All the teens wrote a final blog entry to share with the world their final thoughts of this incredible voyage. Their posts are below:
Alex
Hi, it’s Alex, for the past week and a half we have done everything from climbing masts to exploring islands to cleaning toilets and finally put together a three plus page document to hand over to the leaders of the G8. What I anticipated this trip to be was almost nothing like it actually turned out to be. Many of the things that I thought we would be accomplishing, the document, came true but not in the fashion that I would have imagined. I could have never imagined climbing the hills of the amazingly pristine Montecristo then coming back to the largest brigantine in the world to sit down and discus extremely relevant topics like the economic crisis and climate change. After looking back at what we all did as a group, what we accomplished, and where we’ve been, most of this trip seems like some surreal, perfect image of what the world should be. Kids of nine different nationalities, different languages and ideals came together to talk about world topics while simultaneously breaking barriers and making friendships. What the G8 leaders have to realise is that the goals that they are setting and the barriers that they will break today will shape what our world will look like in the future even when they are not in power. I find that the idea of the young generation speaking up is such an important concept because the leaders of today don’t have to live with the consequences of their actions. It is us, the young generation, which will have to deal with the problems that our leaders has set for us. Let’s be honest, most of the current leaders won’t live for another 30-40 years (if that) but the world doesn’t stop 40 years into the future. This is why our generation must convince the leaders that their dissensions should not be aimed toward a healthy, prosperous world in their life time but for all the life times to come. Our purpose here is to make them realise this. As this trip comes to an end I have a great feeling of accomplishment and happiness but I also have feelings of optimism that the world’s first YPG8 will make an impact on how the world leaders make their decisions.
Jacob
Hello, it’s Jacob again. First off, I would like to thank the educators and organizers for their hard work for making this trip a blast. I’d also like to thank the crew for their hospitality and all the other delegates for making the trip unforgettable. Over the past ten days I have learned and experienced so many things. It is tough to choose my favourite experience but it would have to be the trip to the island of Monte Cristo. I feel honoured to be one of only a few to experience the island. It is a beautiful place. The smell of the island is unforgettable. I also feel we have accomplished our goal with the document we have created with our solutions to the world issues. We have shown that young people can make a difference in the world today. I am proud to part of the first YPG8. We have become a very close group over the past ten days and I will miss everyone. I hope the YPG8 will continue so that other young people have the opportunity to make a difference and have as much fun as we did.
Dora
Hi, in these 10 days, I had a lot of fun. We guys developed as a very good team. I finally know what a real team is and how it works. I think, that for our G8 work, we made a very good job in only 10 days together, even if we had a lot of fun and free time. I think that we did a very good job because we worked as a team. We also saw a lot of interesting places, such as: the beautiful island of Monte Cristo, Tarquinia and Rome. I think that the place I liked the most was the Monte Cristo island. I can say that I spent a great time with everybody. They are all very nice and kind. I will really miss them a lot. I hope to see them again.
Liza
Hi, I am Liza again. These 10 days we lived on this beautiful brigantine with the crew team and educators. I think it was the best time in my life! We had so much fun together. I believe that we all became not only a team but a family. It is amazing how we could become so close and attached to each other after only 10 days! We started to trust each other and rely on each other and I suppose that is the greatest thing that could happen on this wonderful ship. I will not forget the time I spent there. I would like to thank our crew and all the educators for such a great job and all the participants, of course, for the nice time we spend together. I will miss all of you guys.
Jacopo
Hi, I’m Jacopo. These 10 days on a very beautiful brigantine of the Italian Army and with a wonderful crew and with very funny educators was great! We had a fantastic trip in the most beautiful places of the Tuscany Archipelago. Also, we had a fantastic experience as group even if we came from different countries and have different cultures! However, I think that for everyone it was a fun and beautiful experience – one that I’ll remember all of my life. Now I’d like to spend my last few hours on this boat with my new, “international” friends!
Rachel
I have too many final thoughts to voice them all. So I will try to sum up a few. Firstly, this was an amazing opportunity that was equalled by an amazing experience which I hope to remember for as long as I live. I have learnt so much about myself and about people . I think through this trip I have developed skills that previously I did not know I had. I realised that I can, perhaps, make a significant difference to the injustices of this world and I can get past some of the existing barriers. It has been an emotional journey but it’s well worth it. I’ve learnt that everyone is different and these differences should be treasured. But I think that despite our differences everyone in the world can come together and create change... and above all have fun.
George
Final thoughts; not so easy to write out, but somewhere in the region of what can only be described as the slightly dull word happiness. This trip, one which I know I will never repeat, has exceeded all expectations I had, largely as a result of this brilliant ship and all of our activities, but also as a result of the intense relationships I have built in such a short time. That fact, however, lends a huge sadness and deflation to the contentment I feel after this week. An aspect on this contentment can also be contributed to a slightly erroneous self-satisfaction. It really is not an easy thing to be able to go into a group of people, with entirely different backgrounds and even those with different or dis-abilities. The fact that we have been able to create an entirely inclusive group and have found common ground and interests is entirely commendable, and something that I will take from the trip and a principle I will seek to extend to and to advance whenever I can.
