EYCE Annual Report 2011

“YOU WERE CALLED TO JUSTICE” (Galatians 5:13)

Activity and Development Report 2011

ECUMENICAL YOUTH COUNCIL IN EUROPEConseil Œcuménique de la Jeunesse en Europe aisblRue Brogniez 44, B - 1070 Bruxelles, BELGIUMTel. +32 2 510 6171 Fax +32 2 510 6172 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.eyce.org

Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe aisbl | Conseil Œcumènique de la Jeunesse en Europe aisbl

Rue Brogniez 44 – 1070 Bruxelles – BelgiumPhone: +32 2 5106171 – Fax: +32 2 5106172 – E-Mail: [email protected] – Web: www.eyce.org

Bank details: KBC Bank, Argence Marnix – BIC/Swift: KREDBEBB – IBAN: BE30 7340 0440 4011

Ecumenical Youth Council inEurope aisbl

Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe

Table of Contents

1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 3

2. EYCE’s activities .................................................................................................................... 5EYCE training course "Learn. Engage. Lead.A Step by Step Ecumenical Leadership Training for Young Europeans"............................ ......... 5

Launch of EYCE's Campaign to Promote Ecological Justice....................................................... 7

EYCE training course “Taking steps towards an ecologically responsible society.Theological and political perspectives of ecological justice”......................................................... 7

EYCE at the II Youth Convention on Volunteering........................................................................ 10

EYCE Study Session "Secularism and Religions:Working Together for a Common Europe".................................................................................... 11

EYCE Campaign to Promote Ecological Justice........................................................................... 13

3. External Relations .................................................................................................................. 16

4. EYCE structural development ............................................................................................... 22

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1. Introduction

The year 2011 has brought many challenges to EYCE,many of them positive and development oriented, but alsosome to overcome in order to make the work of theorganisation more sustainable and possible. Still, it hasbeen thematically a very rich and inspiring year!

In 2011, EYCE addressed through its programme a varietyof themes important to young people in Europe today, stillfollowing up the mandates from the 37th General Meeting.The programme included an ecumenical leadershiptraining, which helped EYCE to strengthen cooperationwith its partners, such as WCC, but, most importantly, to start developing a new generation of ecumenicalleaders to avoid the challenge of the generation gap in the organisation. This activity was also crucial withregards to equipping young people in the EYCE network, in particular these coming from the EYCE memberorganisations with new tools, methods and inspiration, thus strengthening the whole EYCE.

The most important development in the thematic work of EYCE was the launch of the Campaign to PromoteEcological Justice, which is foreseen to last for 3 years. The campaign brought into the work of EYCE notonly focus on the themes currently very high on the global agenda, but also a variety of new approaches andmethods, e.g. flash-mob, low-consumption day and others, which EYCE curiously explored.

EYCE also increased its engagement into the youth politics, especially through the European Youth Form,e.g. by addressing various themes in Thematic Squares or by contributing to a number of thematicstatements and activities with its expertise. Special attention was brought to changes in Youth in ActionProgramme. Furthermore, the relations with the ecumenical organisations, e.g. Conference of EuropeanChurches and World Council of Churches, were increased and EYCE further strengthened its position as thetransmitter of the voice of young European Christians and as the expert in many fields connected to (the)social justice and Human Rights. The representations with these organisations also contributed largely to thegeneral visibility of EYCE and recognition of European ecumenical youth work.

A special highlight should be given to the work of the Steering Committee on EYCE's Future Development.Following the need of reconsidering the structure and aims of the organisation, due to the changes in Europetoday, the steering committee did a remarkable job in analysing the work and identity of EYCE and presentedthe outcomes to the 38th General Meeting of EYCE. The recommendations of the Steering Committee werefollowed by many changes and improvements in the organisation.

It must be noted that in 2011 EYCE also faced quite few challenges, mainly in the financial aspect, as thefundraising became more and more difficult, especially with regards to the support from the churches. EYCEhad to put much effort in raising enough money to sustain all of its activities to the level planned, as well asto come up with alternative and creative solutions for fundraising.

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Nevertheless, all the planned activities were carried out successfully and with remarkableresults. For all activities the participants gave very positive feedback. In 2011 EYCE more stronglyhighlighted the practical aspect of its activities and provided more training opportunities to the participants,e.g. in communication, rethorics, advocacy and social marketing, which equipped young people in EYCE'snetwork with more concrete skills and increased their involvement on the local level. From the perspective ofpractical organisation, there are always items that can be improved, yet, the overall satisfaction with EYCE’sactivities has further increased. Most of these achievements can be attributed to the impressive work youngvolunteers have put into developing and implementing EYCE’s seminars, training courses, and studysessions.

The particular highlight has to be given to the fact that in the EYCE 38th General Meeting a new ExecutiveCommittee has been elected, ensuring more gender and regional balance in the committee, as well asmaking the work more balanced and efficient.

Altogether, despite the challenges and difficulties EYCE faced in the year 2011, it has been a successful yearfor EYCE, which has led to strong and innovative programmatic developments, stronger memberorgansiations and better equipped young people on the grass roots level. The ExCo and EYCE office arelooking forward to strengthen the weak aspects of EYCE's work in the future and hope to maintain thedevelopment oriented work also in the years to come!

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2. EYCE’s activities

EYCE training course "Learn. Engage. Lead. A Step by Step Ecumenical Leadership Training for Young Europeans "27th February - 6th March 2011 Kandersteg, Switzerland

In the past two years EYCE, similarly asother youth organisations in Europe, haswitnessed and experienced a crisis inyouth participation and ownership. Thereis a great variety of initiatives on variousissues and countless possibilities foryoung people to participate in variousevents, however many youth organisationsencounter difficulties in securing the linkbetween the generations within theorganisation and the organisationalmemory. Thus, youth organisations arechallenged to provide the young peoplewith the experienced contribution fromtheir peers or they will lack enthusiasticyoung people to carry on the work of theorganisations on a new level. With this training course EYCE wanted to

provide young people from EYCE’s network with relevant skills and knowledge in order to enable them totake part in and organise ecumenical and intercultural activities on a national or regional level, as well as toempower them to be more active in their own organisations and networks.

The training course aimed at strengthening the participation of young people and enabling participants toactively engage in ecumenical dialogue and decision making processes at all levels.

To reach this aim the following objectives were identified:

• to analyse the socio-political dimension of the Ecumenical movement and to provide young peoplewith sufficient knowledge about Ecumenism;

• to provide a safe platform for intercultural learning and exchange for the participants and enablethem to work in an international setting;

• to empower and enable the participants to actively take part in decision making processes on alllevels;

• to develop practical leadership skills with the participants, among them conflict management skills;

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• to equip the participants with practical knowledge and skills to implement ecumenicaland intercultural projects on their local levels;

• to develop a functioning network and enable the exchange of experiences and practices;

• to view the contemporary social challenges, such as poverty, exclusion, injustice, ecological crisis, inlight of the Ecumenical movement, by developing practical projects with the participants.

