Message from the president
Dear delegates, organisers, chairs, journos, editors and guests,
It is my utmost pleasure to welcome you all to the 9th Estonian National Session of EYP this October in the lovely city of Tartu. The closer the session gets, the more excited I get because every sign shows that these 4 days are going to be great! Some of you know that excitement and the cause of it – EYP and its je ne sais quoi spirit. I dare to believe that the same excitement and the same spirit are the reasons why so many of you have come back again and again and have even ended up in the 9th Estonian National Session. So, these people know what I'm talking about.
Once, though, like most of the future delegates of the session at the moment, they didn't. Even I didn't. European Youth Parliament sounded like politics, debates, boringness. And as much as someone tried to convince me to participate I kept on finding excuses, starting from celebrating my birthday and ending with knowing not enough English. I'm not even sure what it was that brought me to my first session exactly 4 years ago... Anyway, it was something silly and had nothing to do with what EYP means to me now. Therefore, I'm more than sure that I could try and write a novel for you on the topic of what EYP means for me and why you should come and experience it yourself but the fact is – knowing that from my own experience – it won't do the trick. You have to find that SOMETHING for you... that something that motivates you and gives you the will to come and spend 4 days of your school holidays with 150 people in Tartu.
That Something can be anything. An interest in knowing more about human rights, for example? Because under the slogan Dare to care! History starts now! this year's National session concentrates, in addition to other important European issues, on that of human rights. Me and the organisers of the session believe that that is a topic that needs to be noted more and that every young person in Estonia and Europe needs to be informed of the basic human rights and the violations of these rights. We dare you to care and to act and the 9th Estonian National Session gives a perfect opportunity for it.
Or maybe that Something is an opportunity to practice your English? Spending time with your friends? Getting to know new people and make new friends? A chance to discover something new about yourself? A chance to get to know who exactly is the Funky Chicken? Getting an opportunity to discuss European matters and gain new information and opinions on various topics? Practicing your debating skills? Working in a group? Cool international delegations invited from other European countries? An opportunity to speak your mind? It can be the smallest thing and it is very individual.
I can't really promise you that EYP is the thing for you. No one can before the end of the session. All I can do is ask you to give it a chance and try. There is a saying that sums up my whole point very nicely:
Tell me and I will forget, show me and I may not remember, involve me and I will understand.
Makes sense, doesn't it?
So – come, be involved and understand! That is something I can promise you.
With great excitement and hope to see you all in Tartu,
It is my utmost pleasure to welcome you all to the 9th Estonian National Session of EYP this October in the lovely city of Tartu. The closer the session gets, the more excited I get because every sign shows that these 4 days are going to be great! Some of you know that excitement and the cause of it – EYP and its je ne sais quoi spirit. I dare to believe that the same excitement and the same spirit are the reasons why so many of you have come back again and again and have even ended up in the 9th Estonian National Session. So, these people know what I'm talking about.
Once, though, like most of the future delegates of the session at the moment, they didn't. Even I didn't. European Youth Parliament sounded like politics, debates, boringness. And as much as someone tried to convince me to participate I kept on finding excuses, starting from celebrating my birthday and ending with knowing not enough English. I'm not even sure what it was that brought me to my first session exactly 4 years ago... Anyway, it was something silly and had nothing to do with what EYP means to me now. Therefore, I'm more than sure that I could try and write a novel for you on the topic of what EYP means for me and why you should come and experience it yourself but the fact is – knowing that from my own experience – it won't do the trick. You have to find that SOMETHING for you... that something that motivates you and gives you the will to come and spend 4 days of your school holidays with 150 people in Tartu.
That Something can be anything. An interest in knowing more about human rights, for example? Because under the slogan Dare to care! History starts now! this year's National session concentrates, in addition to other important European issues, on that of human rights. Me and the organisers of the session believe that that is a topic that needs to be noted more and that every young person in Estonia and Europe needs to be informed of the basic human rights and the violations of these rights. We dare you to care and to act and the 9th Estonian National Session gives a perfect opportunity for it.
Or maybe that Something is an opportunity to practice your English? Spending time with your friends? Getting to know new people and make new friends? A chance to discover something new about yourself? A chance to get to know who exactly is the Funky Chicken? Getting an opportunity to discuss European matters and gain new information and opinions on various topics? Practicing your debating skills? Working in a group? Cool international delegations invited from other European countries? An opportunity to speak your mind? It can be the smallest thing and it is very individual.
I can't really promise you that EYP is the thing for you. No one can before the end of the session. All I can do is ask you to give it a chance and try. There is a saying that sums up my whole point very nicely:
Tell me and I will forget, show me and I may not remember, involve me and I will understand.
Makes sense, doesn't it?
So – come, be involved and understand! That is something I can promise you.
With great excitement and hope to see you all in Tartu,
Mari-Liis Orav
President of the 9th Estonian National Session of European Youth Parliament
