Bénédicte's PEJ experience!

 Bénédicte & Lucile: indignados!

I learnt many things about Europe: its anthem, how the Parliament and Commission function, etc., and the purpose of the EU generally.

I also learnt to work on quite unfamiliar subjects with people I had never met before. We got to know each other and got over being embarrassed through team building games; they were great fun. They were a good way to release the pressure and apprehension, and just to relax. Our team spirit then allowed us to work more efficiently in our committees. Coming up with new ideas in our committee, which was about the practice of sport in Europe, was quite difficult because a lot of progress has already been made over the last few years in this sector.

Taking part in a National Session of the EYP brought me a bit more confidence in my public speaking skills plus I learnt some vocabulary.

We had to give ourselves completly during these three days despite being tired. We had to be in shape for the different events like the Eurovillage and the general assembly.

We were disappointed not to win this Session of the EYP, but the winners are people we appreciated a lot so that is OK.

Lucile's PEJ experience

Bénédicte & Lucile... Olé!

We took part in many activities. There were young people from all over France. We did some "team building" which are games and outdoor activities. We were divided up into committees. I was the only person from Sainte-Marie in my committee. We had to deal with a subject that we had to present to the general assembly on the Sunday. Our subject was to find solutions to improve the living conditions of the poorest people in the EU. We had to discuss in English. The general assembly was mostly in English. There we had to defend our proposals. There were relaxing moments too with sketches and a party.

I enjoyed the committee work on the Saturday because I got to know the others. The "Euro village" was fun too ; I joined the members of my delegation from Sainte-Marie to run a stall with food and various things promoting Spain. Another favorite moment was the general assembly which was like a real one.

My worst moment was when it was time to leave!

I improved my spoken English, learned some vocabulary, and I made friends with other young people.

Madeleine's PEJ experience!

Madeleine gives a speech at the General Assembly

 

I learnt about how the European Parliament works, what the EYP/PEJ is, how to work in a group without an adult. I managed to forge an opinion on subjects I did not know or would even have cared about before... I also made a few friends!

When the EYP began I felt ill-at-ease because I did not know anyone apart from Bénédicte in my committee. The team building was a bit strange at first because we greeted each other as if we were best friends who had not seen each other for a long time!

At the end of the week-end, just before we left, the President of the National Session, an Englishman, officially closed the Session and I realised it really was finished and that it had been prettty cool and in fact quite an enriching experience and also that I might never see my new friends again! It was both the best and the worst moment of the weekend because it was all over but it made me think about all the good times that we had spent together...

Sainte-Marie goes to Paris!

From March 30th to April 1st 2012, ten young people from Sainte-Marie Lycée in Riom, Puy-de-Dôme, went to Sèvres, near Paris. It was more than a simple weekend trip; we took part in the 32nd National Session of the European Youth Parliament (EYP)!

EYP (better known in France as the Parlement Européen des Jeunes or PEJ) is an association that promotes European citizenship among young people.

A lycée delegation is made up of ten pupils, aged 16-17. Nine delegations from different lycées from all over France (plus one from a foreign school) attend a National Session.

During the Session, the pupils from the different lycées are mixed up into a number of committees. The committee members share ideas and try to find solutions to a problem which concerns European citizens. Each committee has a Chair, a member of the PEJ who helps the committee members do their work.

On the final day, we all meet up for a general assembly to present each committee's resolutions; the general assembly has to vote on whether to adopt (or reject) the resolutions. The ideas are then sent to be studied by the European Commission.

Perhaps it sounds boring, but, in fact, the PEJ is a wonderful experience! It's not all work either, as there are plenty of fun team-building games. It's an opportunity too to meet a lot of people our age from different places, and most of us stay in touch with each other.

You'll be able to read in the next article what the PEJ brought to the different members of our delegation, and why it was such a great and unforgettable experience!

 Article by Bénédicte

Quentin LE DOUCEN would like to live in Sweden

The European country in which I would most like to live is Sweden, for many reasons.