The training course brought together 25 participants (age 18-30) and team members from all over Europeand from various cultural and denominational backgrounds. The training course was prepared and imple-mented by a team of volunteers from the EYCE network.

Non-formal education was the main methodology used during the project. The programme consisted of twothematic aspects - overview on the ecumenical movement and the current structures in the ecumenicalcircles and the practical leadership training, which focused on intercultural learning, concrete skills and prac-tical knowledge. Several guest speakers and workshop leaders contributed to the programme of the trainingcourse with their knowledge and expertise. Leadership skills and practical tools were offered to the parti-cipants by using a variety of non-formal learning methods.

The first part of the training course focused on exploring the concepts of good „leaders“ and „leadership“from religious perspectives and various cultural backgrounds. Also, an introduction to the Ecumenicalmovement and intercultural learning was provided. Dr. Andrew Pierce from the Irish School of Ecumenicsspoke about the origins and history of the Ecumenical movement and its changes through the last decades.During a panel discussion with Ludmila Hallerova (82 years old, a civil society activist in Czech Republicsince her early twenties), Dr. Elke Eisenschmidt (29 years old, member of the Executive Council of theEvangelical Church in Germany, EKD) and Jens Sheeran (29 years old, Operational Director of theKandersteg International Scout Centre) the participants experienced good examples of leadership and wereencouraged and inspired for their future work as young leaders.

On Thursday, 03rd March, the group visited the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva. Natasha Klukach and CarlaKihoyan, representing the World Council of Churches (WCC), gave an insight into the current challenges ofthe Ecumenical movement and working areas of WCC. Nikos Kosmidis, representing the ECHOS youthcommission of WCC introduced the work of this commission. A workshop offered by Ralston Deffenbaugh(Assistant General Secretary for International Affairs and Human Rights, Lutheran World Federation) focusedon advocacy and lobbying, and therewith marked the beginning of the second part of the training course.

Focusing on providing the participants with skills essential for good leadership, the second part of the trainingcourse was characterized by interactive workshops and practical training. The programme included trainingin group dynamics, teambuilding, communication skills, negotiation skills and conflict management, feedbackand moderation. Further sessions underlined the importance of the personal development of a leader andfocused on self confidence and role models. The participants also received knowledge for use in theirpractical work through sessions on public relations and project management.

The participants contributed actively to the process of the training course with their experiences and know-ledge of the subject, and enriched the atmosphere of the event greatly with creative approaches to the activ-ities. The project was very successful and highlighted many potential youth leaders in EYCE's network.

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Launch of EYCE's Campaign to Promote Ecological Jus tice28th of March 2011Brussels, Belgium

The official launch of EYCE's Campaignto Promote Ecological Justice took placein the Maison du Protestantisme, whereEYCE's office is located. The CampaignCoordination Team presented the conceptof the Campaign and its various elementsand warmly welcomed friends of EYCEand guests from EYCE's partnerorganisations.

EYCE's Campaign to Promote EcologicalJustice is foreseen to last throughout theyears 2011 - 2013 and aims at raisingawareness for ecological issues in Europeand beyond throughout EYCE's network,implementing practical changes andecologically responsible solutions in the

work of Council and its member organisations, as well as contribute to the work of other actors in Europe andbeyond, who work in the field of ecological justice.

The campaign is exploring the various aspects of ecological justice, for example the relation betweenecology, economy and politics, ecology issues as basis for numerous conflicts and the increasing problemsof climate refugees, as well as the theological perspectives and Christian responses to ecological injustice.The work of the campaign consists of various elements - training courses and seminars, publications andawareness raising materials, as well as supporting local initiatives and study visits.

EYCE training course “Taking steps towards an ecologically responsible society. Theological and political pers pectives of ecologicaljustice ”3rd of July - 10th of July 2011Kiev, UkraineDuring the last EYCE General meeting, which took place in May 2009, a recommendation was made toEYCE's Executive Committee to give more attention to the climate change issues and implement moreecological solutions to the daily life of the Council and its members. A decision to launch a 3-year Campaignto Promote Ecological Justice, featuring awareness raising materials and activities, alongside with concretetraining programmes for young people, was subsequently made by EYCE's ExCo.

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This training course was the first thematicevent of this campaign and focused onpolitical and theological aspects ofecological justice. Ecologicallyresponsible thinking and action is not onlylinked to ecological ways of life and'green' thinking. The ecological injusticebrings along many social challenges, e.g.lack of education, social injustice, poverty,Human Rights violations and migration.Looking beyond the daily 'green'practices, we see the political,economical and ethical issues, all servingas causes and being consequences ofthe ecological injustice. So often

institutions, both religious and secular, as well as the individuals dismiss the urgency of responsibility –leaving it for “later” or for “others”. In Christianity, responsibility, protection and care towards the creation isrequired from the believers, therefore an active role of churches in promoting ecological justice needs to beexplored. Furthermore, promoting and enhancing ecological justice in all its aspects is the responsibility ofeach individual. This especially concerns young people, who are the ones that shape the global futurealready today.

With this training course EYCE sought to contribute towards an ecologically more responsible societythrough providing the participants with the good factual knowledge and analytical approaches to causes andconsequences of the ecological crisis today, as well as equipping them with concrete skills and tools toadvocate for an ecologically responsible society in their contexts. It aimed at increasing the understanding ofecological justice and ecological responsibility in European civil society through the active contribution ofyoung people.

In order to reach the aim, several objectives were developed:

• to provide the participants with a good factual knowledge on ecological situations, on the Europeanand global level;

• to analyse the causes and consequences of ecological injustice from political and theologicalaspects;

• to explore the links between contemporary social challenges, such as poverty, social exclusion,injustice, and lack of education, and ecological injustice and environmental crisis;

• to explore the concept of eco-theology as a way to overcome ecological injustice and promote anenvironmentally responsible society;

• to empower and enable the participants to actively take part in decision making processes on alllevels in order to overcome ecological injustices on their local and national levels;

• to equip the participants with practical methods and tools to address the issues of ecological justiceand implement concrete projects on their local and national levels;

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• to enable the exchange of experiences and good practices;

• to provide space for practical implementation of ecological responsibility by reducing the CO2emissions as much as possible, reducing consumption connected to the implementation of thetraining course and providing useful knowledge for participants to improve their daily ecologicalresponsibility.

The training course brought together 23 participants (age 18-35) and team members from all over Europeand from various cultural and denominational backgrounds. The training course was prepared andimplemented by a team of volunteers from the EYCE network, who are part of the Campaign CoordinationTeam as well.

