History of EYP Finland

History European Youth Parliament Finland 2001–2011

Foreword A full decade Now the years are rolling by me They are rockin’ evenly I am older than I once was And younger than I’ll be and that’s not unusual.

No it isn’t strange After changes upon changes We are more or less the same After changes we are more or less the same –Paul Simon, The Boxer European Youth Parliament Finland was founded in its modern form in June 2001. In 2011, it has thus celebrated its 10th Anniversary. With this History, we aim to have a thorough look on the 10 first years of the organisation: its challenges and successes, people and development.

EYP Finland has come a long way. From organising one session a year and having about a dozen active members, it has steadily grown into an internationally recognised National Committee that holds four sessions and several alumni events each year, coordinates national campaigns and sends some 150 Finnish students abroad annually.

However, when it comes to the fundamental ideals and vision of EYP Finland, we are indeed more or less the same. Looking back through these ten years, it is evident that EYP Finland has been able to maintain its finest traditions and values while innovating again and again.

It is also clear that most importantly, EYP Finland has been taken forward by dedicated young people – young people that have not been afraid of challenging themselves and those around them. For many, EYP has not only been a hobby but a true lifestyle.

And in 2011, I dare say that EYP Finland has never been so blessed with such people. The next 10 years thus promise to be at least as bright as the first 10.

Jari Marjelund President (2011–2012) EYP Finland

History of European Youth Parliament Finland, 2001–2011 | Published for the 10th Anniversary of EYP Finland | EYP Finland is the National Committee of the European Youth Parliament in Finland.

Design by Hanna Ollinen and Jari Marjelund Texts by Krista Simberg, Robert Torvelainen and Jari Marjelund Photos by Tapio Schrey, Robert Lagus, Sara Juričić, Juuso Soininen, Janne Vanhemmens and various others

2001–2002 Big bang and baby steps A group of alumni gathered on 22 May 2001 with the intention to re-establish the “old” EYP Finland that had been founded sometime in the middle of the 1990s but had since faded away. As this was however deemed too tricky, the group decided to found an entirely new organisation. The founding document was signed on 15 June 2001, and EYP Finland has ever since celebrated its birthday on that day.

The original Finnish name of the new organisation was supposed to be “Nuorten Eurooppaparlamentti -yhdistys ry”, but the National Board of Patents and Registers luckily rejected it. Hence “EYP-Finland ry”, the National Committee of the European Youth Parliament in Finland.

The first steps of the new EYP Finland were understandably modest – the starting capital of the new organisation was €60, compared to the €9000 EYP Finland received in 2011 only from the Ministry of Education and Culture.

The new organisation did however continue organising National Sessions without pause. The first National Session of the new EYP Finland – the 8th

in total – was organised at Olari Senior Secondary School, Espoo, in November 2001. It was presided by Ragnar Siil (EE). In 2001–2002 and up until 2006, organising the National Session was the primary responsibility of the Delegation that had taken part in the International Session the same year. Thus, the 2001 National Session was organised by the Olari Delegation – including the future President Tapio Schrey – that had attended the International Session in Stockholm in spring 2001.

The second – or the 9th – National Session was hosted by Ressu Upper Secondary School in 2002, and it was presided by Fredrick Lee-Ohlsson (SE), a prominent figure in the history of the international EYP. The session was organised by the Ressu Delegation to Riga 2002.

--The Board of EYP Finland in 2001–2002: Jaana Kari – President, Tuomas Rautanen, Henna Jovio, Kristiina Kojamo, Meri Ojanen, Jori Pitkänen, Harri Päiväsaari, Jani Salomaa, Arto Saloranta, Tapio Schrey and Satu Tuomikorpi

The founding document with the signatures of the founding members – a picture from pre-history: Journalists at the International Session in Hämeenlinna in 1999 – “Kari Tapio”, a hybrid of Kari Klaukka and Tapio Schrey at Ressu – another picture from pre-history: Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen addressing the participants in Hämeenlinna

2003

Increasingly international In 2003, EYP Finland started growing increasingly international. Finns took part in a record number of eight foreign events – which may seem little by the 2011 standards, but the total amount of events organised by the National Committees was significantly lower in 2003. At the National Session in Olari, there were guest Delegations from Estonia and Russia and a number of foreign officials.

EYP Finland also established the EYP Spirit magazine for its members. For the first few years, it was the primary responsibility of the Delegation that had attended the International Session the previous year to produce the magazine. With the internet gaining more and more ground as the primary tool for communication, the Board decided to discontinue EYP Spirit finally in 2009. While the benefits of email and Facebook are undisputed, they still cannot quite match the nostalgic value of a printed magazine.

