Internal IYNF newsletter for members, partners and volunteers Issue 8 December 2011
Wind of change “We are like dwarfs sitting on the shoulders of giants”. Though it might be considered as a cliché and maybe as an uninspired start for an article, for a few days now I cannot get this wellknown phrase out of my head. And the explanation for this is quite obvious. As you, our faithful readers, already know, this number of Tube should have appeared a few months ago, but the changes in the office that took place over the summer took their toll over the creation of the magazine. Now, with fresh energy, Adela
and Asia are taking over from Zane and Tiago and they continue their work, on Tube, but not only! Many things have happened since the last issue of Tube. Some naturefriends left the office, others have joined the team, activities and meetings took place over the months, all this while planning the next year for IYNF. This summer, Ewa has joined the team as the new Networking coordinator. In September, Ilze has started her two-month handover period, and since Novem-
ber she is our “senior” Secretary General. Zane and Tiago, the EVS volunteers that you all got to know, have finished their twelve-month projects, and Asia and Adela took over from them. The office also had the pleasure of hosting Gregory as an intern during the summer months. To read more about them and to get to know them (if you didn’t get to do that personally until now), you can go to our information section, where we have prepared some nice interviews with them. The current issue is also full of news regarding IYNF’s activi-
ties from the past months. You can read reports and reflexions about the Networking Conference, “Born to be wild”, Planning weekend and our most recent project, “GetStarted”. And since spring looks like a really busy season for IYNF, with two activities and one meeting getting closer, we have also prepared a few words about the upcoming projects. In the hope that you are excited about this issue and you are really eager to read more, we wish you a pleasant reading and happy holidays!
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How about some food for thought? I mean, “vegetarian food”!. . . . . . 16
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Information Water habitats and recreational use. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
New Networking Coordinator in IYNF: interview with Ewa Iwaszuk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Meet the EVS volunteers: Joanna and Adela. . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
comics: Tereza Nozarova
You’re out! Neeeeeeext!
Table of Content IYNF’s past and future Looking back. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Looking forward. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Reports & Reflections Networking Conference. . . . . . . 4 Planning weekend 2011. . . . . . . . 5 Landscape of the Year. . . . . . . . . 5 Born to be Wild 2011. . . . . . . . . 6 Born to be Wild – a participant’s perspective. . . . 7
This publication was supported by:
GetStarted – Grindelwald . . . . . 5Gs = 1G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From Prague to Brussels – the European Affairs of IYNF. . . Warming up memories from a summer workcamp . . . . . . . . . The Federal Conference of Austrian Young Naturefriends. . . More than food.Vegetarianism for a naturefriend.. . . . . . . . . . . .
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Interviews Interview with Ilze Jece, new Secretary General of IYNF. . . . . 18
Information “InterAct” with us!. . . . . . . . . . . 22 Activities and B-days. . . . . . . . . . 23
The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the position of the sponsors nor does it involve responsibility on their part.
the IYNF past and future
Looking back… Fresh new team in IYNF Even though the news isn’t that “fresh” anymore, for the past three months we have been witnessing important changes in the Secretariat Office from Prague. At the beginning of September, Zane, one of our EVS volunteers for the 2010–2011 project has finished her service and Adela from Romania has joined us starting the 1st of September. Besides her, Ilze, our new Secretary General, started her two-month handover period. At the beginning
of October, Tiago finished his service as well and Joanna from PTTK has joined Adela as our second EVS volunteer. November was a month of change as well. Martijn left the office after 20 months of being Secretary General, six months Networking Coordinator and one year EVS volunteer. This summer, we also had the pleasure of hosting an intern, Grzegorz Fras, which was with us for a full three months.
Martijn
Zane
Tiago
Ilze
If you want to read more about the new members, go to our information section and find out which of them wanted to become a professional football player or gives yoga workshops!
We wish the best to all those wonderful people who aren’t with us anymore and good luck and lots of energy to those who are starting their work in the office!
of the Austrian Naturefriends for 33 years. Saturday the actual Congress took place. IYNF has submitted three motions: the obligatory CO2 compensation for NFI and its member organisations, the initiative motion to minimize the use of paper at NFI meetings and the age group motion (about steps to be taken in order to close the age gab between young and
old(er) Naturefriends). The first two motions were adopted, whereas the third one was referred to the NFI board. A new board for NFI was elected. And according to the new statutes of NFI, our organisation will have one more delegate with voting power for the NFI Congresses. After a nice evening and dinner in the castle of Graz the Congress was closed.
