Giving students a voice in European politics
"Engagement with our community and international relations is crucial. It has an impacts on everything we do," says Maryam Bokdasji (23), who represented the University of Bergen (UiB) at this year's ESA conference in Strasbourg.
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Each year, the European Student Assembly (ESA) gathers around 250 students from various European Universities Alliances (EUA) to exchange opinions, debate current issues, and draft policy proposals for Europe's future.
A Platform for Political Formation
This year, students from 41 university alliances and 170 universities gathered in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Maryam Bokdasji participated in the conference through CHARM-EU. She contributed to the panel "Seeking a Better Future - What Strategy Should the EU Adopt to Guarantee the Dignity of Migrants Outside of the Union?"
Here, they discussed questions such as how to facilitate the most effective migration control at the same time as taking a fair share of responsibility.
"We also looked at how we can ensure that those who receive protection in a European country are not discriminated against and that their rights are not violated," says Maryam, who is in her fourth year of law studies at UiB.
ESA aims to promote democratic engagement and strengthen the role of students in shaping European policy. Maryam and her panel members worked together to draft policy proposals they hope will help address some of these challenges.
Democratic Values Under Pressure
“Democratic values that we have taken for granted for decades in Europe are now under pressure from multiple sides. It is frightening to witness the resurgence of nationalism and extreme forces, along with the wave of scepticism towards regional and international initiatives. I believe we have a duty to engage in improving conditions around us, for both ourselves and future generations. This conference demonstrated to me just how crucial democratic engagement is for policy development," Maryam says.
Despite many bleak aspects in Europe, she has gained new hope for the future.
"I am more optimistic after meeting so many young, engaged people and innovators, with both the will and desire to help shape today's and tomorrow's Europe. Policy development does not start alone, but through a political workshop with others. That is exactly what ESA is," says Maryam.
She says she has gained many valuable experiences and that participating in the event has given her memories for a lifetime.
Memories and Friends for Life
"I'm not pretending when I say I miss everything – absolutely everything. The people I met were genuinely interested in hearing about others' thoughts and ideas, and we all shared the ambition to create a better Europe. I am very grateful for all the friendships I have made. Now I can actually travel to any country in Europe and visit good friends because of ESA."
FACTS
- ESA is a grassroots project that gathers around 250 students each year from the European Universities Alliances (EUA).
- This year, students from 41 university alliances and 170 universities participated, gathering in the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
- Maryam Bokdasji (23) represented UiB and participated through CHARM-EU, contributing to the panel "Seeking a Better Future - What Strategy Should the EU Adopt to Guarantee the Dignity of Migrants Outside of the Union?".
- The ESA conference aims to be a platform for discussing current issues, drafting policy recommendations about Europe's future, and advocating them among stakeholders and decision-makers.
- The goal is to promote democratic engagement and strengthen the role of students in shaping European policy
