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THE
YOUTH PARLIAMENTS FOR WATER
Initiated
by Solidarity Water Europe and her partners, the European
Youth Parliaments for Water take place either at the local
level, along the catchment basin at the European scale.
Each parliament tackles different themes related to water use depending on the context where at hand (domestic, agricultural, industrial, cultural, health, hygiene, nature etc.) Objectives:
- To Develop a culture of solidarity and cooperation
- To encourage mobilisation at the local scale
- To Sensitize the youth to the thematic areas of water
- To consolidate democracy and citizenship
Participants:
- Youth aged between 8 and 18 years involved in local initiatives on water and Adults (parents, teachers, elected representatives, technicians, scientists etc)
The procedure for setting up Youth Parliaments for Water
I.
The European Youth Parliament for Water
July
1999
1st EUROPEAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT FOR WATER
During this weeklong event, 50 youth (12-18 years old) and adult participants from 15 European countries met at the Rivière Louis Denayrouze College at Espalion in Aveyron (France). Participants discussed their water works, shared individual experiences and participated in a wide range of activities. They designed and prepared a bill, referred to as the Espalion Declaration, which was officially passed by the 1st European Youth Parliament for Water
The following are the four themes of the Declaration:
Water and Nature
Pollution Water Conservation
Solidarity
Future Generations
This declaration was widely disseminated and translated into 6 languages.
Presidents : Maria Geleva (Bulgarie), Alex Weisert (Allemagne)
Participating Countries: Algeria, Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Kirghizia, Uzbekistan, Russia, Slovakia and Spain.
Partners: Solidarity Water Europe in collaboration with the College de la rivière Louis Denayrouze, The Council of Europe, European Rivers Network, The French Teaching and Permanent Education League, Green Belgium and The town of Espalion.
July
2001
2nd EUROPEAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT FOR WATER
At Barcs in Hungary, 100 youth (12-18 year olds) and adults hailing from 19 European countries shared ideas on their respective projects and debated on the theme Water, Tourism and Cross boarder Cooperation.
The conclusions of the weeklong activities were presented and passed by the 2nd European Youth Parliament for Water at Barcs. A cross-border swimming session was organised in river Drava.
The following day these conclusions were handed to the Hungarian authorities during an official ceremony which took place at the Hungarian Parliament at Budapest.
Participating countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Kirghizia, Luxembourg, Uzbekistan, Rumania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Suede.
Youth Water representatives : Diego Zamora (Spain), Julia Milaki (Greece), Alexandra Nagy (Romania), Dario Vraneck (Czech Rep.), Nathalie Draulens (Belgium).
President : Nathalie Draulens
Partners: Solidarity Water Europe in collaboration with the Brussels-capital Region, College de la Rivière Louis Denayrouze, The Council of Europe, The Danube Drava National Park, European Rivers Network, The European Union (phare programme), GREEN Belgium, GREEN Pannonia, The Hungarian Government, The Institut for Environmental Management-Hungary (KGI), The International Secretariat for Water, Sint-Dimpnalyceum, The Széchényi Ferenc Gimnasium, the Town of Barcs, the town of Espalion and the UNESCO.
April
2003
3rd EUROPEAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT FOR WATER
EURO-MEDITERRANEAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT FOR WATER
40 youth (14-18 years old) and adults hailing from 9 Mediterranean basin countries met in Malta to discuss their citizen role in Water management and its future in the Mediterranean basin.
They unanimously decided to launch a Mediterranean sensitization campaign on the theme of water conservation; they adopted recommendations on “the role of the citizen as regards water policies” and “solidarity between countries of the Mediterranean basin” and undertook to promote local projects.
Participating countries: Algeria, Cyprus, Croatia, France, Greece, Malta, Morocco, Spain, and Tunisia.
Presidents : Radouane Chiadli (Maroc), Jannis Paparistodemou (Chypre)
Partners : Solidarity Water Europe in collaboration with The Agence de l'Eau Rhône-Méditerranée-Corse, the Council of Europe, The Eaux de Marseille, European Rivers Network, The Malta Environmental and Planning Authority, The Ministry of Education and The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Malta, Nature Trust Malta, and The Water Service Corporation of Malta.
