Focussing on the future - New Members, New Ideas

ICN partners elected a new board and welcomed new partners

Besides different presentations, visits, discussions and official meetings ICN members also used the 10th annual conference in Suwalki Poland for the annual meeting and to recall the past year.

Rita Merca, chairwoman of the ICN board, opened this years annual meeting at hotel Loft in Suwalki - also known as the coldest place in Poland - to thank all partners for their contribution, input and ideas in the last ten years. “I hope the next ten years will be even more active and we will work together on many more projects”, Rita Merca pointed out.

This time more than 40 participants from nine different countries were present, amongst them ICN partners from Aluksne Municipality who just joined the network at the beginning of 2017 and who have already joined a first project. Also Christina Svensson from Sweden took part. Christina joined the network as a private person and has just succesfully established an NGO that focuses on a fossil-free Dalsland. Now Christina Svensson's NGO will join the ICN network to benefit from the experiences and strength of ICN and to work together with different partners in the years to come. Besides Fossil free Dalsland ICN welcomed to more new members: Kedainiai Vocational Training Center (Lithuania) as well as Fredrikstad City (Norway).

ICN partners used the annual meeting for discussions about new project ideas, activities, possible cooperations and to plan the next ICN youth camp. Also all present ICN members elected a new board. Rita Merca from (Latvia) was reelected as chairwoman of the board. Her deputy is Ewelina Suchocka from Poland. Triin Pärna from Estonia will continue her work for the ICN board in the new year as well as Ella Fridvalde-Andersone form Latvia and Cliff Hague from Scotland. New in the ICN board is Einar Stefanussen from Norway.

Einar has worked since 2009 as a international coordinator for the City of Fredrikstad. One of his principal tasks is to help various units within the municipality to start up and complete international cooperation projects. Fredrikstad is involved in and has completed projects in the field of culture, education, city development and health care.
In addition Einar functions as an advisor for the politicians and follow up the contact with Fredrikstad's twintowns.

Grete Skgelbred from Norway and Christina Svensson from Sweden will join the board as substitute members. The new board will meet at the end of January in Riga to discuss upcoming activities and projects.