Non-formal education was the main methodology used during the project. The programme consisted of twothematic aspects - the political and theological aspects of ecological justice, as well as the overview and ananalysis of the historical responsibility of Europeans in relation to the global South and the cultural impact onecological awareness and habits. The practical aspect of the training course focused on equipping theparticipants with knowledge, skills and tools to address the issues of ecological justice in their local contexts,e.g. advocacy, social marketing and project development. Several guest speakers and workshop leaderscontributed to the programme of the training course with their knowledge and expertise. Ecologicalknowledge and practical tools were offered to the participants by using a variety of non-formal learningmethods. Rev. Peter Pavlovic from CEC Church and Society Commission spoke about the theologicalperspectives of ecological justice, the Biblical references for our responsibility towards creation andecological debt. Mr. Christian Jakob, a journalist from Germany elaborated in his speech on the history of theinternational climate negotiations, as well as the issues and arguments at stake. Together with theparticipants he looked into the expiration of the Kyoto protocol and the perspectives of the upcomingConference of Parties in Durban.

On the 7th of July participants visited the United Nations building in Kiev. Mr. Giovanni Mozzarelli,representing the UN volunteering programme and Mr. Yuriy Pivovarenko, the project coordinator, presentedthe project "Let's do it, Ukraine!" and gave an insight into the challenges of project planning. During the dayin Kiev a flash mob involving recycled fashion was organised.

The highlight of the week was the "Challenge your Lifestyle!" day, where participants and the team restrainedfrom using electronic devices, excessive water consumption and learned some practical skills in bread,candle and solar cooker making workshops.

The final part of the programme provided the participants with knowledge and ideas for use in their practicalwork through sessions on advocacy, project management and social marketing. Participants also developeda variety of good ideas how to address the issues of ecological justice in their own contexts. The participantscontributed actively to the process of the training course with their experiences and knowledge of the subject,and enriched the atmosphere of the event greatly with creative approaches to the activities. Finally, to mark the end of the training course a magnolia tree was planted at the venue of the trainingcourse, in the outskirts of Kiev.

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EYCE at the II Youth Convention on Volunteering 7th - 10th of September 2011Brussels, Belgium

II Youth Convention on Volunteering(IIYCV) brought together more than 1500young people from various parts of Europeand various youth organisations. This wasa large scale youth activity organised byEuropean Youth Forum and included astakeholder conference on volunteeringand a big festival in- and outside theEuropean Parliament. EYCE took partboth in the conference and the followingfestival. The participants got theopportunity to present their organisationthrough stands and workshops.

Together with EYCE’s Belgian memberorganisation SPJ, EYCE contributed to the

Convention with its stand and workshops about ecological justice. This contribution took place in theframework of EYCE’s Campaign to Promote Ecological Justice. To raise the awareness of visitors onecological issues, EYCE offered at its stand a photo exhibition "Why are ecological issues a matter ofjustice?" , and distributed leaflets about the campaign. Visitors interested by the topic could sign in themailing list to receive the newsletters and become part of the pool of interested people. EYCE alsoproposed a survey to visitors at the stand. They were asked to answer why they thought that ecologicalissues are a matter of justice, by putting a cork in a jar corresponding to their answer. Awareness raisingmaterials, such as fair trade Brazilian bracelets and organic and fair trade cotton t-shirts, were offered at thestand. Four different workshops: paper making workshop, recycled fashion action, COP17 simulation and adebate on ecological justice issues, were also organised by the EYCE team during the two days of theConvention.

This event was a good opportunity for ECE to present the work of the campaign and raise awareness of theissues discussed within it. In addition, EYCE networked with many of its partners during the Convention andwas able to define new projects in the field of European Youth Politics.

The photo exhibition was also brought to the EYCE General Meeting in October to show the MemberOrganisations the work within the campaign and raise awareness on more specific issues.

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EYCE Study Session "Secularism and Religions: Working Together for a Common Europe "4th - 11th December 2011Budapest, HungaryFor the last three years (2008 - 2010)EYCE has been running an interreligiousCampaign to Overcome Fundamentalism,which has been addressing severalspecific issues, e.g. fundamentalism andviolence, fundamentalism and HumanRights, as well as the role of the religiouscommunities towards shaping responsiblecivil society, through thematic events,publications, meetings and awarenessraising materials. The campaign hasproved to be a great success, and thediscussions during the campaign and itsoutcomes show, that the interreligiousyouth work and ongoing dialoguebetween religious communities is crucial to maintain a just and peaceful European society today. To follow-up the campaign EYCE's Executive Committee has decided to foresee annual inter-religiousactivities. Apart from the themes addressed within the campaign there are many areas and challenges,where the interreligious cooperation is significant and engaging into the dialogue between various groups isessential, especially, when it comes to the grassroots level.The developments in the EU policies, especially linked to the Lisbon Treaty, promote an enhanced dialoguebetween EU and churches/ religious communities. Already existing bodies for dialogue between religiouscommunities and European institutions are contributing towards the representation of their member churchesin relations with political institutions working in Europe. This work takes place in the fields of Human Rights,economic, environmental and social issues, including informing and raising awareness within the churches ofthe development of EU policy and legislation. However, this work still leaves the gap between theinstitutionalists of the religious communities and the individuals on the grassroots level as the actualmembers of civil society. With this study session EYCE sought to address the questions on how religiouscommunities can engage into a meaningful and constructive dialogue with the secular society and to explorethe ways, how this dialogue can be carried out beyond stereotypes and violence.The study session aimed at positioning and empowering young people from various religious communities tobe key actors in promoting and implementing the dialogue between religious communities and secularsociety.

In order to reach the aim, several objectives were developed: • to provide knowledge on historic developments of the dialogue between religious communities and

secular society;• to analyse the approaches of the various faith communities in Europe with regards to their

participation in civil society;• to gain an overview on the current dialogue between religious communities and the civil society in

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various counties and on the European level; • to share good practices and initiatives from various countries;• to develop a common standpoint of young people of various faith communities on engagement into a

constructive dialogue with secular society on a personal, local and European level; • to develop creative and practical approaches to be used to enhance the involvement of local

religious communities; • to provide a safe forum for intercultural and interreligious sharing and exchange.

Several guest speakers and workshop leaders contributed to the programme of the training course with theirknowledge and expertise. Theoretical background of secularism and the process of secularisation wasoffered to the participants through the lecture of Michaël Privot, the director of The European NetworkAgainst Racism (ENAR). The discussion was further elaborated by a presentation of real dialogue onEuropean level between religious communities and European institutions in the speech of Rüdiger Noll,director of the Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches (CSC/ CEC).Participants actively engaged and contributed to the discussions with the guest speakers.

On the 8th of December the participants had the opportunity to visit various religious communities inBudapest. The visit started with the visit to the Knights of Malta charity, where the participants got introducedto a variety of the charity projects run by this Christian based organisation. This was followed by a visit to aSynagogue and a short meeting with a representative of the Jewish community in Hungary. The field visitcontinued a presentation and discussion about the Muslim community in Hungary and the Muslim middayprayer at the Mosque.Friday, 9th of December was the day of experiencing prayers, when the participants had the opportunity toshare and discuss their faith traditions. There was an Ecumenical Christian prayer held in the morning andMuslim Midday prayer in the afternoon. Participants showed great interest in one another's faith tradition andmany interesting questions were asked.

