SSW-Youth
Encyclopedia
The Youth in the South Schleswig Voter Federation (Youth in the SSW) (Danish
: SSWUngdom, German
: Jugend im SSW), a political youth organization in Germany
, is the youth wing of the South Schleswig Voter Federation
.
. Instead, they choose to let their positions be determined by three factors. The members of their party
and minority
all have a connection to Denmark
and Northern Europe
. They all come from a minority. And they are all young. From these three circumstances, they deduce the four key principles they use to determine their position on a given matter:
to study in the greater cities of Denmark or Germany, which is why, in 2009, the group of initiators under Manuel J. Thomsen decided to create a solid and democratic structure for the youth wing. It was their belief, that such structures would prohibit the usual disappearance of the organisation when they left the region to study. Therefore, they decided to hold the first National Convention in 2010, where the members adopted the first by-laws, the first political program and elected the first Board
. Under the chairmanship of Lukas A. Lausen, who was elected on this occasion, the youth wing increased its membership fivefold, its budget was doubled, its activity level increased significantly and the contacts to the SSW and the press were formalised. On the National Convention of 2011, the by-laws were changed, among other thing to allow for the creation of local branches, and the second National Board was elected under the chairmanship of Jonas Knickmeier. Since then, the positive trend has continued.
and one in Schleswig) and the national federation. The local branches, or districts, are responsible for the local politics, recruiting new members and arranging informative and social gatherings. The national federation is responsible for communications and national politics. On both levels, the members gather once a year for a local or national convention, in order to discharge the old board, elect the new one and debate the challenges of the coming year. The National Board consists of the chairperson and two deputies. In addition to this, an indeterminate number of ordinary board members are also elected every year. The same goes for the Local Board, who are nevertheless usually somewhat smaller.
within the mother party. In that sense, it is not an independent organisation. Nevertheless, it chooses its own course, without further interference of the SSW. Furthermore, all members of the SSW under the age of 26 are members in the Youth Wing and vice-versa. It sees itself as the political voice of the youth in the Danish minority of Southern Schleswig
, and as responsible for making the ideas and political beliefs of that demographic clearly visible in the actions of the political representation of the minority. Therefore it primarily functions within the bigger framework of the SSW. Some elected officials of the youth wing are ex officio members of the organs of the mother party, whereas other members of the Youth in the SSW get elected to these organs in their own right. For example, the members of the youth wing elect three delegates to the National Convention
of the SSW, but nothing prohibits SSW members under the age of 26 to be elected delegates by their local party branches. Financially, the bonds are tight, since 80 % of the youth wing's budget come from the mother party, a proportion which is nevertheless expected to decrease as the government institutions on different administrative levels increase their share.
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
: SSWUngdom, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: Jugend im SSW), a political youth organization in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, is the youth wing of the South Schleswig Voter Federation
South Schleswig Voter Federation
The South Schleswig Voter Federation is a regional political party in Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany...
.
Names
The official name of the organisation is Sydslesvigsk Vælgerforenings Ungdom in Danish and Jugend im Südschleswigschem Wählerverband in German. The corresponding abbreviations are SSWUngdom and Jugend im SSW, respectively. There is no official English name, but a rough translation of the German name is Youth in the South Schleswig Voter Federation, abbreviated Youth in the SSW. The organisation itself rejects the abbreviations SSWU, SSW-U and SSW-Ungdom.Positions
According to themselves, they are non-ideologicalIdeology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
. Instead, they choose to let their positions be determined by three factors. The members of their party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
and minority
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
all have a connection to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Northern Europe
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
. They all come from a minority. And they are all young. From these three circumstances, they deduce the four key principles they use to determine their position on a given matter:
- Because of their situation as a minority, they defend the right of every human being to choose one's own path.
- Because of their attachment to Northern Europe, they desire to establish a welfare state in Schleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
and GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
as the ones found in ScandinaviaScandinaviaScandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
. - Because of their situation as a minority, they are very attached to the region wherein they live (as opposed to those parts of Germany where the minority rights of the Danish population group do not apply), and wish to see it developed together with its old Danish counterpart, Northern SchleswigSouth Jutland CountySouth Jutland County is a former county on the south-central portion of the Jutland Peninsula in southern Denmark....
. - And because of their youth and their attachment to their home region, they wish to have the state actively defend the environment.
