The International Session in Athens is divided into three sections: Teambuilding, Committee Work and General Assembly.
TEAMBUILDING
The young participants of the Session, who come from very different backgrounds and who have never met before, need by the end of the week to be functioning as a close-knit team pulling together and respecting each other. And it is this task that is the aim of the Teambuilding. On the first two days of the session, they will get together in a small group -their Committee. Under the guidance of experienced team-builders and the committee Chair, the delegates in committees engage in a variety of indoor and outdoor activities, some physical, some creative, yet others focused on problem solving, but all of them fun, and all of them designed to get this disparate group of people working as a team.
COMMITTEE WORK
Committee Work takes a central part in any session. The delegates of each committee come together to discuss their particular topic. Their goal is to come up with with a resolution on this topic on which they can all agree. This is no easy task. They have very different backgrounds and, hence, perspectives and so it is always a challenge to make compromises if they are to reach an agreement within the time required. The aim is for every delegate to develop and redevelop his or her own views, with a flexible approach paramount. The skills they learn here, in discussing, debating, persuading and negotiating, will stand them in good stead for the future.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The General Assembly reunites all the participants of the session, to consider the results of committee work, further debate and vote upon them. Each committee presents and defends their motion for resolution, which is then debated upon for approximately 40 minutes by the Assembly, in either English or French. The vote that takes place afterwords, at the end of each debate is based solely on the personal conscience of each delegate. Those resolutions which are passed are subsequently presented to the European Parliament.
CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
The very broad session programme is full of further highlights such as a self-performed concert of the youngsters (EuroConcert) or the presentation of national traditions and culinary specialties of the different countries (EuroVillage).
