Youth is the future. Although it is a hackneyed statement, it is not far from the truth. In years to come, today’s youth will become the leaders of our world, leaders who will continue and improve the legacy of today’s institutions and will carry them into a new and bright future.

From generation to generation, we have shared our love for dogs, nevertheless it is also our responsibility not only to teach the next generation of FCI leaders about loving and protecting dogs, but also to encourage them to get involved in the World’s most important dog organisation.

We must prepare our youth for the challenges they will confront in the future. It is our duty to equip them with the wisdom, knowledge and skills they need to succeed and to maintain the FCI as a global and unified organisation.

Seven young leaders from all over the World have come forward and will - together - organise and realise a crucial element of the FCI Plan for the Future, one of the most innovative, interactive and proactive initiative of the FCI in years : The FCI Youth.

The FCI Youth will develop and lead the FCI initiatives toward the youth community, at the same time become a reliable and trustful source for young dog lovers around the world. It will be their responsibility to support, and celebrate that special bond we constantly see between young people and dogs. They will also encourage a commitment to ALL cynological activities from teens, young adults and young professionals within our National Organisations.

This important initiative will be guided by strong values, values determined by them: recreation, sportsmanship, responsibility, support, education, equity, progressiveness and loyalty. These values - combined with creative and modern ideas - will empower youth to take a step forward to build the FCI of the future, for the benefit of dogs worldwide.

The FCI Youth will respond to the youth interest and will use the conveniences and advantages of social media, connecting with them to create a global community of young dog lovers.

The members of this dynamic group were selected from among the different FCI geographical sections. They operate under the leadership of Mr G. Jipping, FCI Vice-President, and Ms Luna Durán, FCI Marketing and Public Relations Manager. They were appointed by the FCI President, Mr R. de Santiago. All of them already have a great experience of the canine scene and are deeply involved, nationally, in cooperating with teenagers.

Anna Mäkinen, Finland
Birgit Bischoff, Germany
Daiva Kvedariene, Lithuania
Catarina Molinari, Portugal
Gerardo Bernard, Mexico
Jed Chua, Philippines
Miguel Casellas-Gil, Puerto Rico

As President of the FCI, and as someone slightly older, I am calling the next generation of young lovers around the World to push the bar, to unite for the well-being of dogs, for the future of our sport and to celebrate the incredible bond between dogs and humans.

About the FCI

The Fédération Cynologique Internationale is the World’s largest canine organisation. It includes 90 members and contract partners (one member per country) that each issue their own pedigrees and train their own judges. The FCI makes sure that the pedigrees and judges are mutually recognised by all the FCI members.

The FCI recognises 343 breeds, each of them is the 'property' of a specific country. The 'owner' countries of the breeds write the standard of these breeds (description of the ideal type of the breed), in co-operation with the Standards and Scientific Commissions of the FCI, and the translation and updating are carried out by the FCI. These standards are in fact the reference on which the judges base themselves when judging in shows held in the FCI member countries; they are THE reference assisting the breeders in their attempt to produce top-quality dogs.

Website: www.fci.be
Media contact: Marie Luna Durán
Facebook: www.facebook.com/FederationCynologiqueInternationale

FCI Youth in Social Media
Facebook: www.facebook.com/4youngdoglovers
Twitter: @fci_youth
Hashtag: #FCInext