***Si possible il y aura bientôt une traduction au Français***

 

REPORT FROM THE I.Y.C – I.F.B.D.O

 4th INTERNATIONAL FORUM OF YOUNG BLOOD DONORS AND VOLUNTEERS

 

The 4th International Forum of Young Blood Donors and Volunteers took place in Panevezys , Lithuania from the 21st to 24th of August, 2004.

It counted with 53 participants from 7 Country Delegations: Brazil , Denmark , Estonia , France , Italy , Latvia and Lithuania .

The report below is a sum up of workshops, activities and results achieved.

August 21st

21h00 – Opening

Vijole MISKINIENE and Andrius MACAS, thanked the participants and invited each delegation to shortly present itself.

After the presentations the Market started. Each Country made a stands with disclosure materials, and the participants had the opportunity to exchange information about their associations.

August 22nd

 09h00 – International Youth Committee: Statutes and Elections

Statute and IYC Establishment

The Proposal presented by the Work Group (in documents discussed) during IFBDO’s General Assembly in Carthage was read by Leticia FERREIRA and the delegations had 15 minutes to read and discuss the Statute (in documents discussed) proposed by the work group for the Committee.

The Round table started again after 15 minutes and Alex CAMPADONICO asked for the word, informing that Italy had decided not to participate of the International Youth Committee.

Since there was no doubts about the Statute proposed, it was voted and adopted unanimously by the members present and by Spain (which sent a letter to the temporary advisors supporting the Statute) and Kosovo (whose vote was given to Leticia FERREIRA and Mikkel ANDERSEN by its representative Skender ABASI by email) as informed during the meeting.

Empowerment of the International Representatives

Each Delegation presented its National Representative, who was empowered as an International Representative in the IYC for the next 3 (three) years:

Ø     Brazil : Leticia Côrtes FERREIRA
Ø     Denmark : Mikkel Dybtved ANDERSEN
Ø     Estonia : Kadi GRICHIN
Ø     France : Lucien BEDEZ
Ø     Kosovo: Skender ABASI
Ø     Latvia : Daina KRUMINA (as an associate member)
Ø     Lithuania : Deimante KONCIUVIENE
Ø     Spain : Maria Teresa GONZALES

Election of Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary

The election was coordinated by Mr. Niels MIKKELSEN, IFBDO’s General Secretary, present in the Youth Forum.

And the following representatives were elected for 2 (two) years as:

Ø     Chairman: Leticia FERREIRA - Brazil
Ø     Secretary: Kadi GRICHIN – Estonia
Ø     Treasurer: Mikkel ANDERSEN – Denmark

They started their mandate in this date and will assume their position as IFBDO’s Executive Council Advisors in the next General Assembly in 2005.

 

11h00 – Workshops: 1. How to recruit young donor and volunteers                                     2. Creation of a Logo to the IYC

How to recruit young donors and volunteers
Moderator: Deimante KONCIUVIENE

A round table was made with participants from all Countries which presented the activities developed in their associations concerning the subject.

Brazil – Since the association is going through restructuring process there is no project being formally doing, the recruitment is done mostly personally by its volunteers who happen to be young.

Latvia – The association was created recently and have no project alone but in Partnership with the Red Cross go to Universities spreading material, do blood collections, use Internet (chain letters to blood donors inviting them to become volunteers or donate again).

France – Promote Blood Collection in Universities. Use special poster and short movie and personal invitations to achieve new volunteers.

Estonia – 70% of the donors have between 18 and 30 years old. The Blood Centre use the media, blood marathons, visits to the University, personal invitation (specially in the 18th birthday of the young), links with information in their website, to achieve new donors. Site and personal contacts to new volunteers.

Denmark – Have 100 young volunteers that are responsible to disclosure the blood donation everywhere and get new donors. Also use media and website.

Italy – Have 10.000 young volunteers working in projects in each association. Use disclosure material, invitation for blood tests, use of famous personalities, promotion of parties and sport activities, National Youth Forums (for people between 18 and 38 years old)

Lithuania – distribution of information material in schools (especially during celebrations); media support; lectures to children. 70% of the donors are young (18 to 30).

Creation of a Logo to the IYC
Moderator: Linas Leonas

The participants made a brainstorm of the main symbols that could be part of the logo (heart, blood drop, smile, face, sun, hands, tree, flower, globe, flags); of the best colours and main ideas (young and blood).

They were after divided into groups to create different possibilities. The one below was chose as the best and presented as a suggestion to the IYC:

The idea is to use the tree and the blood drop reminds us of our main objectives: to grow in all ways and blood donation, besides the connection needed among both to allow us to continue the IFBDO’s work.

