Dear Fellow Rotatactors and Rotarians,
We welcome you to our forth enewsletter. We have been evolving and growing a lot this year in terms of visibility, projects, workshops and webinars to further strengthen communication, collaboration and exchange among all ERIC district and clubs.
Earlier this month we enjoyed REM in Ljubljana. Autumn is surely one of the most beautiful seasons in which to see Ljubljana, so the perfect moment for Rotaract Europe to hold an event. Thanks again to the whole HoC team who took us through a journey of their city and country.
On Thursday, as an ERIC team (Board and CRs) we enjoyed a dinner at a local restaurant together. We were able to bond, share ideas and discuss our local customs with one another while also enjoying traditional folk Slovenian dances and food. After which we attended the welcome party in the Skyscraper. The Skyscraper afforded some of the most beautiful views of Ljubljana in all directions. Built in 1933 to designs by Vladimir Šubic, the Skyscraper was the tallest building on the Balkans and the ninth tallest building in Europe at the time of its construction.
During REM, we visited the Livada Primary School and planted trees in the school playground. This primary school is very unique and an interesting example for the Slovenian society. Not because of multiculturalism per se, but because the cultural diversity of its pupils – 98 % of whom are children of non-Slovenian parents – and is often mistakenly judged as having to do with their modest social standards, poverty, low-educated parents, bad knowledge of the language, and even values and behavioural patterns that are not always in sync with modern principles. In 2016, the Livada Primary School received the national recognition Apple of Quality in the category European Language Label in the priority area Multilingual Schools and Classrooms – embracing diversity in schools. Last year they have welcomed 11 pupils from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran. With its multiculturalism and the title EKO School, meaning it follows the principles of sustainable development and teaches young people how to live environmentally friendly, the Livada Primary School is a perfect place where bonds between their activities, Rotarian beliefs and the main theme of our event can be created
Later in the day we enjoyed workshops organized by the HoC and ERIC team which was based mainly on green topics and divided into three different levels:
1) Macro – taking a look at an international level;
2) Micro – focusing at a local level;
3) Nano – targeting a personal level.
Info about the workshops in the image below.
In the evening we enjoyed the Opening ceremony – I feel sLOVEnia
The Opening Ceremony took place at Ljubljana Castle. A medieval fortress and symbol of the Slovenian capital Ljubljana. The mayor of Municipality of Ljubljana, Mr. Zoran Janković, addressed all of us to mark the opening of the evening. After which we went inside the castle halls to enjoy Country Booths and “I Feel SLOVEnia” through a feast of local and international food and drinks. Country booths are a unique opportunity to get to know the typical food, drinks and other traditions of the more than 45 countries in the ERIC. It was a great opportunity to meet a lot of new people and hear about upcoming Rotaract projects and events all over the world
On Saturday morning we had the ERIC meeting where we reviewed the team’s progress and voted on several topics and the location of REM October 2018. It was a very close competition but Limassol, Cyprus will be hosting the next REM (please contact your Country Representative for more info). Following the meeting Lucky Dalena, Vice President of ERIC, provided a training to CRs with a focus on problem solving and idea generation. At the end of the training, Gabi, the CR of Luxembourg, presented a consolidated summary of all our ideas and action steps. Minutes of our meeting will be available in the minute’s section of our website.
In the evening we had our Gala Dinner – Green Fairy-tale
The gala took place in the Union Hotel – the first modern hotel in Ljubljana, designed by the architect Josip Vancaš, and it is a fine example of the Vienna Secession style. It was built in 1905, the birth year of Rotary.
Do you like the sound of a REM Meeting and want to learn more? Check out the E.R.I.C website and Facebook where you can also find photos and more information about what has been described here, or get in touch with one of your Country Represenative to tell you more! If we’ve already convinced you, and you want to know about the next REM, check out REM Vilnus and EuCo Antwerp.
The wonderful photos are courtesy of Craig Simons of the Rotaract Club of Hempstead, Hendon. Click here for the albums.
We would like to thank you for joining us and we wish you luck and success in your clubs, districts and countries.
Rotaractly yours,
Justin Panayiotis Hadjilambris
Rotaract Europe President 2017-2018
ERIC Team 2017-2018
(Left to right: Matthieu Bondu, Merve Karakaya, Lucky Dalena, Paul Sampatakakis, Justin Hadjilambris, Craig Leon Simons, Susana Silva, Jens Christian S Pedersen and Mafalda Luís missing Barışcan Tunalı)
