Blog

Conference Fee rises on April 14th

On April 14th the conference fee will rise from 299 EUR to 349 EUR. Sign up now and make sure your payment arrives before that date. Save money and get an amazing all-inclusive conference program with a range of highlights.

• Free shuttle service with buses, limousines and public transport

• Food and beverages (daytime, lunch, dinner and evening)

• Four evening events at German Night standard

• Over one hundred different training events, workshops, company visits, and sports activities

• Five days of learning, personal development, discussion, interaction, passion, fun and meeting friends from 50 different countries.

• Be there and Enjoy … the 2012 JCI European Conference in Braunschweig!

Airport Lounge

The Hanover Airport Lounge is located in Business Terminal A near the Lufthansa check-in area and can be used for free on June 13th and 17th, 2012 by all delegates arriving or departing through Hanover Airport. The fully air conditioned lounge has an overall space of 100 m² and is exclusively furnished. At the reception desk, check-in to the conference can be done in advance on June 13th. Welcome to an exclusive lounge ambiance!

On both days, the COC will be offering you at least every hour a bus shuttle to and from Braunschweig. Please complete your flight data in the Event Management System to reduce queuing, as soon as available.

JCI Nothing But Nets Charity Night

The third major evening event takes place in C1 cinema and will be hosted by JCI Braunschweig on Friday, June 15th. You will experience a night to remember. Under the supervision of Chris Helfrich, the Nothing But Nets Director from the United Nations Foundation, the Jägermeister Brass Band will bring you in the mood. During the evening, activities such as a tombola, donation boxes, and so on will be arranged to focus attention on and raise money for the less advantaged suffering from malaria and other diseases in this world. We count on a voluntary contribution from every one of you!

Keynote Speaker

Carbon Trading – Hot Air or an Effective Tool to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

Katja Mayer (ITF # 119) will elaborate on these sensitive questions and provide an outlook on the EU ETS from a market perspective. Katja is an expert for emission trading mechanisms under the Kyoto protocol and the EU ETS and closely follows regulatory developments in the international carbon market. Since 2006 she has been part of the core team implementing the carbon emissions strategy at Deutsche Börse Group and was elected in June 2011 to the Supervisory Board of the largest European Energy Exchange – EEX in Leipzig.

Conference pre-tours

Not only the JCI Senators have organized a highly interesting pre-tour, „crossing the cold war border“. Whether by bus, bike or (cheap) car, countries such as JCI Austria, JCI Belgium, JCI Denmark, JCI Estonia, JCI Netherlands and JCI Switzerland have already prepared for their delegation trip to Braunschweig. Have a look on the conference website and sign yourselves up for a fantastic journey together with your friends. We are looking forward to meeting all of you in Braunschweig.

Enjoy every first second! ... Enjoy Braunschweig!

Read more

Just as local JCI chambers have twinning partners, so do national organisations (NOMS).  JCI UK is twinned with Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland.  Every year the four nations get together for the NOM to NOM, a relaxed and informal weekend where members of the national boards get to know each other and share best practice.

Solveig, Emma, Sarah, Tim - The JCI UK Team at NOM to NOM

Solveig Malvik (National President), Tim Metcalfe (International Director), Emma Eastwood (Personal Development Director) and myself (Admin and Membership Director) flew off to Amsterdam on 16 March, excited about what the NOM to NOM Weekend 2012 would bring.  We were picked up at the airport by Robbert, Immediate Past President of JCI The Netherlands and driven out into the countryside.  Two hours, an impromptu car picnic and lots of chat and laughter later we arrived at what can only be described as some of the most luxurious holiday chalets I've ever seen.  We were greeted by the rest of the JCI Netherlands delegation who had prepared a delicious meal for us all.

Great Food - Great Company!

And that's how the weekend continued...lots of food, drink and general merriment.  Activities included a walk in the surrounding countryside, a game of bowling in a lovely old-fashioned bowling alley (accompanied by some classic 90s tunes!) and sampling of some local delicacies brought along by some of the members.

Solveig and Tim show off their rather different bowling techniques

I had a great weekend talking to everyone there, meeting new people and getting to know other members of the JCI UK national board better.  The fantastic relaxed atmosphere meant we were able to have interesting conversations about all things JCI and many things not, from books to careers and hobbies to family life. 

Although we were together for less than 48 hours, firm friendships were made all round and I can't wait to see everyone again at European Conference in June!

