Networking Seminar at Junior Chamber Kaunas

On November 30, Networking Seminar was delivered to 23 participants that were members and non-members of Junior Chamber Kaunas. The 3 hours seminar was held Graiciuno College of Management in Kaunas.

Participation was high. After seminar we were surprised with a tour to two well known institutions in Kaunas: Militaries House and Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union museum.

Both visits were to understand the importance of these two institutions in Lithuanian recent history, namely in resistance against soviet power. I was honoured to sign the guest book in both institutions.

Seminar and great Reception in Siauliai Romuvos Gymnasium

Right after the Networking seminar in Siauliai University Gymnasium, the same seminar by Filipe Carrera was made in Siauliai Romuvos Gymnasium (also, a pre-college education institute).

Like the seminar before, it was also part of a JCI Sostine project “School of Success”.

About 70 participants attended this seminar that started in very warm atmosphere. Again, the trainer and the seminar organisers from JCI were invited to the gymnasium director’s office to have coffee with gymnasium authorities and to receive warm congratulations and invitations to come again and make more seminars in the near future when possible.

Carrera’s Seminar in Siauliai University Gymnasium

On November 27th, more than 250 participants attended Carrera’s seminar “Networking – Be the Best Performer” in Siauliai University Gymnasium (pre-college education institute) that was a great success.

This seminar was part of a JCI Sostine project “School of Success” under which famous speakers give lectures to high school students.

After the seminar the trainer and organisers were invited to the gymnasium director’s office to receive many thanks and congratulations for very interesting and interactive seminar.

Lithuanian Resistance Seminar to Portuguese Air Force

In the evening of November 27th, Mr. Albinas Kentra, the director of Lithuanian Freedom Fighters - Brothers of the Forest Association (further – “Brothers of the Forest”), did a Lithuanian Resistance seminar to the Portuguese Air Force troops in Siauliai. It was a very emotional presentation done by a former partisan who lost his 3 brothers in fighting the soviet power.

First part of presentation was about 1944-55 year period when Forest Brothers organised themselves to fight the Soviets by attacking them from forests.

Second part of seminar was about Singing Revolution that started in January 1991 and ended with the Lithuanian independence that year. It was footage of real soviet attacks on Lithuanian Press House Building and the TV Tower, also barricades on Lithuanian Parliament Building.

It was a privilege to listen to the person who played such an important and intensive role in the resistance movement against soviet power. It was a great history lesson with real life experience.

At the end of the seminar, the Commander of the Portuguese Detachment thanked a lot to Mr. Albinas and pointed out that Portuguese militaries were very touched by what they heard and saw.

The Commander also gave a patch of the mission as a symbol of Portuguese gratitude to Mr. Albinas.

More than 70 participants attended this presentation including a group of 8 Portuguese Eramus students that were studying at Siauliai University.

Visiting the Siauliai Air Base

JCI Lithuania members and Filipe Carrera (JCI Portugal) visited Portuguese detachment in Siauliai airbase in the morning of November 27.

We were very welcomed by Lithuanian and Portuguese troops who showed us the F-16 operating under the Baltic Air Policing mission.

Also we had opportunity to have a very typical Portuguese meal (Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo) together with the Portuguese troops.

Carrera Seminar and Portuguese Air Policing Mission Presentation in Siauliai Municipality

Under invitation of JCI Siauliai, about 60 members of Siauliai community attended Filipe Carrera’s seminar “Self Knowledge – The Key For Success” followed by a presentation of the Commander of Portuguese Air Policing mission in Baltics.

This event was organized by JCI Siauliai and was held in the afternoon of November 26 in Siauliai Town Hall. Both the seminar and presentation had a very warm environment thanks to good participation of the audience.

Coordination Meeting with Lithuanian and Portuguese Air Forces

In order to finish coordinating project activities, a meeting was held on the Monday morning (November 26) among Lieutenant Agné Balciauskyté (PR officer of Lithuanian Air Force), Major Gonçalves (PR Officer of Portuguese Air Force), Aurelija Muzaite-Zavanelli (JCI Lithuania) and Filipe Carrera (JCI Portugal) in Siauliai Air Base.

It was a very productive meeting done in high spirit of cooperation.

Back to Lithuania and this time with… NATO

Yes, I’m back to Lithuania, after JCI Lithuania winning the Best European Project Award for training project in which I had honour to be the trainer. This time the challenge was to do it again but in unusual way. Once again, I have the great support of Aurelija Muzaite-Zavanelli (JCI Lithuania) who was a coordinator of JCI/NATO project series.

This time Portuguese Air Force supported the project because they are in Lithuania from the 1^st of November till 15^th of December to defend the airspace of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia under NATO mission, using famous F-16 fighter planes.

Today, for the first time in my life I did two military flights to come to Lithuania. I came with the troops and tomorrow our work will start.

On the way to Maastricht

On the 11th of June I was on my way to Brussels and then train to Maastricht, almost a whole day trave, to arrive to the EC 2007.

Filipe Carrera back in Lithuania

Continuing the International Training Project in Lithuania Filipe Carrera was back on Lithuania to carry out more training on Networking and Self-Knowledge, this time in Siauliai, Panevezys and Vilnius. The seminars were a great success.

In the beginning of the Networking seminar, Aurelija Zavanelli, a coordinator of the project, made a speech that explained the purpose of the Filipe Carrera’s visit:

"After our country has entered European Union it clearly became a part of the world. That means that we will face many more possibilities than we did before as well as more threats. The world outside is not better or worse than here; there is just much more of everything, including good and bad. This may look scary in the beginning, especially for those who had no contact with the “outside” world before. Fortunately, in JCI organisation we have a possibility to learn about the outside world without really taking a risk of leaving our home country. In this case, we won’t even leave Siauliai. Today we will learn about networking from a Portuguese lector who calls the world his home for already many years.”

Saying goodbye to Monaco

Sunday was a day to visit the highlights of Monaco.

Gala Night at the Café de Paris

The gala night in Monaco has to be some special and JCI Gala Night was fantastic. This Gala was held at the Café de Paris, just in front of the famous Monte Carlo Casino.

It was a night of glamour and enjoyment, finished in the famous Monte Carlo disco Jimmy Z.