History
Historically, the SSW has often had a youth wing, but these occurrences have always faded out as the persons in charge gradually left Southern SchleswigSouthern Schleswig
Southern Schleswig denotes the southern half of the former Duchy of Schleswig on the Jutland Peninsula. The geographical area today covers the thirty or forty northernmost kilometers of Germany up to the Flensburg Fjord, where it borders on Denmark...
to study in the greater cities of Denmark or Germany, which is why, in 2009, the group of initiators under Manuel J. Thomsen decided to create a solid and democratic structure for the youth wing. It was their belief, that such structures would prohibit the usual disappearance of the organisation when they left the region to study. Therefore, they decided to hold the first National Convention in 2010, where the members adopted the first by-laws, the first political program and elected the first Board
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
. Under the chairmanship of Lukas A. Lausen, who was elected on this occasion, the youth wing increased its membership fivefold, its budget was doubled, its activity level increased significantly and the contacts to the SSW and the press were formalised. On the National Convention of 2011, the by-laws were changed, among other thing to allow for the creation of local branches, and the second National Board was elected under the chairmanship of Jonas Knickmeier. Since then, the positive trend has continued.
Internal
The Youth in the SSW consists of two local local branches (one in FlensburgFlensburg
Flensburg is an independent town in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the region of Southern Schleswig...
and one in Schleswig) and the national federation. The local branches, or districts, are responsible for the local politics, recruiting new members and arranging informative and social gatherings. The national federation is responsible for communications and national politics. On both levels, the members gather once a year for a local or national convention, in order to discharge the old board, elect the new one and debate the challenges of the coming year. The National Board consists of the chairperson and two deputies. In addition to this, an indeterminate number of ordinary board members are also elected every year. The same goes for the Local Board, who are nevertheless usually somewhat smaller.
Relations to the SSW
Legally, the Youth in the SSW is a working groupWorking group
A working group is an interdisciplinary collaboration of researchers working on new research activities that would be difficult to develop under traditional funding mechanisms . The lifespan of the WG can last anywhere between a few months and several years...
within the mother party. In that sense, it is not an independent organisation. Nevertheless, it chooses its own course, without further interference of the SSW. Furthermore, all members of the SSW under the age of 26 are members in the Youth Wing and vice-versa. It sees itself as the political voice of the youth in the Danish minority of Southern Schleswig
Danish minority of Southern Schleswig
The Danish ethnic minority in Southern Schleswig, Germany, has existed by this name since 1920, when the Schleswig Plebiscite split German-ruled Schleswig into two parts: Northern Schleswig, with a Danish majority and a German minority was united with Denmark, while Southern Schleswig remained a...
, and as responsible for making the ideas and political beliefs of that demographic clearly visible in the actions of the political representation of the minority. Therefore it primarily functions within the bigger framework of the SSW. Some elected officials of the youth wing are ex officio members of the organs of the mother party, whereas other members of the Youth in the SSW get elected to these organs in their own right. For example, the members of the youth wing elect three delegates to the National Convention
Political convention
In politics, a political convention is a meeting of a political party, typically to select party candidates.In the United States, a political convention usually refers to a presidential nominating convention, but it can also refer to state, county, or congressional district nominating conventions...
of the SSW, but nothing prohibits SSW members under the age of 26 to be elected delegates by their local party branches. Financially, the bonds are tight, since 80 % of the youth wing's budget come from the mother party, a proportion which is nevertheless expected to decrease as the government institutions on different administrative levels increase their share.
List of Chairpersons
- Manuel J. Thomsen (2009–2010)
- Lukas A. Lausen (2010–2011)
- Jonas R. T. Knickmeier (2011)
- Claas-Frederik Johannsen (2011-)
See also
- South Schleswig Voter FederationSouth Schleswig Voter FederationThe South Schleswig Voter Federation is a regional political party in Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany...
- Southern SchleswigSouthern SchleswigSouthern Schleswig denotes the southern half of the former Duchy of Schleswig on the Jutland Peninsula. The geographical area today covers the thirty or forty northernmost kilometers of Germany up to the Flensburg Fjord, where it borders on Denmark...
- Youth wingYouth wingA youth wing is a subsidiary, autonomous or independently-allied front of a larger organization that is formed in order to rally support and allegiance for that organization's campaigns from members and potential members of a younger age...
- Schleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
- National minority
- Duborg-SkolenDuborg-SkolenDuborg-Skolen is a Danish gymnasium located in Flensburg, Germany. It is one of a number of schools operated by members of the Danish minority of Southern Schleswig, and it is the leading school for this community....
- FlensburgFlensburgFlensburg is an independent town in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the region of Southern Schleswig...
External links
- Official Website (Danish and German)
- Official Newsletter as an e-pub (Danish)
- Official Facebook page (Danish)
- Official Website of the South Schleswig Voter Federation (German)
- Blog of EFAy
- News about the Youth in the SSW from Google