On Saturday 21 July we - Juul, Sylvia, Lucinda and Sietske (3 members of the youth committee and an assistant) - arrived. At the end of the afternoon the congress was officially opened.

Sunday was the first day of the programme. From that day on every day had been given a theme. Within these themes there were presentations, discussions and other activities.
The first theme ‘Motivation through presentation’ started with a presentation titled ‘The power in you’. This was supported by practical exercises in groups of two persons. These exercises were pretty intensive because we had to talk about our inner feelings and thoughts. During the second part of the day we made a wall exhibition about the youth committee of the Netherlands Rheumatism League, which we explained, to the group afterwards.

On Monday the theme was ’Breaking Barriers’. This day was introduced with a personal story from one of the Norwegian project group. In the afternoon everybody got a chance to break his or her own barrier. This could be done through several sporting, and even spectacular, activities. The most spectacular was the water-skiing. Juul did this and still has painful shoulders because of it, but she says it was a great kick and super cool. Sailing was another activity you could choose, Sylvia chose this one. With the activity horse-riding you could choose from riding on a horse or in a cart behind it. The latter meant crossing through a small part of the wood, which resulted in a lot of screaming girls.

Tuesday covered the theme ‘Owning your own health’. We talked about being boss of your own life with rheumatism from a medical and social perspective. In the morning we used statements to discuss this. This resulted in very interesting and recognisable points. In the afternoon we started with an introduction to the Norwegian centre for mothers with rheumatism. After that you could choose between a workshop about heredity, pregnancy and taking care of children and a workshop about setting priorities and finding a balance in life.

On Wednesday we enjoyed a day out in Oslo!

All the presentations and discussions together are pretty intensive. Fortunately this ‘heavy’ part of the programme is varied by cosy and relaxing activities. We ate a typical Norwegian lunch in an open-air-museum with folkdance as desert; we partied in a big wigwam with a campfire in the middle. Over this fire we baked bread on a stick, whilst listening to a Norwegian sage. There was also an international evening where every country could present itself. We brought ‘Beerenburg’, candies, liquorice and syrupwaffles from the Netherlands. We were dressed in tulipblouses with a windmill-hat on our heads and the Netherlands’ flag on our cheek. Dressed like this we sang the song ’Vlieg met me mee naar de regenboog’ (‘Fly with me to the rainbow’ - it’s a parody on the international songfestival) by Paul de Leeuw. Everybody tried hard to copy the moves as we did them and to fly (sing) with us.

Up to now (half way through) we think the congress is a big success. There is a really relaxed atmosphere and everybody is highly motivated to participate in the activities.

Published in Newsletter no. 7, August 2001

More articles about the IYC 2001:

Articles from Newsletter no. 7 - August 2001

• IYC 2001 is over, by Dorte Rønsler, chair of IOYR

• Once upon a time, by Gábor Kürtösi, Hungary

• The week was too short, by Signe Bicule, Latvia

• Breaking barriers, by Camilla Ladestam, Sweden

• You are accepted, by Ingrid Kósová, Slovakia

• A sense of belonging, by Richard Jeffery, United Kingdom

• The whole wide world at one place, by Tina M.-L. Mortensen, Denmark

Other articles:

• At my first IYC, by Halla Hrund Himarsdóttir, Iceland

• Youth rheumatics breaking barriers in Norway, by Lars Espen Rath Vestad, Norway

• Meeting of Young Rheumatics in Norway by Romana Lukasova

• More to come - if you have any articles please mail them to postmaster@ioyr.org.

More about IYC 2001