Four Corners

Today 50 youngsters, politicians and teachers meet in Bornholm do discuss education and drug abuse.

The Four Corners Youth Board met on Rügen during 12th-14th September 2013. The students from the regions worked within their working groups developing exciting ideas in regard to regional youth exchange, effects of racisim, how to avoid financial problems and how young people with innovative ideas can work across boarders to develop enterprises. These ideas will be presented at the upcoming Youth Parliament on Bornholm 3. - 5. October 2013.

In the second part of the school year the Polish Corner has encountered several obstacles on their way and has achieved a few successes. On the last meeting in the Entrepreneurship Group it was decided to encourage local coffeeshops, stores and other services to create student discounts in exchange for placing their advertisements at our school and on our website. Polish members sent out the letters, which unfortunately met with a cold reaction - not a single firm answered the letter.

The Promotion Group created a Four Corners Contest as a School Event, informing students of our activities and the attractions that are unique to our regions. All the needed materials are prepared and the contest will be held in June. What's more, the group actively took part in our school's Open Day. A presentation about the project was given to the junior high school students who came to visit our school and we prepared a small treat for the guests, too - we baked the traditional cakes of all four corners and they filled the school with beautiful smell! Naturally, the treat was rewarded with an honest enthusiasm from our future students.

What is more, Personal Finances' members invited the bank representatives to have lectures in our schools. The lectures are to be conducted in first and second grades and their target is to broaden students' knowledge about managing their money.

In The Education Group there was an idea to create a student exchange in four corners. The group has already talked to the school headmaster and received an agreement, so we can go ahead with the project in the next school year.

The Health Group refrained from organising a concert with local musicians due to the complexity and high costs of the project. Polish leader of the group has recently graduted from high school, but earlier this year she passed her duties on to a Danish member. The remaining two Polish Health group members are developing a way to gather information about the nature of the prejudices in order to plan events targeting those particular issues during the upcoming Parliament.

Three representatives of our Corner, including the vice-president, were present at the regional meeting with politicians of all four corners which took place in Świnoujście in April. During the meeting they presented the activities of the Parliament and the benefits of the program from the point of view of students. The school project supervisor presented the teacher's opinion, too.

The Four Corners Youth Board met in Ystad on 3rd March 2013. Besides participating in their

relevant working groups, the students participated in a presentation of the Baltic Sea Stategy,

given by Mr. Niels Chresten Andersen, head of Europe Direct Bornholm.

The meeting continued the following day with a study visit to Copenhagen, where the group visited

MindLab, which focuses on innovation of public sector solutions.

The participants were informed of a case study of youths and personal finances.

The students participated in a brainstorming activity connected with the same issue.

Brainstorming!!

There was also the opportunity to hear a presentation given by Ms. Jette Esager Rasmussen from the

Danish Agency for Univiersities and Internationalism.

The presentation given was a short introduction of the Youth in Action Programme.

The final day of the youth board meeting was spent in Ystad, where the students worked within  their working groups.

Photographer Egon Nehls

The Four Corners’ study visit in the guestharbours on the island of Rügen May 5-6, turned out to be a travel through futuristic themes, innovative ideas, and witness new sources of inspiration.

Harbour masters, translators and representatives from the Four Corners cooperation, met, yet again, to learn from each other on how to develop our small harbour and costal areas. This time, the meeting took place on the island of Rügen.

Eager and prepared for two intensive days of harbour- visits, discussions, idea sharing and new inspiration, the Four Corners met in a wonderful bakery close to the main habour, which the Swedish and Danish delegations arrive at. We went through the schedule over lunch, after which it was time for our first destination of the day; Harbour Seedorf.

Prora- an abandoned building concept

On the way to Seedorf we stopped by Prora, a massive abandoned building concept, built during time the Third Reich architecture was at its height. After this cultural experience we took the bus to the harbour.

Seedorf- in the nature

Like the island itself, it amazed us all with its beautiful surroundings, its green nature and the many hills. The harbour itself was owned by a Mrs. Abraham and her husband, who worker together to develop it. She described how they had turned an old fire station into a harbour-bar, and how pleasing the guests was their first priority.

Putbus- a futuristic harbour

From this idyllic little harbour, we drove to the next. This one was called “Im-Jaich” and was situated in the city of Putbus. Here the theme was the future, with popular guesthouses floating on water, new being built on poles, water sports being practiced, a train station available, and all kinds of facilities and machines to take care of boats all year round.

In the afternoon we arrived at the small harbour in Schaprode. It looked very nice at this time of the day, and we could also spot the island of Hiddense from here. We were told that ferries were cruising between the islands, which we unfortunately did not have time to see.

Altefär- where different sailors meet

The next morning we started with a visit in the small harbour in Altefähr. It was a rather large, public owned harbour, with an astonishing view over the city on the other side. It distinguished itself by having fishermen selling mackerel in April, and children coming on sailing camps during the warmer months of the year.

Glowe- a harbour with an eco-theme

After some final idea- and opinion sharing the Four Corners delegation “set sail” for the small harbour in Glowe. There the theme was eco; no cars were allowed in the costal area. We had our walk through a promenade overlooking the sea and the beautiful beach, and when we arrived in the harbour we were warmly welcomed by the harbourmaster, his wife and the crew working there. It was a small but nicely finished harbour, with modern facilities and wonderful position, in the northern part of the island.

Lohme- at the bottom of a scrape

Later, after many moments of great discussions, from facilities, to regattas to international cooperation, and a picture for the local press, we gathered in a restaurant to sum up the trip. Here the ideas were exchanged, future developments discussed and overall enjoyment about the visit expressed. As a final destination we stopped at the harbour in Lohme, where the harbour was placed down a scrape, with special needs and really interesting solutions for whatever problems its position might bring.

