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News from Board and Working Groups Report from the ETTW Board Meeting and General Assembly January 17, 2017. New President for ETTW elected On 17th January 2017, the General Assembly of The Europeans Throughout The World (ETTW) unanimously elected its acting president for nearly a year, Dr Raymond Christian XERRI. Born in the United States of Maltese parents he has lived, studied, worked and/or visited nearly a hundred countries and is thus a walking example of Europeans living abroad. Raymond joined ETTW in 2013 representing the Council for Maltese Living Abroad (CMLA). Since 2012 he occupies the post of Director for Maltese Living Abroad within the Directorate-General for Political, European Union Affairs and Maltese Abroad in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Malta. Since 2013 he occupied one of the posts of Vice-President of ETTW. A European Expat Convention The planning for organizing a European Expat Convention in 2018 in Malta are progressing. The main interlocutor of ETTW is the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). Two -three preparatory conferences/seminars are foreseen to be scheduled in advance of the convention in interested countries. ECJ rulings on free movement ETTW has participated in an expert panel for research on EU Court of Justice and national court expats comprised rulings on free movement of citizens. The panel works with the Fundamental Rights Agency in Vienna for the European Commission. A users’ handbook/inventory of courts’ rulings on barriers to free movement will be the result of the research. 2 The ETTW i-voting campaign After the successful conference on internet voting organized by the ETTW in collaboration with MEP Monica Macovei on June 29, more input and ideas will be gathered to pursue the implementation of this voting system in as many EU member states as possible before the European elections in 2019. The next steps should be to set up an “i-voting caravan’’ – a series of similar conferences or seminars in EU member states where support for such voting systems already exists The Board agreed that the campaign should be a key project of ETTW which would merit extraordinary crowd funding. The EUROSTAT Conference “More Agile Social Statistics” There is an urgent need for accurate and reliable statistics on migration and free movement, and multisource and multidiscipline statistics is the way forward. The Board agreed that ETTW and its member organizations follow the implementation of these recommendations closely and that eventually statistical offices in member states should be contacted in order to promote the conclusions of the conference that took place in Luxembourg, 28-30 November 2016. Contact: Steen Illeborg; steen.illeborg@gmail.com The ETTW education project Inventory of dedicated schools/education services for expats; Recognition of scholar grades. Member organizations will be asked to assess the problem of recognition of scholar grades and the supply of education services for expats in their countries and communicate the results to ETTW by the end of February. Responses to be sent to ETTW and to the expert, Pierre Mairesse, mail address pierre.mairesse1@gmail.com Reports from ETTW Working Groups Next Working Group meeting is scheduled for February 23 in Brussels. Main points to be discussed are the I-voting campaign and Preparations for the European Expat Convention in Malta in 2018. Contact: Contact: Steen Illeborg; steen.illeborg@gmail.com ******************************* News from Member Organisations European Congress of Latvians 28-30 July 2017 First European Congress: Riga-Stockholm-Riga In preparation of the Centenary of Latvia and with a view to strengthening civic activism of Latvian expatriates in Europe, fostering return transfer of knowledge as well as consolidating the expatriates’ links with Latvia, the European Latvian Association will hold the first European Congress of Latvians (ECL) in July 2017. The Congress will take place on 28-30 July 2017. It will open and close in Riga, but the main working programme will be held on a ferry Riga-Stockholm-Riga. An informal workshop will take place in Stockholm. Event and manifestation The European Congress of Latvians (ECL) is both an event and a manifestation. ECL thus serves as a forum for: common voice: an inclusive format of representation for the Latvian expatriates, common contribution: the congress end-paper – “The Centenary Roadmap for Latvia” – will feature a set of good practices sourced in the international experience of expatriates and aimed at outlining and supporting the path forward for Latvia in a range of policy areas; common activism: a framework for informal bonding and networking, as well as for open exchange on topical issues. Participation at ECL is open and inclusive. It will gather, without restrictions of age, nationality or beliefs, first and foremost Latvian expatriates, but, alongside, also the