure of EYP: it teaches you how to become culturally sensitive and how to empathise with different, personal viewpoints when making resolutions.
2. More non-EYP opportunities come your way!
Being part of EYP has opened me up to opportunities that I would've never even dreamed of before! While I started being part of EYP because of attending HELIMUN and being somewhat interested in the EU, I didn't realise that EYP would open me up to so much more.
One example of this was when I was given the opportunity the attend the World Summit of Students for Climate 2019 as a volunteer/organiser. Never in my life did I imagine I would meet people from across the world and be able to help them navigate through that hectic yet incredible event. Over the course of a little less than a week, I had conversations with people from nearly every country in the world and talked to them about anything and everything. I wouldn't have been able to connect with such a diverse group of people if EYP hadn't exposed me to the act of grabbing onto new opportunities, no matter how strange they may seem.
Another example of what EYP has been able to give me is a free trip to Brussels to visit the European Commission and Parliament. I got to talk with some of the top officials in the EU (including the Vice President of the European Commission), and at the same time got to experience life in Brussels. I never would have imagined myself in that position, while also being able to get everything for free. I became so much more enlightened as a European citizen about the inner workings of the EU and got to experience the trip of a lifetime, all thanks to EYP!
3. EYP immerses you into new cultures and experiences across the continent
If you want to see some nice views and don't really care for the actual culture of the country, tourism is probably the way to go. However, if you actually want to get to know what gets a Greek doubling over with laughter, or an unknown Italian delicacy, or an Portuguese's favourite swear word, EYP is the way to go. When you're in one place for many days with people of all sorts of nationalities, you're bound to actually learn what being part of that country really means and what kind of person that shapes you to be.
EYP really immerses you in the culture, the people and the traditions of the country you're staying in. I've learnt so much about the countries I've done EYP that I doubt I would've learnt anything about otherwise.
4. You join an international family made up of 10,000s of people
Sometimes, people feel like they don't fit in with the crowd they're around, whether that be in school or at home or with their friends. And, while that's completely normal, I've met countless people who have been super grateful for being part of EYP. They say that they have finally found a place where they can truly be themselves and not worry about what people think or that they don't fit in. One of my friends stated it perfectly. In his words exactly: "I could just walk around in a giraffe onesie in the middle of the night and I wouldn't have to worry about anyone judging me".Just as an example, one EYPer that I met recently said that, being of Mexican heritage, she never really felt like she fit into Finnish society. She originally did an exchange year in Finland in 2012 and moved to Finland officially a few years later. Ever since then, she has lived in Finland and has remained somewhat of an 'outcast' as a Mexican. However, once she found EYP and started attending events, she felt like she began to belong in some sort of community that didn't label her as an outsider: she belonged not as a foreigner to Finland, but she belonged as a person living in Europe. This demonstrates one of the greatest strengths of EYP in that it really doesn't matter where you're originally from because in the end, everyone else in the organisation is also from somewhere else. Because of this, EYP ends up feeling a bit like an international family!
5. You don't need to break the bank to join EYP!
Travelling is great and all... until you look at your bank balance. Unfortunately, travelling can be pretty darn expensive (especially as a tourist), so being able to travel all over Europe just isn't really feasible. However, the magical words of 'travel reimbursement' are scattered across EYP when you attend different events, because if you apply to attend the right sessions, you might just score a little bit of money back in your pocket.
Not only that, but participation fees have been purposefully made to be as cheap as humanly possible so even if you don't have too much money, you can still attend sessions, usually ranging around 20 to 40 euros. And even then, if the session organisers are lucky enough, participation fees may not even be required! Plus, these fees cover all accommodation, food, and activities :)
6. You learn about who you are
EYP has forced me out of my comfort zone countless times and this has made me into a more confident and adaptable person. I can now travel without stress and get along easily with new people. However, these benefits are part of the larger picture of being part of an organisation that requires you to travel quite often. On a smaller, more individual scale, you actually get to try out a variety of roles (these can be anything from being a journalist, a chair person, a session president, or a jury member, to name a few). When I've tried out different roles, I've learnt so much about myself, my skills and where I can improve professionally and personally. EYP gives the perfect opportunity for all participants to grow as people and this acts as the perfect gateway into adulthood and further professional life.
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Picture sources:https://eyp.org/
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