Looking for Digital Activists and Freelancers

Europe HOpes is looking for Young freelancers and digital activists, 18-30 years old, interested to cooperate for our campaigns, blog and other social media activities. For more information write to: beready4eu@gmail.com

Integrazione contro integralismo: Sappiamo già chi deve avere la meglio

autore: Giusi Bivona

Bruxelles, 22 novembre 2014 - Da anni si sente parlare di integrazione, di convivenza pacifica, di unione di popoli di diverse etnie, culture e religioni, una unione tanto cercata ed auspicata su più livelli, sia a livello sociale sia a livello politico ed istituzionale.

A livello internazionale, e in particolar modo a livello europeo, i legislatori nazionali hanno cercato di adottare leggi e provvedimenti al fine di garantire quella coesione tanto desiderata quanto dovuta, essendo i Paesi ormai un crogiuolo di popoli di diverse culture, che più o meno spontaneamente si ritrovano a convivere in un Paese, anche solo semplicemente per cercare un’occupazione.

A livello europeo, le maggiori istituzioni di Bruxelles hanno cercato negli anni di pubblicizzare e “divulgare” tra i paesi membri dell’UE gli strumenti e i mezzi idonei a combattere qualsiasi forma di razzismo, cercando di creare un grande calderone in cui possano convivere culture diverse, che vivano e si arricchiscano con e attraverso la diversità. A colpi di sentenze poi, la Corte europea dei diritti dell’uomo ha costantemente cercato di sanzionare le diverse forme di violazione del principio di parità tra gli uomini, emettendo pesanti sanzioni per i cinquantadue paesi membri del Consiglio d’Europa che non avessero adeguato il proprio ordinamento interno al multiculturalismo ed all’integrazione.

We, the Young European, are not afraid.

Author: Gabriella Arcifa

Brussels, November 21th - We, the young Europeans, didn't really know the war until late this autumn, autumn that looks already like winter. It is a different war from the ones we studied in the history books, It is the War of Terror.  Brussels on November 21, at our wake up, under the first snow flakes, we heard that the city is controlled by police and manned by soldier patrols. They are searching for terrorists. This people, young people like us, between 20 and 30 years, were born and educated in Europe, just like us. The media says that in Molenbeek the searches are still continuing and the houses are rounded up one by one.  Many people were arrested, others are underway. A small arsenal of weapons, including chemical was founded. And now, while we are reading news from the Belgian National Crisis Centre, it is worth remembering that we are here in Bruxelles "pour l'Europe unie" and that we are not at all discouraged!  Coming from different European cities, we started on November 12, our project "Be Ready 4 EU", organized by the Association Europe HOpes. We are 10 young European citizens, interested in understanding the European Union functioning and inform the European citizens about how and if an integration among different national states is indeed possible.   And, why not, if we, young Europeans, may have our say to influence the decision-making process at the Union level, as the professional lobbyists do here in the Big Apple of Europe. We were excited and happy before the evening of November 13, when the events in Paris left a “wound” on all of us and the whole democratic world. That night our sleep was restless and for the first time in our lives, at the wake up, we were afraid of war at our door steps!

Europe: last chance? A European response to migration and terrorism

author: Tommaso Leso

Brussels, november 19 - After the terrorist attacks of November 13 in Paris, and even more so after the discovery of the ties between some of the terrorist and the capital of Belgium, the political agenda and the media events in Brussels has undergone major changes.

Les Journées de Bruxelles, the yearly event organised at the Palais des Beaux Arts by the Belgian newspaper OBS, with the collaboration of other major Belgian newspapers (Le Soir, De Standaard) and the patronage of the European Commission and the city of Brussels, went nonetheless on as planned on Wednesday 18 and Tuesday 19 November: the attacks in Paris, however, had a powerful effect on the discussions taking place during the panel devoted to the “migratory challenges” that Europe is facing right now.

The fervent address by Dimitris Avramopoulos, EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, reminded the audience that these terrorist attacks were carried out by European citizens, born and bred in Europe – they are the product of the forty-year long lack of effective policies of inclusion. As he pointed out, “they are our citizens, and our responsibility”. He also explained that it is precisely in dire times that we must preserve our values of humanity and solidarity, not falling to populism, to fear and prejudice, to divisions within our society: the European leadership must therefore grow stronger.