The 10th National Session was again organised at Olari Senior Secondary School – and had an Estonian President, Toomas Roolaid. The session took place in October 2003, and it was a starting point in the EYP for many prominent Finnish alumni, such

as Krista Simberg and Cecilia Pellosniemi.

While the format of the Finnish National Sessions has remained essentially the same, there is one peculiarity that strikes as odd in 2011: in 2003 and up until 2006, the Ambassador of each Delegation held a speech in the Opening Ceremony. Having eight speeches at a National Session was however nothing compared to the 25-odd speeches at the Opening Ceremonies of International Sessions.

The session newspaper of Olari 2003 shows that EYP journalism may not have changed much along the years. The backbone of the paper are committee articles – accompanied by quotes that reveal how controversial certain teambuilding games have always been: “Gentlemen, position your balls!”.

--The Board of EYP Finland in 2003: Satu Tuomikorpi – President, Henna Jovio – Vice-President, Anna Hamberg, Reetta Nurmo, Aki Saariaho, Shani Scheiman, Tapio Schrey, Tuuli Wiio and Linda Wuoristo

Tapio Schrey chairing at Olari 2003 – Teambuilding at the same session – a sleepy Journalist – Juho Tuovinen presenting the session newspaper

2004

From FIT to Lärkan In 2004, EYP Finland continued to develop and grow rapidly. Finns took part in several events abroad – 70 times in total! – and a lot of emphasis was put on training the Delegations attending International Sessions.

EYP Finland also hosted a Withvision Facilitating International Teams (FIT) training in Padasjoki in June 2004. FIT trainings have played an important part in the development of many Finnish and foreign alumni. Or, as described by Christopher Tripp (DE) in an issue of EYP Spirit the following year: “FIT was a quiet revolution inside our heads.”

In 2004, the international EYP became a project of the Heinz Schwarzkopf Stiftung and moved its office to Berlin. A brand new Charter was also created for the organisation. From Finland, Tapio Schrey was actively involved in crafting the new foundations of the EYP. The 11th National Session was organised at Gymnasiet Lärkan in Helsinki in October 2004. It was presided by Jindra Zitek (CZ). A peculiarity of the session was the Creativity Management Team. Its

aim to was to “entertain” the participants. Seven years later, an anonymous alumnus reminisced about the session: “Lärkan 2004 was my first session as an official. I remember showing some initiative for the first time by producing an ‘EYP-Man’ video, featuring a hopping man and Tapio running around with the EU flag as a cape.”

At the end of the session, the CMT prepared a CD for each participant. This was the habit for years to come until Facebook rendered contact lists and picture folders useless. The 2004 contact list however featured such future active alumni as Johanna Hakoniemi, Simo Suoheimo and Eero Oksanen.

--The Board of EYP Finland in 2004: Satu Tuomikorpi – President, Tapio Schrey – Vice-President, Tanja Laitinen, Juha-Pekka Lehtonen, Janne Peltola, Shani Scheiman, Juho Tuovinen, Ville Vasaramäki, Tuuli Wiio, Andreas Wilkman and Linda Wuoristo

Krista Simberg doing Teambuilding at the International Session in Berlin – Satu Tuomikorpi as Journalist at the North-East International Session in Durham – Tapio Schrey in Berlin – Shani Scheiman as Journalist in Durham

2005 A trip North

EYP Finland has traditionally had a strong focus on trainings. In 2005, it organised its first Training for Journalists and Chairs – in 2006, there would already be separate training weekends for both roles. Furthermore, EYP Finland again hosted the Facilitating International Teams (FIT) training in Kaunisniemi in August 2005. Tapio Schrey and Shani Scheiman were in charge of the training on behalf of EYP Finland.

In 2005, it became mandatory for Finnish senior secondary schools to hold a course in European affairs. To provide content for the course and further strengthen the bond between EYP activities and the EU course, EYP Finland established its Parliament Simulation Programme. The Programme gained its first funding from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in spring 2005 and has since been an integral part of the outreach activities of EYP Finland.

As one of the Delegations to take part in an International Session the previous year was from Oulu, EYP Finland had to take a leap North and organise its 12th National Session in Oulu. The session was presided by Satu Tuomikorpi.

