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EUROPEAN UNION FEDERATION OF YOUTH HOSTEL ASSOCIATIONS |
EUFED e-bulletin
We are pleased to send you the new edition of the EUFED e-bulletin, with latest information from the Federation, a summary of relevant EU developments and a selection of news items from our member Associations.
Michèle Obert, Coordinator
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EUFED Executive Committee meeting
EUFED last Executive Committee meeting took place in Brussels on 11 August 2006. Topics included:
- Preparation of the Hannover meeting of 11-12 October to discuss the future of Youth Hostel Associations in Europe.
- Preparation of EUFED General Assembly
- Preparation of EUFED Action Plan 2007
- Preparation of EUFED 20th Anniversary in May 2007
A working meeting is planned at Hannover Youth Hostel on 11-12 October to discuss the future development of hostelling in Europe following the IYHF Davos conference. The purpose of the meeting will be to assess the implications for Europe of the decisions and strategic directions emerging from Davos, and to consider how European Youth Hostel Associations move forward in Europe. For more information, please contact EUFED office.
Preparation of EUFED General Assembly is underway
EUFED General Assembly will take place at the new Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel (pictured left) on 25 and 26 November 2006. In addition to the General Assembly there will be workshops on:
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Proposals from the Hannover working meeting will be fed into the Edinburgh Assembly.
Proposed International Seminar "Youth Hostels and Young Workers' Mobility under Action 5 of the Youth Programme
The Seminar is anticipated to take in Edinburgh ahead of EUFED AGM on 23 and 24 November 2006. An answer from the European Commission on EUFED application for funding is expected in September.
EUFED Project Manager Mario Mohr met with Bernhard Ensink Secretary General of the European Cyclist Federation (ECF). They explored possibilities of cooperation and project development. The following EUFED Member Associations have already confirmed their interest in participation: AIG (Italy), CAJL (Luxembourg), DJH (Germany), LAJ and VJH (Belgium), RYHA (Romania), ÖJHV (Austria), YHA (England & Wales), SJH (Switzerland) and DANHOSTEL (Denmark). www.ecf.com
EU Communication on European policies concerning youth participation and information
In a Communication adopted on 19 July, the Commission emphasises the need to improve the information for and participation of the young people in order to get their full involvement in democratic life at both national and European level. The Communication is a follow-up to the 2003 White Paper on a “New Impetus for European Youth”. It calls upon the Member States to pursue their actions aiming at procuring better information, at encouraging civic participation among the young and at introducing a structured dialogue with young people on the European Agenda. More... Competition for a birthday logo and slogan: “Happy Birthday EU”
The European Union invites students of art, graphic design, communication design, visual communication, media design or related disciplines and design professionals, who have graduated in 2006, to take part in the competition: they are invited to create a logo and also, if they so wish, a slogan about European integration. The logo and the slogan must refer to the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome and must encapsulate the idea of European co-operation in general and the future of the EU in particular.
The closing date for the competition is 30 September 2006. All the details...
The 5th European Tourism Forum will take place in Cyprus from 16 to 17 November 2006 under the Finnish Presidency with the support of the European Commission. The Forum 2006 focuses on the new opportunities in the European tourism industry; New Technologies, New Tourists; New Instruments, Innovative Partnerships and New Trends, New Markets.
The registration will begin at the beginning of September. Provisional programme ETF 2006
Council of the European Union - New drafts Structural Funds regulations available online
The latest drafts of the five Structural Funds regulations have been made available online in all Community languages. The documents numbers for the different regulations are:
- General Regulation: 8750/06
- European Regional Development Fund: 8751/06
- Cohesion Fund: 8749/06
- European Social Fund: 8752/06
- European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation: 8754/06
To access the regulations, simply insert the document number in the search tool at the following address: http://register.consilium.europa.eu
Management tool for territorial cooperation
A new management tool to promote better use of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in the area of territorial cooperation is now available online. The "Good practice Interreg III project evaluation and selection manual" provides Interreg programme managers with practical and analytical information on evaluation methods for project selection. The manual includes a comparative analysis of existing evaluation methods used by Interreg III programmes and an evaluation guide, which provides examples of identified good practices. Further information: www.interact-eu.net/4107/0/0/1026943
AIG (Italian Youth Hostel Association) - EUROPEAN RAILS OF PEACE
This Summer, AIG took part in a project at the initiative of the Glocal Forum (Italy) called "European Rails of Peace". 50 young people from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Serbia stayed in Italian Youth Hostels. They travelled from the Balkan area - suffering from years of conflicts - in order to share experiences, ideas and knowledge about building a peaceful and prosperous region with young people living in the rest of Europe. www.ostellionline.org
AN ÓIGE (Irish Youth Hostel Association) - AN ÓIGE President elected to the Board of IYHF (International Youth Hostel Federation)
Ken Kilkenny, President of An Óige has been elected to the board of the IYHF.