Successful XXI NFI Congress topic of international workcamps, which provided useful input and feedback. The following morning 2 out of the 3 working groups were moderated by IYNF Presidium members. In the evening -after a conference on climate change connected to winter sports- the Austrian President, Heinz Fischer, visited the Congress and gave a speech. He has been President
IYNF Annual Secretaries Meeting
photo: Anna Swetnik
Autumn staff retreat
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From the 9th until the 11th of November, the staff and the EVS volunteers from the Secretariat Office in Prague enjoyed a few days of planning time and teambuilding activities, in the Vlašim eco-centre. We had very productive days, a good mix of relaxation and work. We managed to spend
some time together away from the office, to get to know the ways the others like to work. We learned how to keep a healthy mind in a healthy body through yoga exercises and we planned our work for the next months. And being Naturefriends, we also managed to incorporate a hike into our schedule :)
photo: Martijn van den Berg
Between the 29th of September and the 2nd of October, the 21st NFI Congress was held. The meeting took place in Graz, Austria and IYNF was present there with 8 delegates. In total there were about 120 people, of 21 different nationalities, including several from Naturefriends organisations in Africa. During the first evening IYNF held a workshop on the
The 18th of September 2011 represented the start of the third annual IYNF Secretaries meeting. Representatives of the member organisations NivonJong, ATB, NFJOe, NFJD and Duha, partner organisation SPPMD from Macedonia and our mother organisation NFI came to Prague to attend a two-day meeting. The aim of the Secretaries meeting is to exchange information, update the others and espe-
cially to search for ways of a better cooperation. Among many other topics on the agenda the networking in IYNF, preparation for the NFI Congress as well as the involvement and engagement of the member organisations were discussed. The next Secretaries Meeting will be on Monday the 10th of September 2012, all Secretary Generals of our member organisations, please mark the date!
This is Tube, issue 8/2011, International Young Naturefriends internal newsletter for volunteers. The published articles are selected to cover themes identified by IYNF, however the opinions expressed are those of the authors themselves and do not necessarily correspond to official positions of IYNF. Editor: Adela Pintea, Joanna Wylon. Articles: Adela Pintea, Anna Swetnik, Ewa Iwaszuk, Grzegorz Fras, Ilze Jece, Irene Raffetseder, Joanna Wylon, Judith Michaeler, Magda Cieśla, Martin Babiar, Vanessa Hofeditz, Zane Šmite. Drawings: Tereza Nozarova Graphic design: Ondřej Bouška Published by: IYNF Number of Copies: 200 Visit: www.iynf.org for the digital version.
the IYNF past and future
Looking forward… Green Games 2012
between the 15th and the 23rd of October 2011. If the first part was focused on project management and project cycle, project design and the actual writing of a grant proposal, the second part will fine tune everything our participants have learned so far. Together with our trainers, they will tackle topics as finding participants for
theirs projects, disseminating the results, the quality and impact of the exchange, volunteer management and so on. The project will take place between the 3rd and 11th of March 2012, in or around Berlin. It will be hosted by NFJD (German Young Naturefriends). If you are as excited as we are about the training course, keep an eye on our communication tools (Facebook, Twitter, Courier and Calendar) at the beginning of the year, so you can find out more!
greengames
For the second year in a row, IYNF and NFI are working closely together to publish the Yearbook 2011. The full colour publication will contain information about last year’s activities and meetings, as well as interviews and highlights about the previous year. It is a great tool that can be used to keep the others (and ourselves) informed about what has happened in the Naturefriends movement. If you are a publisher of travel guides and maps, a Naturefriends organisation, a hotel, hostel or Naturefriends house, a provider of camping equipment, a company that is selling outdoor sports articles, a healthy lifestyle products provider, or a travel agency that wants to find out more about the Advertising kit, check our website or write directly to Martijn at martijn@iynf.org.
GetStarted II For the first time since 2006, when the first edition of In Touch (previous name of GetStarted) was held, the training course was split in two. This decision was taken in order to ensure the highest quality possible of the training course focused on the organisation and management of international youth camps and youth exchanges. As you will be able to read in this issue of Tube, the first part happened in Grindelwald, Switzerland,
IYNF is looking (again) for 2 EVS volunteers!