Members of JCI Belgium, JCI The Netherlands, JCI Switzerland and JCI UK's National Boards Enjoying a Walk in the Countryside 

Read more

The 2012 JCI World President Bertolt Daems visited Sheffield on Friday 10th February 2012 to hear about JCI Sheffield and our impact in the community! On the day we shared our plans for the year with the start of one of our community projects to reclaim the union flag.

Since joining JCI in 2003 Bertolt has had a very active career! He was a founder member of his local chamber, has held many European and international titles, been honoured as JCI Senator No.68118 and is now World President for 2012! As well as this he is also fluent in English, German and Dutch.

He firmly believes that in a world facing so many challenges it is the young active citizens like us that will provide the solutions. It is all about putting your passion into action - which is his motto for 2012!

Read more

EC2012 takes place in Braunschweig, Germany, on the 13th till 17th June 2012. But what is EC2012? It's a chance for nearly 2,000 members to meet other members from across Europe and further afield. It's your opportunity to receive quality, comprehensive training; listen to experts during personal development sessions and socialise every night at some of the best parties you will ever attend. For more information about the conference and the event programme please click here.

JCI UK will ensure that all members are well looked after while in Braunschweig. We have block booked a hotel close to the conference centre and we will be organising a JCI UK welcome evening so members can meet each other at the beginning of the week. In addition, there will of course be the obligatory JCI UK conference t-shirt!

For those that have never attended a big international JCI event, I can guarantee you will have a memorable time and will meet some great people from across the globe.

So what are you waiting for? Some of you may qualify for contribution or a bursary towards the cost of attending. Please contact your local president for more information.

Attending EC2012 in 3 easy steps:
1. Register for the conference by clicking here, cost is approximately £250 before the end of April 2012.
2. Arrange your own transport to Hannover, the closest airport to Braunschweig. Hannover to Braunschweig takes 30 minutes by train.
3. Book accommodation by emailing Sandra Pilarczyk, our resident accommodation expert and president of JCI Sheffield.

If you would like further information or encouragement, please get in touch with JCI UK's International Director, Tim Metcalfe, by email tim.metcalfe@jciuk.org.uk or call 07973 552363.

Read more

We've just received news that the JCI World President Bertolt Daems from the Netherlands will be visiting the United Kingdom 9th to the 11th of February!

President Daems will arrive in London the morning of the 9th and leave from Sheffield for Scotland for his visit to JCI Scotland the morning of the 11th.

The JCI World President, like all positions in JCI, has one year to lead. The President is elected at the World Congress the proceeding year and takes office the 1st of January in the year, holding office until the 31st of December. You can read more about what it takes to become World President on our "get involved" page.

Typically the World President visits between 70 and 90 countries in his or her year in office, we are therefore grateful that the President has chosen to visit us here in the UK.

Where can you meet the President?

While the details of the schedule is still being ironed out (for information on what it takes to host a World President, read the protocol document), the plan is that members can meet the President in both London and Sheffield during the visit. 

Plans are being put in place and in the meantime, save the date for

London: 9th February
Sheffield: 10th February

Both JCI London and JCI Sheffield as well as National Board are busy preparing an outstanding programme for the President's visit.

For more information about President Daems you can read his bio, read his (or JCI's) Plan of Action for 2012 or visit his campaign page.

Read more

On 3 September 2011 in Biograd, Croatia the participants of the first international JCI Regatta charity sailing event will line up behind the starting line to fight against malaria. Malaria is the leading killer of children in Africa, but this deadly disease can easily be prevented with the use of insecticide-treated nets. Through programs like the JCI Regatta, JCI (Junior Chamber International) members, in partnership with the UN Foundation's Nothing But Nets initiative, all around the world work to purchase and distribute mosquito nets and educate families on their proper use.

All the revenues raised by the fanatic sailors from the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Hungary and Turkey will go to JCI Nothing But Nets to purchase mosquito nets for African families. The donations of the JCI Regatta charity event will be doubled in the end by Cordaid, the largest developing-aid organization of the Netherlands.

The JCI Regatta will take place between 3-7 September 2011, around the beautiful Kornati islands near Biograd. The so called ‘one-off fleet' will consist of 8 boats, each having maximum 8 crew members. To raise the prestige of the event, the incoming 2012 JC World President, Mr. Bertolt Daems will also actively participate at the event. His focus, just like of the other sailors will be on raising awareness in Croatia and in other countries about the need for action to overcome the deadly disease in Africa. Ultimately the event may also contribute to the establishment of a local JCI organization in Croatia.