Melissa
The last day, a day we all will remember for a long time and which is full of different feelings. Happiness thinking about our fantastic trip through the sea and our “adventure” that made us understand things like the importance of the environment in our life and of collaboration and trusting each other in a group. Sadness because we know that we are going to leave all those people we have learnt to know and to love during these 10 days and because this long, magical trip like a wonderful dream is going to an end. I started this travel with the aspiration to demonstrate to myself that we’re not the lazy and indifferent generation adults say we are - and I think that thanks to our hard work on the document and to the determination we used to reach our goals and to conquer the other’s confidence, my demonstration has been successful. Memories of this trip will always remain in my heart and most of all I hope that the growth I had in this 10 days will be useful not only for me, but also for the people I live with during my daily life. I wish I could be up to making changes in my daily society as this trip has been able to do for me.
Stefano
Of these days I liked so much activities such as the game where we had to imitate some words! (Charades) Also I liked the game where we had to stand like statues to understand the issues about we were talking about. I liked the trip to the Monte Cristo island where I could see the flowers and a beautiful view! I have met many friends such as Jacopo (il romano), Antonio (il siciliano) e Melissa (la bellissima romana). I loved the trip to Rome where we saw ancient monuments built by the Romans. I liked very much this trip because I have never been in a brigantine of the Italy Navy and I would come back!
Rosella
Hello everyone. I liked the ship because I met many people. These people came from many countries, for example; Germany, Russia, France and Italy. I liked the spider web game, where we worked together to cross through a net with large holes. I liked the discussion about discrimination because I don’t like discrimination. It is not right. I learned to have trust and to get to know many other teens like me, and to see that we are all alike... but unique. I have a lot of trust in the people on board because I know that I can trust in them but I think that we can all learn to give more trust to people we do not know .
Clara
Hello, here I am again. I want you to tell about my final thoughts now , because we have to leave tomorrow. First I want to thank you all for the great time we had! I enjoyed that trip with you very much! I liked that we didn`t only write the document, but also played games and joined activities together. Through this we grew as a team of real friends. It was a good experience for us all to see that we can become a team in such a short time. At the end we knew that we can trust each other and feel safe in our group. Also the life on the boat connected us. Because we helped the crew and each other to sail and clean the boat or do the kitchen duty we all grew. I think that I will miss everyone and everything very much. I liked sailing the sea and just being alone with our group and the crew. In my opinion our final document is a success and contains all our opinions on the topics. We did a great job with it. I liked discussing the issues, but I had some problems in understanding all the English words. The people who come from the UK or the USA had a big advantage and were speaking very fast. I would have liked to say much more, but didn`t have enough confidence in myself. On the whole, it was a good experience for us all and I think that we will never forget this great time together with people from so many other countries who became friends.
Hazem
Hello everyone its me again Hazem. This is our final thoughts so its probably our last time writing and its also your last time to hear from us because tomorrow everyone is leaving so its our last night on board . It was a great experience on the boat. I met wonderful people like the crew, the educators, and last but not least my friends. When I first arrived, it was a bit weird. I didn’t know anyone. Within 2 days I started making friends, until I got to know really well the crew, the group and also the educators. The educators made the discussions easy and fun. Almost every discussion and activity was lively. In this trip I trusted everyone. I always felt safe and felt that I was at my house. This trip gave me an awesome experience - an unforgettable experience. Sailing on this boat was so much fun. Not because it was my first time sailing but it was surely the best experience I have ever had. I liked discussing all the problems of the world and voting and being separated into different groups. I just have to say it was an awesome, unforgettable experience. I will surely miss everyone on this boat… the Nave Italia.
Novisa
Hi everyone it’s Novisa. Its our final day on the boat. It’s the worst day of the trip - I’m really sad I’m going to miss every day. It has been amazing, I’ve made life-long friends and got contacts from all over the world. We’ve gotten so close these past 10 days its hard to imagine how it will be without them. These last couple of days were great: we had a trip to Rome, we travelled to Tarquina, and the UNICEF J* delegtion. When we went to UNICEF, our nerves were getting to us in such a huge scale. It was UNICEF. As we entered, we were serious and professional. Each and every one of us spoke with amazing passion and enthusiasm. Our document was a success according to a representative of South Africa who said,” That document was perfect! You couldn’t improve it anymore.” I am very proud to be a part of the Tender to the Nave Italia YPG8 I wouldn’t trade my spot on this program for anything. The last days are always the best moments but the saddest times. This experience was a once in a lifetime experience and I’m so glad I shared it with these people. Thank you everyone… the crew, the educators and the group. I love this trip and I’m glad to have met all of you.