Despite the tight schedule the whole trip was certainly a unique experience for all of us.

Jessika Vammerlund,

intern at Four Corners, Ystad

I, Simon, and David are having a meeting regarding the up-and-coming website, for the Youth Parliament.

During this metting I have been given an adminstrators login, so I can upload/edit articles and files. This will prove to be a great step forward in the process of creating a website/portal for the Youth Parliament and it's participants. This website/portal will be connected to our facebook-group aswell.

The region of the “South Baltic Four Corners” is situated in the very centre of the South Baltic Sea region. The Baltic Sea is connecting the four regions and now the Four Corners have created a digital sailing guide for web and smart phones.

The Four Corners have focused their activities on maritime tourism in and around the small harbours. To make the small harbour more attractive for maritime tourists, the Four Corners created together with the graphical company Burwitz & Pocha GbR on Rügen a digital sailing guide.
Since the end of 2010 the English and the German version is published under www.sailing-guide.eu. The other language versions are going to follow, soon.

The very best is that the sailing guide is not only limited to your PC. To make it easier for sailors you can use your mobile phone. The Four corners have published a special version of the sailing guide for e.g. I-phones or smart phones. And for those who prefer to use an ordinary printed versions, you can soon find brochures with the sailing guide in all Four Corners languages and English in the guest harbours.

In the sailing guide you find useful information about small harbours in the South Baltic Four Corners region, about services and equipments. You can read how you can reach and berth in the harbour, safety and you find attractive excursion tips nearby. In addition to this, the sailing guide provides necessary information about border, natural, customs and other regulation, about quality standards and of course the weather forecasts.

In Southeast Skåne Four Corners have collaborated with Österlens Museum and the Swedish Rock Art Archives in arranging two events open to the public. The main focus is the rock carving “the dancers rock carving” at Järrestad, Simrishamn. On Saturday evening "Rock Art By Night" started on one of Southeast Skånes most beautiful petroglyphs. A bus from Österlens museum took participants to the location that was illuminated by grazing light. Archaeologists told the stories of the petroglyphs and a Bronze Age buffé was served. On Sunday from 10-16 researchers where available at petroglyphs in Järrestad to answer questions, tell about the rock carvings. Visitors were also given the possibility to make their own frottage – a copy of the rock carving on carbon paper.

Photo:Ann-Louise Svensson, Österlens museum

On Bornholm the event “Listen to a rock carving” was held on September 11. Seven artists, musicians, actors, storytellers and poets, select a particular symbol carved in the rocks at Madsebakke and Hammersholm and produce a performance inspired by it. The event was created in collaboration with Bornholms Museum and Skov og Naturstyrelsen on Bornholm.

SÖSK hosted Four Corners annual political forum 2010 on Bjärsjölagård Manor House in Sjöbo, Sweden. Eight politicians participated and a new logo was approved. 

On June 8-9 Four Corners annual political forum was held at Bjärsjölagård (Sjöbo) where totally 8 politicians and 6 staff participated. Politicians participated were Thomas Lantz, Kent Mårtensson, Jan-Erik Andersson from southeast Skåne Carl Ilsøe and Bjarne Hartung Kirkegaard from Bornholm, Karin Giesel and Thomas Gelshorn from Rügen and Ryszard Teterycz from Swinoujscie. A researcher from Södertörns Högskola interested in using Four Corners as a case study also attended the meeting.

The main outputs of the meeting was approving a new logo and establishing that there still is an interest to continue cooperating. Next meeting in the political steering group will be in Swinoujscie on October 13, the date was selected so that the politicians also would get the chance to visit the Four Corners Youth Parliament.

The next Forum will be hosted by Bornholm on June 14-15, 2011.  

Swinoujscie is preparing to celebrate its 245 anniversary.

Invitations have been sent out to Mayors of co-operation towns and regions to join in and help the citizens and visitors to Swinoujscie celebrate the event from 25-27 June.

Among those invited are the mayors of Bornholm, Rügen and municipalities of South East Skåne who are the partners in the Four Corner Co-operation. 

The satellite picture on the right shows the maze of islands that make up Swinoujscie.

The harbour masters and promotion experts meet in Świnoujście on 27-28 April. It is our second study visit arranged within the project. They met first time in April 2009 and visited several small harbours in South-East Skåne. Świnoujście would like to present its marina located in unique place surrounded by spa-park and old fortification. The current component 3 issues will be discussed during second day.

See you in Świnoujście!

Rügen played host to the Annual 4 Corners Forum this year.

Keys issues:
 - progress on the 4 corners cultural heritage project
 - report from the Youth Parliament held on Bornholm
 - financing youth activities
 - new initiatives for the 4 corners co-operation.

The Four-Corners youth held their Annual Parliament on Bornholm in October.

One of the proposals to come out of the parliament was the idea for a new website as shown to the right.

Simon and Anan from Bornholm's Gymnasium are busy looking at upgrading information from the Youth parliament on this site or developing a new site.

Keep posted for updates, info and pictures from the Youth Parliament!

Unfortunately, the first cultural event organized within the project - Land Art - has to be postponed due to unexpected circumstance. We hope, the event will be arranged next year.

The coordinators met on Bornholm on the 19th and the 20th August. Updating of the homepage was first on the agenda and all coordinators have now access to upload articles and photoes. Ole was eager to show how easy it can be........

If information shall be loaded to the web-page then the component leader or the regional coordinator can be contacted.

The second day was devoted to progress reporting, planning of activities, budget review and the forth coming Political Forum to be held in October.