Dear IFLRY Members,

I would like to inform you that I am standing as IFLRY candidate in the election of the Advisory Council (AC) of the Council of Europe (CoE), which will be taking place at the upcoming European Youth Forum (YFJ) General Assembly in Rotterdam, the Netherlands on 14. November 2008.

On behalf of the IFLRY Bureau, I am responsible for following the work and policies of the CoE and the YFJ. I have had the opportunity to attend the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Meetings and the meetings of the INGO, which has given me an insight into the work of CoE and also INGO work within CoE. Last year, I had the opportunity to attend two Advisory Council meetings as substitute and a CoE DYS Summer School, which was a great opportunity for me to familiarize myself with all current policies and development processes in the Directorate of Youth and Sport. These experiences have provided me with an understanding of the structure and work of the CoE related to the youth sector, which is very relevant to the work of the AC.

I always had an enormous interest and respect for the Council of Europe as the institution which actively promotes Human Rights Education. I think it is important to invest in a structural youth policy and active youth organizations and I believe that IFLRY needs to show an active profile in this forum. I see my membership in the AC as a great possibility to help in the development of youth policies and as an opportunity to integrate liberal views in to those policies.
I expect the position to be highly challenging and I know I am ready to make the best out of it and I believe that I will represent IFLRY in the best possible way.

If you have suggestions for me or you need more info please contact me jelena@iflry.org.

Jelena