FEMYSO Statement on the European Year of Youth 

As we enter the year 2022, we at FEMYSO as the voice of Muslim Youth in Europe are proud to welcome the European Year of Youth. 

The European Year of Youth Youth will focus on re-establishing a positive outlook for European young people negatively affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  In order to mark this important milestone, our organisation will amplify calls for one key message: this must be the European Year for all youth, including minority groups and marginalised voices.  

FEMYSO President Hande Taner said “Young people have been at the forefront of bringing progressive change to our region, and have been supporting their communities in the midst of this pandemic which already disproportionally affected the., Selfless in their commitment to creating a better Europe, they are the leaders of today, not just tomorrow. We sincerely hope this year signals a shift in the way young people are seen in our society.” 

The multitude of challenges young people face in the coming years as a result of this pandemic must not be ignored. We call on our European institutions to fulfil their responsibilities to their young population, removing barriers to meaningful engagement and amplifying our voices to play an active role in policy and decision-making processes.  

The decisions made over the coming years will impact the youth of Europe for decades to come. Therefore it is merely logical that the wishes of all youth are taken into consideration We are skilled, educated and more than able to lead our communities – we just need to be given opportunities.  

As FEMYSO we will continue our efforts to empower and support all youth voices in order to fulfil our mission of working towards a more diverse, vibrant and cohesive Europe for all.

Notes: 

  1. FEMYSO (est. 1996) is a network organisation for 33 Muslim youth and student organisations across 20 European countries, and is the leading voice for European Muslim youth, developing and empowering them, and working to build a more diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe.   
  1. For more media-related information or requests please email media@femyso.org. 

 

First ever digital European Muslim Career’s Fair

On the 22nd of May of this year, we concluded our very first Digital European Muslim Career’s Fair. 

We hosted 12 professionals from all over Europe and from different industries sharing their experiences and stories. The professionals represented some top firms that included P&G, Amazon, Nespresso, Oliver Wyman and more. The participants had the chance to learn more about the fields they are interested in, ask questions, and connect.  

In addition to getting insights into the different industries, we also had some focused panels discussing some important topics such as diversity in the workplace, working abroad and Muslim women in workplace.   

Our aims for this event were to: 

  • To provide Young Muslims across Europe with better understanding of some of the most competitive fields out there. 
  • To show that FEMYSO can provide more to our members than just activism and politics. 
  • To reach out to corporations and build fruitful relationships. 

Although this was our first career’s fair, we were able to achieve the aims and received very positive feedback from the guest speakers and participants. We were able to arrange talks by many wonderful professionals in many fields who provided great benefit to the attendees with insights in their respective industries. 

We learned much during the planning and execution of this event. We hope that we can use these lessons to expand the scope and reach of our future career’s fairs. 

 

 

FEMYSO Elections Announcement 2021

The weekend of 22-23 October 2021 saw the election of a new Executive Committee of our organisation by its Member Organisations. With that, we say goodbye to our current executive team after two years of service.  

We would like to thank our outgoing team for their commitment to this organisation over the mandate: 

Abdelrahman Rizk – President (United Kingdom) 

Arjeta Xhomara – Head of Communications and Marketing (Albania) 

Ibrahim Kraria – Head of Internal development (Germany)

Hiba Latreche – General Secretary (France) 

Marwan Akari – Head of Fundraising (Ireland) 

Nadia El Faroukhi – Head of Member Organisation Relations (France) 

Vullnet Selmani – Head of Finance (North Macedonia) 

Fatima Halawa – Head of Training (Ireland) 

Burak Barut – Head of Services (Germany) 

Hande Taner – Head of Media (Netherlands) 

Yusuf Hassan – Head of Campaigns (United Kingdom) 

Outgoing FEMYSO President Abdelrahman Rizk said “On behalf of our outgoing executive, I would like to honour the immense work done by my team and this organisation to represent and advocate on behalf of and support the development of Muslim youth across Europe. This mandate has been one of many firsts and this is as a result of the incredible collective carried out by the volunteers of the wider FEMYSO Family. The COVID-19 pandemic definitely provided challenges, but I’m proud to say this Executive Committee delivered on the goals we set out at the beginning of our term. Even as some of us leave the organisation formally, we will all continue on our mission to strive for a diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe.  

