Wednesday 16 May 2012

Last day - The story of creating a team: the facilitators


There are times in life when you do not get what you expected.... You get something better. This is the feeling I've had since the first day of the „Let’s take care of the planet” European Youth Conference. As a facilitator, you start with many fears and uncertainties. You do not know the participants, their expectations and how active they will be. You do not even know how effective you will be, because a facilitation process is always a two ways street: you and the participants. A thorough preparation and optimism can help you shape a positive image of the final results but reality will always add new colours to this image.

In terms of preparation, the team of facilitators benefited from a two days training course during which they got the chance to know each other, learn from the different experiences they each shared, meet experts in the field of sustainable development, try new teaching and learning methods and plan the activities of the conference. In terms of optimism, funny energizers, songs, smiles and hugs brought a naturally positive atmosphere and confidence. In just a few words, the training course for the facilitators was a story of creating a team. A team that gave their best to answer to the participants’ needs and achieve the planned objectives while encouraging everybody to have fun, to work with passion and enthusiasm. A team that went beyond their formal responsibilities, which ignored tiredness and which  never forgot to smile.

Now, on the last day of the conference we all agree that it was worth it. The young delegates shared the facilitators’ enthusiasm and positive attitude. They contributed actively to each session and amazed everybody with how competent, well informed and committed they were. They worked every day with the true belief that their opinions, ideas and actions can save the environment and that together they can take care of the planet.

A reflection of one of the participants that will stay with me for a long time is this: “You must be crazy in order to save the environment”. Indeed you must. You must be crazy enough to do things differently than the majority of people, crazy enough to start creating new paths instead of walking on the old ones and ultimately, crazy enough to believe that you have the power to change this world, you in your small town, in your school, in your home.

At the end of this long beautiful road on which we did not walk, but ran together these three days, my only hope is that we, as facilitators, were not the stones in the road that made the young delegates stumble, but the ones that were there to quietly show them the way. I hope they too got more than what they had expected.

Florina PAVEL
APSD-Agenda 21, Romania

Life at the conference


All the delegations arrived the 13th of May between the morning and the evening.

My own delegation arrived much dispersed; half of the delegation (Catalonia and Madrid) arrived at 17:00 after walking from the metro station (20 minutes’ walk).  Then, people from Basque Country and Canary Islands arrived at the time we were presenting all the countries by their self, by 21:30. Finally, the girls from Galicia arrived by 1:00 the 14th of May, because they had some problems with their train/plane/bus.

We are sleeping in 3 different rooms, 2 in the 4th floor and 1 at the 3rd floor (the girl’s one).

In our delegation, we have celebrated 2 persons’ birthdays, one was on the 14th and the other was in the 15th. It was a good coincidence that the 15th we could go to Brussels and we celebrated both birthdays at the same time in the restaurant singing “Happy birthday”.
At the night, we spent our free time together in the boys’ room or in the girls’ room and we are talking about our things until we go to sleep like at 2 or 3 o’clock.

Before we start the working days, we presented each other and at dinner time we put some typical food of each country.

Group visits (15 May)

 On 15th of the May the delegates were divided into 5 groups and every group had its own programme. Groups 1-3 visited European Parliament and then had debates with European deputies, group 4 visited Parlamentarium and had debates with Committee of the Regions administrative members. Group 5 was walking in the park and listening to the information about the project, which were organized here last time.
 We were in Group 3 and would like to say some words about our visit. In the European Parliament we had a small excursion, where we had watched a video about the Rome Treaty, heard about functions of European Commissions, European Parliament and Council of EU and had seen the hall, where the politicians discuss different topics.

 After this we went to the Committee of the Regions to debate with the deputies. Group 3 was talking with Philippe Lamberts, representative of Green Party, about his life, job, environmental problems in the world, responsibilities of adults and young and his opinion about “Youth European Conference: Let`s Take Care of the Planet”.

 It was our first time talking with a politician, and we really liked it.  He looks like a simple man and was very friendly to us. His speech was rather fast, but legible, and all of us understood everything. We were impressed by this meeting.

                                                                                                                           Liza and Dasha, Russia

Thematic workshops (14 May)


On the first day of our conference - May 14th - we had our first thematic workshops. We were divided into six groups: consumption, natural resources, energy, solidarity, transport and biodiversity.

