On a warm, Saturday afternoon, July 28th YEE hosted during the Annual Meeting a number of honorable guests. "Old socks"- as they call themselves – were not only fresh, but also inspiring.

Curious about the past, young activists had a chance to meet older experts of environmental work.

The meeting started off with short speeches of the visitors, each sharing their experiences, memories and expectations for the future. Stunned by the amount and value of work done in the past, YEE members found out about the important aspects of international cooperation. At the same time the past masters underlined the significance of interpersonal relationships and friendship that, in the times deprived of modern means of communication, were the foundation of common work.

During the breaks the experienced guests did not fail to socialize with their younger followers. Willing to share their personal impressions, the "old socks" were busy answering numerous questions posted by young environmentalists.

Delighted with the visit, YEE gives thanks to all the participants who came to the event and shared their experience as well as offered help, which undoubtedly will be used in the future.

Tomas Janiak,
YEE Publications and Promotion Officer

Impressions YEE/IYF symposium

On Saturday 28th July 2012, during the Annual Meeting of Youth and Environment Europe (YEE) in Oucmanice, Czech Republic, an interesting and fruitful symposium took place about past, present and future of involvement of young people in the field of the environment.

Besides an impressive overview of the activities of YEE and the member organisations, it was a great pleasure and honour that the organisation has given the floor to several foreign guests telling experiences about their involvement with environmental studies and conservation. The guests came from different countries and organisations and some so-called 'old socks' as co-authors of the historical review of the International Youth Federation for Environmental studies and Conservation (IYF).

The participants were happy with, among others, the presentations of Jan Čeřovský (Czech Republic), honorary member of IUCN and still bringing together young and old people with environmental experiences, Jan Dobrowolski (Poland), Antje Rücker (Germany), Katalin Czippan (Hungary), vice-chair, Europe of the IUCN Commission on Education and Communication and Hein van Bohemen (The Netherlands), who presented the publication: International Youth Federation for Environmental Studies and Conservation (IYF); An account of the involvement of young people in conservation from 1950 to 2010 (chief editor: David Withrington) (publication information: www.nma.en.niedersachsen.de).

It was a great pleasure to learn that YEE is still organised by youth themselves, the officers elected by the member organisations and serving on a voluntary basis. In the report the full history is well described, also the struggle to get a permanent office with some paid staff. It is a great pleasure that YEE has already for many years a permanent office in Praha.

After the presentations a lively and useful discussion took place about the future involvement of youth in the environmental field. The intension is to bring a large group of people together to stimulate a greater contact between policy makers and youth. The Alfred Toepfer Akademie für Naturschutz, who was represented during the symposium by Johann Schreinder, is willing to organise in 2013 on the Lüneburger Heide such an event to discuss past, present and future of youth involvement in environmental conservation. It is vital to bridge between high level policy makers and youth. The event can be combined with the 30th anniversary of YEE.
The plans and projects of YEE should have more impacts and more people and organisations on all levels of scale should be stimulated to give more input of money and experience for facilitating young people in the environmental field.

Hein van Bohemen