Klaar Kiming - Youth Leader Seminar 2009

Press release, Youth of European Nationalities (YEN)

Klaar Kiming – Clear Horizon, was the topic of this year s Youth Leader Seminar of the Youth of European Nationalities (YEN). Together with the Frisian youth organisation Rökefloose, YEN organised this year s working seminar on the island of Föhr/ Feer.
From the 13th till the 18th of October the member organisations dealt intensively with the topic “Minorities and the Challenges of Change”; the consequences of climate change and its cultural effects on small language communities in different European regions. They obviously felt quite well in the beautiful landscape of the island of Föhr/Feer.
The participants could project their thoughts on the topic in workshops, lectures and discussions where they were able to exchange their own experiences. Mathias Harrebye Brandt moderated the plenary discussion “Climate Change in the Wadden Sea – the last days or Challenge”. During the discussing the focus was on four main points and the participants could expand their horizon in terms of climate change. Because of the exchange of different European experiences the problem of climate change could be viewed from different angles.
The cultural part was not to be missed out. During the seminar the newly opened museum – Kunst der Wesküste (Art of the West coast) – was visited. During a guided tour the participants could experience some of the so called “new” and “old” art. On the island tour that followed the visitors could have a look at the typical Frisian roof thatched houses.
Apart from the workshop on climate change, the working groups on enlargement, communication and politics focused on their main topics during the seminar. They continued working on their projects, finished of older projects and developed new plans for the future year. Through the intensive working process the working groups could flesh out their goals and put them in concrete terms.
The Youth Leader Committee gave the working groups a platform to exchange with each other. Hereby a foundation for productive working for YEN s internal affairs was created. Due to the transparency of the working groups the participants could work faster and more productive during the Youth Leader Committee.

The fist Council of Members (CM) of the Youth of EuropeanNationalities was held on October 16 2009. During the CM the board and working groups had the chance to present some of the activities in the past year, just like the Office that gave a detailed report of their work. Furthermore the delegates were able to inform each other about their organisation s activities for the upcoming year. During the CM the youth organisation SiiN (youth organisation of Russians from Estonia) became extraordinary member. The CM also adopted two new resolutions. The first concerned the topic of “old” and “new” minorities. The second resolution was an open letter to the President of the Czech Republic (Vaclav Klaus) with an urgent request to sign the Lisbon Treaty.
The last day was devoted to the region of North Frisia again. The participants could enjoy fresh Frisian North Sea air on the boat trip to the Hallig Hooge. Afterwards everybody was invited to eat the traditional kale-meal. The last evening was crowned with a live concert by the North Frisian rock band “Lembek”.
We would like to say a big thank you to the whole organisation-team of Rökefloose, which organised a great seminar and managed the week in an exemplary way, and to all the participants for their engagement.

Benjamin Roszenich, for the board of YEN