About JCI: JCI is the leading global network of young active citizens with 200.000 members in more than 100 countries worldwide. JCI provides its members development opportunities in order to create a positive change in our world and to become better leaders or entrepreneurs.

JCI has officially partnered with the UN since 1954. In 2003, JCI committed to advancing the UN Millennium Development Goals, a set of time-bound targets for poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women. JCI members organize thousands of projects every year committed to advancing the goals and using the UN MDGs as a framework. The JCI Regatta is one of these projects that supports the UN Foundation's Nothing But Nets campaign.

For more information, please contact:
Roel van Laarhoven

Secretary, JCI Regatta Foundation
E-mail: info@jci-regatta.com
Website: www.jci-regatta.com

Read more

The art of JCI Twinning is simple, befriend a Chamber and get to know them. JCI Barnsley is twinned with JCI Aberdeen and this weekend I had the privilege of attending their President's BBQ.

The event is aimed at brining together members and celebrating what has been achieved so far in a presidential year. This year JCI Aberdeen President, Steven Wilson, was gracious enough to invite be into his home to celebrate this annual event.

This BBQ was not simply a social event but also a charity event to raise money for JCI Aberdeen's chosen charity for 2011, the Maggie's Cancer Centre Appeal. Members were encouraged to donate to the appeal almost £50O was raised for the charity!

The wine flowed and the food was eaten and the event was a huge success! The sun shone and the party continued into the night, giving me a chance to catch up with my Aberdonian friends.

The only downside with twinning is that at the end of the day you have to go home. Here's hoping my next trip to Aberdeen will not be in the too distant future!

Read more

As part of JCI Academy, the international delegates were invited to visit Sendai and the areas stricken by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan the 11th of March this year. You can read in my blog post on the Academy how the Academy overall was affected by the biggest disaster in the history of Japan.

We were invited to Sendai by JCI Sendai, to learn about the disaster and the responses by JCI and the Japanese government, we were going to see the areas hit by the tsunami, then meet children and plant trees for peace, but the trip didn't go quite as expected...Instead we learned in real time what happens in Japan when an earthquake hits and a tsunami warning is broadcast.

The international delegates on the Sendai Program. Because of short notice not all international delegates were able to participate. The participating delegates came from Columbia, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago, Egypt, Iceland, Australia, Benin, Lxembourg, Honduras, Mongolia, the Netherlands and the UK.

A building in Sendai

Buildings in Japan are built to withstand earthquakes with a magnitude of 10 or larger, so though the earthquake that hit in March was the strongest in the history of Japan with a magnitude of 9, and the 4th strongest in the world, most of the buildings of Sendai survived structurally. Facades fell down and windows were broken, but overall the damage to the city from the earthquake was not major.

House hit by the tsunami

Most damage from the disaster the 11th of March was made by the tsunami. It was not that Japan wasn't prepared for a tsunami. Japan was very well prepared. 5 meter tall wave breakers in the sea outside Japan. Cities and towns are twinned with other towns - so that if something happens with Sendai, Kobe helps. If something happens with Tokyo, Kyoto helps. Shelters were built in case of a tsunami. The country was very well prepared.

A school designated as shelter in the tsunami stricken area outside Sendai

It was just that when the disaster hit the 11th of March, it was just a lot larger than anyone ever could have imagined. In places the tsunami wave was 38 meters hight. It hit 5 km inland. Shelters, like the school in the picture above, was hit by a 10 meter high wave. In the school in the picture, the whole village was taking shelter when the tsunami hit. The school is 2 floors high, the wave hitting it was 10 meters high.

Cars and cars and more cars...

When a tsunami wave hits it is not like a gentle wave, its more like a brick wall. The texture is different than normal waves, which is why it is possible to measure tsunami waves of  10 cm, waves you cannot see. The wave brings with it rubble and mud and everything it finds in its way.

A graveyard completely ruined by the tsunami

Most of what we saw was just...nothing. All flat. The only thing left of houses, lives and homes were the foundations. Rubble everywhere. Ricepaddies ruined by salt water.

International delegates visit the tsunami stricken area

Around the time the picture above was taken, one of the largest after quakes to hit the area hit with the same epi center as the earth quake the 11th of March, with a magnitude of 7.1. Where we were, the quake should have felt like 4, but we didn't really notice anything. The area is hit by earthquakes the whole time, more than 500 aftershocks so far, more than 100 with a magnitude over 6. As a comparison, the earthquake that completely destroyed Christchurch in New Zealand in 2010 had a magnitude of 6.3. This area of Japan is hit by this magnitude quakes almost daily. But as you can see from the picture of the building in Sendai, Japan is probably the safest country to be in when an earthquake hits.

