INTRODUCTION

    As the Asia-Europe Youth Camp was the first of its kind to be held in China, the media was quite interested in what the participants were doing during their stay. In the following you can find some newspaper articles that were published about the camp.

SHANDONG YOUTH DAILY

    This newspaper - focused on Shandong's younger population - reported several times on the camp. This article from the front page of the newspaper was published September 9, 2000, and shows participants working at the reconstruction site of a bamboo temple.

Asian and European Volunteers take Each Other
Hand by Hand to Protect China's Mother Rivers
Qiu Changhai, Shandong Youth Daily

    Yesterday morning 100 young volunteers from the UK, France, Singapore, Korea and other from the 25 member countries of the Asia-Europe Meeting gathered in Jinan to the opening ceremony of the "Chinese-Foreign Youth Volunteers' Protect China's Mother Rivers Camp"
    In the coming two weeks the volunteers from the different countries will take part in afforestation, make environmental exhibitions, help the reconstruction of cultural relics, etc. These activities will take place at lower reaches of the Yellow River, in the mountain areas of Taishan, and in the hometown of Confucius. They will also have discussions on "Youth and Environmental Protection", "Youth and Volunteer Work" and other issues, and will meet and exchange ideas with volunteers and university and high school students from our Nation.
    With in the framework of the Asia-Europe Meeting the activity is co-organised by the All China Youth Federation and the Asia-Europe Foundation, and has been undertaken by the Shandong Youth Federation. This is the international volunteer service activity that until now has the largest number of participating countries and participants in our Nation, thus showing the Asian and European youth's common concern for environmental protection and their appreciation and approval of the newly started activities of Our Nation to protect the Mother Rivers.
    The secretary of the central secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party's youth council Zhao Yong, member of the standing committee of the Chinese Communist Party in Shandong Province Zhu Zhengchang, vice secretary of the of the Chinese Communist Party's Youth Council in Shandong Wang Xiao, leader of the personal exchange programme of the Asia-Europe Foundation, Ulrich Niemann, and volunteers from the different countries jointly attended yesterday's opening of the camp, and took part in the "Asia-Europe Youth Forrest" tree planting activity.

    Picture I: At the opening ceremony the banner of the Green Youthe Camp in their hands with green hopes rising in their hearts.
    Picture 2: The young volunteers plant trees, using their sweat and concern to make the Mother Rivers of China even more green.

© 2000-2001 TIM SCHROCK