On 29th of June, in Pénestin, France, the extraordinary General Assembly was taken place. The GA started with 19 delegates:
- 3 from Presidium
- 1 from Nature Friend International
- 2 from Sovet za preventiva protiv Maloletnicka Delikvencija (Macedonia)
- 2 from GIAN-Giò (Ana Teresa and Mitsutake Ono)
- 1 from Nivon Jong (Netherlands)
- 6 from Naturfreundejugend Deutchlands (Germany)
- 2 from ATB De Natuurvrienden (Belgium)
- 2 from Termeszetjaro Fiatalok Szovetsege (Hungary)
During the assembly a delegate from Naturfreundejugend Österreichs (Austria) arrived.
Some of the highlights of the assembly were following:
- The report of the activities of 2018 and plans of 2019 was done in a form of “World cafe presentations” rather than a form of presentation by the president this time (I personally enjoyed all 4 tables facilitated by different folks from the office and presidium. There were also a lot of positive feedbacks on it)
- An initiative motion about the proposal of a candidate membership for ASAN – Amis De La Nature Sénégalais (Senegal) Youssef from ASAN, who also participated in the training “Structure of Activism” gave a motivational speech with the proposal with the promise of the solid commitment at the national level and future collaboration at the international level. The motion was approved with consensus.
- An initiative motion about that Les Amis de la Nature Federation Francaise (France) getting back their suspended votes. Along with the gratitude for having hosted the extraordinary GA and the training “Structure of Activism”, and all the works Miriam and Nicolas had put, the motion was approved with consensus. The motion was immediately taken effect, thus the assembly had 22 delegates from that point.
- The election of the new presidium of IYNF
The candidates:
President
Tilo Podstatny-Scharf (NFJD): Elected
Vice-president
Lisa Hofmann (NFJD): Elected
Paria Bagheri Moghaddam (GIAN-Giò): Elected
Valentina Várhelyi (TFSZ): Elected
Zoltán Lehoczki (TFSZ): Elected
Our member Paria Bagheri Moghaddam was elected as a vice-president of the new presidium with consensus. Following is the short presentation of Paria Bagheri Moghaddam:
“When it comes to thinking about the idea that I am candidating myself to become a decision-maker in an organization that I was admiring for the past three years, it brings shivering to my bones. IYNF together with GIAN-Giò, with their unique social attitude bonded with political and ecological values, have brought so much joy and curiosity to my life.
I would say, 7 years ago when first I put my toes in Europe, I have realized that the world I was living in, was nothing but a small portion of what can actually be my world. I was born and raised in a country in which in schools there is a very limited concept of ‘’learning how to think’’; and I believe, that’s what I have learned for the first time in the second part of my life, in Europe, after I took part in a national meeting with Gian-Giò.
I have studied, and I am currently continuing studying Industrial design, focusing on the happiness of social inclusion in industrial design here in Florence, where I will pass the major part of my vice-presidential day, under the Tuscan sun.
We are from the new generation of thinkers, and that’s what I want IYNF to continue doing. I would like to help IYNF and IYNF help me, for an upgrade in the organizational knowledge level of a non-profit and in the same time, proposing new ideas of new ways to approach the MOs that has been off the beat from the mother organization.
Sure, I need every IYNF member, to help each other, through concrete and constructive discussions.
Allow me to emphasize that my strong capacity to offer to IYNF, will be at brainstorming for ideas, design-thinking for problem-solving, and organization of different events. My field of study will definitely be a help for my tasks in IYNF.
In the past two years, I have held together with other colleagues 3 international conferences with collaboration with University of Tehran and University of Florence, co-organized one international workshop here at University of Florence together with 8 other universities around Europe, two exhibitions with collaboration of 12 Universities worldwide, mostly with topics of social integration and cultural glocalization in design studies.
I would like to use this opportunity to expand my knowledge and capacities at the head of IYNF for then, help my local organization in becoming more active socially and politically.
All in all, I would like to honestly say that, I am doubtful of taking this huge responsibility on my shoulders, as I have not had a formal experience of being responsible for a non-profit organization, but what helps me grow over the fear, is knowing that there will be people around to help me learn, give me a hand to stand up and keep rolling the wheel of IYNF without letting it stop, together and united, for a Europe that is fair, free and green.
Berg Frei.”
Written by Mitsutake Ono