Ecotopia is an international gathering of young people from all over Europe involved or interested in environmental and social justice issues. Ecotopia takes place every summer since 1989, each year in a different country. It is organised by EYFA (European Youth For Action) and by a local grassroots environmental organisation as host organisation. This year, the 19th edition will take place in Portugal.

Ecotopia is a place for learning, exchanging experiences and spreading information about environmental, social, political and other issues. Around 200 - 600 people attends Ecotopia each year, to share skills and discuss about a wide range of themes related to environmental problems: climate change, transport and mobility, GMOs, organic food, eco-building and sustainable infrastructure, global politics and global economic system, strategies for actions, experiences of campaigns, alternative media, migration, racism and xenophobia, cultural issues, influence on and of people...

Ecotopia is also a functional model of self-sustainable community that puts into practice the principles of an environmentally friendly life-style: waste recycling, vegetarian kitchen, consensus decision-making, the use of alternative energy...Where possible, Ecotopians participate in regional actions and clean ups, try to get local people interested in ecological problems and empower local organizations.

Ecotopia is horizontally and self- organised; everyone is asked to take part in runnig the camp, solving problems and decision-making. And everybody is responsible for creating the programme!

Ecotopia operates on the ecorates system - an alternative economic system based on living standards and income of people rather than financial markets, which means that you pay for food at Ecotopia the same amount as you would pay for it in your own country.

GAIA
- Grupo de Acção e Intervenção AmbientalFaculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia2829-516 CaparicaPortugalPhone/Fax: (+351) 212949650E-mail: gaia@gaia.org.pthttp://gaia.org.pt
EYFA
- European Youth For ActionMinahassastraat 1PO Box 941151094 GC AmsterdamThe NetherlandsPhone: +31 [0]20 665 7743Fax +31 [0]20 692 8757E-mail: eyfa@eyfa.orgwww.eyfa.org

YouPEC - European Youth Perspective on Energy and Climate

Dear friends and fellow concerned individuals,Young Friends of the Earth Germany, together with other Germanenvironmental organizations, is organizing a major European youthconference on energy and climate, which will take place in Berlin, fromJune 22-27, 2007.We are inviting active young people between the agesof 18 and 27 from all 27 member countries of the EU, Norway, Switzerlandand Turkey to attend the conference.After an application procedure, five applicants from each country willbe selected and invited to the conference.All of the participants' expenses (including travel, food and lodging)will be covered by the organizers!Attached please find our conference announcement. Interested individualscan apply for the conference online (more info. and applicationonline at www.youpec.eu).It would be great if you could forward word of this conferencethroughout your FYEG Network and to other active young people that mightbe interested in attending YouPEC!We look forward to your participation!Best wishes,Rachel

Note: The application deadline is April 6th; please please don't waituntil the last minute to apply!

YouPEC - European Youth Perspective on Energy and Climate. From June 22-27, 2007, the Youth Alliance for Future Energy, a publicnetwork of individuals and youth organizations, will hold YouPEC, aEuropean conference on climate and energy, in Berlin.Conference participants will be young people between the ages of 18 and27 from all 27 member countries of the European Union. After anapplication procedure, five active young people from each country willbe selected and invited to attend the conference.The conference offers a unique opportunity for participants to forgeinternational contacts and deepen their knowledge, exchange ideas andexplore courses of action in the field of energy and climate protection.Therefore the various consequences of climate change (in terms ofbiodiversity, weather, living conditions etc.) and energy use andpolitics will be the central educational themes of the conference.The goals of YouPEC are the development of a strategy to combat climatechange from the point of view of young people, the drafting of adeclaration and a personal commitment to protect the climate, as well asthe planning of one or more European projects to reduce CO2 emissions.BUNDjugend is responsible for the administration and organization of theconference. All of the conference participants' expenses, includingtravel, room and board will be fully covered by the organizers.YouPEC is being sponsored by the German Federal Ministry for theEnvironment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.The conference language is English.

For further information contact: Julia Balz www.youpec.eu

Electro Man calls for electric transport in Auckland, New Zealand.

Kiwi Young Green, Gareth Hughes, was out yesterday visitng railway stations around Auckland city calling on commuters to support the Green Party's push for the urgent electrification of the rail network that would see cleaner, faster, cheaper and better-for-the-climate trains carrying commuters in New Zealands biggest city.