Newsletter of the UBC Commission on Youth Issues

Dear Friends,

Year 2012 has passed and was once again really active for UBC Commission on Youth Issues (CoYI). Year 2013 is not looking any “slower” as the new youth conference is approaching and will take place in Mariehamn in October 2013. We would like to invite cities to be active and work with us on the topic of youth unemployment, which will be the main theme of coming conference.

Today we would like to share with you some important events from 2012. There were two Commission meetings in 2012: one in Kemi in April and another one in Gdynia in October. Commission meeting in Kemi was important for further development of CoYI as the strategy for 2012-2014 was accepted there. Commission meeting in Gdynia gave us input on youth work structures in UBC cities, on different tolerance projects, on coming youth conference and last, but not least, 2 new vice-chair cities were elected. So in 2013 CoYI is still chaired by Tallinn, but Gävle and Turku are carrying the responsibilities of vice-chair cities and are eager to give their effort to develop the youth work in Baltic Sea Region.

As to other activities - the youth seminar took place in September 2012 in Estonia (Kloogaranna). It was part of the joint project “Life, Media and Participation – Youth in Baltic Sea Region”. Over 40 young participants and their leaders from 8 cities learned how to prepare media campaign and back at their cities are now working on it. Also, members of the Commission visited Mariehamn for the start-up meeting and planning the youth conference of 2013.

There have been 16 active cities from 9 countries involved in Commissions’ work and projects this year. We would also like to thank Commission on Sports and Commission on Education for the co-operation in 2012! If your city or Commission isn’t one of the partners yet you are very welcome to join our events in future. You can participate at any time but if you are more seriously committed to work together with us for a longer period, we kindly ask the City to sign the Letter of Intent (more information on our web-site www.ubc-youth.com). In 2012 City of Gävle and Kotka have signed the Letter of Intent and are active members of CoYI. Thank you and all the other cities as well for your input and ideas!

We hope to see representatives from your City already at our next meeting in Gävle, meanwhile you can write to us: ubcyouth@tallinnlv.ee.

Happy Holidays and all the best for 2013!

UBC Commission on Youth Issues

Chaired by Cities of Tallinn, Gävle and Turku

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