During the practical part of the study session, the participants had the opportunity to experience and learnfrom a variety of workshops: advocacy, empowerment and motivation, dialogue in practice and creativethinking. The final part of the programme provided the participants with knowledge and ideas for use in theirpractical work by providing sessions on advocacy, project management and social marketing. This inspiredand motivated the participants to work on creative ideas for the projects to be implemented in their owncontext.

A variety of highly creative and interesting projects was developed by the participants, integratingexperiences and knowledge gained during the study session. The participants enriched the atmosphere ofthe event greatly with creative approaches to the activities. EYCE and FEMYSO wish the best of luck to allthe participants for the implementation of the projects developed!

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EYCE Campaign to Promote Ecological Justice

The environment is one of the most, if notTHE most, challenging concern forcontemporary society. It is clear thatclimate change is affecting the entireplanet – heavy rains in Philippines aredirectly connected to mild winters in Balticstates and higher frequencies of tornadoesin the Pacific. However, is the connectiononly present in this manifestation throughthe climate change? How is an ecologicallyresponsible way of thinking and living

linked to wealth and poverty? To migration? How does the lack of natural resources caused by climatechange trigger military conflicts and violence? It is responsibility of each individual, including young people,who will be the main players in future Europe and shape the world of tomorrow, to work against the negativeand irreversible effects of climate change and raise awareness on environmental issues.

In 2011 EYCE launched a 3-year Campaign to Promote Ecological Justice, which will last from 2011 - 2013.The Campaign is being built upon the strong participation of young people coming from variousdenominational backgrounds from all around Europe - sharing best practices, working on the grassrootslevel, as well as on an intensive cooperation with other ecumenical/church institutions, who work on similarissues, e.g. European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN), Eco-congregation and others, thus creatinga stronger network to address issues of ecological justice.

The first year of the campaign focused on approaching the issue from theological and political perspectives.More attention was brought to exploring the different theological approaches and looking what is themotivation and imperative for young Christians to address issues of ecological justice. Also, throughexploring the political perspectives, the campaign was focusing on very concrete things - internationalclimate negotiations, monitoring and analysing meetings like COPs, Rio+20 etc., as well as following theprocesses in the church politics, if one might say so, e.g. PWE process of WCC, especially the outcomes ofthe European consultation. Also, a very specific theme of the year 2011 was raising awareness of the globalsolidarity. During the first year of the campaign it was essential to have much visibility for the campaign and develop agood working structure, a network of partners and good awareness raising materials. The following activitieswere undertaken during the final year of the campaign.

Preparation of the campaign materialsThe campaign leaflet is one of the limited printed publications within the framework of the campaign,containing the aims and objectives of the campaign, as well as containing practical tips for a greener lifestyle.It was printed in 300 copies in the first half of the year 2011 and was distributed in all the campaign relatedactivities, as well as all meetings, where EYCE was represented. In order to promote the campaign in a youth-friendly way, bracelets were created containing the ideas of thecampaign. Half of them were produced in leather, half of the amount in cloth. They were produced by local

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artisans in Brazil. These materials were available at EYCE's events for a donation. In addition, campaign T-shirts were created with the logo and slogan of the campaign, the other half willadditionally show a catchy drawing. The T-shirts were produced in 100 pieces in different colours and areavailable at EYCE's events for a donation.

The LeafThe campaign magazine "The Leaf" was developed in 1 edition during the 1st half of the year 2011. Themagazine featured articles about the campaign itself and interesting projects implemented on local level,about international climate negotiations and sustainable development, about theological perspectives ofecological justice and taking action on political level. This list is however not exclusive – there were comicstrips, photographs, film reviews and many more.

Dissemination visit in Belarus and UkraineThe dissemination visit in Ukraine andBelarus took place from the 27th of Juneto 2nd of July 2011. The main aim of thisactivity was to motivate the local partnersto take concrete action in their owncontext, to empower and educate youngpeople in various contexts to promoteecological justice, as well as to gainexperience and resources for the furtherwork of the campaign. During the visit theCampaign Coordination Team visitedseveral initiatives - Green cross and EcoProject in Belarus, as well as UN houseand headquarters of "Let's Do It, Ukraine!"project. The visit was very successful andprovided the CCT with a good possibilityto share the work of the campaign, as wellas to gain new resources and materials for the EYCE campaign.

Training course "Taking Steps Towards Ecologically Responsible Society" This training course was the first thematic event of this campaign and focused on political and theologicalaspects of ecological justice. It took place in Kiev, Ukraine from 3rd - 10th of July 2011. With this trainingcourse EYCE sought to contribute towards an ecologically more responsible society through providing theparticipants with the good factual knowledge and analytical approaches to causes and consequences of theecological crisis today, as well as equipping them with concrete skills and tools to advocate for anecologically responsible society in their contexts. It aimed at increasing the understanding of ecologicaljustice and ecological responsibility in European civil society through the active contribution of young people.The training course brought together participants from all over Europe and from various cultural anddenominational backgrounds. Mr. Christian Jakob and Rev. Peter Pavlovic contributed to the content of thetraining course.

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There were several important achievements during the campaign in the year 2011.

• The relevance of the campaign can be mentioned as one of the biggest strengths of the campaign.With implementing this campaign EYCE has caught the momentum, when addressing issues ofecological justice is very important among young people and within the churches and youthorganisations. Furthermore, through this campaign young people receive knowledge and skills, howto address these issues in their own contexts, as well as get inspired by best practices. Thus, alsothe multiplying effect on the personal and grassroots level within EYCE's network, being one of theobjectives of the campaign, is ensured.

• This project was only the starting phase for the 3-year long campaign, therefore much focus andpriority was given to the promotion of the campaign and raising awareness, as well as increasing thepossibilities for more young people to participate on various levels. A very crucial achievement of thecampaign was that it achieved a great visibility and interest among young people and ecumenicalorganisations.

• All of the young people involved inthe campaign, have received itvery positive, be it the CCT, theparticipants in the training courseor dissemination visit. The mainaim of the campaign is to bringchange to the young people, aswell as to make them agents ofchange in their local communitiesand churches. The first year of thecampaign already showed muchinterest, commitment and changein daily practices of participants.Interesting project ideas for furthercampaign activities weredeveloped, which enriched the content of the campaign with good practice examples, interestingdiscussions, personal stories and sharing of ideas. The young people are very motivated to take upinitiatives, participate in campaign activities, e.g. photo exhibition, and contribute to the content of thecampaign, e.g. by writing articles, reports etc.

• The most unexpected and positive result is the change within EYCE towards daring and the ability touse methods not traditional for the work of the organisation, e.g. organising low energy consumptionday during the training course, photo exhibition or a flash mob. The diverse and creative compositionof the CCT working together with the EYCE office enables and triggers the creativity from theparticipants, which eventually will increase the quality of the campaign and willingness to participatein it!

