The month of May 2011 is a remarkable and meaningful month of my life. It was the time I received my notice via email that I was accepted as one of the Non-European Participants in the European Youth Meeting 2011 which is going to be held in Tallinn Estonia. It was 6th of May, 2011 when I received the letter. I was jumping with joy and even woke up my husband at 2:00 AM to announce the good news. My husband woke up and read the letter. He asked if I am going even if I should shoulder the travel costs, and I said YES!! I don't know where to get the funds, but I just I knew I was going.
The seven (7) major topics discussed during the 7 days meeting on July 19th to July 24th 2011 were the following:
1. Natural Resources
2. Education for Sustainable Development
3. Urban Development
4. Waste Management
5. Agriculture
6. Social Well Being
7. Renewable Energy
The agenda of the European Meeting was successfully followed where we came up with the declaration entitled, European Youth for Sustainable Development.
The picture below were the participants and organizers during EYM 2011.
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| Photo Credit: Peppi-Emilia Airike |
As a
result of my participation in this event, I have organized the Cordillera Youth
Network for Global Change, which is a youth led organization promoting
Indigenous Youth Empowerment and Sustainable Development.
About
Tallinn, Estonia
Tallinn,
Estonia is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located on the north
coast of the country, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki,
east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg.
In the
Old Town of Tallinn, you can see the magnificent 700 hundred year old
buildings. The century buildings were restored beautifully and some are creatively used
for commercial purposes such as restaurants or stores.
Because I
was given seven days only to stay in Tallinn, I have seen a few places such as
the Parliament of Estonia, the Old City and the famous Port of Tallinn.
Excitingly, it was Summer when I went there. I was really amazed to experience the sun setting at 12:00 midnight and rising again at around 4:00 in the morning. I stayed at the Meriton Grand Conference & Spa Hotel Tallinn which is now called Park Inn. I was at the 10th floor where I had the opportunity to view the stunning Old City at night.
As I look back, 4 years after this momentous trip, I thank the almighty God for all his blessings. I have not only enhanced my perspective on Sustainable Development but it has deeply impacted my life when it comes to the advocacy on land and natural resources. Also, I made friends with young people around the Globe who shares the same advocacy for Mother Earth.
