The EFAy has employed a new coordinator to take over the role of Eva Bidania, who left in May 2008 to work as Policy Director for the EFA.

Lucy Collyer began work as the new EFAy Coordinator last week after being selected following a series of interviews in Brussels at the beginning of the summer period. Members of the EFAy Bureau met up with Lucy in Corsica this August to discuss the EFAy agenda for the months ahead. As part of her inaugural introduction Lucy told Bureau Members:

“I'm delighted to be working with EFAy in striving for a more just Europe where all languages and cultures are respected equally. We must work hard united to be heard.”

Below, Lucy briefly introduces herself:

“I was born in England in 1982, but have grown up on the island of Mallorca since I was five years old.

I am a member of the Partit Socialista de Mallorca (PSM) political party (who are a member of the EFA) as well as their youth organization JEN. I am responsible for international relations and the environment in JEN.

At university I took an active role in the biggest ever environmental campaign to take place on Mallorca, which ran under the slogan “Qui estima Mallorca no la destrueix” (Who loves Mallorca does not destroy Mallorca).

I graduated from the Universitat de les Illes Balears in 2005 with a Bachelor's degree in Human and Physical Geography and Territorial Planning. I was also Secretary General of the student council for two years. I also hold a postgraduate degree in third world development, and am qualified as a high school teacher.

As a consequence of my multicultural upbringing I speak Catalan, English and Spanish fluently."

Lucy can be contacted on coordinator@efay.eu

We are a youth organisation made up of members who belong to organizations, movements or political parties that safeguard and promote the cultural, linguistic and national diversity of Europe.

The EFAY is an alliance of the youth branches of nationalist and regionalist political parties and organizations throughout Europe, who are actively engaged at the State-Regional and European levels. Our members work towards a greater recognition of European diversity. Although our organisation is pro-European, we believe in a different European model to the one that is being offered at the moment.

We are opposed to the idea of a Europe of the States and the present European model. Our vision is of a Europe that upholds and celebrates national diversity against State assimilation and uniformity. We are in favour of a ‘Europe of the Peoples’; a Europe that respects and protects its different national minorities and identities (languages and cultures). We believe in a Europe that upholds the principle of subsidiarity, supports and encourages self-determination, campaigns effectively for social justice and environmental protection and pursues progressive democracy and recognises diversity.