Young environmentalists acting across borders

During the national Russian holiday in November this year active young people from Norway, Finland, Belorussia and Russia did not have time for rest and celebrations. The reason for that was 2nd International Youth Civil Forum "Learn to act".

The Forum took place in Arkhangelsk on November 5-7 and was organized by the Arkhangelsk regional youth ecological public organization "Etas" together with the Norwegian youth ecological organization "Natur og Ungdom".

After the plenary session and the official opening the Forum participants went to Malye Karely where they had three busy days of discussions, trainings and presentations. 137 participants were offered to choose from several sections to demonstrate their potential and find partners for successful cooperation in one of the activities: NGO and youth, NGO and environmental protection, youth and culture, youth and tourism, youth in business.

Hanna Olsen from the Norwegian organization «Natur og Ungdom» has nice impressions: «We had a wonderful weekend in Arkhangelsk! Young people got acquainted and communicated with guys from the Barents region who have similar goals, objectives and interests on the way to sustainable development of the Barents region. We have acquired new friends, have strengthened our cooperation, we have got new ideas and perspectives for further joint activities. The Forum helped us to plan future projects which our organizations will implement together. Meeting so many optimistic and creative young people I am sure that in the future we will be able to bring all our ideas into life!»

One of the specific arrangements during the Forum was a «Share your warmth» campaign. Under this campaign the Forum participants had brought their old, hand-made or especially meaningful things with them. Before getting such a «particle of warmth» it was necessary to find your «match» for the exchange with the help of a symbol depicted on a participant’s badge.

According to the initiator of the «Share your warmth» campaign Anna Varlamova, it not only helped to intensify cross-cultural communication and exchange of cultural elements, but also brought some good, positive energy and the warmth of new friends into our world. «Now a small part of the Forum lives in every participant and warms him/her with its tender warmth», says Anna.

Press-conference covering the results of the sections’ work took place in the Exhibition Hall of the Union of Artists. During the Forum closing the participants let white balloons flow into the sky with their hopes and wished inside. The Forum organizers are sure that before the 3rd Civil Forum in 2011 many of these ideas «hovering in the air» will have turned into quite specific and actually implemented projects.

Text by Svetlana Ushakova