The 7th ELSA Youth Meeting

Venue:Giggleswick, near Settle United Kingdom

Date: 25-31 July 2009

The European League of Stuttering Associations (ELSA) is holding a Youth Meeting in July 2009 at a location in the north of England. The meeting will be 6 days starting Saturday evening 25 July and finishing Friday morning 31 July. The Meeting will consist of workshops, lectures, presentations, social outings and many other activities. The title of the Youth Meeting is

“The Right to Speak”

Human Rights Education and Intercultural Dialogue

The meeting is aimed at young people who stutter who are thinking about volunteering to work for, or thinking of being a Board member of, their national stuttering association. At the meeting the young people will be able to network with other European pws, learn about the work of the national associations, what can be done to help pws. The delegates can share fears, frustrations and triumphs, practice their speech techniques in a secure environment and engage in speaking experiences that they would otherwise shy away from. It is hoped that the meeting will inspire the delegates to participate in the work of their own association, raise awareness of stuttering and importantly provide for personal development.

The Youth Meeting will take place at a public school in the heart of the beautiful English countryside. The school has great sports facilities including a swimming pool which we will all be able to use.

There are 36 spaces for young people who stutter. Nominations will be on a first come first served basis.

The Meeting will be part funded by the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe and ELSA and is therefore heavily subsidised.

The cost of the meeting is 120 Euro for the six days, this includes 3 meals per day starting with Saturday dinner and finishing with Friday breakfast. All delegates will be able to claim a refund of 50% of their travel costs.

1. ISA has been asked to nominate up to four people and below are some guidelines: Nominations for four people are required, two boys and two girls (of which 1+1 as reserves) to ensure a gender balance.
2. The Young People have to be between 18 and 26 years old on 25 July 2009.
3. The delegates must be a member of the Irish Stammering Association.
4. All delegates must be reasonably fluent in English, they don’t have to be perfect but be able to communicate and understand some English, as English will be the working language. Each delegate will be expected to give some short presentations and will be expected to play a large part in the activities. Full respect will be given to each person’s speech.
5. Delegates who attended previous Youth Meetings or who don’t meet the age criteria are not eligible at this stage, but could be nominated as reserves. Should there be a shortage of applicants we will open the Youth meeting to these people.
6. Each delegate will be expected to make their own way to the Conference location at Giggleswick School, Settle, Yorkshire, England.
7. Each delegate must arrange for their own comprehensive travel and personal insurances.
8. The refund of the travel expenses will be paid after successful completion of the meeting.
9. Further details will be sent to each delegate after nomination and nearer the time of the meeting.
10. Delegates may like to take a look at the ELSA web-site www.elsa.info click onto “Youth Meetings” where information on the 2000, 2003, 2005 and 2007 Youth meetings can be viewed

Contact

If you are interested in being nominated by ISA, please contact our office by 13th May.
If you would like to contact ELSA for more information about the event, you can contact Anita S. Blom in Sweden on elsa.europe@telia.com or Edwin J. Farr in the UK on elsa.europe@totalise.co.uk.

The British Stammering Association has write ups on previous ELSA meetings
Stand up - Speak up! BSA Scotland at ELSA 2007 - in Nijmegen, Holland
Friends for life at European summer camp - 2005 meeting in Nijmegen
European youth make friends for life - 2003 meeting in Nijmegen
Youth meeting was an experience beyond words - on the 2000 meeting in Sweden.