Recommendation on Sustainable Living in Workcamps

Recommendation on Sustainable Living

in Workcamps

Workcamps are a specific opportunity to promote sustainable living and to raise the awareness of the volunteers on the social and environmental impacts of our way of life. The vision of SCI includes a world of sustainable development and respect for the environment is one of our main values. Consequently, branches are invited to promote the four following themes in each of their workcamps. In doing so, branches would support the implementation of at least one action related to each.

The same themes and actions will be used as a basis for the assessment of “Green Workcamps”. Green Workcamps are pilot projects implemented by some branches in 2010 which takes into consideration most of the actions proposed below.

a. Raise awareness of the volunteers/participants

• Provide information on the relation between workcamps and sustainable living in the workcamps programs (information provided to the volunteer before he/she applies to a workcamp)
• Insert information on sustainable living at the camp in the infosheet (ie. see German infosheets)
• Organize a non formal education activity in the workcamp (ie. workshop)
• Provide a space and opportunity for informal education activity (ie. watch a movie and organize a discussion around it)
• …

b. Increase involvement of all actors involved in the workcamp

• Dedicate a special session during the training of the coordinator (ie. On sustainable living in workcamps)
• Provide examples of toolkits to the coordinators (ie. KVT ecoguides, workshop scenarios on sustainable living)
• Engage in a discussion on the themes c. and d. with the local partner prior/during the camp
• Assess the sustainability of the workcamp at the evaluation stage (including a specific question in the evaluation form of volunteers, discuss this issue with the local partner)
• …

c. Reducing the negative impacts of our materials consumption

• Buy mainly local food/community produced food

• Reduce the consumption of meat (potentially propose vegetarian camp to the volunteers)
• As far as applicable, buy fair trade products
• Be aware of all electricity uses: provide clear explanation to the volunteers of the need to reduce (ie. try to change to low consume lightbulbs…)
• Reducing consumption of water (ie. while cleaning dishes; water savers in the taps, organize a “day of rainwater”)
• Use sustainable transport during the camp: bicycle, walking (ie. for shopping)
• …

d. Reduce, Re-use, Recycle wastes

• Separation of waste to facilitate recycling in its treatment (including organic “waste”)

• If recycling is locally impossible, use recyclable, organic one-use products: glasses and dishes.
• Avoid the use of disposable items (ie. hard plastic glasses and dishes)
• Prefer cloth bags to plastic bags when shopping
• …

In order to assess the implementation of these actions in the workcamps, as well as to raise the awareness of the camp coordinators on these themes, the branches/partners are invited to invite camp coordinators and volunteers during the camp to report on the implementation of these actions in the workcamps he/she took part (a reporting form is included as annexed to this recommendation).

The informal GAIA group will remain available for any support and input to the branches/partners in implementing these topics and actions during the workcamps.

Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future

To all passionate volunteers:

Under this address: http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/ you can find many information, tools, ready session outlines, on-line multimedia resources, ideas, teaching & learning strategies, facts about UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development... In short words - web page about TEACHING AND LEARNING FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE. And I can tell you, sustainable future is worth it:)

Also in a post above you can find the text of Recommendation for Sustainable Living in the Workcamps, which was developed by activists from SCI's Working Group for sustainable development and climate change - GAIA.

Marta

Have a safe trip!



Zsuzsi

Let's evaluate the Study Session

Dear all

On the following link you can download the Evaluation form for our Study Session

EVALUATION FORM

Project Idea!

What?

Political Education in remote rural communities.

What for?

Education onHuman Rights and Transparency during Elections

Which needs will it answer?

Democracy and Transparency

For whom?

The old generation

When?

Before the 2012 Elections

Activities:

Conferences, Radio announcements, telemercials, trips to 9 districts

With what resources?

Professor,Independent Electoral Commission and hopefully those of the UNHCHR

Who will be involved?

Youth and I.E.C

Steps to make it happen:

Travel and teach twice a month on weekends. Preferably Sundays .

Peace messengers- There is no way to peace, peace is the way!

Peace messengers- Who we are?

Our vision is a world of peace, social justice and sustainable development, where all people live together with mutual respect and without recourse to any form of violence to solve conflicts.

Our mission is to promote peace and intercultural understanding to empower people to implement and promote pacifist values in their lives.

Peace Messengers are using the non formal education methodology for sessions on workcamps to connect the camps with SCI's identity as a peace organisation.

One step further!!!

As some of you were interested in Peace messengers, below are some useful links you can get more resources and information. Add Peace messangers as friend in facebook so you can get informations about trainings. This is how I heard about the online training this year and would recommend it to all those who have the good will to be a peace messenger but do not have the capability to travel and attend a live training.

