JOUKO LEHMUSKORPI

Peter Patrao leaded the preparatory phase of the YS during several months surprisingly energetically and inspiringly. He challenged the students to think about the climate change and their hopes about the YS and always supported their own thinking about whatever.

The Mumbai program was manysided and interesting. We had a warm and carefully prepared welcoming and other program in Campion School. The sight seeings in Mumbai were interesting.

Personally I would have liked to visit Dharawi.

In Panchgani the program was manysided . In addition to the group works we had lectures, nature trails and excursions. The living conditions and facilities were appropriate. The early morning program was an interesting experience.

As a whole the students felt the living conditions and relatively intensive days as a really good experience.

I would have added some introductory lecture about Panchgani and Spandan Ecopark and short lecture about the climate change, too, at the beginning.

The instructions for the group works could have been more clear. Sometimes it seemed that students and teachers, too, were confused about what they were to do.

I would have liked too see more the village and/or farm living.

The Finnish students had prepared presentations related to the climate chance. Peter had refered to them several times starting from May-June. Personally I was very disappointed and frustrated about the fact that finally the students didn’t have the opportunity (with one exception) to give these presentations in spite of several requests during the YS.

It was a delight to follow the preparation of the declaration. The working by the students and the Abel group was so intensive although everybody was physically tired in the late evening after one week of the YS.

Thanks to all those who in so many ways worked for the YS to be possible. You were so many persons and the assistance was in so many different forms that I must confess that can name only some of you: Peter Patrao, principals and teachers of STP and Campion, Chawgule family, Abel Foundation, parents...many others. You did so much and were always ready to do more for our visit to be that successful it was.