At the beginning of spring 2012, one of the bi-annual Trainers’ Network meetings will take place. The first meeting was held in January 2011, with the goal of creating a space where active trainers of the Naturefriends movement can get to know each other, learn and develop their skills. Due to its success, another meeting was organised in October 2011, where topics for the 2012 spring meeting were established. Among them, we can name the organisation of a female training course, outer sports seminar, and more involvement for the Balkan’s youth. We wish them very productive days!
We live in a dynamic, ever changing world. The best example of this would be the IYNF office! Three months after receiving the new volunteers, Asia and Adela, we are already looking for volunteers for the 2012–2013 project. Being in the selection process as we speak, the only thing that we can say at the moment is that we accepted applications until the 19th of December. At the beginning of January we will start with the selection process and we will apply for the February deadline. Keep an eye on our newsletters and you will find out more!
photo: IYNF archive
Trainers’ meeting
Trainers Network meeting in October 2011
Issue 8 December 2011
education methods. We want to connect non formal and experiential education methods with environmental themes. The main themes of this edition are environmental education through games in nature, environment and sustainability, non-formal and experiential education. Due to the aim and themes, the course is meant for participants that work with young people in- or outdoors, that want to address environ-
mental topics while using appreciative approach to nature. The participants will be learning new skills, methods – and especially a lot of games. The course will be hosted by unique organization “Pro-Pentedattilo no profit association”, which organizes activities that study the phenomenon of mafia and explains what mafia really is while exploring the themes of legality, social and local development, citizenship and human rights. Just like for GetStarted, if you are interested about the course and think you want to find out more, keep an eye on our newsletters at the beginning of 2012!
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Apparently, in spring, the training course season opens for IYNF! After the second part of our GetStarted training, we charge our batteries and prepare for Green Games 2012, a training course in the environmental field. We leave Germany and between the 22nd and 30th of March 2012 we move to sunny Reggio Calabria, Italy, in Pentedattilo. The goal of Green Games is to support and increase international cooperation and raise environmental awareness of different youth structures in the Young Naturefriends network and associated organizations by learning, sharing and developing attractive environmental
Yearbook 2011
reflections / reports
Networking Conference 24th to 29th of May, Radolfzell am Bodensee, Germany
photo: Joanna Wylon
Last week of May in IYNF came with an annual and already traditional meeting – Networking Conference – a space for networking among IYNF’s member organizations, partners, local groups and volunteers involved in different projects. The Conference was held from the 24th to the 29th of May in Naturefriends House located in a wonderful region of Bodensee Lake. A perfect place to meet nice people, make decisions and enjoy amazing landscapes. Six wonderful days of networking – workshops, presentations, a market of volunteering, Open Space, fun and sun. This year’s Networking Conference was combined with Council meeting, during which practical issues of IYNF work were discussed and decisions were made about future tasks. The representatives of Member Organizations met to talk about IYNF’s finances, to discuss four new policies: Environmental Policy, Safety Policy, HRM Policy and Networking Policy as well as to vote on a motion regarding Co2 compensation. The latter shows IYNF’s concerns regarding the travel options of our participants, as well as their environmental impact. After the motion was passed during the Networking Conference, we started collecting models and best practice examples from other organizations to make profitable use of them in our guidelines. The aim is to come up with a measurable and at the same time useful set of guidelines/check-list of things to
By Joanna Wylon
2011
ner search, exchanging contacts, sharing opinions and ideas. As this year was declared The European Year of Volunteering 2011, the participants were also asked to share their experiences and points of view on several volunteering related issues. To have a clearer idea what the volunteer work is, how the volunteer can be supported, encouraged and appreciated, IYNF’s volunteers were asked by the participants to talk about their own EVS experience. The Networking Conference 2011 was an energetic, creative and fruitful meeting. As we also had plenty of space for fun, enjoying the venue, nature and people, all of us could go back home with a suitcase not only full of good ideas but also positive energy.
