ENIL Youth Network is looking for Board members. Below you will find the call with information about how to join, as well as an essay by Marijeta Mojašević, one of the current Board members, on why you should join.
The Youth Network is excited to announce the call for nominations for the ENIL Youth Network Board Members. The current Board consists of 6 members whose mandate elapses in September 2019 when the new Freedom Drive and new elections for the ENIL Youth Board will be held .
The status of a Board member brings with it many responsibilities, but also opportunities for personal and professional development. You will be tasked with representing ENIL at international events, maintaining contact with partner organisations, planning Youth Network activities, facilitating participation of ENIL Youth Network members in the work of the network, representing the voice of young disabled people in Europe and much more. Board membership is a voluntary position, so make sure that you are able to commit some of your time on a regular basis at a monthly level. Working with other young disabled colleagues is fun and inspiring and it is certainly a unique opportunity for every young disabled person to represent the voices of our peers. We will be receiving your nominations via the following email address: enilyouthboard@gmail.com. It is enough to send us your CV and say in the email that you wish to nominate yourself. You can send your nomination by July 16, 2019.
We are happy to hear from you and to receive a lot of nominations for future leaders of ENIL Youth Network.
Why should you apply? – by Marijeta Mojašević
Being involved in ENIL activities for more than three years and being a member of ENIL Youth Network Board for more than a year and a half give me the right to speak about this organization as it is one of my most positive experiences professionally.
Working in a multinational group, not knowing all the people personally and having the opportunity to share your ideas and viewpoints regarding disability issues with them in regular Skype meetings (well, Skype is our office, we live in different states) is a great feeling. Like you are having some online course, which is being shaped by you. You are constantly learning from other members of the group and the kindness you get from them is something that sometimes makes your day better.
I am a chair of Sexuality and Relationships task group, the only group that I was interested in since participating in the ENIL study session related to the same topic. The reason for this is the feedback that I get from my reality and that is: most of the guys are seeing just my disability, but not my attractiveness. How come that is the case? We are discussing it inside our task group and I see that it is the same in all societies, states, meridians. Are people blind to other’s emotions and inner beauty and they can just see their outside mask?
During our mandate we are discussing many Europe-wide disability questions, mainly related to some of the main services like personal assistance and we see that these questions are tackled or resolved differently, depending on the standards of different societies. I am glad that, within my ENIL volunteering engagement, I used a chance and became one of European neurology advocates, which was very significant for me as a stroke survivor.
You can meet different and wonderful people from Europe during your volunteering, but the main thing is that you will feel accomplished by doing something with the crew you don’t even know so well, but you have the same goal: making a difference by raising your voice and writing it down, to stay as a reminder that some people with disabilities spoke their words. Reading that a couple of years later will make you feel incredibly good, I can say from my experience.
I strongly advise all young people that are interested to become part of ENIL to apply and try and give their best. Even with your regular job you can do it, even if it is not so simple at some points. But you will learn that you have more willingness and strength and patience than before; that you are doing something for the higher goal and that feeling is precious and you will meet people who can become your friends. Apply – there is nothing to lose, but much to gain.