Antonio
This is our last day on the nave Italia. Now we are exchanging e-mail & mobile numbers. I’m really sad to lose my new friends. This is my fist trip that I wouldn’t return at home. With this holiday I know what is the really friendship. I know what means became a group. I love this ship and I hope that we can see again!! This night we have ours last party and tomorrow at night a lot of s go away and return at them life but I hope that this holiday give them a lot of happiness and friends like me. They give me a lot of sentiment like happiness or friendship. This is a really beautiful trip.
Amy
Well, tempus fugit! I really can’t believe how quickly time has past on this ship, and how much has happened in such a short time. All of a sudden I have friends across the world, I have seen a mystical island, and contributed to a document soon to be in the hands of world leaders. This whole trip has seemed almost surreal, and I believe I will look back on it as a period where I stepped out of time and normality and into a boundless area where new experiences and friendly faces compiled every day. I want to thank everyone both on and off the boat who made it possible for me to experience this, and hopefully someday we will all get a chance to meet again.
Janne:
Hello you all, it’s me again. I would like to tell you something about my last days here on board of the Nave Italia. I think the last days were also so interesting. There was our trip to Rome and the meeting with the J8 Summit.
But I also want to write about my feelings during the whole trip. I think it was maybe the most wonderful time in my life I’ve ever had. For me it is really important that I met so many new friends from all over the world. I’m so glad that I had the chance to join this trip. I also think that it is important if we want to change something in the world we have to communicate all over the world and do something for our future. I want to thank all the educators and the crew for this perfect trip and these perfect moments. I will be very sad tomorrow when we have to leave the boat and go back home. But I’m also happy to come home because I miss my mum and all my friends. I hope that I can take something from this trip to my country and I can share my new view of looking on some things with all my friends at home. So this was my last writing for the blog. I will miss all those amazing and nice people.I hope that this friendships will last for a long time even if we don’t see us (often). I want to end with the words that it was such a wonderful time here on board. Some of the best times of my life. A last goodbye from the german girl who is very happy that she met all those wonderful young people.
Anna
Hi, it is Anna. And now my final thoughts about the trip. So… to tell the truth, that was the trip of my lifetime. Many thanks for our educators, members of the crew of Nave Italia and for all of us. I still can’t believe that tomorrow we, the Young People G8, good friends, almost a family are leaving and going back to our countries all across the world.
…
And understanding in one word
Or in brief letters. It’s preserved
By trust and by respect and awe,
These are the words I am feeling for.
…
There’s no measure for such things!
For these all Nature flows and sings.
(“Friendship” by Elizabeth Jennings)
We spent 10 delightful days all together. I think, I will never forget this experience, I learnt a lot. And now I have a great wish to improve my English and German to speak more fluently with my new friends. Anyway, I think we will meet once again as scientists, economists, politicians, ministers or leaders of our countries…Who knows?! Hope to see all of you again and wish you all the best !
Florent
Here we go. Already the end of a such extraordinary trip, I have no words to describe it, most of all not in my language ! But I can try to resume it in a succession of more marvellous moments than the ones before. I am sure that I will remember this experience for all my life. I learnt a lot from myself, by my owns ways, but I also have been taught a lot, I have weove really strong links, the young people who were with me as the members of the crew… I understood the real sense of friendship, brotherhood and solidarity. I have learnt so many things, but it was great to teach the others my culture, my music, my food, and it made me glad. I will never forget all I have lived here, all I have done, all I have learnt, all the people I have loved, and I will use a word really strong in my own language, so strong that almost could use it : “heureux”. J’ai réellement éte heureux ici. Here I finish, because I have to join all the others, who are dancing outside, and you know what ? I wouldn’t miss it for anything in the world.
Giovanni
I think that if we help each other we can get to solutions that make sense. Otherwise we risk to lose ourselves in a world that doesn’t fit us anymore.
Niklas
The last day. It is difficult to describe how the feeling is on board. I think Stefano, one of the people with disabilities, said it the right way. Family! This strong bound between EVERYONE of us is incredible. We are one group, one team and became one family on board. Yesterday we visited Rome. After a little bit of sightseeing we went to the historic Piazza Campidoglio, where we read our document again and signed it. I must say, I was very proud what we worked out. Later on we met UNICEF’s Junior G8 delegation, and e shared our document with them. It was amazing. The way we presented the document was so full of energy and enthusiasm. When we finally presented out document to them, we realized how close we were as a team. We didn’t unite by countries but we simply united. That is how it should be in real life too. For me, that is one the most important things. When all the youth’s of the world stand up, the governments can’t ignore them anymore. That’s why I blogged so often. I think it was a great and once in a lifetime experience for me, but it should stop at this point. I now want to spread my experience, my points of views and what we discussed on board of the fantastic Nave Italia. At this point I want to say “thank you” to the Crew of Nave Italia, who were always very friendly and helpful. Also to all the people who are involved in the project. Now, I am coming to the end. THANK YOU RAGGA, JENNIFER, ALESSANDRO, LUIGI and LORENZO. You did a really great job and I can’t think of better educators. You guys had always a surprise for us and it was never boring! THANK YOU SO MUCH! I WILL MISS YOU ALL SO MUCH!