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3. External Relations

Meeting of the Associated Organisations of CEC12th of January 2011, Brussels, BelgiumThe associated organisations of Conference of European Churches (CEC) came together in order to discussthe restructuring process of CEC. In this meeting EYCE was represented by Vice-Chairperson CatharinaCovolo and General Secretary Kristine Jansone. The discussions of the meeting resulted in a decision to ad-dress the CEC Revision Working Group (RWG) and contribute to their work in common. The participantsdefined three main fields that seem to be important in this process: Identity of CEC, Working Culture of CECand Structures. Subsequently, a joint letter of contribution was sent to the Revision Working Group.

Representation at Norwegian Christian Council11th-12th of February 2011, Vikersund, NorwayThis meeting brought together young people from each of the member churches in the Norwegian ChristianCouncil, the ecumenical council in Norway. This kind of meeting was arranged for the first time and it aimedat establishing ecumenical youth council in Norway. The theme of the meeting was "Church: Together Todayand Tomorrow". Throughout the programme of the meeting, the participants were introduced to theinternational relations of the Norwegian churches, as well as ecumenical relations and role of EYCE in those.The importance of knowing the world wide church was greatly stressed. Together with Mr. Nikos Kosmidisfrom World Council of Churches, EYCE General Secretary Kristine Jansone, introduced the ecumenicalmovement, its challenges and the great importance today.

Representation at WCC Central Committee Meeting16th -22nd of February 2011, Geneva, SwitzerlandEYCE Vice-Chairperson Catharina Covolo took part as an observer in the Central Committee meeting ofWorld Council of Churches (WCC), which took place in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Themeeting brought together the main governing body of the WCC. The main focus of the meeting was onChristianity and ecumenism in the context of contemporary reality, as well as the high importance of theinterreligious aspect in the discussion. The EYCE Vice-Chairperson also took the opportunity to meet with the representative of WCC Youth DeskMs. Faautu Talapusi in order to discuss the financial cuts towards the youth programmes and theperspectives of the Youth Desk and role of regional ecumenical youth organisations in the future of the YouthDesk. In addition a meeting with ECHOS commission of WCC, which includes several young people fromEYCE's network took place.

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Meeting with Euroclass24th of March, Brussels, BelgiumOn their annual visit to Brussels, among other organisations and EU institutions the group of students fromEuroclass of the Silkeborg Highschool in Denmark visited the EYCE office in Brussels. EYCE GeneralSecretary Kristine Jansone and the office volunteer Ms. Vera Kockler welcomed the guests and presentedthe work of EYCE. In addition, several interactive exercises were carried out. During this meeting also, thepossibilities to volunteer with EYCE were discussed.

EYCE – WSCF-Europe Joint Strategy Meeting 29th of April - 1st of May 2011, Brussels, BelgiumThe annual strategic meeting brought together the Treasurers and General Secretaries of two majorinternational youth NGO’s, EYCE and WSCF-Europe. This meeting provided the space for exchangingexperience and review the previous cooperation. These included common aims as well as joint funding proposals and a strategy to promote active democraticinvolvement of the Christian youth in Europe. Since EYCE and WSCF-E work in the same field, it wasagreed to build an even closer network to better communicate the needs of young people. An important part of this meeting was discussing the ever more disappointing financial and fundraising situ-ation of both organisations, as well as finding better approaches to the church donors and seeking newsources of funding for their work.

Council of Members of Youth Forum Jeunesse6th - 7th of May 2011, Antwerp, BelgiumFrom 6th - 7th of May 2011 the Council of Members of the Youth Forum Jeunesse took place in Antwerp,Belgium. This meeting was a good opportunity for EYCE to network with other youth organisations inEurope. EYCE representative Catharina Covolo (EYCE Vice Chairperson) attended the meeting. The Council of Members itself was dedicated to discuss different thematic themes, such as climate change,Youth in Action Programme, democracy, new media and globalisation. In addition, statutory changes of theYouth Forum Jeunesse were discussed.For EYCE the engagement in YFJ is important, as it allows good networking and cooperation possibilitieswith other youth organisations in Europe, thus strengthening the voice of young people.

CLIMSAVE Workshop10th - 12th May 2011, Brugge, BelgiumEYCE office intern responsible for coordination of EYCE's Campaign to Promote Ecological Justice Ms. VeraKockler took part in the first stakeholders' workshop of the European CLIMSAVE project. CLIMSAVE is apan-European project that is developing a user-friendly, interactive web-based tool that will allow stakehold-ers to assess climate change impacts and vulnerabilities for a range of sectors. Altogether three workshopsare foreseen and eventually the so-called Integrated Assessment Platform would be launched. During the

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first workshop certainties and uncertainties in the social, economic, governmental, environ-mental, etc. sectors were discussed. Then, this analysis was used develop possible scenarios in case of de-creasing natural resources.The participants to the meeting represented various sectors and backgrounds, such as governments and loc-al authorities, professionals, civil society and science. EYCE represented civil society, in particular focusingon youth and ecological justice. Being the only participant from a youth organisation EYCE's perspective wasdifferent from the others. The background of Ms. Kockler in human sciences, especially in social history, wasvery valuable. In the framework of the campaign this meeting helped EYCE to gain new contacts and thepossibility to network with people from all over the European Union and all fields of professions, authoritiesand civil society.

Plenary Meeting of the Church and Society Commissio n (CSC) of the Conference of European Churches25th - 28th of May 2011, Brussels, BelgiumEYCE Chairperson Catharina Covolo took part in the plenary meeting of CSC as an observer for EYCE. Themain theme of the meeting was "The culture and contents of the open, transparent and regular dialogue ofthe churches with the European Institutions", following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty (Article 17). Diverse forms of the dialogue between churches and secular society were discussed: annual meetingsbetween religious leaders and the EU Presidents, dialogue seminars, meeting with EU Presidencies, andfrequent meetings at the working level. In addition, the churches committed to operating in the public sphereas responsible and competent partners for the European Institutions, as well as to speak with a commonvoice and make sure this voice is heard. EYCE used this meeting for networking and strengthening therelationships with CEC, its member churches and other associated organisations.

European Muslim Youth Conference29th of June - 5th of July 2011 in Brussels, Belgi umAs one of long lasting partners of FEMYSO, EYCE was invited to take part in the conference. EYCE wasrepresented by Mr. Christian Arffmann, from its Danish member organisation.The conference focused on Islam and its role in Europe. The themes discussed at the conference were reli-gion in the public sphere, identity, islamophobia, social entrepreneurship etc. Many discussions focused onactive participation, energising youth organisations and making a difference. The EYCE representative wasactively participating and bringing in the ecumenical and inter-religious perspective in the discussions. This representation was very important for EYCE, as it continued to strengthen its working relation toFEMYSO and interreligious commitment.