It is a fantastic country, with smooth landforms and wonderful colors. However, it is not a country of mass tourism.

The best sides of Sweden are its coastlines where there are number of beautiful old-fashioned fishing villages, enchanting islands, nature reserves and well-preserved nature in general, the welcoming people, traditions and crafts.

You can bathe in the sea, or in the fjords, or in the lakes big and small. You can also relax in a hot sauna.

The beautiful Swedish landscapes are mostly made up of forests. There are many animals hinding in these forests.

The frozen lakes are sometimes vast and there is snow everywhere (great for snow activities of course). The water of the fjords and waterfalls is so clear. When night falls, you can sometimes see the northern lights illuminating the sky.

The Swedish climate has different facets. Sweden enjoys a mostly temperate climate despite its northern latitude, mainly because of the Gulf Stream. Stockholm is warm compared to the mountains or the subarctic north.

Sweden has Competitiveness, Social Cohesion, and Capital confidence. It has a boyant economy. Sweden is always at the forefront in innovation, research and development. It is renown for  environmental protection. The Swedes are environmentally friendly, they drive mostly bicycles. It has a highly developed family and citizenship policy. Sweden has the highest HDI in the world. They have a good balance between work and private life. Finally, Swedes have one of the highest  life expectancies in the world, and one of the highest birth rates in Europe.

Le pays Européen dans lequel j’aimerais vivre est la Suède, pour de nombreuses raisons.

La Suède est un pays merveilleux, tout en douceur et en couleurs. Cependant, ce n'est pas le pays du tourisme de masse.

Les plus beaux atouts de la Suède sont ses côtes où l'on trouve quantité de magnifiques petits villages de pêcheurs au charme désuet, ses îles à l'atmosphère envoûtante, ses réserves naturelles et la protection de la nature en général, ses habitants, des gens discrets et le cœur sur la main, ses traditions et son artisanat, deux aspects très vivants de la culture suédoise.

De part sa géographie, la Suède est propice aux baignades en tous genres: la mer, la mer dans les archipels, les petits et gigantesques lacs, ainsi que la détente dans les différents saunas.

La Suède est majoritairement composé de forêts dans lesquelles résidents de nombreux animaux vivant en harmonie entre eux et participant à la beauté des paysages Suédois. De plus, les immenses lacs gelés et la neige à perte de vue embellissent la Suède et permettent la pratique de nombreuses activités. Elle émerveille aussi par ses fjords et ses cascades d’eaux limpides. Quand la nuit tombe, il peut ainsi se former des aurores boréales, illuminant le ciel.

Le climat suédois a différentes facettes. La Suède profite d’un climat surtout tempéré malgré sa latitude au nord, principalement à cause du Golf Stream. Stockholm est plus chaud et plus doux, tandis qu’il règne au nord dans les montagnes un climat subarctique.

La Suède reçoit constamment le « Triple C » dans tous les classements internationaux : Compétitivité, Cohésion sociale, Capital Confiance. Elle connait une croissance en forte hausse, commerce extérieur et comptes publics en excédent. La Suède est aussi toujours à la pointe en innovation, recherche et développement, environnement et technologie; sur la plus haute marche en matière de politique familiale, parité et citoyenneté. La Suède est ainsi le pays le mieux réputé dans le monde. Les Suédois respectent l’environnement, ils roulent pour la plupart en vélo. Ils ont un bon équilibre entre la vie professionnel et la vie privée.

Enfin, la Suède a l’une des espérances de vie les plus élevées au monde, et un des taux de natalité les plus hauts en Europe.

Hadrien JANICOT would like to live in Spain

A sunny, dynamic, country not far from the mountains... That's what I would want! All these criteria point to one country: Spain. 