September
2003
4th EUROPEAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT FOR WATER
Solidarity Water Europe was the partner of Earth Forever for this event which bring together in Stara Zagora Bulgaria, 80 youth (16-19 years old) and adults leaving in the East and West European Countries.
At the conclusion of this event, the youth voted a Declaration on water quality, hygiene and sanitation and they started the youth WASH network linked to the international WASH campaign (Water Sanitation and Hygiene for all, launched by the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council).
The youth participated to a conquest of essays and posters, the best work were rewarded.
Participating countries : Armenia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Kirghizia, Moldavia, Romania, Russia, Ukraine
Representatives : Krasina Koleva (Bulgaria), Ana-Maria Bortis (Romania), Vlad Dementyev (Russia)
Partners : Earth forever in collaboration with the lycée Romain Rolland de Stara Zagora, Mama 86 (Ukraine), the Municipality of Stara Zagora, Solidarité Eau Europe, The Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation, Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative
III
. The Catchment Basins Parliament
May
2000
RHENAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT FOR WATER
At Selestat in Alsace (France) 50 children (8-12 year olds) and adults from all countries in the Rhine catchment area took over the Espalion Declaration, discussed and illustrated it, and then designed the Rhine Children’s Charta for Water.
Participating countries: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
Presidents : Lisa Reiterer (Allemagne), Etienne Schmitt (France)
Partners : Solidarity Water Europe in collaboration with The Council of Europe, The Municipal Council of Selestat Children, EDF Pôle industrie –East Production Unit, European Rivers Network, The Central Office of Cooperation at School (OCCE 67), and The town of Selestat.
IV.
Local Parliaments
The European Parliaments and the basin parliaments inspired the setting up of a series of local Parliaments for Water, by the partners of Solidarity Water Europe.
Ouargla -Algeria (Ecological Club for Environmental Protection)
Uzbekistan /Kirghizia (Central Asian Alliance for Water)
Brussels, Belgium (Green Belgium)
Parme, Italy (Itsos Gadda)
Stara Zagora Municipality, Bulgaria (Earth Forever)
V.
World Youth Parliament for Water
75 youth (14-18 year olds) hailing from 23 countries met during the above international event in Quebec (Canada), in Nov. 2002 to design an international law on Water.
At the close of a week-long programme of intensive work, discussions, negotiations and drafting, the youth unanimously passed a law within the context of the World Youth Parliament for Water. The World Youth Parliament for Water was held in the very premises of the Parliament of the National Assembly of Quebec Province.
Participating Countries: South Africa, Algeria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Ecuador, Spain, USA, France, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Malta, Mexico, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Palestine, Quebec, Czech Republic, Rumania, Russia, and Sweden.
Ambassadors : Zayra Barahona (Equateur), Kamoselo Maja (Afrique du Sud), Joni McMaster (Belgique), Rasha Obeid (Palestine), Evgeny Talonin (Russie), Bilal Azam (Pakistan).
Partners : International Secretariat for Water in collaboration with Affiliated trade unions of Quebec, The Biosphere, The Canadian Commission of Unesco, Canadian International Development Agency, The Council of Europe, the Eco tourist Station Duchesnay, European Rivers Network, The Government of Quebec ( Ministry of Education, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of International Affair, and the Ministry of Youth, Tourism, Leisure and Sports ), National Assembly of Quebec, Solidarity Water Europe, The Town of Quebec and the Unicef
to come... to come… to come… to come… to come… to come…to come
The Water Tour of Europe invites you…
To the 5th EUROPEAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT FOR WATER
« Source to delta » October, 6-12 2003
In Swiss, at Bern and in different cantons 60 youths (14-18 year olds ) and adults staying along the Rhine, Rhone, Danube and Pô basins, will meet in the European Water Tower to discuss share and make commitments regarding solidarity and cooperation «upstream –downstream » for the management of the water streams.
Participating countries: Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Holland, Italy, Rumania, Swiss, Serbia
>>Contact - information : Cathy Martinez see@s-e-e.org
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The European Youth Parliament for Water 