Tsunami warning on Japanese TV

A bit after getting back into the bus, the bus stopped and a lot of cell phones started going off. It turned out that a large quake had hit with a magnitude of 7.1 not far from where we were, and a tsunami warning had been issued for the same areas that were hit the 11th of March. We had just left the stricken area, we were still in areas that had been somewhat stricken, and the thought of a new tsunami was not very comforting.

We waited in the bus until the tsunami warning was lifted. In the end the tsunami that hit were only about 10 cm, but it delayed our program. Our hosts found it best if we did not go to the most affected areas to meet the children and promised to plant trees on our behalf.

In the end it was a very interesting experience to see the machinery that starts with a tsunami warning in Japan, and after the first shock, we all felt very safe.

We are allowed to leave and say goodbye to our JCI Sendai friends. We have an 8 hour bus ride to Tokyo ahead of us.

We handed over a signed JCI flag to the JCI President of Sendai on behalf of all the international JCI Academy Delegates

Learn more...

If you want to learn more about what JCI Japan did to help when the earthquake hit, watch this movie from JCI Operation Hope:

Read more

You hear a lot about JCI Academy from its graduates. It's supposed to be the experience of a lifetime for a JCI member. Graduates come back raving about new friends, buddies, teams, host families and lots of other concepts that don't really make sense to us non-graduates.

Getting our group photo taken in front of the Gotoko Shrine in Toyama the first day of the academy

So getting the news that I was accepted (one person per country is accepted, normally the deputy national president), I was hesitant. Is this really going to be that amazing? It sounded exhausting. No sleep for a whole week? Spending three days with a Japanese host family? Spending 24/7 with a Japanese buddy that speaks no English? A team where half the team speaks no English? Will there be enough food? Enough coffee?

All I can say is YES. It is all that and even more. It's not brainwashed raving. The Academy really is the best experience you can ever have. It is really beyond words. And of course, my Academy, the 24^th JCI Academy in Toyama, was the best academy of them all. No discussion.

My buddy Tomoko talks about her hometown, Fukushima

Well - the 24^th Academy was different. What made it different? Happening in a year with the greatest natural catastrophe in the history of Japan, this made its impact on the academy, both in who participated (some participants were scared to come to Japan), and also in the stories our fellow Japanese delegates had to share with us.

It so happened that I was buddy with a participant from Fukushima, were the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant is located. It's an understatement that Tomoko's life was changed by the catastrophes the 11^th of March. My perspective on the disaster has also been changed, and I will write another blog post on the experiences we had as delegates traveling to Sendai and on the work done by JCI in the aftermath of the disaster.

Academy Chairman Junichi talks about his hometown Sendai with my buddy Tomoko, from Fukushima

What did we do? Writing up everything we did at the Academy will take a book, so I will keep to some highlights:

• Made friends for life from absolutely all around the world
• Sit up late nights drinking sake, discussing life, JCI and everything in between while feeding unsuspecting Japanese salty "salmiak" Danish candy
• Worked on the JCI global plan on action for 2012 and our own plans for 2012
• Break a piece of wood with my own bare hands
• Understanding the Japanese concept of Shin-Su (an enterprising spirit towards the future) and how we can be Shin-Su leaders
• Experience Japanese hospitality staying with and being part of a Japanese family three days
• Experience Japanese schooling by being part of a Japanese primary school's day
• Experience and learn about Japanese culture, food and people
• Get to know the most fabulous buddies in the world - Tomoko and Takanori (yes, I had two)
• Get about 300 new and real facebook friends, from the Academy Commission and members to Delegates, host families and schools...

Thank you JCI, JCI Japan, JCI Toyama and JCI Sendai for giving me this amazing opportunity!

Building a bridge with my team - Yoshi, Katsu, Kentarou, Takanori and Tomoko from Japan, Soren from Denmark, Sean from Taiwan, Hayden from Trinidad & Tobago and me from the UK

Working with my team until 5am to finish our homework with no translators.

Learning calligraphy - I've written "Dream" on one of the Toyama Cultural experiences

Visiting a Japanese school and be part of their day

Playing a game with my new friends

Meeting my host family, the Kanda family, with whom I spent three nights and two whole days

With my fabulous buddies - Takanori from Kanazawa and Tomoko from Fukushima

We all graduated!

My whole team did

The last party
The

Read more

What a great video, just had to share it with you! Cheers Sofie

Flash Mob Rennes BOW by dgjcef

Read more