Oulu 2005 is still the northernmost event organised

by EYP Finland, and as of 2011, Northern Finland still remains a largely uncharted area for the organisation. Future Presidents Robert Torvelainen and Jari Marjelund, as well as other future Board members such as Reeta Metsänen, Noora Lampinen and Ruut Vedenpää, got their first EYP experience in Oulu.

After the successful National Session in the north, the first Annual Ball was organised in Helsinki. The Annual Ball has since been a yearly event, gathering alumni from both Finland and abroad to celebrate the year in the tradition of academic evening parties – with a touch of EYP spirit.

--The Board of EYP Finland in 2005: Tapio Schrey – President, Shani Scheiman – Vice-President, Ville Vasaramäki – Vice-President, Teo Kortman, JP Lehtonen, Janne Peltola, Anna Ristiluoma, Henna Tahvanainen, Juho Tuovinen and Sofia Tuovinen

Henna Tahvanainen at Oulu 2005 – George Iosifidis (GR) and Satu Tuomikorpi chairing the General Assembly at Oulu 2005 – participants at the Journalists’ Training – member of the press team at Oulu 2005

2006

A leap forward After gaining the necessary funding in 2005, the Parliament Simulation Programme continued in full swing in 2006: materials were produced and simulations held. EYP Finland also organised training weekends for both Journalists and Chairs. These trainings prepared Finnish alumni for the upcoming National Session and events abroad. Furthermore, Tapio Schrey was elected on the Governing Body of the international EYP. Finland has since been continually represented on the GB. Tampere Arts-Oriented Senior Secondary School has played an important part in the history of EYP Finland by producing some of its most active alumni, and in 2006, the school got to host the 1st Baltic Sea Regional Forum, head-organised by Ville Vasaramäki, a TYK alumnus, and Krista Simberg. The session was presided by Jonas Dreger (DE).

Tampere 2006 gathered a record number of Delegates from both Finland and abroad and a highquality team of Chairs and Journalists. The session is still remembered by many as an event of exceptional quality – and a starting point of many friendships.

Such prominent alumni as Hanna Pyykkönen, Val-

puri Kaarninen and Juha-Pekka Nurvala started as Delegates in Tampere.

One of the Officials at Tampere 2006 reminisced about the session five years later: “In 2006, I managed to ‘invite myself ’ into the Chairs’ Team of the 1st Baltic Sea Regional Forum in Tampere. I had no idea that the session was going to change my life. I got to know Finland, the country I have loved coming back to ever since; I met officials who have been some of the most inspiring individuals in my EYP career; I learned 10 sentences in Finnish I still remember; I found out that sleeping in a matress in a basement can be fun; and I met the man who turned out to be the most amazing life partner.”

--The Board of EYP Finland in 2006: Tapio Schrey – President, Ville Vasaramäki – Vice-President, Minna Lappalainen, Juha-Pekka Lehtonen, Anna Ristiluoma, Krista Simberg and Shani Scheiman

Tampere Arts-Oriented Senior Secondary School, the venue for Tampere 2006 – Jonas Dreger (DE), the President of Tampere 2006 – Krista Simberg and Tapio Schrey at the Annual Ball – Robert Torvelainen and Ruut Vedenpää at the Journalists’ Training

2007

Start of regional expansion For the majority of its history, the functions of EYP Finland have largely focused in Helsinki or its neighbouring areas: Tampere 2006 had been the first National Session organised outside the capital area.

For a number of years, the Board has taken effort to expand the activities to new regions and move the primary responsibility of organising sessions and alumni events to alumni outside the Board. In 2007, the first Regional Committee of EYP Finland was founded in Helsinki, and regional activities also took place in Tampere and Turku.

For the first time, EYP Finland received funding from the Ministry of Education and Culture as a national youth organisation. This funding has since guaranteed the necessary functions or the organisation. Funding for the Parliament Simulation Programme was also continued.

The 14th National Session of EYP Finland was organised in Helsinki and Kerava. It was head-organised

by Krista Simberg and presided by Lot Debruyne (BE). 180 participants from some 13 European countries took part in the session. In 2007, foreign alumni took part in Finnish events a total of 70 times.

A number of Finnish Members of the European Parliament, including Piia-Noora Kauppi and Anneli Jäätteenmäki, took part in a panel debate that was hosted in the Opening Ceremony of the session at the Old Student House in Helsinki. Out of future key figures of EYP Finland, Lars Melakoski and Merete Holmberg took part in the session as Delegates.

The “road to Helsinki” also started in the end of 2007, as the Board decided to fulfill a long-time dream and made a bid for the International Session of the EYP in autumn 2009. Organising an International Session is a tremendous task, and Helsinki 2009 would shape the functions of EYP Finland for years to come.