The Board 2006-2008 is now composed as follows: President: Dr Harish Saxena (YHA India), 1st Vice-President: Edith Arnoult-Brill (FUAJ France), 2nd Vice-President: Angela Braasch-Eggert (DJH Germany), Treasurer: John Dickson (SYHA Scotland), Members: Pablo Fisch (Hostelling International Argentina), Ken Kilkenny ( An Óige Ireland), Gail Hesse (Hostelling International USA), Igor Jurišič (HI Slovenia PZS) and Dr Mamdouh Mandour (EYHA Egypt).
Elections took place in Davos (Switzerland) from 12 to 16 July 2006 over a five-day CEOs/Presidents Conference. www.anoige.ie
An Óige has commenced major works on Errigal Hostel in Donegal, located at the foothills of the Errigal Mountain, the highest mountain in Donegal and in the heart of the Gaeltacht area. The current building has been completely demolished and will be replaced with a 66 bed, purpose built, state of the art youth hostel. It will feature bedrooms built in a mezzanine fashion with all rooms en-suite. The hostel will feature all the usual characteristics of a top rated hostel including a fully equipped conference room, restaurant, internet access, self-catering kitchen and more. Energy saving devices such as wood burning stoves will be incorporated into the building. The new hostel will cost An Oige in the region of € 2 million and is expected to open to the public for the Summer of 2007. www.anoige.ie
Full planning permission has recently been granted to An Óige from Wicklow Co. Council for major renovations at our Knockree Hostel in Co. Wicklow. The current building will be completely renovated and replaced with another modern upscale hostel in a courtyard setting. Work should commence on Knockree over the next two years.
DJH (German Youth Hostel Association) - Multinational youth encounter: Overcome stereotypes and prejudices
“Our future will be solely determined by the degree of humanitarianism.” This is what 22 young adults realized during a multinational youth encounter in New York. Members of Youth Hostelling International from the “Western” countries of Germany and the USA and the “Islamic” countries of Morocco and Tunisia met for two weeks. The participants, aged 19 to 25, were invited by their national Youth Hostel Associations to take part in this event. This youth programme had been an important step towards dialogue and multicultural communication according to the young’s final statement. Stereotypes, misunderstandings and prejudices were overcome. This could only be achieved because all participants interacted honestly and openly ready to touch difficult issues.www.jugendherberge.de
DJH (German Youth Hostel Association) - Exchange with Russia
The German Youth Hostel Association aims at extending its bilateral relations with the Russian Youth Hostel Association (YHAR). Next Summer Russian interns are expected to undertake work experiences in German Youth Hostels, and one youth encounter will be implemented in each country. On the occasion of the opening on 21 October 2006 of the new Youth Hostel Oranienburg next to the concentration camp memorial Sachsenhausen representatives of YHAR have been invited. www.jugendherberge.de - www.russia-hostelling.ru
DJH (German Youth Hostel Association) - Youth encounter in Israel had to be cancelled
The German Youth Hostel Association had planned a bi-national youth encounter program in Israel in August. Twenty-two young participants were anticipated to intensively exchange their opinions about the history of the two countries. Due to the deteriorating security situation, the programme had unfortunately to be cancelled. www.jugendherberge.de
DJH Munich Guide – Science and Technology
The Munich Guide – Natural Science and Technology - is a new information platform for potential guests of Youth Hostels in the region of Munich. This guide was created and implemented by the DJH regional Youth Hostel Association of Bavaria. This orientation guide is available on-line (www.djh-naturwissenschaft.de) and propose different suggestions of museums, scientific institutions and enterprises to young people in the Munich region in connection to school curriculum. This allows teachers and group leaders who are planning to stay at a Youth Hostel in the Munich region to find out and book adequate, age-related and curriculum related accommodation for young people.