The creation of the logo was given as responsibility to Kirsten JØRGENSEN, volunteer from Denmark .

 

11h45 – Workshops: 1. Projects being done in our Countries concerning young
                                    people and fundraising.
                                  2. Creation of a Webpage for the Youth Committee

Projects being done in our Countries concerning young people and fundraising
Moderator: Deimante KONCIUVIENE

A round table was made with participants from all Countries which presented the activities developed in their associations concerning the subject.

Brazil – The young volunteers can choose to participate in any activity of the association including administrative ones according to their abilities and disposition. The fundraising is done with private enterprises.

Latvia – small projects in groups and/or organization of events all supported by the Red Cross.

France – project concerning recruitment of donors with a poster is being recently developed. The young volunteers and get involved with any activity in the association but they find some resistance of older members in some of them.

Estonia – One of the main projects develop by Estonia concerning blood donation is the distribution of Thanks Letters to the donors.

Denmark – The young volunteers are responsible for the different disclosure campaigns (in trains for example). The Danish association believe that there are no better people to talk to young people and a young one.

Italy – young people can participate in any project they want, once approved the project will have a budget.

Creation of a Webpage for the Youth Committee
Moderator: Linas Leonas

The participants made a brainstorm considering the follow:

Objectives: disclosure information for everyone but especially young people (young design).

Content:
Ø     Information about:
        ·       Activities, overview, updates
        ·       Whole organization, something from each country
        ·       Links to countries
        ·       Addresses -> maybe with access codes
        ·       Place to meet IFBDO (important)
Ø     Forum

Updating: every 2-3 months for main information and daily/weekly updates for news.

They after were divided in groups to create a layout and present a combined one as suggestion to the Youth Committee. The creation of the layout considering the suggestions given by the group was charged to Peter THØGERSEN, volunteer from Denmark .

August 23rd

 09h00 – Visit to Panavezys Blood Centre

 11h00 – Workshops: 1. International Youth Committee: Future
                                  2. Use of new technologies to disclosure blood donation

International Youth Committee: Future
Moderator: Leticia FERREIRA

A round table was made with the participants to discuss next steps and expectations concerning the IYC.

Mr. Niels Mikelsen was invited as Secretary General to share IFBDO’s expectations with the IYC. He said they hope that with the IYC the new generation to take over IFBDO is being prepared. That it may possibility the exchange of ideas between older and young members and the arising of new ideas. Concretely they expect to have young people helping in projects to develop the Webpage, creating disclosure materials; translations; writing of proposals, reports, and other documents. Besides travelling to exchange experiences. He also suggested the use of EU money for youth activities as fundraising.

Lasse ANDREASEN pointed out that the priorities for the IYC now are: fundraising and exchange of experience.

Mette MOELLER-LARSEN believes that a very important thing is to disclosure information with regularity. The creation of a webpage was suggested as an important instrument to help not only in this matter.

Leticia FERREIRA also remembered that one of the main concerns of the IYC and especially of each representative must be developing the National Youth Committees.

>> at this point the meeting was interrupted for lunch and later the Representatives from each Country meet to continue the discussion and decide further steps as described bellow

Concerning the points observed the IYC representatives established as priorities:

  1. A report of each Country situation to be delivered in 1 month by each Representative including information about their association: structure, main projects concerning blood donation, main projects concerning young people, number of donors, number of volunteers, number of young volunteers, fundraising projects, etc.
  2. A report of each Country fundraising option for the IYC to be delivered in 1 month by each representative including links, contacts, dates, etc.
  3. Webpage. The creation of the webpage called www.youngblood.org. Which will include information about the IYC, blood donations, young volunteers in all Countries a monthly newsletter telling how the creation of the National Committees are being hold in each Country or which are the projects being developed. The Webpage will be based in the workshop “Creation of a Webpage to the Youth Committee” results and designed by Peter THØGERSEN from Denmark that volunteered.
  4. The creation of a project concerning the establishment of National Youth Committees and the exchange of experiences.

Use of new technologies for communicating and recruiting
Moderator: Linas Leonas

The participants made a discussion the reasons why to use new technology, concluding that: they are easy and cheap to use; young people have access to them and they can be used both for informing existing donors and attracting new ones.

They after shared their association’s experiences and brainstormed for new ideas of possible technologies like:

 

***The event was officially ended at 22h00 by Deimante KONCIUVIENE and Vijole MISKINIENE from the Lithuanian Association.***

 

Leticia Ferreira                                Mikkel Andersen                              Kadi Grichin    President                                          Treasurer                                      Secretary