--The Board of EYP Finland in 2007: Ville Vasaramäki – President, Krista Simberg – Vice-President, Minna Lappalainen, Noora Lehtovaara, Cecilia Pellosniemi, Tapio Schrey, Robert Torvelainen and Ruut Vedenpää

Ville Vasaramäki speaking at the Opening Ceremony of Helsinki 2007 – Christopher Tripp (DE), a Trainer at the Chairs’ Training – Erik Hausen and other participants at the Chairs’ Training

2008

Birth of the Regional Sessions 2008 was marked with several innovations and new projects, adding to the core activities offered and organised by EYP Finland.

After the 14th National Session in Helsinki in 2007, no National Sessions were organised until early 2009 as the Board introduced the Regional Sessions. EYP Finland took a leap from organising one session a year to organising three – and soon five. The first Regional Session was organised in Tampere, followed by two more in Espoo and Turku. After four successful rounds of Regional Sessions by 2011, they have become an integral tool in involving more and more schools and students in EYP Finland.

To further strengthen regional operations, two new Regional Committees were also founded in Tampere and Turku. EYP Turku has been especially active in the past years, organising a Regional Session each year and creating a strong network of schools.

Many steps to make EYP Finland even more international were also taken. The Governing Body of the European Youth Parliament granted EYP Finland the Autumn International Session 2009, to be held

in Helsinki. The preparations for the project began with an organisation-wide mobilisation and the biggest fundraising successes in the history of the organisation. International trainings for both Journalists and Chairs were again organised, the Board coordinated the international Parliament Simulation Programme and worked together with the European Commission on many projects.

All in all, the transformation from a small national organisation with one session a year into an international and active organisation with a wide scope of activities was taken in 2008, and it was remarkably swift.

--The Board of EYP Finland in 2008: Krista Simberg – President, Robert Torvelainen – Vice-President, Johanna Hakoniemi, Erik Hausen, Minna Lappalainen, Pinja Lehtonen, Tapio Schrey and Ruut Vedenpää

Participants at the Regional Session in Espoo – Hanna Pyykkönen – Johanna Hakoniemi at an excursion in Brussels – Merete Holmberg and Hanna Ollinen, Head Organisers of the Regional Session in Tampere

2009

In the spotlight Out of the 10 years of EYP Finland, 2009 has so far been the busiest – and most successful. In addition to trainings and other alumni events, EYP Finland organised a total of five sessions: beginning with the 15th National Session in Naantali and ending with the 62nd International Session in Helsinki.

The 15th National Session was held in Naantali in January 2009. It was head-organised by Juha-Pekka Nurvala and Venla Vainio-Puhju and presided by Lacina Koné (FR). As the Regional Sessions had been organised for the first time in 2008, Naantali was the first National Session with the Delegations not being selected through an essay competition.

The Regional Sessions were again organised in Tampere, Mikkeli and Espoo. The sessions were outstandingly popular among international alumni, attracting dozens of applications for each session.

The Regional Session in Mikkeli was the first event organised by EYP Finland in Eastern Finland – a tradition that has since continued with sessions in both Kuopio (2010) and Savonlinna (2011). Even though EYP Finland has had schools from Eastern Europe taking part in its sessions for years, the session in

Mikkeli has come to mark the start of more active functions of EYP Finland in the region, culminating in the founding of the Regional Committee in 2011.

In autumn 2009, EYP Finland was in the international spotlight, as the 62nd International Session was organised in Helsinki. For more information, please see the following pages. Furthermore, Ville Vasaramäki succeeded Tapio Schrey as the “Finnish member” of the Governing Body in summer 2009.

For EYP Finland, 2009 was a great success in terms of events and national and international visibility.

With all the challenges and successes of the year behind, it was no surprise that the Annual Ball in November was particularly emotional.

--The Board of EYP Finland in 2009: Krista Simberg – President, Henna Tahvanainen – Vice-President, Robert Torvelainen – Vice-President, Johanna Hakoniemi, Noora Lampinen, Jari Marjelund, Reeta Metsänen, Cecilia Pellosniemi and Hanna Pyykkönen

Robert Torvelainen at an Organisers’ Weekend of Helsinki 2009 – Lacina Koné (FR), Vice-President of Helsinki 2009 – Jamie Brown, President of the Regional Session in Tampere – JuhaPekka Nurvala and Henni Ruohonen at Naantali 2009

Helsinki 2009 Their finest hour In 2008, the Governing Body of the European Youth Parliament fulfilled a long-time dream of the active alumni of EYP Finland: it granted the organisation the 62nd International Session of the EYP. After two years of intense preparations, the session was finally held on 23 October–1 November 2009.