ÖJHV (Austrian Youth Hostel Association) - Children of Chernobyl in Youth Hostel Velden
For the 5th time, children of Chernobyl spent holidays in the Youth Hostel Cap-Wörth in Velden. The initiative of Ms Gertrude Weilinger (in charge of the project) is supported by the Community of Velden, the SPO (Social democratic parliamentary group) and the Youth Hostel Association of Carinthia. The catastrophe of Chernobyl took place 20 years ago and children of Chernobyl reported about their parents' dreadful experience to Austrian young people. www.oejhv.or.at
On the picture from left to right: Dr. Peter Kaiser, Ms.Gertrude Weilinger (General Deputy of YHA Carinthia), Mayor Ferdinand Vouk with the children of Chernobyl and their tutor
ÖJHW (Austrian Youth Hostel Association) - Refurbishing of Youth Hostel Hard
ÖJHW is pleased to announce the opening of the remodelled “young hotel” in Hard. The Youth Hostel is located only few minutes away from Lake Constance (Bodensee) and thus offers a great variety of outdoor activities. This modern Youth Hostel features eleven double rooms and eleven 3-, 4- and 6-bedded rooms with ensuite facilities, some of them with Internet and TV. Furthermore the new Youth Hostel provides the guests with a wide range of in-house facilities, such as a sauna, a restaurant, table tennis, gymnasium and a bowling alley.
The short distance to Bregenz enables visitors to satisfy their cultural interests with a variety of museums and the Summer festival “Bregenzer Festspiele”. www.jungehotels.at
SYHA (Scottish Youth Hostel Association) - Edinburgh Central opens 5 September 2006
Located in the heart of the city, just a few minutes walk from Waverley Station and Princes Street, Edinburgh Central is ideally situated for enjoying and exploring Scotland’s vibrant capital.
This stylish and modern hostel is well equipped to suit the needs of single travellers, families and larger groups. Bedrooms range from single and twin through to 8-bedded and all are en-suite. Full dining, bistro and self-catering facilities are available.
YHA E&W (Youth Hostel Association England & Wales) - Green Shoots are Growing
School pupils on residential trips with YHA can learn how small changes to their lifestyle can dramatically reduce impact on the environment.
The "eco-lessons" will be delivered as part of the Green Shoots initiative – a three-year education project funded by the Environment Department with the emphasis very much on fun learning leading to behaviour changes.
Green Shoots fits in perfectly with YHA’s new "Learn 4 Real" programme – the new online guide designed to take the hassle out of organising school trips. See www.yhagreenshoots.org.uk for more details. www.yha.org.uk
YHA E&W (Youth Hostel Association England & Wales) - Super-hostel sprouting in National Forest
Funding has been agreed to create a brand new Youth Hostel as part of a £ 3.2 million leisure complex in the heart of The National Forest.
The scheme will also include a camping and caravanning park at Moira, in the centre of the 200 square mile forest.
The East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA), together with Leicestershire Economic Partnership, has confirmed it will fund YHA National Forest to the tune of £ 1.78m.
Substantial funds had already been committed by The Camping and Caravanning Club and the National Forest Company.
The new YHA facility will attract an estimated 12,000 overnight stays a year, primarily from schools, youth organisations and families visiting the Forest.
Work will begin in October with opening of the new facilities expected by Easter 2007. www.yha.org.uk
YHA E&W (Youth Hostel Association England & Wales) - Revamped YHA Keswick ‘in the pink’
Guests are flocking back to YHA Keswick after the popular Lake District location underwent a massive £ 550,000 revamp.
The radical six-month improvement scheme got off the drawing board thanks to a big-hearted £250,000 cash injection from retired Manchester teacher Graham Pink, who wanted to "do something for young people".
He chose to support the rebuild along with money from YHA.
Further funding came courtesy of the late Norman Watson, formerly of Leigh, Lancashire, who left a five-figure sum to YHA ‘in appreciation of more than 60 years hostelling’. The doors recently re-opened and YHA chiefs are hoping the new 85-bed facility will boost the hostel rating from one to four stars. www.yha.org.uk
EUFED
Hoogstraat 25, rue Haute
B-1000 Brussels
Tel.: +32 (0)2 502 80 66 - Fax: +32 (0)2 502 55 78
info@eufed.org - www.eufed.org
Hoogstraat 25, rue Haute
B-1000 Brussels
Tel.: +32 (0)2 502 80 66 - Fax: +32 (0)2 502 55 78
info@eufed.org - www.eufed.org