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European Youth Meeting for Sustainable Development19th – 24th of July 2011, Tallinn, EstoniaThe member of the campaign coordination team of EYCE's Campaign to Promote Ecological Justice Mr.Mairon G. Bastos Lima took part in the European Youth Meeting for Sustainable Development 2011, whichgathered more than 130 participants from 70 countries. The meeting provided an opportunity to meet with re-spectable guests from UN agencies, the Estonian government and EU institutions. The meeting aimed at de-veloping a Youth declaration with the voice of Europe, which jointly with the statements of equivalent meet-ings in other parts of the world would form a common global youth position to be presented at the Rio+20Summit in 2012 in Rio de Janeiro. The participants worked in groups related to one of the seven fields recog-nized by the event organization, such as natural resources, education for sustainable development or urbandevelopment. Eventually the participants agreed on a declaration despite difficulty to discuss certain points.In addition, the networking with the other participants was important for the campaign, as all participantswere involved in work in the sustainable development field.

Agape International Camp15th - 21st of August, Agape Centro Ecumenico, Pral i, ItalyIt is important for EYCE to maintain a good relationship with its members. Therefore, as far as the human re-sources allow, EYCE also contributes to events organised by its members. Through its Italian member or-ganisation FGEI, EYCE was invited to give a contribution towards the work camp of Ecumenical Centre ofthe Waldensian Church Agape in Prali, Italy. Each year international camps, e.g. political, theological andwork camp, are organised.EYCE Executive Committee member Ms. Adriana Florea was part of the organising team of the camp andEYCE Vice-Chairperson Ms. Catharina Covolo represented EYCE in this camp as a guest speaker. Thetheme of camp was volunteer work and its different faces. During five days the the theory and the praxiswere combined in an international setting. The theoretical inputs reflected on volunteer work and its impacton the society from different points of view: theological, regional and political. The participants were comingfrom 4 different continents and the organisers managed to achieve the goal and create a very safe and di-verse platform of discussion and exchange.

European Interfaith Youth Network (EIYN) Youth Summ it16th – 19th of September 2011, Warsaw, PolandThe meeting brought together 25 young Religious Leaders, representing the biggest European youth organ-isations of Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Zoroastrian faiths. EYCE was representedby Ms. Zofia Kozlowska-Socha, from the Polish member organisation.During the meeting the challenges of multiculturalism/migration were discussed, as well as the positive roleof religions in building more inclusive societies in Europe.In addition, lectures were offered led by international experts in the field of interfaith and ethnic coexistence,multiculturalism, migration, refugees and Arab Spring. The training was offered on two from three topicsgiven: how to use mass media for advocating for social cause, how to run an advocacy campaign on social

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media, how to lobby politicians, how to use possible legal procedures and approaches thatcould help promote interfaith cooperation. The EYCE representative joined the discussion group on Education in order to propose concrete actions. This representation and interreligious cooperation is crucial in the work of EYCE and it is continuing itsengagement in this work.

Press and Communications Meeting of European Youth Forum18-25 September 2011 in Mollina, SpainThe Press and Communications Meeting of the European Youth Forum (YFJ) brought together communica-tions officers and/or Secretaries General of YFJ. EYCE was represented at this meeting by the General Sec-retary Kristine Jansone. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss and develop communicationstrategies and concrete tools to be used in the communication of the organisations. Both, through network-ing, exchange of experience between the organisations, as well as trainings received, the participants de-veloped communication campaigns for concrete causes addressed by the YFJ, e.g. Vote16. For EYCE this meeting has been beneficial as it helped developing ideas for improvement of the internal/ ex-ternal communications of EYCE, as well as for the campaign. In addition, better contacts have been estab-lished with other member organisations of YFJ and YFJ itself.

Annual Meeting of CSC Secretaries of European Churches 11th -13th of October 2011, Strasbourg, FranceEYCE General Secretary Kristine Jansone took part in the meeting of Church and Society Commissionsecretaries of European Churches. The main theme of the meeting was Human Rights manual for Churches,developed by CSC, mainly focusing on religious rights and migrants' rights. The approach and practicalimplementation of projects by different churches was discussed. Also, EYCE’s involvement and contributionto the work of CSC was highlighted. The concrete plans within the framework of the EYCE training course onHuman Rights were discussed. For EYCE the meeting was meaningful, as it increased its visibility amongCEC member churches and associated organisations. Also, this was a good opportunity for EYCE to networkand strengthen the relationship with CEC and CSC, as well as other associated youth organisations.In addition, the update from the Revision Working Group (RWG) was presented. The decisions andprocesses within CEC are still unclear, yet the time frame of the results was presented.

European Regional Assembly of WSCF-E30th - 31st of October 2011, Logumkloster, Denmark EYCE Vice-Chairperson Adriana Florea took part in the European Regional Assembly of Worrld StudentChristian Federation (WSCF-E). In order to strengthen the long lasting partnership between the two organ-isations, it is customary to take part in each other’s General Assembly’s. Being European youth organisa-tions, both partners find it important to work together and maintain the good cooperation that has been de-veloped over the years. Together it is possible to have a stronger voice, when it comes to representing the

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voice of young people in Europe. As both organizations were facing some financial problemsin the past year, the presence of EYCE at the ERA of WSCF-E was crucial in order to develop commonstrategies for fundraising.

Council of Members of Youth Forum Jeunesse18th -19th of November 2011, Braga, Portugal From 18th to 19th of November the autumn session of the Council of Members of the Youth Forum Jeunessetook place in Braga, Portugal. This meeting was a good opportunity for EYCE to network with other youthorganisations in Europe. EYCE General Secretary Kristine Jansone represented EYCE at this meeting.Among other discussions and networking meetings, EYCE representative, together with other memberorganisations of YFJ (The European Confederation of Youth Clubs and Organising Bureau of EuropeanSchool Student Unions) organised a Thematic Square, where the volunteer time contribution was discussed.As a conclusion of the Thematic Square, the organisations, which attended the Thematic Square expressedthe interest and willingness to integrate this issue into the work of YFJ and follow it up in the next meetings.The Council of Members itself was dedicated to discuss different thematic themes, such as climate change,Youth in Action Programme, democracy, new media and globalisation. In addition, statutory changes of theYouth Forum Jeunesse were discussed.For EYCE the engagement in YFJ is important as it allows good networking and cooperation possibilitieswith other youth organisations in Europe, thus strengthening the voice of young people.

EYCE/ FEMYSO/ EUJS Strategic Meeting 25th of November 2011, Brussels, BelgiumIn order to discuss the present state of cooperation between the three organisations, as well as to discussthe preparation process for the jointly organised study session, the meeting between EYCE and itsinterreligious partners Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO) andEuropean Union of Jewish Students (EUJS) took place.The main subject of discussion during the meeting was regulations in the cooperation between theorganisations and mediation of possible conflict between the member organisations of the Europeanumbrellas on a local level. A good strategic outline of the mentioned issues was developed, yet furtherplanning was seen as absolutely necessary.

Preparatory Meeting of World Religions Summit15th of December 2011, Hanover, GermanyUpon the invitation by Martin Affolderbach, the person responsible for the interreligious work in GermanProtestant Church (EKD), EYCE Vice-Chair person of EYCE Ms. Adriana Florea took part in the meeting toprepare youth event in 2015 prior to the World Religions Summit.EYCE together with its German member organisation aej would be the main organisers of this event. The

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meeting mainly focussed on initial planning and preliminary setting of the youth event and itwas decided that EYCE would assemble an international working group for the preparation of the event.A second planning meeting for the event was set for the 15 th of May 2012 in Frankfurt. After that meeting alsopartners from the other faith groups will be invited.