The Organising Team was led by Head Organiser Krista Simberg, while Ville Vasaramäki acted as the Chair of the National Organising Committee.

The team of Organisers was selected early in 2009, and it had a total of three training and planning weekends in summer and autumn. The team was also reinforced by international organisers from Norway and Germany.

The session was presided by Hadrien Segond, an experienced alumnus from Germany. Robert Torvelainen represented Finland on the Chairs’ Team.

The Press Team was led by Editors Ruben Wagenaar (NL) and Anna O’Leary (IE).

Delegations, including both students and teachers, from a total of 29 European countries took part in the event. In addition to the Delegations and the Of-

ficials, the session also hosted the Autumn Meeting of the Board of National Committees.

The theme of the session was “Creative Europe – Dynamic Europe”, and it celebrated the European Year of Creativity and Innovation. The event was supported by the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra and many of the major corporations in Finland, such as Nokia and Metso. Former Prime Minister Esko Aho delivered the keynote speech at the Opening Ceremony.

The first four days of the session, including Officials’ Training and Teambuilding, were held at Hotel Korpilampi in Espoo. For Committee Work, the session and all its participants moved to the centre of Helsinki. The Opening Ceremony was held at the Main Hall of the University of Helsinki. The Euroconcert was held at the Temple Church, and the General Assembly was organised at Congress Center Marina at Katajanokka.

Despite several challenges – such as a swine flu epidemic – Helsinki 2009 was a triumph for EYP Finland and remains in the hearts of some 300 young Europeans.

Esko Aho addressing the Opening Ceremony of Helsinki 2009 at the Main Hall of the University of Helsinki – the Organising Team at an Organisers’ Weekend – Pyry Helkkula, Ville Tahvanainen and Lars Melakoski at an Organisers’ Weekend – Hadrien Segond (DE), President of the Session

2010

Training trainers The ninth year of EYP Finland brought stability and prosperity to the organisation. Previous accomplishments, such as the International Session Helsinki 2009, the establishment of three Regional Committees and increasing the number of annual sessions by three, acted as a solid foundation. In 2010, the focus was on securing the scope of activies and improving quality. These goals were achieved: a school tour and three Regional Sessions were organised, training activities grew and fundraising was successful.

The National Session was held in Tampere, hosted by the Swedish Co-Educational School in Tampere and the Tampere Arts-Oriented Senior Secondary School. The session was head-organised by Hanna Ollinen and Merete Holmberg and presided by Joanna Kulpa (PL).

The highlight of the year was the Training for EYP Trainers, the first such event organised in the international EYP. The week-long training gathered 27 experienced EYP alumni from 12 different countries to Finland. Henna Tahvanainen initiated and headorganised the training, while Tapio Schrey and Jonas Dreger (DE) acted as trainers, with two other

trainers from AEGEE and AIESEC. T4ET was the kickstart for the newly-established EYP Academy.

With a strong focus on trainings for years already, EYP Finland thus played an integral role in promoting the goal of transforming the EYP into a trainingbased organisation.

On the international level, Krista Simberg presided the 64th International Session of the EYP in Frankfurt and got then selected a member of the Governing Body in an extraordinary election.

The Regional Sessions were organised under the umbrella of the new Your European Citizenship Campaign, and they were preceded by an extensive school tour. The sessions took place in Tampere, Kuopio and Turku.

--The Board of EYP Finland in 2010: Robert ������������� Torvelainen – President, Jari Marjelund – Vice-President, Merete Holmberg, Noora Lampinen, Lars Melakoski, Reeta Metsänen, Hanna Ollinen and Elina Peltoniemi

Krista Simberg and Gillian O’Halloran (IE) doing lowrope training at Training for EYP Trainers in Pappilanniemi – Anar Kucera (CZ) and Andris Šuvajevs (LV) at T4ET – the Finnish delegation at the Eurovillage of the International Summer Session in Frankfurt – Sini Ventelä, an Organiser at the Regional Session in Kuopio

2011

The anniversary The Anniversary Year started with Helsinki 2011, the grand 10 Year Jubilee Session of EYP Finland. The session was head-organised by Hanna Pyykkönen and Sini Ventelä and presided by Gillian O’Halloran (IE). The session was the second biggest event organised by EYP Finland, with a record number of 170 delegates – over 50 of whom foreign.

