EJBM Report 2013

1 EJBM 2013

Report from Great Britain’s JB Board

Great Britain at

EJBM 2013

Vicky

Junior NJR

Will

Senior NJR

Ollie

Treasurer

Becca

Leeds LJR

2 EJBM 2013


What is EJBM?

“Facilitated by the EJB Team, the European Junior Branch Meeting

(EJBM) is an annual meeting for the Juniors of Europe to get together

and work towards the growth and development of Junior Branches within

the EJB region. Through talking, training and working the needs of each

country are recognised and addressed with support and input from all

who attend.”

— JB Pedia

2012

2013

3 EJBM 2013


Facilitated

One of the great things about EJBM is that there is a section known as Open Space. Provided with 5 free hours in a day, it is up

to the participants to create and run sessions. This can be done on anything, from Appropriate Internet Content to How to

Build a JB (both activities run this year, the former by our very own NJR, Will). Not only is this a great place for the sharing of

ideas and success stories, it is also a place to challenge our organisation through evaluation but also to discuss things not always

talked about in a CISV environment. This year threw up two examples of this in discussing the nomination process of EJBM

whilst, in another room, people discussed the binary oppositions of gender. The Open Space promotes sustainable leadership

and is a unique highlight of the meeting.

Nominated and Voted

We then come to the official part of the meeting: the decision making on the next EJB Team members, the location of the next

meeting and any proposed motions. Each Country holds two nominations and votes on the aforementioned things. Always an

exciting process, this is the decision making mind of EJB deciding who will coordinate their neighbourhoods for the next year as

a team of four. The system is staggered for the EJB Team meaning, like the NJRs, people serve a staggered two year term.

What happened this year?

Keep reading my intrepid companion...

^ All those from Great Britain who made it to EJBM this year.

Vicky (NJR), Ryan (EJB Team 2012-14), Jess (EJB Team 2011-13), Becca (LJR)

James (IJR), Will (NJR), Ollie (Tresurer)

What did you do?

Participated

Both the EJB Team and voluntary facilitators run

sessions throughout EJBM and the content this year

was incredible.

We had an introduction (or re-introduction) to Right

On, the educational content activity and reference

pack relating to this year’s content area, Human

Rights. We discussed our impact on the community

in how to run successful Mosaic projects, experienced

the difficulties of communication in a simulation,

learnt more about the Organisational Review from a

member of the Transitional Team and many, many

more.

Teaching and sharing skills both in and out of CISV ,

EJBM is a meeting that hones not only our skills with-

in the organisation, but outside of it too. You really

do feel like an active global citizen and part of a glob-

al movement.

4 EJBM 2013


EJBM Team Elections

Nominees:

Ola (POL), Kristina (NOR), Maria (POR), Roxanne (FRA), Lucie (FRA), Joao (POR), Will (GBR),

Marvin (GER), Pavle (BOS), Malak (EGY), Darine (ALG), Nico (ESP), Marie (AUT), Emilie (DEN)

Candidates:

Ola (POL), Kristina (NOR), Micas (POR), Darine (ALG), Lucie (FRA) and Pavle (BIH)

Results:

Ola (POL) and Pavle (BIH)

Which means this year’s EJB Team looks like this:

Ryan

Ola

Pavle

Kiki

And EJBM 2014 will be in:

Athens, Greece

5 EJBM 2013


I have been on many CISV experiences but this was my first EJBM and I really didn't know what

to expect. Luckily I was pleasantly surprised by the whole experience. The five days in Poland

have given me more motivation than any other camp has ever given me, it was great to meet so

many active juniors from all over Europe and share ideas and projects that they had.

EJBM was packed full of educational and inspiring sessions. My personal favourites was Soli's ses-

sion on the Organisational Review which, even though I have done multiple sessions on before,

really cleared up a lot of my questions I had on the subject. It was also really helpful that Soli is

also part of the Transition Team so he really knows what he is talking about. Another favourite of

mine was the Open-space which was a long session that anybody could run a short talk or debate

on whatever they chose, which was great for learning new ideas or challenging the way we do

things in EJB.

In conclusion the sessions were great, the people were great, the food was... well not so great, I

wish I could go back and I hope I do next year in Greece where I think the food (and weather)

will be better!