4. EYCE structural development

Executive Committee Meeting3rd - 6th of February 2011, Brussels, BelgiumThe first meeting of EYCE's Executive Committee in 2011 took place in EYCE office in Brussels, Belgium.The ExCo also took the opportunity to meet with the representatives of EYCE's Belgian MemberOrganisation Service Protestant de la Jeunesse (SPJ), who share the office building at MaisonProtestantisme, in order to discuss various ways of future cooperation.

The ExCo reviewed and evaluated the work that has been done since their last meeting in October 2010 inBelfast, as well as started initial preparations for EYCE's 38th General Meeting, which took place from 17th -23rd of October. It was held in Höchst, Germany and was hosted by EYCE's German Member organisationaej. EYCE Executive Committee also included in detail planning of the Council's work for 2011, in particularfurther development of EYCE's Campaign to Promote Ecological Justice, which was officially launched inMarch 2011. Furthermore, the ExCo worked on the outline for themes and events in 2012. The initial programme for 2012was developed, with the two first events of the year focusing on the training for potential IPC members, aswell as a training course on Human Rights with regards to ethnic minorities.

The ExCo meeting in Brussels also provided time for meeting with representatives of EYCE's BelgianMember Organsiation Service Protestant de la Jeunesse. Meeting with Yann Gabel, Cecile Binet and PetraRathmann gave the opportunity to share the activities of EYCE and SPJ, as well as find the possible ways ofcloser cooperation in the future, involving Belgian young Christians into the life and work of EYCE.

The ExCo also met with the president of the European Union of Jewish Students Mr. Benjamin Zagzag anddiscussed the further cooperation with EUJS in the field of interreligous work. A very fruitful meeting was heldwith the representative of Church and Society Commission (CSC) of CEC Ms. Elizabeta Kitanovic, whichresulted in concrete ideas and proposals for cooperation of EYCE and CSC in 2012.

Meeting to prepare the 38th EYCE General Meeting 1st - 3rd of April 2011, Höchst , GermanyThis meeting was foreseen to continue the preparations for the EYCE 38th General Meeting, which wasplanned to be held in Höchst (Odenwald), which is close to Frankfurt, in October 2011. The meeting brought

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together EYCE's Vice-Chairperson, General Secretary and the representatives of the localhosting organisation in Germany. The meeting took place in the planned venue for the General Meeting, thusgiving a good opportunity to plan the practical aspects of the General Meetings. In addition, thedevelopments within other preparations were discussed, further tasks outlined and the responsibilitiesdivided.

Meeting with a Member Organisation9th of May 2011, Brussels, BelgiumOn their annual visit to Brussels, among other organisations and EU institutions the group of delegates fromEYCE’s German member organisation aej met with EYCE's Vice-Chairperson and General Secretary. Duringthis meeting EYCE's involvement in youth politics was discussed, as well as the mechanisms, how toemphasize the impact of EYCE and its member organisations to the legislative and decision makingprocesses with regards to the matters related to young people. The future of Youth in Action Programme washigh on the agenda.

Executive Committee Meeting16th - 20th of June 2011, Helsinki, FinlandThe Executive Committee of EYCE met for their second scheduled meeting in Helsinki, Finland. The ExCoalso took the opportunity to meet with the representatives of EYCE's Finnish Member Organisation SENYouth and representatives of the Finnish Ecumenical Council in an ecumenical evening organized by SENYouth. Furthermore, the ExCo had the possibility to meet the General Secretary of the Finnish EcumenicalCouncil Rev. Heikki Huttunen and discussed the ecumenical situation in Finland and in Europe. Of greatinterest was also the visit of an Orthodox Youth Camp during which EYCE and its work was presented.

The ExCo reviewed and evaluated the work that has been done since their last meeting in February 2011 inBrussels, as well as continued outlining the themes and events for 2012. A main part of the work during themeeting was dedicated to the preparations for EYCE's 38th General Meeting.

The agenda of the ExComeeting included also discussions on the future cooperation with the World Councilof Churches (WCC), the upcoming training course and the development of the Campaign to PromoteEcological Justice. As for the work connected with the European Youth Forum (YFJ), the ExecutiveCommittee discussed EYCE’s possible contributions to the new Work Plan 2013-2018 of the European YouthForum, EYCE's participation during the II Convention on Volunteering in September in Brussels and theQuality Assurance Framework of YFJ for Non-Formal Education.

The ExCo developed the initial programme for the second half of 2012, with the two last events of the yearfocusing on the recognition and positive use of gender equality among young people, as well as aninterreligious event in cooperation with the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations(FEMYSO).

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Steering Committee on EYCE's Future Development Mee ting14th - 17th of July 2011 Prague, Czech RepublicIn 2009, subsequently to the recommendation by EYCE's 37th General Meeting, a decision was made toestablish a steering committee on EYCE's future development, which would work on developing distinctivefeatures of EYCE by considering its aims, structures, and identity. In July 2011, the Steering Committee,consisting of 5 members (representing Germany, Latvia, Bulgaria, Iceland, Czech Republic) and an ExCorepresentative met in person for its second meeting. The Steering Committee on the Future Development, inaccordance with the extensive mandate given to it by the governing bodies of the EYCE, addressed areas,such as the organisation's identity, external relations, cooperation with the member organisations and otherrelated issues.

The discussions and explorations on all of these fields led to the development of a number of specificrecommendations, which were brought to the attention of the EYCE 38th General Meeting in October 2011.The recommendations addressed the improvement of quality and precision in networking, communicationand finances and when implemented, would mean shifting working capacities. The recommendations weredirected towards both, member organisations, Executive Committee and the Office. Most of therecommendations are in the process of implementation.

The first meeting of the committee took place in 2010, and the work between the meting was done via Skypeand e-mail.

Volunteer TrainingJuly 2011, Brussels, BelgiumStarting at 27th of June 2011, Laura Torres joined the EYCE Office as the new intern, in cooperation withYMCA France.In the beginning of the internship a training was provided for the new volunteer by EYCE General SecretaryKristine Jansone, as well as a special meeting was arranged with the project coordinator in France, Mr.Cedric Graser.

During the training the volunteer was introduced to the main working areas of EYCE, especially highlightingthe special working focus of the volunteer – ecological justice.

During the meeting with the coordinator, on the 7th of September 2011, issues such as reviewing the aims ofthe volunteer, her expectations and fears, introduction to the structures of EYCE and the role of the volunteerin them, the positive and negative experiences within her work so far, as well as the possibilities for theimprovements were discussed. Also, the further communication arrangements were made together with thecoordinator.

