From the 24 to 28 August 20 board members and 4 preparatory team members met in Prague, Czech Republic to reflect on the role of board members and increase leadership skills. Seminar participants members came mainly from Europe (Austria, Belgium French, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey) but also from beyond (South Africa, Thailand).
The diversity between the experiences and perspectives of the participants, combined with the expertise of the facilitators led this group discover issues such as:
- The diversity of governance structures, board’s work and its responsibility
- Challenges boards face including strategic planning, the relationship with the national director, external relations, building connections to the constituency and different roles in the board
- AFS Network context, organisational model and future
Some special sessions were offered to board members from small/developing organisations, to address their specific needs.
Participants’ evaluation showed their clear satisfaction with the seminar. All participants made plans to carry what they gained back to their national boards and organisations.
A well-deserved thank you goes to AFS Czech Republic for the support and smooth hosting the event in the beautiful Prague. And then very special words of gratitude go to the preparatory team including Lucas Welter (AFS International), Dulio Santos (AFS Portugal), Ulrik Wehner (AFS Denmark) and Izabela Jurczik-Arnold (EFIL). Their different profiles and experiences certainly enriched the seminar, and it was a pleasure to work in this team.
For any questions about the event please contact izabela.jurczik-arnold@afs.org