We all discussed about what responsibility is and then we talked about our topics. We decided what was the most important thing in our subjects. For example, in consumption group we came to the conclusion that every person can manage to do the 5R’s: Rethink, React, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
We created responsabilities for each topic.

Consumption: “We feel responsible for what we buy.”
Natural resources: “We feel responsible for raising people’s awareness in our community on the importance of Natural resources.”
Energy: “Raising people’s awareness about reducing exhausting and polluting energies and replacing them with renewable energies.”
Solidarity: “Create social connections between people of all ages in local and international communities.
Transport: “We want to reduce carbon emissions and air pollution by taking the public transport, walking, riding bikes or skateboards, consuming local products and encouraging people to do the same.”
Biodiversity: “We want to make people aware of the stakes of biodiversity and make them protect it from the danger of global warming, in order to preserve it for future generations.”
Biodiversity workshop
On 15th May we continued on working in the same groups. We discussed about same questions with delegates from other groups and we were told to have few minutes writing on the subject and expressing our ideas about them. Thematic workshops were really interesting and inspiring.
     
I, Amy from Malta, was in the Consumption group. I enjoyed discussing my ideas with other delegates from other countries. I liked it because some things that you can do were really fascinating. I have to tell my friends in Malta about it, so together we can take an action.

I, Adelė from Lithuania, was in the Biodiversity group. I enjoyed our workshops very much, because that was experience that I have never had before. It was something new and very interesting for me. It inspired me to love our planet even more and take care of it as good, as I possibly can.

  Amy, Malta
Adelė, Lithuania

The River Of Hope (14 May)


The opening ceremony of the conference "Let's Take Care Of The Planet- Europe"


Hopeful young people at the formal start of this adventure which must lead to changes if we want a bright future here at our sensitive planet. The atmosphere summed of hope, and light were in everybody's eyes already when the very first word at this special conference was spoken. Now it really begins...

Reported by Sidsel Sofie Poulsen and Maria Louise Jensen, Denmark

Presentation of delegations (13 May 2012)

                                                           

After arriving to the hostel everyone should get to know each other; how would we cooperate without knowing each other? We had a delegation presentation ceremony. Everyone brought traditional things from their country. Some of us used their national costumes, candies, music, etc. Turkey, for example, brought Turkish delight which had different flavors like rosewater, lemon peel, etc. Sweden presented one of their most famous dollies; Pippi Longstocking (Pippi Långstrump, in Swedish) made by the writer Astrid Lindgren. Now I think you understand how different it was, from one corner of Europe to the other! This way we understood each other better, we got to know other cultures better. Our mission was not just to present our own country; we should also begin presenting next country with three words about the country and end our own presentation with three words about our, this was also a way to make the delegates closer. For instance, we used words like capital cities, famous people and famous places. 
 





In Turkey’s presentation, they wore their traditional clothes; boys wore fez, which Turks used to wear at the time of Ottoman Empire, and girls wore traditional dresses, which sultanas used to wear. They also distributed their special dessert, Turkish delight which had different flavors. Furthermore, they showed their flag and they distributed ‘evil eye’, which they believe that this bead protects them from bad events.






Sweden presented some Swedish traditions, Pippi Långstrump, the Maypole (a pole you are dancing around and singing happy songs in the end of June to celebrate the summer solstice) and of course, the pop band ABBA which won the European 1974 with the song Waterloo.







Denmark sang a children song about a snail and a ladybug, showed their red and white flag and they also taught us Danish which was hard!







