How does the advocacy team work together?
Our advocacy team is operating on a volunteering basis. YEE has been hosting volunteers for over ten years. With a decade of experience working with volunteers, we can ensure a positive and supportive work environment with many opportunities for professional and personal growth. We value diversity, learning from each other, and intercultural learning.
All advocacy officers report to and are directly supported by the YEE Advocacy Manager and Advocacy Coordinator. The team members have regular meetings, and attend also different YEE meetings and activities.
Concretely, the advocacy working group meets once every two weeks and in between, the Coordinator and Manager conduct one-on-one check-ins. While each Liaison Officer has a specific portfolio, team work is maintained by the joint projects and campaigns we lead, such as #ClimateOfChange or #LightsOnAarhus.
Advocacy team members are expected to be present at online meetings and to contribute within their capacities to the functioning of the working group. Since we are all operating on a volunteer basis, we are respectful of varying capacities as many of our volunteers are university students or young professionals. We always make sure to create a safe space for everyone to share opinions and experiences in a respectful way.
What does the team do?
Some of the work tasks of advocacy officers include: officially represent YEE in regards to partner organisations, attend external meetings and events, strengthen communication, and direct advocacy with some of our partner organisations. Together, the team aim to
- Bridge the gap with policy-makers on environmental and climate European and international decision-making processes;
- Ensure that young Europeans are present in climate and environmental decision making processes both at the UN level and the European level;
- Coordinate our members organisations’ advocacy actions and supporting their advocacy work and campaigns.
Essentially, we are advocating for increased youth participation in environmental governance and processes, cleaner oceans, more ambitious climate goals and increased protection of biodiversity.