Young People in Twinning

Hi everyone

Stimulated by Dave and juliet's messages of February 19, 'Lots of Trips' in which they discussed this subject, I went with a friend to a meeting in Bromsgrove of the Worcestershire Twinning Association last week where it was on the Agenda together with the subject of "Re-inventing Twinning for the Modern Age."

These two subjects appear totally different, but they are in fact linked in my opinion.

Young People

It was said that older people in British Twinning Associations want to enjoy meeting old friends abroad in a 'safe' and comfortable environment, to make visits to interesting places and to have fun. They do not want to travel to new, far off countries sometimes riding in the back of a lorry for example to very basic accomodation with perhaps some health hazards.

Young British people on the other hand it was felt, often regard a trip across the Channel for the weekend to be boring. They are looking for adventure, new experiences and excitement - such as can be found in a country never before visited and possibly not as affluent as our own.

Perhaps that is why we have so much trouble attracting them?

It was also said at the meeting that French people might have better connections and relationships with their young people across the age differences than we do in Britain. There was no-one there from France, so there was no answer. Is this true?

'Back to the Drawing Board?'

Someone at the meeting surprised me. He said "when I think back fifty years, it is clear to me that the purpose of Twinning was to make friends from enemies and that is why we twinned with towns in Germany. Who are the enemies today with whom we wish to make friends?"

Clearly, France is not one of "the enemies" of Britain and has not been for a hundred years or so, indeed there is an 'entente cordiale', and I personally have always been greeted with wonderful hospitality and kindness even from strangers there outside of Twinning. Sometimes however people in Britain feel that politically, France "does not keep to the rules!" (maybe French people think similar things about Britain!) and that French workers and particularly farmers take a more aggressive position when things happen that they do not like - they have blocked French ports in the past for instance - and therefore change things to the disadvantage of Britain.

It seems to me that is why the friendships developed through our twinning with Cholet for example are so important.

But should we be looking to young people to develop twinning with the countries of Asia, the Middle East and Africa for example - and should we be helping them to do this through our Twinning expertise?

Richard