By Cameron Neil, Founding CEO

Seeing IYPF celebrate its 6th birthday is certainly a significant
milestone for me. When I started out with IYPF back in 2001, I really
had no idea of the journey it would take me on nor where 6 years down
the track would find me or indeed the organisation!

Reflecting back over the last 6 years, being involved with IYPF has
been a very rewarding adventure for me. I have learnt so much and had
the pleasure of working alongside inspiring and amazing pers.
Personal benefit aside, I can see that the organisation has achieved
some pretty significant things and helped catalyse the emergence of
the `young professional´ category in various local and global for a
worldwide, not least of which in the international development
sector. Our members - including many who have been directors and/or
staff - have and are making amazing contributions to creating a
better future for current and future generations. The organisation
has grown organically, spreading its tentacles through over 100
countries and to embrace over 3000 young professionals.

Despite this, both IYPF and me have become restless over the last 12
to 18 months. We wanted more. We saw so much potential for what IYPF
could be, how it could better achieve its vision and mission. How
IYPF could grow and strengthen its activities, operations and
networks and better inform, inspire and equip even more young
professionals to take local and global action to transform our world
for the better.

So, mostly quietly, we have been working to implement a program of
activities and initiatives to transform and grow IYPF from its humble
beginnings to an even more useful vehicle for achieving social change
through engaging and supporting young professionals.

Today, our 6th birthday, we thought it was a good time to start to
share what we´ve been working on. Most of these initiatives are
`works in progress´ that we believe, with your engagement and
involvement, can see IYPF become a very different organisation in 5
years time. I´m not 100% sure what it will look like exactly - and I
will be handing the reigns over to someone else to lead the
organisation towards that exciting future in the next 12 months.
However, I know that I´m excited and I believe that the initiatives
we have put in place will lead us all on an exciting adventure over
the next 6 years.

These new initiatives, outlined briefly below, are also detailed on a
special new splash page we´ve put on our website to highlight what we
are up to. As these activities progress, we´ll keep you posted
through the website and the newsletter. If you want more information,
or to get involved, please do not hesitate to contact me on
cameronneil@iypf.org.

Yours in service,
Cameron

IYPF Initiatives & Activities

· A new look, more professional, still undergoing transformation
website @ www.iypf.org
· A new online membership application and management platform that
allows members to manage their own membership, engagement with IYPF,
connection with other members, etc.
· A strategic plan for 2007 to 2009 that we´ve already started to
implement, which we will also be using to create a strong business
plan and to drive further transformation and growth of the
organisation
· An IYPF Climate Change Strategy that commits us to operating in
ways to reduce our own carbon impact while engaging with our
stakeholders to help reduce theirs
· A new volunteer recruitment and development program is being
finalised that will provide more opportunities for people interested
in developing their skills and contributing to IYPF
· Stand Up Against Poverty, October 17 2007, as part of doing more to
facilitate local networks of young professionals to take action on
local issues (another round of events in February)
· IYPS 2008, which will be our next major milestone for new
initiatives, activities and announcements
· The creation and operation of various member funds to invest in
their amazing initiatives