EYP Finland also hosted an interesting new event organised by Henna Tahvanainen and Martin Hoffman (DE): MEdiT, the Media Teams Seminar 2011.

While both Henna and Martin are experienced EYP editors, the seminar did not focus on EYP journalism as such but on the use of media in non-formal learning more generally.

At Helsinki 2001, teambuilding was held in Suomenlinna, committee work and the General Assembly at European Schooling Helsinki. The session was featured in the morning television of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) and Helsingin Sanomat, the leading national newspaper. The Academy of Finland also provided each committee with a highquality expert for committee work – a feat matched by few International Sessions.

The international representation of EYP Finland has always been strong. In April 2010, Ville Vasaramäki succeeded Jan-Philipp Beck (DE) as the new Executive Director of the EYP. Furthermore, Robert Torvelainen was elected in the Governing Body in an election by the Board of National Committees.

The Your European Citizenship campaign was organised for the second time, with the Regional Sessions held in Helsinki, Raisio and Savonlinna. The three sessions gathered over 200 delegates in total – again a record number in the history of EYP Finland.

It is clear that EYP Finland has a solid network of active schools.

--The Board of EYP Finland in 2011: Jari Marjelund – President, Merete Holmberg – Vice-President, Laura Blagoev, Jan Bubienczyk, Meeri Helminen, Lars Melakoski, Tuulikki Romu and Sini Ventelä

Henna Tahvanainen at MEdiT 2011 – Gillian O’Halloran (IE), the President of Helsinki 2011 – Ueli Staeger (CH), the President of the Regional Session in Raisio – Laura Limperk (EE) and Merete Holmberg, the Editors of Helsinki 2011

Fighting the flu

Underwater training

“For me, Helsinki 2009 is one of the most enjoyable events I ever attended in the EYP. A funny memory I have is pausing the General Assembly every now and then so that everybody with the flu could cough.” – Hamed Mobasser (BE)

“The Officials’ Training for Helsinki 2009: I remember a blur of underwater photographs, playing the Human Knot in the jacuzzi and running into the icecold water of the outdoor lake with a steaming skin after a crowded sauna – where everyone wore their swim suits, since most of them were not Finns!” – Gillian O’Halloran (IE)

Small victories

Sauna parties

“When fundraising for Helsinki 2009, we also negotiated with the Ministry of Education and Culture.

Already at the first meeting, the Ministry promised us €50,000! As it was our first major fundraising success, we were really excited – but needed to maintain certain professionalism. I wanted to jump and scream out loud when leaving the Ministry, but Ville told me not as ‘they could be watching from the window’!” –Krista Simberg

“Together with Lars Melakoski, I would like to take the credit for inventing the officials’ sauna party tradition we have had since the Regional Session in Tampere in 2009. Those sauna parties, I believe, are the key factor in the continuous fame of our events.”

–Jari Marjelund

Worm in a bag

Easter eggs

“One of my best moments related to EYP Finland was the Regional Session I presided. I got to contribute to the lives of so many people – especially by rolling down in the school gym in a sleeping bag, pretending to be a worm.”

“During the first-ever Editors’ Training in April 2009, we were hiding Easter eggs for the participants. After receiving the instructions to look for them, a Turkish participant came to me and said that he didn’t even know how Easter eggs look like!

That was a true learning point in facilitating multicultural teams.” –Henna Tahvanainen

Birthday emergency

It really does

“I will never forget the birthday of Orestis Chatzopoulos at the Training of EYP Trainers in 2010: surrounded by beautiful Finnish landscape and with a proper cake prepared, it would be perfect – right?

It was, until the fire alarm came off. A few minutes later the fire brigade arrived, only the find the birthday boy and the rest of us, guiltily standing outside.“ –Tatjana Wahjudi (DE)

“It was my first physics lesson after Helsinki 2009, the 62nd International Session. My classmate turned onto me and said: ‘Jukkis, you have changed.’ I didn’t understand it at the time. After two years I have a clue what she meant. EYP changes lives.”

Makeovers Logos, websites and people

Ville Vasaramäki chairing for the first time at Olari 2003 – Lars Melakoski at the Christmas Party in 2008 – Cecilia Pellosniemi as Delegate at Olari 2003 – Jari Marjelund as Delegate at Paris 2006

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European Youth Parliament Finland 2011 http://www.eypfinland.org – eyp@eypfinland.org