A Resounding “NO” to Surrogacy

Surrogacy is a practice whereby a woman becomes pregnant to give the child to someone else upon birth. Each year, thousands of women agree to carry the child of another woman at a fee. Over 50,000 babies are born as a result on “shaky legal legs”; conceived by one set of parents yet claimed by […]

“Summer Paradise”

I was recently selected for the World Youth Alliance Asia Pacific (WYAAP) 2019 Summer Camp program. I was truly excited to visit the Philippines, a rapidly developing country in the South-east Asian region. Reveries and expectations filled my mind while waiting for the dates to arrive. I remember singing the song, Summer Paradise in front […]

Freedom of expression in Europe – Who draws the line?

On Wednesday 16th of May, World Youth Alliance Europe attended the Forum “Freedom of expression in Europe – Who draws the line?” organized by EURACTIV. During this panel discussion, the speakers addressed many issues related to the right of freedom of expression and debated the definition of Hate Speech with its legal, ethical and social […]

Dangers of childhood in the digital age

22nd of February 2018 (Thursday), Brussels, Belgium – The European Parliament held a workshop on the protection of minors in the digital age. The three main topics brought on the table were defining the problem of child safety online, the solutions and policy dilemmas, and finally, the recommendations for EU policy developments on protecting minors […]

WYA Europe Hosts 2017 ELC on Migration and Development

“The essence of the beautiful is unity in variety”, said once Felix Mendelssohn, an artist from the 19th century. This year’s ELC was a stark example of such a statement. Young people from all over Europe and beyond gathered to give their contribution to the issue of migration currently affecting the world. What harmonized a […]

Wings For Change: Children in the Refugee Crisis

Wise men say you learn something new every day if you pay attention. I’m sure everyone would agree, but then it’s hard to actually acknowledge the new things you absorb each and every day that makes you richer. Last Wednesday, though, I met a group of very special people that made me pay attention. They […]

Unaccompanied Refugee Minors in the European Migrant Crisis

Unaccompanied Refugee Minors in the European Migrant Crisis have been the principal victims not only of abuse back in their countries and during their dangerous displacements but also, and sadly, of neglect and violence in Europe by our bureaucratic systems and law enforcers, as well as common citizens. WYA Europe interns had the opportunity to […]

Lessons from the 2017 European Arts Forum

What is beauty? This is the question that the European Arts Forum (EAF) attempts to answer. Beauty is seeing clearly into each other with a complete respect for each other’s dignity and I can truly relate to this belief that EAF holds. After working on EAF for two and a half months, I was exhausted […]

Debating Death #2: How Will Legal Euthanasia Affect the Medical Profession?

This is a second in a series of “Debating Death” articles which examine ethical, political, medical, legal, social and cultural aspects of legalizing euthanasia. In the previous article, I examined whether liberal societies should legalize euthanasia out of respect for personal autonomy of individuals. As we have seen with the right to autonomy in euthanasia, each right must […]

How will the Mexico City Policy affect women in developing countries?

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum on 23 January 2017 that prohibits organizations promoting abortion through advocacy, abortion counseling, or referrals from receiving U.S. development funding. In response, many have claimed that women’s health and well-being will be harmed, as many organizations that promote abortion also provide less controversial services. Numerous large international […]