KLJB Mainz was the host of the most important event MIJARC Europe has had this year: its Orientation General Assembly. Why was this event so important? Because it only takes place once every four years and it is the place where we set our strategic approach for the next four years.
An Orientation General Assembly is composed of a larger number of participants from full member organizations. The tasks of the Orientation General Assembly are the same as those of a regular Assembly, the only addition being the task to set the guidelines and to draft a work plan for the following 4 years. Twelve of our member movements were present at the OGA and voted on how to shape the next four years for MIJARC Europe.
It was also an important event because the entire European Team was finishing their mandates and new members had to be elected. Fortunately, there were four great candidates who impressed the members present at the OGA and they were voted. Therefore, MIJARC Europe has a new Team of four people: Arman Grygorian from FYCA-Armenia, Claire Perrot Minot from MRJC-France, Cristiana Palma from JARC-Portugal and Daniela Ordowski from KLJB-Germany. We also have one new European Coordinator for MJRC Spain – Maria.
Four was also the number of candidate movements to become full members. After spending three years as observer members: Bujrum from FYRO Macedonia, FYCA from Armenia, GYC from Malta and S&G from Turkey applied to become full member movements. The GA approved the candidacy of FYCA and GYC and they became full member movements.
The OGA approved last year’s moral an financial report and the budget for 2018. They also did a detailed check-up of the accounting and finances and found everything was in order.
Most of the time was spent working on the strategic objectives and action plan for the next four years which proved very challenging but finally resulted in very clear and specific guidelines for what MIJARC Europe will be doing in the future. Three thematic focus points were set: (i) a sustainable future for agriculture and rural youth, (ii)Europe in a globalized world and (iii) citizenship- youth, promote youth work. These focus points laid down the topics on which MIJARC Europe will be working in the next four years. They will complement the four operational objectives set: (i) internal development of MIJARC Europe as a network for and with its member organisations, (ii) MIJARC Europe European System: advocate and cooperate for the interest of rural youth in a partners strategy, (iii) MIJARC Europe in world perspective and (iv) MIJARC Europe Communication – Finances. Each operational objective is divided in concrete sub-objectives which will guide the activities of the network and its approach. The strategic objectives were integrated into a concrete Action Plan which marks the activities developed and measures taken by MIJARC Europe every year. The two strategic documents reflect the views of all our member movements and will work as fundamental guidelines for the network. You can download here the final approved versions of the Strategic Objectives and the Action Plan.
The OGA also proposed to have specialized Commissions in MIJARC Europe and it was agreed that there will be commissions on: Enlargement, Rurality and Agriculture, Citizenship, Europe, democracy and youth, Church and Religion. Each Commission will gather a minimum of 3 people and a maximum of 6 people, representing 3 different countries and minimum 2 different regions and they will start their work in 2018.