European Young Women start off the 2010 Study Session, European Young Women Creating a Safe World
The sun is peaking through the windows of the European Youth Centre in Budapest, lightening the buzzing activity that is taking place in the conference room of the 4th floor. The preparatory team is bringing a final touch to the programme, going over it one more time, leafing through the sessions to make sure nothing is being left out: "Everything needs to be in perfect place for the opening of the session tomorrow" says Kirsty Kelly, World Board and prep team member, while reviewing the session on the upcoming World Council 2011.
Participants have already started arriving on Sunday April 11, tired from their journey but motivated and enthusiastic about the week. "This is my first conference, and the first time that I am travelling alone " smiles Laura from the YWCA of Romania, introducing herself to the other participants.
The European YWCAs Study Session will indeed be an empowering experience for the 37 participants coming from around 20 European countries that are gathering this week in Budapest. Their programme will include activities ranging from group work to plenary sessions to workshops on various topics relevant to the work they undertake in their national associations, such as communications, and more precisely new technologies and online social networking, peace with justice, sexual and reproductive health and rights, HIV and violence against women. Besides, as the European Regional Training Institute and the World Council 2011 are getting nearer, this Study Session will enable the participants to come to these events well prepared and together as one voice.
Throughout the week, participants will be encouraged to learn by sharing their best practices and projects, thus increasing their knowledge through teamwork and building a strong network between the YWCAs of their region. They will also receive a testimony from Ms Beatrice Fihn, from the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) on Peace with Justice on the role of women in disarmament, drawing from her own experience as a Project Associate within the WILPF programme Reaching Critical Will. Ms Taina Nakari, from the organisation SUPPORT, will also be part of the event as a lecturer on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. The young women will receive a training on condom programming and female condoms and will be able to ask questions and express their views on this topic. Partnerships with other organisations will thus be put under the spotlight, with three participants coming from the YMCAs of Albania and Armenia and a lecturer from the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) coming to share with the participants the WAGGGS advocacy toolkit.
The week will officially kick off on Monday April 12 after a devotion followed by the opening speech of the Executive Director of the European Youth Centre in Budapest, Antje Rothemund. The opening devotion will be lead by the Black Eyed Peas song, Where is the Love? Unusual? A departure from what has been traditionally done? Certainly. But then again, isn't it what the YWCA movement is about? Women leading change. And making it happen. Now.
The European Young Women might surprise you even more over the upcoming week, so stay tuned to the World YWCA website, but also to Facebook, Twitter and the blogosphere to see what they have in store for you.
Links:
European YWCA Young Women's Blog
European YWCA Young Women's Twitter Page
