Co-operation in the New Millennium
The ELSA Youth Meeting 2000. Mullsjö Sweden

Edwin Farr:

It was back in late 1998 when the concept of this, the third, Youth Meeting for people who stutter first materialised. Many people had asked me when was ELSA organising the next Youth Meeting. Of course it is not that easy just to organise a meeting and the people turn up. The location has to be right, the theme has to be appropriate, time has to be spent crafting and putting together a plausible project and the funding has to be in place. ELSA has always strived to host meetings at quality and affordable establishments and the third Youth Meeting was to be no exception.

So the application was made to the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe for the Youth Meeting. Originally, the location was to be in Iceland. The theme was as mentioned above in the articles by Kevin and Gina, that of "co-operating in the millennium".

The European Youth Foundation promotes youth work across Europe and look to international non governmental organisations such as ELSA to put programmes together to enable young people to co-operate more closely with each other and have a better understanding of each other, their countries and cultures particularly by exchanging information.

Many national stuttering associations have always mentioned that they wished more young people would show an interest in working in a voluntary capacity for them including on their boards or committees. So the core aspects of the project application to the EYF was for stutterers of Europe to work together more closely for the ultimate benefit of other stutterers across Europe. The content of the project was to be "the workings of a national stuttering association", "how to write a business plan", and communication by theatre and art. All with the intention of gelling the group into the ultimate team.

Unfortunately, the EYF said in 1998 that they like the project but Iceland was to expensive - can you find a cheaper country. ELSA obliged and Sweden hosted the meeting. The rest is history. For me as an organiser this was the best Youth meeting, but I have said this about the previous meetings! For this one however I have never received so many thank you's. But as I said to them all, it was you the delegates who made the meeting such a success. They all worked together as a team, there was mutual understanding from day 1.

I hope all the delegates can keep in touch, I know they currently are by email, the reason is: the stuttering world, community, national associations - call it what you will, all need dedicated people who want to help everybody else associated with stuttering

I feel really proud and happy that I was part of this fabulous experience and I thank the delegates and my co-organisers such a pleasurable week.

Edwin