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Meeting to Prepare the 38th EYCE General Meeting20th of September 2011, Cologne, GermanyThis meeting was foreseen to finalise the preparations for the EYCE 38th General Meeting. The meetingbrought together EYCE's Vice-Chairperson, General Secretary, German National Correspondent, as well asthe representatives of the local hosting organisation in Germany. The developments within the preparationswere discussed, further tasks outlined and the responsibilities divided. In addition, the detailed practicalitieswere arranged.

Volunteer TrainingSeptember 2011, Brussels, BelgiumStarting at 1st of September 2011, Daniel Sipos joined the EYCE Office as the new intern.In the beginning of the internship a training was provided for the new volunteer by EYCE General SecretaryKristine Jansone, as well as the ExCo member responsible for the internship, Ms. Inka Lindroos.

During the training the volunteer was introduced to the main working areas of EYCE, especially highlightingthe special working focus of the volunteer – publications. Furthermore, issues, such as reviewing the aims ofthe volunteer, her expectations and fears, were addressed.The new volunteer also had several informal meetings with former EYCE volunteer Ms. Vera Kockler, duringwhich the role of the volunteer in EYCE, the positive and negative experiences within his work so far werediscussed. In depths introduction to the structures and working methods of EYCE was provided to the volunteer throughhis participation to EYCE 38th General Meeting.

EYCE 38th General Meeting17th – 23rd of October 2011 in Höchst (Odenwald), G ermanyThe 38th General Meeting of the Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe was hosted by EYCE’s GermanMember Organisation Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Evangelischen Jugend in Deutschland e.V. (aej) andEvangelische Jugend in Hessen und Nassau e.V. and brought together more than 40 young people asdelegates, guests and stewards.During the 38th General Meeting Executive Committee elections took place and the following people havebeen elected to the EYCE Executive Committee – Catharina Covolo (Lutheran, Germany) as theChairperson, Adriana Florea (Lutheran, Romania) as the Vice-Chairperson and Sini Tyvi (Lutheran, Finland)as the Treasurer, as well as Andrea Aprile (Baptist, Italy), Benjamin Mlýnek (Hussite, Czech Republic), ZofiaKozlowska-Socha (Baptist, Poland) and Slavi Spasov (Orthodox, Bulgaria). EYCE was happy to welcome many guests to its 38th General Meeting, especially from the organisations inclose partnership with EYCE, such as the Forum of Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO) andthe World Student Christian Federation Europe (WSCF-E), as well as potential cooperation partners –European Methodist Youth and Children (EYMC). Furthermore, after the fruitful cooperation of more than ayear in organising EYCE events, especially the summer training in Lithuania in 2010, EYCE welcomed a newmember to its family – the Youth Centre of Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania.

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During the week of the General Meeting the thematic work of the past two years wasevaluated and the upcoming work planned. Besides the EYCE Campaign to Promote Ecological Justice, aspecial focus was set on the continuation of EYCE’s interreligious work, as well as various aspects ofecumenical leadership training. The active involvement and cooperation between the Member Organisationswas highlighted, especially in the work of the campaign and in enhancing the visibility of EYCE.

Meeting with Donors24th of October, Stuttgart, GermanyEYCE Vice-Chairperson Catharina Covolo and EYCE General Secretary Kristine Jansone visited theGerman church donor agency Kirchen Helfen Kirchen in Stuttgart, Germany. The most important part of thismeeting with one of the church donors was to use opportunity to present EYCE and its work, as well as toestablish good contacts with the donor agency. Good relation with the agency was established and possiblefuture funding was discussed.

Meeting with a Local Organisation28th - 30th of October 2011, Hohensolms, GermanyDuring the preparation process for EYCE’s 38th General Meeting the representatives of EYCE were invitedto biannual general assembly of the organisation, which hosted EYCE’s General Meeting, EvangelischeJugend in Hessen und Nassau e.V. This meeting brought together more than 100 young people and their youth leaders from Hessen andNassau region in Germany. During this meeting EYCE's representatives offered a workshop on interreligiousdialogue, which caused a great interest and resulted in meaningful discussions. In addition, the possiblecloser cooperation between the organisations was discussed, as well as the involvement of those youngpeople in the work of EYCE.

Meeting with a Member Organisation17th of November 2011, Berlin, GermanyParticipating in the annual meetings of EYCE member organisations is an important part of staying informedof what is happening and how could EYCE and the member organisation benefit from each other the best.ExCo member Zofia Kozlowska-Socha visited the EYCE member organisation aej in Germany at theirannual meeting. She met with aej board members and participated in a committee on international youthwork and ecumenics. A youth policy project was discussed and many new ideas shared. Ms. Kozlowska-Socha also shared the visions and plans of EYCE for the coming year.

Volunteer ProgrammeJanuary - December 2011, Brussels, BelgiumEYCE’s Volunteer Programme aims at providing training for young people as youth leaders/workers involvedin European/ national organisations. It also provides an opportunity for young people to work in aninternational organisation and get involved in intercultural learning.

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In 2011 EYCE was privileged to host three volunteers altogether. During the first half of the year 2011 theone long-term volunteer - Ms. Vera Kockler from Germany - still continued her work with EYCE, whereasduring the second half of the year EYCE office welcomed a new long-term volunteer, Ms. Laura Torres fromFrance and a short-term volunteer Mr. Daniel Sipos from Romania.

The main focus of the work of Ms. Kockler in 2011 has been on EYCE's Campaign to Promote EcologicalJustice, where she has been coordinating the team of the campaign, researching the resources anddeveloping the publicity materials relevant to the campaign, as well as organising meetings and events in theframework of this campaign. Ms. Kockler also worked on the preparation, implementation and follow-up ofthe EYCE training course "Taking Steps Towards Ecologically Responsible Society", which was organised inthe framework of the campaign and took place in July in Kiev, Ukraine. Apart of working directly with thisEYCE event and the campaign, Ms. Kockler represented EYCE in various events and trainings regarding hertheme. During her work with EYCE Ms. Kockler added the practical experience of planning, implementingand evaluation work with young people, thus giving a practical aspect to her placement.

The placement of Ms. Torres was arranged in cooperation with YMCA in France. The main focus of work ofMs. Torres has been following up the project of Ms. Kockler - EYCE's Campaign to Promote EcologicalJustice, where she has been supporting the team of the campaign, researching the resources and assistingin developing the publicity materials relevant to the campaign, as well as helping EYCE General Secretary inorganising meetings and events in the framework of this campaign.

Mr. Daniel Sipos joined EYCE team as a short-term volunteer in September 2011. His main working areawas the development of EYCE publicity materials, such as activity reports, The Leaf magazine andpreparation of EYCE's new website in cooperation with EYCE webmaster. With the support of Mr. SiposEYCE publicity materials gained a new quality standard, which helps EYCE to gain more visibility.

EYCE is grateful to all the volunteers in its netwo rk - ExCo, members of various committees, officevolunteers and many more - for their commitment, en thusiasm and creativity, thus greatly enrichingthe work of EYCE!

The work of the Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe has been supported by the European Commission and the Council of Europe. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and neither the European Commission, nor Council of Europe cannot be held re-

sponsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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Documents

EYCE Annual Report 2011