In an era that everything is moving extremely fast around us, globalization forces the interdependence of national economies and the European Union is in a continuous process of integration and enlargement.  In this process, young people  are still in search of their position in the society in all levels and sectors.

A general issue deriving from various researches, is the deficiency in information and the limited knowledge of the citizens in relation to their obligations and rights in the new European framework.
According to the research undertaken by SEK-Youth and concluded in September 2004, only 35% of the young workers know their rights as they are resulted due to the accession of Cyprus to the E.U.

The Project is a cooperation project of the Youth Department of Cyprus Worker Confederation (SEK) with the Youth Secretariat of the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) and the Youth Department of the General Workers΄ Union (GWU).
It provides the arrangement and promotion of a number of activities in order to succeed in its aims. More specifically, the activities include the forming of working groups by the participating organizations, the recording of the concerns and opinion of the youth in Cyprus regarding the issues in discussion, through a questionnaire, the preparation of a publication and the spread of information of the target group in a series of workplace visits and meetings.

In the framework of this Project, a three day conference was organized in Cyprus,  which was attended by representatives of the participating in the Project Organizations.  The conference took place at the headquarters of SEK in Nicosia, on the 1st to the 3rd of November 2004. A seven member delegation from Malta, an eight member delegation from Greece and a large delegation from Cyprus participated in this conference.

At the beginning of the conference, a general presentation on the existing situation in the three participating Countries, namely Cyprus, Greece and Malta on the issues in discussion took place, followed by the participants΄ spread in three working groups, each one of which dealt with one of the three main topics of the Project. The conclusions of the working groups were coded and presented in an open to the public seminar, held on the 3rd of November 2004.

In the framework of an attempt to inform young workers in relation to the main topics discussed and conclusions reached by the Project, a number of visits at workplaces and various information meetings were held all over Cyprus. In these meetings and events, trade union officials of SEK presented and promoted the conclusions of the workshop in relation to employment, mobility and participation of young people in decision making, exchanging ideas and concerns with the participants on the Cyprus reality in relation to the EU.

An information booklet was also published, aiming at the wider information of young people in Cyprus on issues related to employment, mobility and participation, as well as on issues regarding more general E.U developments. This booklet was distributed amongst SEK-Youth members as well as on a wider level through the Cyprus Youth Organisation and other organized bodies and youth structures.

It is believed that the whole Project was successful, since the interest and response of young people and of the workers in general was great, indicating and confirming that the approach of the issues in discussion was necessary for the Cypriot society and for the wider European civil society and especially for the young people.

The project was awarded with a “Golden Stars Award for excellence in European Citizenship” by mayors and other representatives from towns and civic organisations from all over Europe at the Forum “Europe for the Citizens”, organized by the European Commission.

Young trade unionists in Cyprus, Malta and Greece

The total Budget was 58990 euros of which the EU financed 35394 euros.

The EU was co-financer of the project.

The Cyprus Workers Confederation-SEK
Dr. Olga Poulida (Project manager)

01/05/2004

01/06/2005

case

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Integration of social groups

Young people