The Youth Parliament is a youth parliament organization established in 1994 and hosted in the Hellenic Parliament

Hellenic Parliament

The Hellenic Parliament , also the Parliament of the Hellenes, is the Parliament of Greece, located in the Parliament House , overlooking Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece....

 annually. 300 youth between the ages of 17 and 20 are selected through an online essay competition, 258 from constituencies around Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

, 20 from Cyprus

Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

 and 22 from other countries around the world with vibrant Greek communities

Greek diaspora

The Greek diaspora, also known as Hellenic Diaspora or Diaspora of Hellenism, is a term used to refer to the communities of Greek people living outside the traditional Greek homelands, but more commonly in southeast Europe and Asia Minor...

 such as Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 and Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. The aim of the organization is the active participation of young Greeks

Greeks

The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....

 in the political life of the country and to help them become active and responsible citizens.

Structure

The structure of the Youth Parliament resembles that of the actual Hellenic Parliament

Hellenic Parliament

The Hellenic Parliament , also the Parliament of the Hellenes, is the Parliament of Greece, located in the Parliament House , overlooking Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece....

. The parliament's main organ in the plenary

Plenary session

Plenary session is a term often used in conferences to define the part of the conference when all members of all parties are to attend.These sessions may contain a broad range of content from keynotes to panel discussions and are not necessarily related to a specific style of delivery.The term has...

, which is made up of all delegates. Students also form 5 parliamentary committees that are identical to the existing ones in their functions, with the exception of the Committee of Finance, which is merged with the Committee of Production and Commerce. The organs of the parliament are:

• The Plenary of the Parliament
• Committee of Defence & Foreign Affairs
• Committee of Educational Affairs
• Committee of Finance, Production and Commerce
• Committee of Public Administration, Public Order & Justice
• Committee of Social Affairs

Representation

In the 2010 session, the following Greek communities received representation in the parliament sessions:

Australia: 2 Belgium Greeks in Belgium The Greek community in Belgium numbers between 15,000 and 26,000 people. They are located throughout the country with Brussels being home to the largest concentration.-Notable Greek-Belgians:* Jean Daskalidès* Leonidas Daskalidès* Diane von Fürstenberg... : 1 Canada: 2 Cyprus Greek Cypriots Greek Cypriots are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest ethnolinguistic community at 77% of the population. Greek Cypriots are mostly members of the Church of Cyprus, an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity... : 20 Egypt Greeks in Egypt -Antiquity:Greeks have been living in Egypt since the ancient times. Herodotus, who visited Egypt in the 5th century BC, claimed that the Greeks were one of the first foreigners that ever lived in Egypt. Diodorus Siculus attested that Rhodian Actis, one of the Heliadae built the city of Heliopolis... : 2 Ethiopia Greeks in Ethiopia The Greek community in Ethiopia today numbers about 500 persons and can be traced back to the 18th century. It is mainly located in the capital, Addis Ababa, and the city of Dire Dawa.-History:The name Ethiopia itself is Greek and means "of burned face"... : 1 Germany Greeks in Germany The Greeks in Germany form a significant community with a population of 294,891 people according to the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, on December 31, 2007.-History:The first Greeks came during the time of the Roman Empire to Central Europe.... : 6

Greece Greeks The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world.... : 258 Israel: 1 Jordan: 1 Libya: 1 South Africa Greeks in South Africa The Greek community in South Africa numbers 130,000 people.-Notable people:*George Bizos - human rights advocate*Stanley Christodoulou - international boxing judge and referee*Ivan Gazidis - sports business executive... : 2 United Kingdom: 1 United States: 2