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/peace.messengers

Space for peace:

http://www.spaceforpeace.net/51.122.0.0.1.0.phtml

Subscribe for a newsletter:

peacemessengersnews@gmail.come

Enjoy!
Katerina

Be Eco Friendly

Hello people ,

I would like to share our template for our project / activity ' Be Eco Friendly '
Feel free to share or add something that you have as an idea.

What? (Name)

Be Eco Friendly

Environmentally Friendly Artists

What for? (Objectives)

• To develop communication tools for improving the awareness of the need for recycling waste and existence of sustainable recourses.
• To imply the gathering and sharing of creativity towards using the waste as art.
• To promote community reuse and recycling initiatives

What needs it will answer?

The need for cleaner environment and healthier lifestyle

For whom (Target group)

Young children in primary schools

Activities

Workshops on several topics :

Ecology

Recycle art

Peace education

Exhibition

Auction (using the money for buying recycle beans)

With which recourses?

Youth in action programme or SAVA foundation

Who will be involved?

Volunteers and staff from CID;

Teachers from schools;

Local people who would like to take part in it

What steps we will take to make this happened?

(Deadlines-action plan)

-Till the end of Novemberr we are going to discuss this, and make detailed plan with the volunteers from our NGO

- Go in the schools and ask for permission

- Ty to make this project more international

Thanks!

Ivona Nikolovska
Center for Intercultural Dialogue
Macedonia
cid.mk

Links (e-resources)

You can find e-resources, links and calls from these pages

www.coe.int/youth - Council of Europe

www.youth-partnership.net - Youth Partnership secretariat between the Council of Europe and the European Commission

http://ec.europa.eu/youth - European Commission's page for youth

Follow-up activities - SAVA Study Session

Template for developing follow up activities of
Study Session “Learning on International Voluntary Projects”

What?
(Name)


What for?
(Specific Objectives)


What needs it will answer?

For whom?
(target group)


When?


Activities


With what recourses?


Who will be involved?


What Steps we will take to make this happened?
(Deadlines –action plan)


Also find it as a google document on the following link: DOCUMENT

(you can log in with the same details as for the blog)

Mandela - Reflection

We had a great session, beginning with a massage which pretty much took up most of the morning and into our coffee break. I swear to God food does not have the same test anymore nor does it satisfy me as much thanx to the professional chefs we have downstairs!

Well the mandala really reveals the essence of a human being. It allows us as spiritual beings to criticize the nature of our relationships while observing the state of the limitations which are bound on us by emotions. The fear of leaving others out and worrying what would happen if they found out!

It is an exercise which reveals societal pressure on the individual.

Furthermore, the divisions given by Maritza in the wheel.... are so interrelated that as an individual, I could observe some as synonymous and others and completely intertwined even though they have been placed within particular divisions.

Knight of the Night!
Theo Ramonono
Philosophical Reflections!

PEACE SYMBOLS

Few weeks ago on my way to Helsinki I had a 6 hours stop in Vienna. I was looking what would be intersting for me to see there, as I have been to Vienna and I know most of the places of interest. Then I saw on the tour guide brochure they gave me at the airport that that in one of the most famous galleries in the world called Albertina, there is a very interesting exibition that I would like to visit as a peace messenger of SCI and as a human as well. It was called Picasso: Peace and Freedom and I recommend to everyone who has the time and opportunity to see it. There I learned that: The white dove is an international symbol of peace, thanks in good part to the fame of Pablo Picasso's 1949 lithograph for the International Peace Congress in Paris.

Below are some links that reveal more on this and also touch the peace symbols in their difersity and history:

http://www.wien.info/en/sightseeing/museums-exhibitions/highlights/picasso-albertina
http://www.globalgallery.com/enlarge/38874/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_symbols
http://www.squidoo.com/The-Peace-Symbol-s-Birthday
http://www.givepeaceavote.org/article.php?id=1202
http://www.designboom.com/contemporary/peace.html

Enjoy,

Katerina

Changing Education Paradigms

This animate was adapted from a talk given at the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) by Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education and creativity expert.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U&feature=share

How and why to reduce ecological footprint of workcamps

SAVA  mission

Our mission is to develop peace values, intercultural understanding, acceptance and environmental awareness through the promotion of volunteerism and the empowerment of individuals and communities related to the Balkans.

