Half a year after our last personal reports, the members of the Steering Committee want to inform you about their current activities.

• Bernado Estacio

  Collaborating with several SC members, to form and bring up the american young greens into life, also collaborating with the translation and proofreading of important documents for Spanish Speakers, been collaborating as translator, and proofreader for the American SC Membership Table members, as most of the american countries are Spanish speakers. Right now helping the brainstorming for the Congress, along with Alex, Sarah and Rose.

• Sarah Benke

  As it still is a core issue for me to strive for grassroots and participatory democracy as well as transparency in our own structures, I have mainly continued working on strengthening the internal as well as external communication of the SC over the last few months. In this regard, I have continued being responsible for our monthly newsletter and also contributed to drafting various press releases, statements and other news. In addition, I have been taking care of our website and social media contents and also persevered with thinking about a proper procedure to replace inactive SC members. Since May I have put effort in revitalizing the GYG Climate Working Group and organizing the GYG Global Car-Free Day on 22 September 2013 which is one of my top priorities now. Besides that, I am at the moment very busy with funding applications as well as the program, content and budget for another GYG Congress. You can be curious about the outcome!

• Michaela Prassl

  Another year has passed and I am delighted to say that I am still motivated to work for GYG. Some structural changes are taking place. I have been working in the area of fundraising. Additionally, I have been the representative to the Global Greens and have attended some of their online meetings and discussions. Of course, I am also promoting GYG as an organization and try to spread the word about our ideas and what we believe in. I am looking forward to upcoming projects, activities and other tasks.

• Rose Wachuka

  The mandate of membership is still in progress and as a member of the Membership Committee in charge of Africa, my role, besides working with the other Membership Committee Members involves evaluating the applications for membership from Africa, preparing a report for evaluation by the entire Steering Committee and liaising with applicants after the SC’s decision.

  The steering committee is also engaged in organizing the next GYG congress and therefore am part of this process.

  As the GYG liaison person for the African region, I represent GYG in activities of the Network of International Youth Organisations in Africa (NIYOA) and the Pan-African Youth Union (PYU). These two organisations have a collaboration with the European Youth Forum (a North-South Co-operation) in the framework of the Africa-Europe Youth Platform (AEYP). GYG was appointed to be on this platform, as an International Youth Organisation within the framework of NIYOA for a period of two years and this collaboration enhances the diversity of our network as well as fulfilling the implementation of the 2007 Lisbon youth declaration. The next platform meeting will be in the last quarter of this year.

  It has not been easy to get people enthusiastically engaged in online campaigns such as “what it means to be Green”, which is currently running albeit on a mutating strategy. However, I have received and continue to receive various entries towards this campaign. The intention is to fully understand what are green perceptions are. So keep sending entries.

• Robyn Lewis

  Since January 2013 I have been actively involved in setting up the process for approving and reviewing membership. As well as being a contributor to this project, I have been responsible for taking care of the member and individual applications from the Asia-Pacific region. Apart from this, I have regularly added regional news to the monthly Global Young Greens newsletter, and am looking forward to being involved in planning for the next congress!

• Tanya Gutmanis

  As a member of the Steering Committee for the region of the America’s I have been responsible for helping to strengthen the GYG membership application process, which as a whole, has included an application form, putting together an acceptance package, the reviewing of applications, and the selection of successful/non-successful applicants.I have also been involved in the development of a Climate Change Working Group within the GYG, which just took off in June 2013. The Climate Change GYG working group is implementing its first global action campaign; World Free Car Day, and we hope to do this in collaboration with FYEG’s similar campaign. There is lots of work to be done, but is definitely something to look forward to!

• Alex Surace

  The past months have been a busy time. We have been planning for a possible 2014 GYG Congress and reflected on how the SC functions. I’m looking forward to working with the network in rejuvenating the Steering Committee and hearing your impressions. Of course I hope to be sharing some good news about a 2014 meeting and helping with preparations as well! I’m also continuing to engage with other youth organisations through ICMYO. As always, if you have some ideas you want to float, feel free to email me at alex@globalyounggreens.org.