EJBM 2013 (hosted by JB Poland in Warsaw) was my first experience of an annual international

CISV meeting and, for me, it was an unprecedented week of challenges, hilarity and learning.

Arriving at the campsite, already feeling slightly tired from travelling, I was struck by the affability

and the shared eagerness of all the participants to achieve something concrete for CISV Europe.

With close to 100 participants, inevitably I did not learn everyone’s name but, aided by good fa-

cilitators, by the end of the meeting, I felt the group had really bonded and discussions had actu-

ally progressed with the participants actively listening to one another. I felt particularly inspired

by the workshops and sessions which focused on the growth and development of JB at both a Eu-

ropean and a local level – hopefully some of the things I learnt and discussed can be taken back to

my local JB!

The session run by Soli, then Senior EJB Team member, on the Organisational Review was so

interesting and definitely one of my highlights of the week. Overall, EJBM was a great experience

and a meeting I will definitely be encouraging other juniors from my chapter to attend in Greece

next year!

Thoughts from our delegation...

Ollie

Treasurer

Becca

Leeds LJR

6 EJBM 2013



EJBM in Poland this year was very motivational despite interesting food and cold

weather! I definitely think that this EJBM has been my favourite one so far. I felt

very proud to represent not only the juniors we took (Ollie and Becca) but also all

the juniors that contribute to making GBJB so outstanding within EJB and IJB.

EJBM gave us time to work on a clear year plan for 2013-14 and some of the goals

we wish to work on include working more with an NGO/guest speakers and work-

ing on improving national and local junior relations. A definite highlight of EJBM

for me was a session on the Organisational Review and looking at the updates that

the Transitional Team have worked on. This was a fantastic session and I am now

very excited for the final AIM! Another session which I particularly enjoyed was dis-

cussing different ways of approaching the nomination system, it was very interesting

to look at a process that is so often just accepted as common practice.

I am very much looking forward to working on the goals and definitely excited for

EJBM 2014 in Greece.

Vicky

Junior NJR

7 EJBM 2013



I don’t have a lot to add to add from what the delegation has said. I of course have similar griev-

ances with the strawberry sauce pasta and heavy snow, but also agree neither affected the content

and achievements of the meeting.

Having been to one EJBM before, in Poland I felt confident enough to contribute more to the

meeting itself by running two sessions. My first session was on how to use acting techniques and

exercises to develop facilitating/public speaking skills. It allowed people who would normally con-

sider themselves ‘shy’ to have a go at doing something I consider to be universally do-able. The

other session I ran was on Appropriate Internet Content, sharing best practices on how our pub-

lic online profiles reflect the organisation we are a part of. This discussion lasted an hour and was

really important in the sharing of best practices throughout EJB.

As well as running sessions, I also participated in many activities. As mentioned, the Organisa-

tional Review activity was invaluable and it came alongside sessions designed to enable us to de-

velop our own JBs as part of the upcoming structural changes. For me, I really appreciated the

focus on communication and how to ensure strong, constant contact with the juniors I represent

and the National Board who so heavily support JB.

From the plethora of knowledge gained at this year’s EJBM, the thing I have personally taken on

board as something to improve upon is communication. Seeing how other Junior Branches utilise

various medias has been inspiring to me, especially after meeting the people behind The Monthly

Digest and IJB Thinks.

If you ever get a chance to go or help send someone to EJBM, please do it. It is a phenomenal

experience and has inspired me to use the last 5 months of my term for something brilliant rather

than letting myself fall in to complacency.

Will

Senior NJR

A huge thank you to Soli, Jess, Ryan and Kiki, the EJB Team 2012-2014

8 EJBM 2013


That’s all, folks!

Thank you so much for taking your time to discover a bit more about EJBM and GB’s expe-

rience there. For more info on the EJB and IJB scene, check out the following links:

EJB Team facebook: facebook.com/ejbteam

EJB Blog: europeanjb.wordpress.com/

EJBM 2014: facebook.com/pages/EJBM-2014-Greece/146706015507036

JB World: facebook.com/groups/2428557052

IJRs: facebook.com/CISV.IJR

Any questions, requests or comments, get in touch with Great Britain’s

Junior Branch Board:

[email protected] facebook.com/pages/CISV-Great-Britain-JB-Board/239956949384577

Documents

EJBM Report 2013