 

Sunday the 24th of October saw the election of the incoming FEMYSO Executive Committee: 

Hande Taner – President (The Netherlands) 

Salman Gadid – Head of Communications and Marketing (Finland) 

Hiba Latreche – Head of Fundraising (France) 

Vullnet Selmani – Head of Finance (North Macedonia) 

Esmanur Aslan – General Secretary (Belgium) 

Nadia El Faroukhi – Head of Member Organisation Relations (France) 

Fatima Halawa – Head of Internal Development (Ireland) 

Burak Barut – Head of Training (Germany) 

Nourhene Mahmoudi – Head of Campaigns (Italy) 

Yusuf Hassan – Head of Media (United Kingdom) 

Ibtihelle Ben – Head of Services (France) 

 

Incoming FEMYSO President Hande Taner said “I would like to thank the outgoing Executive Committee for their excellent work in bringing the organisation to where it currently is. I am proud to lead this organisation in its 26th year of existence, I am also incredibly proud to lead a fantastic team of committed young leaders from different parts of Europe, who are excited to take this organisation’s work to another level. I am thankful to our Member Organisations for putting their trust in me and this team to deliver for them, and we will endeavour to hold firm to our collective mission of trying to serve our communities and our region”. 

  

FEMYSO, together with all our Member Organisations, stay committed to a more diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe.  

  

Notes:  

FEMYSO (est. 1996) is a network organisation for 33 Muslim youth and student organisations across 20 European countries, and is the leading voice for European Muslim youth, developing and empowering them, and working to build a more diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe.    

For more media-related information or requests please email media@femyso.org.  

Training of Trainers in Human Rights Education

FEMYSO President, Abdelrahman Rizk, completed the ‘Training of Trainers in Human Rights Education for Young People’ 2019-2021 course organised by the Council of Europe in cooperation with the United Nations (Human Rights of the High Commissioner). 

The course started in December 2019 with online modules and ended with a 10 day residential at the European Youth Centre in Budapest, Hungary. More than 30 activists and educators from across Europe and beyond participated at this well thought and holistic course.  

The aim of the training course is to support the implementation of the Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education through building the competences of trainers to develop and apply quality human rights education activities with young people at national/local levels and to advocate for the further mainstreaming of human rights education in youth policy and youth work. 

During the course the participants had the opportunity to strengthen their understanding of the key concepts of human rights education with young people, strengthen essential competences for trainers working with human rights education in non-formal learning settings based on using and adapting Compass, and analyse current developments and trends in human rights education in order to mainstream it in youth policy and youth work. 

FEMYSO stands with communities and organisations fighting for human rights, fundamental freedoms and human dignity. We will continue to work for a more diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe. 

Building Human Rights narratives to counter anti-Muslim hate speech

You are invited to participate at this online workshop on 27-28 September organised by the Council of Europe in cooperation with FEMYSO !
Registration open till 19 September.
https://www.coe.int/en/web/inclusion-and-antidiscrimination/-/register-for-a-new-workshop-on-countering-anti-muslim-hate-speech

International Youth Forum Against Islamophobia

Register now to attend the ‘International Youth Forum Against Islamophobia’ taking place in Rome, Italy (and online) 24-26 October
FEMYSO President, Abdelrahman Rizk, and Deputy head of Campaigns, Nourhene Mahmoudi, will be among the keynote speakers addressing the forum in Rome.
The forum will be a real opportunity for young people to build a different and more inclusive society. As well a youth manifesto against Islamophobia will be drawn up and published to raise public awareness on this very important and delicate issue.
Register now to attend in person or online: https://yesforum.eventbrite.it/

Call for writings! FEMYSO launches the blogpost project

 

FEMYSO wants to share your ideas! 

Do you enjoying writing, and do you have stories or topics that you would like to share? 

Well, we have an opportunity for you!