Fredrik/Sweden
Ezgi/Turkey






















To be... a facilitator


I got the opportunity to take part in the European youth conference “let’s take care of the planet”, as a facilitator. I must admit that I did not perfectly know what I would have to do. But doesn’t, being with a lot of cool young people and do what you can to take care of the planet at the same time, sounds good? I think so. And it was calming to know that we had two days to get to know our role and the team, before all the delegations came. Before these two days I only knew that I would help with the conference and facilitate a workshop. But I was not sure about what it exactly involved. When I arrived I met nine nice committed people, whom I would facilitate with. And then of cause the helpful organizers of the conference. They guided us these two days through the program and our role and I felt safer after that. At this conference there are all the delegates, the organizers, the translators and the facilitators, both the technical and process facilitators. With white-, blue-, green, and orange/red t-shirts. All these people together form the conference. Our, the facilitators’, role was to guide and help and be there for the delegates. We had to take care of our national delegation, be sure they were on the buses, brought the most important stuff in the mornings and had a good time. At the workshops we had to guide the delegates though the responsibilities and make them use all their knowledge and abilities. But when the delegates are so committed and interested it is not difficult to do all this. It is on the other hand difficult to describe what you feel when you have been waiting for all these young people and they then arrive and they then prove to be better and nicer than you have ever expected. And when the facilitator team then also functions so well and everyone is so nice to you, it is just difficult to imagine that we are going home from all this in a few days. Even though we have a lot to do and get tired, it is not tired like in “I don’t want any more”. It is a wonderful tiredness with the good feeling of a long day with good work and wonderful people. So to be a facilitator is fantastic!

Lærke Denmark

LE VOYAGE DES DELEGUES JUSQU’A BRUXELLES

Nous sommes les délégués de Guyane faisant partie de la délégation  française parmi les 13 pays d’Europe participant à la Conférence européenne qui se déroule à Bruxelles du 14 au 16 mai 2012, qui a été organisée pour débattre etéchanger afin de trouver une solution pour sauver la planète.

Le 12/05/2012
Le jour du départ nous sommes arrivés  15H à l’aéroport Félix Eboué de Cayenne. Apres avoir patienté un petit moment  nous avons rencontré notre accompagnatrice, Mme Travise Tracey, qui nous a expliqués le programme.
Une fois avoir dit au revoir à nos parents, nous nous sommes dirigés vers la salle d’attente où nous avons attendu près de 2H à cause d’une panne de climatiseurs dans l’avion.
Nous avons voyagé pendant 8H et enfin nous sommes arrivés à Paris. Nous avons pris plusieurs moyens de transport (métro, bus). Nous sommes arrivés à la gare du Nord pour prendre le train qui nous a emmenés à Bruxelles.
Ensuite, nous avons marché pour arriver à l’Auberge de Jeunesse. Nous étions tous fatigués. Nous avons retrouvé nos amis dont nous avions fait la connaissance lors de la Conférence Nationale àAutrans.
Pour certains le voyage était plus court, comme les Espagnols qui ont mis 2H pour arriver à Bruxelles, les Danois qui ont mis une 1H30 en avion et 1H en bus,les Maltais qui ont mis 3H d’avion et 1H de transports en commun, les Lithuaniens qui ont mis 2H en avion et 1H de transports en commun. Mais pour d’autres, le voyage ressemblait au notre comme par exemple les Russesqui on fait 6H de bus jusqu’à la Finlande et 2H d’avion jusqu’à Bruxelles,ou encore les Suédois qui ont fait 3H d’avion et ont mis 3H pour arriver à l’hôtel. Pareil pour les Géorgiens qui ont mis 2H de taxi pour arriver en Turquie, 1H30 d’avion pour Istanbul, encore 2H30 d’Istanbul à Bruxelles et enfin 45 minutes pour arriver à l’hôtel  à cause d’un passant qui leur avait indiqué un mauvais chemin.
Malgré la fatigue et la durée du voyage il y avait des épisodes drôles : les Turques qui ont fait 3H de vol et 1H30 de transport en commun.Deniz Cantimur nous raconte ‘’ Je              croyais que j’étais nul enfrançais alors que arrivé à Bruxelles j’ai vu que je me débrouillais bien ‘’
Les Tchèques ont mis 1H de vol et 2H de marche et de transports en commun car ils étaient perdus. Les Roumaines, qui ont mis 3H de vol et 1H30 de transports en commun, trouvent que les femmes à Bruxelles sont très originales, drôles et que le métro est très sale. Les Italiens ont fait 1H30 de vol et 1H de transports en commun, ils ont trouvé que la montée vers l’auberge était très épouvante.Et pour finir, les Allemands, après 2H30 de train et 20 minutes de métro nous racontent ‘’ Dans le métro, il y avait plein de fumée qui ne sentaitpas bon.
Finalement tout le monde est  bien arrivé à l’auberge.
Sefjane FORSTER et Marc-Wildor SAINT-GERMAIN

Monday 14 May 2012

If not now, when? If not we, who then?