TRANSPORT

·         infosheet – information on how to find environmentally friendly ways to a workcamp

·         Planning trips – share contacts so they can come together by car or hitchhiking

·         general information on sci international web site – how to come to every country by train, bus, car

·         to avoid flying, if not possible: calculate the carbon footprint and offset emissions

·         use bicycles on workcamps

·         Paragliding

·         public transport

·         develop a group consciousness

·         encourage volunteers coming from far (other continent) to participate in more workcamps, give them opportunity for that (don't ask for fees)

FOOD

·         less meat

·         local, organic food

·         fresh food

·         large packages

·         no waste

·         donations

WASTE

·         look for recycling opportunities

·         donate waste

·         reduce paper

·         do not use plastic/reduce

·         do not buy bottled water

ENERGY

·         save energy

·         avoid stand by

·         use solar energy (for cooking, heating water or space)

·         bio cooking

·         do not use batteries

WATER

·         close the pipe while washing dishes

·         recycle water

·         no bath

·         group shower

OTHER...

·         eco messenger

·         recycle art workshops

·         study part

·         make a song

·         use eco handbook

·         be an example

Can science give answer to Moral questions?

Dear all

Today session on Intercultural Competences raised some thoughts about issues related to Human Rights, Culture and Moral in many of the discussions

I have a somewhat provocative video from TED that I was suggested recently and I would like to share it with you

The video is available on:
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/sam_harris_science_can_show_what_s_right.html

Guests Thursday Evening

We will have guests tomorrow evening, a group of volunteers working on a project to build a sports ground for a children institution here, in Budapest. More information on their website:
 http://agyermekekert.mcc.hu/?page=english
Have a nice day!

For the free afternoon

Useful websites about Budapest:
http://www.budapestinfo.hu/en
http://www.budapest.com/

About the public transportations http://bkv.hu/en/

Programs: http://funzine.hu/

Museums:

Terror House http://www.terrorhaza.hu/en/museum/first_page.html

Hungarian National Museum http://www.hnm.hu/en/fooldal/mainPage.php

Memento Park http://www.szoborpark.hu/index.php?Content=Informaciok&Lang=en

Museum of Fine Arts: http://www.szepmuveszeti.hu/web/guest/aktualitasok

(Klimt exhibition)

Aquincum (ancient excavations):  http://www.aquincum.hu/menuoldalangolbal.htm

Other:

Millenáris World Press Photo Exhibition http://www.millenaris.hu/exhibitions/wpp_10_eng/

http://www.millenaris.hu/kiallitasok/world-press-photo-2010/ (prices)

Amusement Park:  http://www.vidampark.hu/2009/eng/

Zoo: http://www.zoobudapest.com/english

Secret Nucleur Bunker and Hospital: http://www.sziklakorhaz.hu/szikla_en.html

Labyrinth Castle of Budapest: http://www.labirintus.com/en/1

Citadella: http://www.citadella.hu/index_eng.htm

Godor (undeground place): http://www.godorklub.hu/program/2010/10

Shopping:

Westend shopping mall - next to Nyugati square

Mammut shopping mall - nearest

Allee shoppinh mall - nex to Móricz square

If you want, I can recommend pubs as well... Come and ask me!

Non Formal Eduation...at the Council of Europe

Here you can see a recommendation on Non Formal Education/Learning of Young People from the Council of Europe: https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=21131

What is your country doing regarding Non Formal Education and Learning of Young People?

Formal - Non Formal - Informal and more

Join in the discussion - defining non formal learning.... http://www.nonformality.org/2009/11/defining-nonformal-learning/

and for those who want to know to reflect more on informal education..... http://www.infed.org/i-intro.htm

Be the change that you want to see in the world:):):)

Hi people,

Today I have learned a lot on how to keep people interested and energized all the time! Thank you, dear prep-team for the "moves"!!!

And while we were discussing if volunteers can solve global issues and also while reflecting on the "Think globally, act locally" theme, a sentence got stuck in my mind and keeps reminding me of itself:

Be the change that you want to see in the world:):):)


Yours,
Katerina
CVS Bulgaria

Multi-Culti

Hello to everybody ! ! !

I am happy to be the first one who will share something with you.
Because we haven't enough time to present the projects that we implemented /are implementing I would like to share those links so You can open them and read more about our biggest local projects Multi-Култи & Street festival !

http://www.multikulti.mk/index.php?lang=en
http://streetsfestival.com/streetfestival09.php

Enjoy !

Ivona Nikolovska
Center for Intercultural Dialogue
Macedonia
cid.mk

Welcome

Welcome to every participants of the study session 'Learning on International Voluntary Projects' organized by the SAVA - SCI at the European Youth Center of the Council of Europe, Budapest.