CSOs, entrepreneurs, think-tanks, media, local and national authorities of Latvia interested in cooperation with Latvian expatriates and in their perspective on societal, economic, cultural and intellectual issues with regard to Latvia. The working language will be Latvian. Contact: Elīna Pinto; ela@latviesi.com Tel: +352 691 981 4 Finland Society – Suomi-Seura 2017 - a year of jubilee celebrations in Finland The Finnish Expatriate Parliament is preparing for its 9th Assembly 16-17 June 2017 at the University of Helsinki (Senate Square). This 20 year Jubilee session celebrates the establishment of the Finnish Expats Parliament 1997 and the Finland Society that turns 90 in 2017. As if this wasn’t enough, this is also the year when Finns in and outside Finland are brought together by the 100th anniversary of the country’s independence. Besides invited guests and the media, the FEP Jubilee session is gathering more youth among its expected 200 representatives and observers from expatriate Finnish orgnisations, of which there are today 514 in 39countries. By submitting written motions, FEP organisations can participate even without being present in Helsinki. The program includes among other things vintage seminars on senior issues and on Finland schools/Suomi-koulu abroad and an City Hall evening reception with Sibelius music and the award ceremony of Finland Society's 'Expatriate Finn of Year 2017. On June 15, an unprecedented 'Finland 100 Worldwide' public evening concert brings together expatriate Finnish music and artists at Helsinki Music Centre (https://www.musiikkitalo.fi/en/content/suomi-100-maailmalla-konsertti, The concert is one of more than a hundred events worldwide, by expatriate Finns under the project Finland 100 Worldwide (http://suomi-seura.fi/suomi100maailmalla/en/homepage/). On the political agenda There are some important recurrent issues for Finnish expats. The FEP Presidium (regional representatives) are for example pursuing the support of language training and culture for expat children and youth and the global access to Finnish state broadcasting company programs for its subscribers plus better availability of Finnish-language programs. It took over 15 years to see the present Government draft bill on the right to expat Finns and nationals abroad to use postal voting in national elections (to be applied as of April 2019 parliament elections). The 'Government Policy on Expatriate Finns for 2017-2021' was updated in 2016 after consultation with the FEP and Finland Society and is due for Government adoption soon. There is also a resolution in the pipeline on safeguarding the activities of the FEP by bringing this recognized but not formalised parliamentary forum under law. Widespread political acceptance to solidify the FEP will be clearer still, should it be included in the Government Policy, said FEP Speaker Mr Jarmo Virmavirta. Contact: Sini Castrén; sini.castren@suomi-seura.fi Swedes Worldwide Summer Program and Expat Parliament – August, 21-23 Swedes Worldwide is organizing a number of seminars about International Studies at Swedish universities to encourage more Swedish students to study abroad. (The number of Swedish students abroad has decreased during the last years). The next seminar will be at Växjö University in April 2017. The summer program will take place in Stockholm on August 21-23. This year we will hold the sixth Expat Parliament, followed by the annual assembly and the presentation of the award to the International Swede of the year 2017. More information on www.sviv.se. All partners in ETTW are most welcome to attend. Contact: Karin Ehnbom –Palmquist; karin@sviv.se Stichting Vlamingen in de Wereld Regional voting system The foundation Flemings in the World (VIW) has long been striving for the effective recognition of Belgians across the world by providing them with democratic participation into Belgium’s political process. This venture has been partly realised, since our fellow countrymen have been granted the right to take part in the Belgian federal elections. However, this decision has never been extended to the elections for regions and municipalities. Therefore, the Flemings living abroad cannot partake in the election of their Flemish Parliament. Meanwhile, the federal government approved a bill contesting this outdated arrangement. For as long as this bill has not been passed by parliament, VIW will insist on swift action in this matter. From the moment the bill becomes law, VIW will focus on simplifying the voting system abroad. The goal of this bill does not only extend to the expansion of suffrage. The administrative problems associated with voting abroad, for example because of voting ballots arriving late, did not go past unnoticed. VIW has for a long while advocated for the implementation of internet voting. 6 Promotion of ‘Flemings in the World’ (VIW) by public services A correct and adequate service aimed at fellow countrymen who are living abroad, starts with data collection. At the moment, this data...