Lydia Nicollet, Monde Pluriel
This slogan of the international charter of responsibilities spread since the 2010’ meeting in Brasilia is still true. “We have to tackle non-action of others with optimism, enthusiasm and motivation. We have the energy of the youths and we will have the energy of the collective after this meeting. Use it being a snow ball telling your friends, families and everybody about the dynamic to take care of the planet, about responsibility and your actions.” Alexandre Mauras was in Brazil in 2010 and is still amazed by taking care of his and our all future, encouraged by collective moments like this European conference Let’s take care of the planet that takes place from May 14-16th 2012 in Brussels with about 80 youths coming from 14 European countries. 


Some adults confirm: “just never vote for a politician that is not aware of environmental issues” – if you do not want to be disappointed one could add. And if millions are hearing the same music or following the same vogue, Nathalie Broux who accompanied her students to Brasilia encourages the youths that “millions can also adopt simple manners such as waste separation”.



Mr Collins, Commitee of the Regions
Another encouragement came from the Committee of the Regions that is hosting the meeting. The two delegates that will represent the youths gathered these days in Brussels in Rio in June 2012, will have the floor to present their open letter and the dynamic as well as debate with the participants in the side-event of the Rio+20 summit the Committee of the Regions will organize on June 21th in Rio. We will see what the European Commission and the European Parliamentarians will answer to the commitments of these youths on the closing ceremony. Rendez-vous: Wednesday, May 16th.

Les jeunes au travail!

Le premier jour d'une rencontre réunissant de nombreux jeunes qui ne se connaissent pas, on se demande comment cela va pouvoir se passer...
On en a eu un aperçu, hier soir lors de la présentation culturelle des délégations, puis ce matin, lors de la cérémonie d'ouverture, à travers la qualité de l'écoute  et l'intérêt des questions posées...
On a bien vu que ces jeunes étaient venus se rassembler autour d'un objet commun : Prendre soin de leur planète...
Mais pour que ce soit vraiment LEUR planète, il faut qu'il s'en emparent, qu'ils participent, qu'ils agissent, qu'ils se fassent ambassadeurs de leur génération. Tant de mots ambitieux et de belles phrases prononcés ce matin, auxquels il faut donner une réalité. Citons Edith Sizoo : "You are like a drop in the ocean... the ocean is nothing without a drop..."
Y arriveront-ils ? Sont-ils vraiment venus ici pour exercer toute leur responsabilité ? Ne sont-ils pas surtout présents pour profiter des rencontres, et des occasions de faire la fête ?
Ce serait mal les connaître, et c'est que nous avons pu vérifier lors des premiers ateliers, aujourd'hui lundi 14 mai après-midi.

A midi, nous les enseignants, les responsables de Monde Pluriel, les organisateurs... bref, les adultes ; nous avons profité avec joie du repas bio, des quiches aux carottes et autres taboulés, des délicieux gâteaux ; nous avons plaisanté un peu, puis nous nous sommes réunis dans le hall du Comité des Régions, et avons été accompagnés à l'extérieur des locaux, vers des ateliers "pour adultes".
Un peu perplexes, un peu inquiets parfois, nous avons laissé les 80 jeunes seuls, entre eux, dans les trois très beaux étages réservés à la Conférence. Mais quelques-uns d'entre nous, discrètement, étions restés pour observer, et rendre compte dans ce blog, ou sur Facebook, de ce qui se passait.

C'est alors que l'équipe des "reporters" s'est mise à chercher les jeunes... d'une minute à l'autre, plus aucun adolescent dans les couloirs, plus de bruit, plus d'agitation... mais où sont-ils ?


<< lie down, relax, feel yourself on the floor, close your eyes, and listen to the Violine
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Sunday 13 May 2012

European Conference is starting today!

First day of the European Conference - Let's Take Care of the Planet!
Delegates are preparing themselves at the Auberge 3 Fontaines to get to the Commetee of Regions for the Open Session!
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