FEMYSO has launched the FEMYSOblog project which aims to give to the youth a platform where you can write, share your stories, and have discussions.

 

GUIDELINES

When it comes to deciding what to write about, you can either choose from the theme of the month that FEMYSO will announce or it can be anything that you like or concerns you.

The word limit per blogpost is 1000 words.

Send your writings and questions anytime at comms@femyso .org

 

Anti-Racism Action Plan (ARAP): 1-Year Anniversary Manifesto

It’s been a year since #BLM (Black Lives Matter) protests were successful in pushing the EU to create an EU Anti-Racism Action Plan. To truly start tackling racism over the next year, over 40 organisations have got solutions. We hope to work constructively with the European Commission to deliver change!

Rather than being protected by police, many racialised communities are victims of racist policing and violence.  The families of Stanislav Tomas, Adil or Ousman Sey are still waiting for justice, as are many more. We’re calling on the Commission to put an end to police brutality, discrimination and violence by extending the Race Equality Directive (RED) to cover law enforcement.

As President von der Leyen stated last year, it is time “to build a truly anti-racist Union – that goes from condemnation to action.” The Commission has promised to ensure that all Member States put forward National Action Plans Against Racism (NAPARs). With COVID-19 devastating our communities in some of the worst ways, we’re calling for these action plans to be finalised, and delivered by 2022. 

It’s time racial justice is mainstreamed in ALL policy areas. Racism does not happen in a vacuum. It’s structural. Let’s include racial justice in climate, digital, economic, education, employment, foreign, defence, gender, migration and security policy. With the increased targeting, arrests and outright banning of anti-racism activists and organisations across Europe, we’re calling on the European Commission to closely scrutinise developments in the Member States and provide concrete support for anti-racist human rights defenders and organisations at risk.

We’re calling for the EU Coordinator on Anti-Racism to work together with civil society in the organisation of the EU Anti-Racism Summit under the French Presidency in March 2022 and to ensure a dynamic and interactive meeting with a focus on structural racism, as well as high-level participation including the President of the Commission and Heads of States.

We want to see the EU Coordinator on Anti-Racism ensure meaningful and regular dialogue between the European Commission and civil society organisations led by racialised groups, communities and organisations.

Finally, it’s time that racialised people are properly represented in the EU institutions and agencies. 

We’re calling on the relevant bodies of the various institutions to put forward its proposals on creating a safe positive environment and strategy that will increase the representation of racialised people and others from underrepresented communities. 

 

To read the manifesto and see the list of civil society organisations, go here.

 

This statement is in cooperation with ENAR (European Network Against Racism), Equinox (Initiative for Racial Justice) and ERGO Network (European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network).

EU Policy Talks 2021: European Day Against Islamophobia Symposium

Register now for the European Day Against Islamophobia Symposium hosted by Project MEET on Tuesday, the 21st of September!

At this hybrid policy talks conference, speakers will discuss the policy priorities for eliminating the discrimination suffered by Muslim women develops in a broader context of gender inequality in Europe.

Moreover, there will be a discussion on how to broaden space for civic engagement and inclusion in policy formulation and outcomes with regards to the effects of Gendered Islamophobia on Muslim Women and Girls.

REGISTER HERE

 

 

FEMYSOpulse – Latest FEMYSO news in your inbox

FEMYSO is happy to announce its newest project, FEMYSOpulse newsletter.

We are keen to share regular updates from FEMYSO and its network with you through our newsletter FEMYSOpulse and keen to hear your suggestions to how we can further develop our work.

You might wonder, why FEMYSOpulse? What does it mean?

Well, the message behind  FEMYSOpulse is to keep you in the loop and always informed about FEMYSO’s contribution to the creation of a more diverse Europe and the European Muslim Youth involvement and achievements in Europe.

Not only you will read informative and educational news and stories, but you will also find interesting application calls for jobs, trainings, exchanges, and other opportunities provided by our partners such as European organisations, institutions and most importantly from our member organisations.
There will be some other cool features to discover too! Stay tuned!

Subscribe to FEMYSOpulse here to receive latest news from FEMYSO.

To the next pulse, friend!