Welcome!

Welcome on the Blogspot of the Eekse Yought Twinning.

There is something for everyone on the Blogspot!

* Curious one's can make here virtually knowledge with a gang international social young people from all fraternised villages and make contact with them if you like that.

* Members of youth twinning can here read the latest news about the youth twinning. You can also virtually fraternise with the partner villages. If you still have questions, put them on the blog. Further can you view our photo's of activities.

Project and Youth Exchange!

The youth exchange that will take place from 6 till 13 july is organised by the youth twinning comitee of Eke Belgium. During 8 days we are going to work together with teenagers of different nationalities around the theme ‘Light and Darkness’. This theme will be about contrasts and opposites. With this theme we want to bring different ages and cultures together. We will accomplish this through a fashion show at the end of the week. During the week, young people in different workshops will put together a part of the show, according to the interests of the individual participants.

The main goal of the camp is to bring youth of different nationalities together and enhance international friendships. 6 teenagers of Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, France, England and Denmark are coming to Eke-Belgium from 6 to 13 july. They will get to know each other through different kind of activity’s and workshops like ‘Pimp the Stage’, ‘Haute-Coûture’, ‘High-Tech’ and ‘Carte Blanche’!

About Us!

In 2005 we joined the youth camp in Eichen-Brüche. It was a great experience. The next youth exchange was going to be in Eke Belgium in 2008, the committee asked us if we wanted to help organising it. It was an honour to have the opportunity to create a project based on our experience from the camp in Germany. We decided to start our own youth committee.

The members of the youth committee are: Stéphanie Bosschem, Céline Vandamme, Daphné Vandamme, Jo Van Rysseghem, Thomas Van Ongeval, Maarten Tortelboom, Katrien van Belle and Ann Van Peteghem.

Stéphanie: ° 29/07/1987

Some characteristics: enthusiastic, caring, generous, sociable, open-minded, honest, …

In the summer she will graduate as a toddler-teacher.

Céline: ° 05/03/1987

Some characteristics: caring, modest, trustworthy, honest, sweet, shy, …

She’s studying to become a nurse.

Daphné: ° 01/11/1988

Some characteristics: sweet, trustworthy, kind, gentle, empathic, sociable, …

She’s studying to become a general practitioner.

Jo: ° 15/12/1986

Some characteristics: sociable, driven, idealistic, sporty, …

He works in a garden company and is studying to become a garden-designer.

Thomas: ° 04/12/1983

Some characteristics: active, sociable, hardworking, chatterbox, gentle, …

He’s active in the Belgian politics and is alderman of youth in Nazareth-Eke.

Maarten: ° 06/04/1987

Some characteristics: funny, optimistic, chatterbox, sociable, …

He’s studying electro-technics.

Katrien: ° 22/04/1955

Some characteristics: trustworthy, enthusiastic, busy, caring, friendly, organised, ...

She works voor JINT vzw, the coordination Agency for international youth work in Flanders.

Ann: ° 28 april 1972

Some characteristics: friendly, cheerful, funny, caring, helpful, …

She works at the town hall and is responsible for the youth-activities.

Annemie: ° 5 oktober 1958

Some characteristics: caring, helpful, a hard worker, frienly, always there when you need her, ...

History

More than 40 years of twinning festivities a lookback …

It all started in 1963 … The headmaster in Eicken-Bruche, Gerhard Granz, had a dream: “To bring European citizens together and establish friendships between them”. Gerhard Granz succeeded establishing partnerships with 4 “Oak” villages: Eicken-Bruche (Germany), Eke (Belgium), Eecke (France) and Eiken (Switserland).

The first Twinning festivities took place in Eicken-Bruche in 1965…

Ever since 17 editions have taken place every two to three years …

Eicken-Bruche: 1965, 1975, 1985, 1995 and 2005

Eke: 1967, 1977, 1987 and 1998

Eecke: 1971, 1983, 1993 and 2003

Eiken: 1969, 1980, 1990 and 2001

A youth project was launched in 1998 and was organised as part of the following twinning festivities, involving two additional “Oak” villages: Eycke and Egdved

Highlights of the Twinning festivities are the official ceremony and concert + bal, music, sports event and the day excursion.

Conclusion:

• Twinning created a real opportunity for cross-border contacts.
• Twinning resulted in friendship between various families.

BUT

• Most of the contacts were irregular -> every 2 to 3 years.
• A fairly limited and gradually decreasing group of people was involved in the festivities.
• The general, repetitive festivities programme has lost its attractiveness towards the larger public.

Has Twinning a future ? Absolutely !

! But it needs to be in line with the 2007 context !