 |
 |
 |
|
|
LEAD STORY
Voices of a New Generation:
Eight young leaders head to Davos with huge hopes for Europe and big ideas about how to make a difference
Across the Great Divide
The Davos' élite must listen, say Thierry Malleret and Klaus Schwab
War And Peace
Thinking a fast win in Iraq will fix what's wrong with the global economy? TIME's panel of economists sees plenty of gloom ahead
Doubts At Davos
Misgivings about America are the talk of the town
Killer Worm
Can anyone stop the Slammer Worm ... and its imitators?
Subscribe to TIME
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Forecast 2003: TIME predicts global political, economic and social trends
|
|
|
WEF 2002 With 9/11 fresh in the mind the World Economic Forum moves to New York
Davos 2001
Much of the talk was devoted to closing the techno gap
Davos 2000
TIME's Don Morrison tells of sensitivity training for the rich |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
E-mail your letter to the editor
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| DAVID ELLIS for TIME |
BROADENING THE REACH:
"We should think about how we can reach our own people in our own cities," says Ener, as Christensen looks on
|
|
| |
|
|
The proposals being prepared by the European Convention may fill in some blanks. When the constitution goes to member states for approval, the Bridging Europe youth would like to see a massive information campaign to explain the document in clear, non-jargony language. They'd like the constitution to mirror their own, with its emphasis on citizens' rights. But no matter how it reads, "to trust something, you need knowledge about how it works," says Ruth Aniansson, 20, a cherubic European Studies major who was born in Sweden and raised in Finland. "Most people don't know how the E.U. works" — except that it excludes them from the decision-making process. "It's important that we create pressure to make our voices heard," says Hanan el Khatib, 25, who plans a career in the NGO sector. "We're ignored."
MAKING CONNECTIONS
At December's E.U. summit in Copenhagen, Hakan Ener, 22, got a taste of how difficult it is for a European citizen to be heard. Chosen to man a Youth 2002 information booth, he spent his days vying for the attention of reporters and politicians. But talking with a Turkish M.B.A. student wasn't on the agenda for most leaders, who negotiated behind closed doors, then adjourned to the media hall. There they hailed the feat of sealing enlargement as a historic moment. "The public doesn't need historic moments," says Ener. "It needs politicians who give honest opinions."
A more relevant historic moment might be an E.U. election that draws widespread participation. In the most recent E.U. parliamentary vote, in 1999, turnout dipped below 50% for the first time. Part of this apathy results from popular sentiment that Brussels is not fully accountable to voters. More than two-thirds of the Bridging Europe youth feel that the Union isn't truly democratic. Ninety percent say all E.U. documents, including meeting minutes, should be publicly available. Otherwise, says Aniansson, "we don't have any insight into what they are really doing in Brussels."
"The E.U. really needs to start from scratch" in communicating with the citizens, says Stamatescu. First, it has to use everyday language, not the jargon-filled political dialect of Brussels. Next, it has to educate youngsters about the Union. "As soon as you get to fifth grade, you should start studying a new subject — the E.U.," Stamatescu says. Then the E.U. must engage adults in the law-making process; Stamatescu suggests using community forums to gather views on major legislation from across the E.U. He notes that even when civil-society groups in Brussels chime in, all the voices are still from within the Brussels loop. Finally, an E.U. information center could be placed in every city hall, to provide a permanent point of contact for people in every community.
It's also time for the electorate to take an interest in E.U. affairs. People across the Continent may not feel connected to Brussels, but they don't feel particularly connected to their own governments either. In much of the E.U., participation in local and national votes has been falling too. Initiatives like Bridging Europe could make a difference. The delegates hope for a "trickle-down" effect from the 1,000 involved. "People are like molecules," says el Khatib. "If one moves, others will start moving."
 |
 |
|
|
I R A Q C R I S I S
The Rumsfeld Plan: Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is micromanaging the details of a U.S. attack against Iraq.
E U R O P E
Algerian Alarm:
A string of arrests suggests British police are breaking up an Algerian terror network |
P R O F I L E
Gilberto Gil:
The former musician and superstar wants to help Brazil's new President, Lula, make good on his promises to the poor
B U S I N E S S
The Joy of Text
Coming to a cell phone near you: big-time marketing campaigns |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Promotion
|
|