You might say that it's not really a dynamic country... It depends on the region. Catalonia is one of the richest regions in Europe. While the rest of Spain seems ruined, Barcelona and its region still distinguishes itself by its great economy, but also by its football team, considered the best in the world. But this country doesn't just come down to that! Spaniards have a reputation for being very welcoming and open-minded, which is perfect if you want to settle there.

Also, I must admit, food is important for me. Admittedly, eating red beans and grilled eel and is not my ideal (we should save that for our English friends!). No, I prefer by far a good Gazpacho, crunchy anchovy toasts, and delicious melon with ham.

Everyone knows Spain has fabulous beaches like the Costa Barra, but Spain is also an ideal country during the winter, with a mild climate and amazing ski resorts like Baqueira Beret.

So, it's in Spain that I would want to live, a country between ocean and mountain, between tradition and modernity, typically Mediterranean.

Un pays ensoleillé, dynamique, pas trop loin de la montagne ? Voilà ce qui me conviendrait ! Tous ces critères conviennent bien à un pays : l’Espagne.

Vous me direz que ce n’est pas forcément un pays très dynamique ? Tout dépend de la région. La Catalogne est une des régions les plus riches d’Europe. Alors que le reste de l’Espagne semble ruiné, la région barcelonaise ne cesse de se démarquer par son économie florissante, mais aussi par son équipe de Foot, jugé comme la meilleure au monde. Mais un pays ne se résume pas qu’à cela! Les Espagnols sont réputés pour être chaleureux, accueillants et ouverts, l’idéal pour s’intégrer dans un pays inconnu.

Je l’avoue : la gastronomie compte beaucoup pour moi. Manger des haricots rouges, et des anguilles grillés, ce n’est pas l’idéal (il faudrait réserver cela à nos amis Anglais !). Non, moi je préfère de loin déguster un bon Gazpacho, de croquants toasts aux anchois, ou d’onctueux melons aux jambons.

Tout le monde connait l’Espagne pour ses plages avec la Costa Brava, mais l’Espagne c’est aussi un pays idéal durant l’Hiver, avec un climat très doux et de belles stations dans les Pyrénées tel que Baqueire Beret.

C’est donc en Espagne que je voudrais vivre, un pays entre océan et montagne, entre modernité et tradition, chaleureux à la saveur épicée si typique de la méditerranée.

James Taylor would like to live in Finland

If I had to choose another European country to live in, my choice would be Finland. Finland's lakes are incredible, the country has one of the last protected territories on Earth. The wildlife is exceptional : eagles, elks, lynx, bears and unusual birds...

Helsinki is the World Capital of Design 2012 and there will be a lot of events, it's a very dynamic city.

Finland's gastronomy is mostly unknown by the tourists and that's why they created the "Food Sightseeing Tour" which shows you all the places to eat. I just love to taste new meals, flavours and find some good restaurants, so that's also why it would be interesting to go and live there.

However, one of major reasons of my choice is Finland's economy; Indeed this country is one of the least affected by the crisis. Its industrial power places Finland among the wealthiest countries in the world.

Si j'avais a choisir un autre pays européen pour y vivre, mon choix serait la Finlande. Les lacs de la Finlande sont incroyables, le pays possède l'un des dernier territoires protégé sur Terre. La faune y est exceptionnelle : aigles, élans, lynx, ours, et des oiseaux rarissimes...

Helsinki est la Capitale Mondiale du Design 2012 et il y aura de nombreuses attractions, c'est une ville très dynamique.

La gastronomie finlandaise est très peu connue des touristes, c'est pourquoi ils ont créé la « Visite Guidée Gastronomique » qui montre tous les lieux où l'on peut diner. J'adore gouter de nouveaux plats et saveurs et trouver de bons restaurants, c'est aussi pourquoi cela pourrait être intéressant d 'aller y habiter.

Cependant, l'une des raisons majeures de mon choix est l'économie finlandaise ; en effet ce pays est l'un des moins affecté par la crise. Son pouvoir industriel propulse la Finlande parmi les pays les plus riches du monde.