On Thursday 26th March 2009, a new President of the EFAy was elected. Below the outgoing President, Rhisiart Tal-e-bot, who held the post between 2007 and 2009, reviews briefly his involvement in the EFAy over the last two years.

“It was a great honour for me to be elected to the position of EFAy President at the EFAy General Assembly in Bilbo/Bilbao on April 2007. I had been actively involved with the EFAy and a member of the Bureau for some years before I became President and saw many developments taking place within the organisation.

Year on year the EFAy has become more dynamic and better organised and the commitment and motivation of the Bureau members to fulfilling the aims of the EFAy has grown proportionally. It is always difficult in small European political youth organisations, like the EFAy, who receive limited funding and are heavily reliant on its members and representatives to help push its agenda forward, to make their voice heard at a European level. However despite its size, the EFAy - like many of its members - does and is able to punch above its weight. One of the main reasons for this is that we are unique in Europe and are able to call on the support of a large number of dedicated (albeit generally small) member organisations, who have realised that working together on common goals is much more effective than working alone.

Between 2007 and 2009 the EFAy Bureau worked hard to forward the aims of the organisation in an attempt to further the agendas’ of its members at a European level. This of course wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our members and I would like to thank all of you who were in touch with us on a regular basis, informing us of your news and concerns over the last two years. Your input helped to shape the direction and work of the EFAy and gave the Bureau the encouragement and purpose to continue working –voluntarily - on your behalf.

The work of the Bureau between 2007 and 2009 has, in many ways, been the most successful to date. We have planned and implemented a record number of seminars, visited and supported more of our member organisations, increased our network of members and partners and undertaken more European funded projects than at any time before. Part of the reason for this is that the Bureau has kept in better contact, worked well as a team and been more prepared to give up their spare time – voluntarily - to fulfil the commitment they made to members when they were elected in Bilbo/Bilbao in 2007.

The new 2009 – 2011 Bureau will come up against various challenges within its term - especially as this year we have not received administration funding - but I believe that like with most things they can be over come with determination and hard work. I know most of the new Bureau members well – especially of course the new EFAy President – and am aware of their potential and ability to push the aims of the EFAy further than was possible before. I look forward to hearing about the successes of the EFAy over the coming years and would like to say a big thank you to everyone who I came into contact with in my role as EFAy President, because it was you who made all the hard work worthwhile.”

Rhisiart Tal-e-bot
President of EFAy (2007 to 2009)

A new EFAy President and Bureau weas elected last week at the organisation’s 9th General Assembly (GA) in Barcelona, Catalonia.

This year’s GA was an important one, because, in addition to the election of a new President and Bureau, a number of statute changes had also been proposed. The amendments to the statutes means that the EFAy is now able to implement organisational changes that have discussed within the organisation over the last year.

One such change involved the proposal that would allow the EFAy coordinator to become the Secretary General of the organisation, in line with the way other European organisations function. After lengthy and interesting discussions the statue amendments were approved by the voting GA delegates and the new changes were brought into immediate effect.

The new President and Bureau, elected at the 2009 GA, are listed below:

President: Jezz Anbleydh (Kernow X, Cornwall)

Secretary General: Lucy Collyer

Vice President: Meilyr Hedd (Cymru X, Wales)
Vice President: Arseni Armengou (JERC, Catalonia)
Vice President: Gudrun Kofler (Sud – Tiroler Freiheit)
Vice President: Gael Briand (UDB Youth, Brittany)
Vice President: Antoni Trobat (JEN, Mallorca)

The organisational changes also mean that the new EFAy Bureau will be individual members of the Bureau in their own right and will not represent their organization on the Bureau, as was the case in previous years. Nevertheless, each Bureau member still has to be proposed by their member organization, but will now be accountable to the EFAy.

A number of resolutions (and emergency resolutions) were also passed at the GA, on the following topics:

Use of fireworks at cultural festivities in the Mediterranean (JEN, Mallorca)
Reunification of Brittany (UDBy, Brittany)
Trident renewal plans to be ditched (YSI, Scotland)
Homecoming Scotland 2009 (YSI, Scotland)
Closing of Guantanamo Bay (YSI, Scotland)
Free movement of workers across the European Community (YSI, Scotland)

Emergency resolutions:

Higher education (UDBy)
Women's right to abortion (JERC)
Tax on international transfers to be donated to developing countries (SFN)

Several organisations were also accepted by the GA as Observer/Full Members of the EFAy, as shown below:

Observer Members:

Youth Südschleswigschen (State of Denmark)
Youth Lista per Fiume (State of Croatia)
Lega Giovanile Separatista – Giovanni Indipendentisti Siciliani (State of Italy)

Full Members:

Youth Sud Tirol Freiheit (State of Italy)
Youth Hungarian Roma Party (State of Hungary)

The new Bureau for 2009 to 2011 also held their first meeting in Barcelona, following the GA, on 27th March 2009. At the meeting Lucy Collyer was formally appointed as Secretary General and Arseni Armengou was appointed as Treasurer.

EFAy Secretary General, Lucy Collyer, warmly welcomed the new Bureau saying:

“I am encouraged by your enthusiasm and motivation and hope that this continues so that we can work together to strengthen EFAy.”