Going Swiss - camping out with Young Friends of the Earth

Charlotte Chan

05 April 2012

You'd think that an energetic snowboarding holiday surrounded by the beauty of the snow, mountains and trees in the Swiss Alps would be enough excitement for one year. But as soon as it ended last Saturday, I grabbed my bags and jumped on the train to join the second half of the Young Friends of the Earth gathering in Zollikofen, north of Switzerland.

After a few unplanned detours I arrived at base camp - a converted barn nestling amongst some trees by a river - and tucked into a delicious home-cooked veggie meal with some new friends from Croatia and Lithuania.

Over the next few days I met people from many more countries too. Together with representatives from over 19 Young Friends of the Earth Europe member groups we discussed ways to strengthen our network of groups and plan for the year ahead. We even found time to celebrate the network's 5th birthday with vegan cake, dancing and star gazing by the warm glow of our camp fire.

I joined the gathering knowing very little about Young Friends of the Earth and the work they do. The only contact I'd with them before was through the enthusiastic bunch of people manning their stall at Friends of the Earth's Local Group Conference last year.

For me, the best thing about the gathering was the buzz I got from being surrounded by so many like-minded young people who feel just as strongly as I do about protecting our environment and creating a fair and healthy future.

By the end of it all I'd made new friends from all over Europe and learned lots about our exciting plans for the future. I left feeling energised and inspired to get involved with our Young Friends of the Earth network back here in the UK.

I think Young Friends of the Earth is a great way to plug in and become more active on issues that affect us and future generations to come.

If you're 18-30 and thinking about getting involved I'd recommend it - and not just for the views and the home-cooked food.

Charlotte Chan
Rights and Justice Team

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