MEP Julie Ward advises children and young people on how to lobby to politicians

MEP Julie Ward advises children and young people on how to lobby to politicians

30/07/2016
CATS

 

“I was a child and you will be adults. We need to share power as well as sharing resources”, said the Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Julie Ward at the CATS conference 2016.

 

 

During the “CATS Parliament” on the fourth day of the Conference, MEP Julie Ward stressed the importance of including children in policy making: “We need children because they have a great sense of justice, fresh view on things and they are not afraid to challenge”, she said.

She gave a speech explaining how the children and young people, of which there were 160 in the crowd, could be in contact with MEPs like her. “MEPs have very busy lives and receive millions of email which they don’t all manage to read”, she said. “So you need to try to stay in our heads”, she added. “One way to stay in my head is to come and meet me, no matter the location, and bring ideas that I will not forget”.

Among the advice on how to lobby to politicians, Julie Ward mentioned, “You need to be in touch with our staff, they are the ones who help to keep us on top of things. Last year one of my staff members came to CATS with me and now we often talk about CATS together”. “Another point is, you need to be informed on what the European Parliament does and about what my party’s values are”, she continued.

“The CATS conference is a model of what society should be like” Julie Ward said. “I encourage you to keep doing what you are doing and keeping me involved”, she concluded.

The MEP intervened on the 4th day of CATS, which is the day when the different delegations presented their ideas for policy change on poverty reduction, peace and justice and quality education.

During the rest of the conference up until 1 August, the participants will choose the best of all proposals on SDG-related participatory policies.

Stemming from this proposal, the CATS conference will release recommendations to governments and international bodies (e.g. UN, the Council of Europe and the European Union) on how children and adults together can help achieve SDGs

 

 

Featured Story
On
Topics
CATS Caux Forum
Event Categories
CATS Caux Forum

related stories

Viki square EN no logo.png

Europe: A Mindset of Diversity

Spanish journalist Victoria Martín de la Torre is passionate about Europe, diversity and interfaith relations. Here she reflects on different aspects of Europe, based on her PhD research which led her...

Polina and Katya square faces EN

What is the meaning of home?

Amid escalating conflicts worldwide, the arts emerge as a potent force to challenge misconceptions and foster positive perspectives. The pivotal role of artists in creatively raising awareness has nev...

Ignacio India blog

Walking the Talk in Business

On 25 - 28 January, some 60 CEOs and other senior staff came together under Chatham House Rules to share personal experiences on how to balance a sustainable business with integrity and trust. Executi...

Save the date Caux Forum 2024 EN

Caux Forum 2024: Save the Date!

Save the date for the Caux Forum 2024! This summer Caux Initiatives of Change, in partnership with Initiatives of Change International and supported by other civil society networks, UN agencies, phila...

Caux Forum opening square website EN

Filling the gap in global efforts for peace and democracy

The Caux Forum 2023 Opening Ceremony set the tone for the conference with the theme, ‘Strengthening Democracy: The Journey from Trauma to Trust.’. Discover the report and relive the highlights of this...

Tsvetana 13 Sept 2023

Finding purpose and harmony through music and the Caux Palace

In a world filled with diverse cultures and languages, the journey of musician Tsvetana Petrushina is an inspiring tale of how she discovered her purpose. Her remarkable story led her to the Caux Pala...

Save the date 2023 square no date

Caux Forum 2023: Save the Date

We are excited to announce the Caux Forum will be back in Caux next summer! Find out more and save the date! ...

Arpan Yagnik

Arpan Yagnik: Mountains to climb

Arpan Yagnik, a participant of last year's Creative Leadership conference and team member of the IofC Hub 2021, talks to Mary Lean about creativity, fear and vocation. ...

YAP 2021 article square

Young Ambassadors Programme 2021: Learning to listen

When Indonesian law student Agustina Zahrotul Jannah discovered the Young Ambassadors Programme (YAP) on Google she felt both excited and hopeless: excited because she hoped it might give her the skil...

Zero waste square for social media

Sofia Syodorenko: A zero waste lifestyle is a mindful lifestyle

How did Sofia Syodorenko become involved in the zero waste movement, and what does it mean to her? Now Chair of Foundations for Freedom, she is also a representative of the Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine...

Patrick Magee 600x600

‘Where Grieving Begins – Building Bridges after the Brighton Bomb’: a live interview with Patrick Magee

The second in Tools for Changemakers’ series of Stories for Changemakers took place on 25 August 2021, with an interview with Patrick Magee, who planted a bomb at the Grand Hotel, Brighton, in 1984, w...

Summer Academy 2021 screenshot square

Forging a network of problem-solvers to build a secure and sustainable future

The Summer Academy on Climate, Land and Security 2021 brought together 29 participants from 20 countries. From Egypt and Senegal to the United States and Thailand, zoom windows opened for six hours ev...

Salima Mahamoudou 21 July 2021 FDFA workshop CDES 2021

Remaking a world in peril

The Caux Dialogue on Environment and Security (CDES) 2021 ran online from 20 July until 30 July, for the second consecutive year, comprising three open plenaries and seven workshops. This year’s discu...

CL 2021 Hope square

A Journey from Uncertainty to Possibility

2021’s Creative Leadership conference took participants on a six-day journey ‘From Uncertainty to Possibility’. Between 25 to 31 July around 150 online participants living in over 50 countries engaged...

FDFA Baobabcowherd-1 Noah Elhardt through WikiCommons square with logos

A pathway to peace and prosperity in West and Central Africa

In the context of their partnership, Initiatives of Change Switzerland (IofC) and the Peace and Human Rights division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs organised a webinar on the them...