Contact

info@youPEC2010.eu

Organisation: JNM

JNM is a youth organisation from Flanders, Belgium, that is open to all youngsters between 7 to 25 years old that are interested in nature and the environment. Together, we go out on excursions to discover the beauty and diversity our plant and animal kingdom has to offer. Environmental action and nature conservation activities are also part of our core business. At summers, we organise more than fifty youth camps. YouPec is an opportunity for our organisation to get in touch with other likeminded youngsters from all around Europe, and let the world hear the voice of Europe\'s youth on biodiversity issues.

Site: web@youPEC2010.eu

YouPEC Team

	Annelies is the energetic international secretary of JNM. She is also the climate responsible in the environmental working group of JNM and has two COP meetings on her shoulders (Poznan and Copenhagen). She is currently reading in a master in history, focusing on South American environmental problems (mining conflicts). For YouPEC, she is responsible for the capacity building and communication with other organizations. She likes traveling, second hand markets, attending summer camps, drinking some good Belgian beers and photography! Her heroes are Wangari Maathai and Frida Kahlo.
	Gorik is our smart volunteer active with JNM in ‘Nature Management’ group. He has studied Bio-engineering and is currently a PhD student at the department of Forest and Water Management (Ugent). His role in YouPEC is that of  practical coordinator and he is also responsible for the YouPEC website.
	Christian is our crazy EVS (european voluntary service) volunteer from Malta currently spending a year at the JNM office, working mainly on YouPEC and Biodiversity issues.  He has been active for three years now with environment NGOs including Friends of the Earth Malta, Together for a Better Environment and Young Friends of the Earth Europe. He has a bachelor in Geography and a master in Cultural Heritage Management. He likes travelling, partying (and organizing parties), discovering other countries/cultures and drinking a good glass of wine.  At the moment his hero is Louie Psihoyos.
	Jasmin is our workaholic volunteer, most active in the environment group of JNM, especially on climate issues. However she has been active on almost every aspect of the environment group, biodiversity, agriculture, mobility and food. She has a bachelor and master in Geography. Her thesis was focused on climate change and politics in Mexico. Jasmin works for Gents MilieuFront, an environmental organization that strives for a sustainable environment in Ghent. They do lobby work, crazy actions, lot of activities and with their Environmental Advise Shop they give advice on how to build and rebuild in a sustainable way. She is the mentor of Christian (the EVS volunteer from Malta) and programme coordinator of the YouPEC conference. She enjoys swimming, watching soap operas, partying, eating good food with friends but at the moment she has too many meetings.
	Annelore is our trusty financial  responsible who was a member in the board of governors of JNM for four years and an active member of the nature study group. She has a master in philosophy and a master in general economics. She currently works for Natuurpunt, as a policy officer.  Natuurpunt is one of the biggest Belgian environment and nature organizations,  that carries nature studies and manages a large part of the Nature reserves in Belgium. Annelore is responsible for the financial part of conference. Her hobbies include biking, travelling, reading and going to the theatre. Her heroes are Thomas More, Prigogine, Martin Buber and Ingre.
	Willem is our ever smiling volunteer active in the ‘Nature Management’ group of JNM and formerly responsible for the logistics at the office. Willem studied Biology and is currently working for Natuurpunt on a European LIFE project. He is responsible for the lecturers, presentations and information sessions that will be given during the YouPEC conference. He will also lead the post YouPEC declaration promotion. His hobbies include nature management, mountain climbing, cooking and music. His hero is David Attenborough.
	Thomas started being active with JNM in his home village where he was active in the local JNM branch called 'Neteland'. When he moved to Ghent to study he became active in the Nature Working Group. He was also president of the NWG for one year and mainly active in the bird group. He has a Bachelor in General Biology and a master in Marine Biodiversity and conservation. In YouPEC he will help with the logistics and bar. He likes to observe and study birds, but also plants, insects and mammals. He likes to reading, to listen and play music. His heroes are David Attenborough, Charles Darwin and Bob Dylan.
	Matthias is the treasurer of the Environment Working Group of JNM. He is currently studying Social Work. In YouPEC he will be helping with the cooking and he will be especially responsible for the dessert. He considers JNM as his most important hobby and he also enjoys batminton. His heroes are Kumi Naidoo and Pierre Marcolini.
	Bert is responsible for the Amphibian and Reptile Group in the Nature Working Group of JNM  and in  the Bruges branch of JNM he is  responsible for the financial stuff. He is currently studying his last year of Biology and next year he is planning to start a PhD about the evolution of tropical frogs at the Free University of Brussels. Bert will be helping with the logisitics, responsible for the bar and photo competition. His hobbies include nature photography, rugby and traveling. His heroe is David Attenborough.
	Hanne for many years was the leader and responsible of the 'Piep' members (youngest JNM members) of the Bruges branch of JNM. She studied Pedagogy and Social Policy Studies at the University of Ghent. Until her departure to Peru in January she was helping in the YouPEC conference group. More specifically she searched for sponsors. She is now working as a volunteer in Northern Peru on environmental education. Her hobbies include reading, traveling, drawing, dancing, hand crafts, enjoying the quiet and enjoying the calm of nature. Her heroes are Rigoberta Menchú, Marco Arana and the coffee farmers of Northern Peru.
	Wies has been a member of JNM from 1999 to 2010. He has been especially active at the local level (Neteland), he also organized several camps at the national level and was a member of the national board as international (2007) and national (2008-2009) secretary. He has studied in a Master of Languages & Master of Conflict and Development. For YouPEC he wrote the EVS application for Christian and helped with the writing of several other funding applications. Currently he is working as a volunteer in Peru for CATAPA (www.catapa.be). He is helping to prepare an international campaign to raise awareness on plans for open-pit mining in Northern Peru, a biodiversity hotspot of global importance. He enjoys writing and reading, playing the guitar, listening to singer-songwriters, having a beer with friends around a campfire and exploring the countryside. His heroes are Eduardo Galeano, Ken Loach and (the young) Bob Dylan. For their artistic activism.