Can you introduce yourself?

I can. Should I? ;-) Okay: People call me Stefan or Strudel (since my full name is Stefan Rudel). I was born as a pretty big small one in the mid of December 1991, and now I’m sitting here and I’m smiling about myself - I’m happy. That’s enough for introducing myself (there are so many more questions *-*).

Which YEE member organisation do you belong to? What are the main activities of your organisation?

FÖJ-AKTIV e.V. is the organisation I’m coming from. We support young people (mainly in the age between 16-27) who take part in the German program of an ecological volunteer service year (“FÖJ”) - doing their own projects, organising campaigns, buying material for local and regional actions, … - and we are also a network organisation for former eco-volunteers who are interested in staying in touch with each other (there are about 2800 volunteers in this service year every year… so many people to connect to!).

How did you get involved in YEE?

One former Board member from FÖJ-AKTIV always advertised the great opportunities of YEE, and wrote (and wrote and wrote…) to “just go to a training course and experience it!”). So at one point I went, connected to the Annual Meeting in 2016, and because I felt like these are people I want to connect to and work with in this part of my life I decided to run for a Board position… and was voted into Board. That happened pretty spontaneously.

Could you tell us about your work in the Board last year? What were your main achievements? 

Well, I tried to figure out what would be the best way to represent YEE (since I was the External Relations Officer and represented the network, the network’s ideas and with this also the interests of member organisations and generally a part of the green youths in Europe) when travelling to meetings, conferences, talking to people, … I was active for YEE at the youth level and also at a broader level on one level with colorful European environmental organisations (in the EEB). I also moved quite a lot with the Board and office, worked on documents, policies, was in e-mail contact, had personal meetings, and learned with all the others. Main achievement: eating less leftovers (...making people to put less on their plates, so stick to ‘what is enough for me?’

How do you see the future of YEE?

I’m not sure. Sometimes I think about it, sometimes the answer that comes up is: we decide the future of YEE *now*. With every decision, every e-mail we send out, every contact we make. And it depends a lot on the input we get from outside and members how YEE looks and what it will look like in the future. So: you answer the question: how do you want YEE to be in the future?

Why did you want to stay and change position in the Board? 

Well, since the last Chairperson left and I find it (in general) important to have some sustainability in Board and representative positions, I thought I would (in agreement with other Board members) run for chair, bring my experience from the last year in the Board and try to include what I learned during this year to keep a nice and warm group of people together and act together.

What is your main aim as a Board member for 2017-2018?

Even less leftovers? ;-) - I want everybody to feel on the same level with each other. No pressure, no suppression - and respect and one step back for each other. We all do what we think is best - if we know better, we can do better. So let’s support each other and be effective.

Why do you care about the environment? What does the environment mean to you?

Because it's what I live in. I couldn't be there without the environment - but I'm happy and thankful to be there (to be here) and be able to live and experience. For me it's simple logic: why should I destroy what makes me able to live? Why should I destroy myself? Besides of being my surroundings and being the place/'whole one' I'm being part of environment means to me: fun, diversity, colorfulness, variety, energy, light, green, temperature, change, consistency, red, patience, power, mightiness.