photo: Jakub Pasieka
photo: Asia Derova
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photo: Anna Swetnik
be born after, and especially during our activities. But the Council was not, of course, only about the motion and policies. There were many important conversations, discussions and decisions which took place so we spend quite some time inside the building while the others were enjoying the venue and nature. During the meeting we evaluated the past months, the work of Secretariat and Presidium, the outcomes of the work on policies and other initiatives as well as the work on networking programs. We discussed how to develop IYNF and make its
work more effective and productive and we continued with the implementation of the IYNF Workplan 2011 and preparation of activities planned to happen in 2011. Main emphasis was put on networking, with the goal of creating long-term and sustainable cooperation among the members within the IYNF network. By using the Open Space method (already a tradition for this meeting), by offering a space and time for different workshops and having guest speakers in the field of networking, the participants could not only share knowledge and experience between each other but also see what IYNF and its network can offer to them – “connect and inspire” by doing part-
reflections / reports
Planning weekend 2011
photo: Martijn van den Berg
photo: Martijn van den Berg
Naturefriends International, and received the visit of Michele Bergdoll, the representative of the Council of Europe. We can surely say that after meeting her, the Council of Europe has a more positive and attractive image in our minds! The NFI was present in the region due to its project, the Landscape of the Year and the closing of this event. Every two years, NFI is proclaiming a transboundary, ecologically valuable and endangered European region as Landscape of the Year. During 2010 and 2011, the Karst-Aggtelek Karst region held this title. Meeting for the Planning Weekend and for the
Landscape of the Year Every two years since 1989, the international Presidents’ Conference of the Nature Friends federations has proclaimed a transboundary, ecologically valuable and endangered European region as Landscape of the Year.
The principal aim pursued with every “Landscape of the Year” project is the sustainable development of the region selected. To achieve this aim the Friends of Nature have chosen a three-pronged approach,
seeking to strike a balance between the implementation of practical projects, the organisation of events and hands-on activities for participants as well as political consciousness building and lobbying at
regional, national and international level. To find out more about the project, visit the Naturefriends International website, at http:// www.nfi.at.
Issue 8 December 2011
closing of the Landscape of the Year was a great opportunity for the younger and older Naturefriends to get to know each other in a wonderful natural area. It was also a great opportunity for us and for the participants to have a hike in this wonderful region. During the meeting there were several presentations about networking in IYNF, NFI and the Council of Europe. Workshops on different topics were held and the Open Space method was used again as the main
photo: Domenico Quattrone
Just like a school cycle, the IYNF year cycle begins in September. Not with the ringing of a bell, but with the start of Planning Weekend! From the 6th until the 11th of September 2011, more than 30 participants met in the Slovakian city of Rožňava for Planning Weekend Plan-It 2011. The goal of the meeting: double, as always. On the one hand, evaluate the past activities and events, and on the other hand, plan the activities (workplan and budget) for the next year. What made this meeting different from the others (and a little bit special) wasn’t the presence of our new staff members (Ewa and Ilze) or EVS volunteers (Adela and Joanna), but the fact that the meeting was organised partly together with our mother organisation,
planning tool. The participants have also joined a conference on Sustainable development, organised by NFI. During this conference, a short movie made by Asia Dérova on the topic of high unemployment rate among the youth in the region was presented. The movie can be seen on our YouTube channel. As you are already used to, the Open Space method was used again as a tool for facilitating the discussions and the planning of future projects. This was a good opportunity to pick up the discussions from Networking Conference on topics like the “N-Thing”, Yearbook2011 etc. For some of the projects, such as multi-EVS, IYNF cooperation with Calabria, the meeting represented a much-needed kick off. The pilot addition of the multiEVS project will start in September 2012 and Green Games 2012 will be hosted by the “Pro-Pentedattilo no profit association” from Reggio Calabria. The workplan for 2012 was also adopted during the meeting. The next meeting will take place in September 2012 in the Czech Republic!
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photo: Domenico Quattrone
By Adela Pintea
reflections / reports
Born to be Wild 2011
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“Born to be Wild 2011” was an 8 days youth exchange, taking part in the South of Poland, near Krakow at Radocyna Camp, a property of PTTK Academic Section. 25 young people from Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Italy and Portugal met to camp in a remote area, to get challenged and inspired. The main themes of the project were environmental awareness, sustainable life-style and intercultural learning, all approached
from a creative, inspirational and joyful perspective. People from different nationalities and backgrounds came
By Joanna Wylon
to learn about and experience an ecologically responsible lifestyle and to enrich themselves and each other by sharing their own cultural background and learning about those of others. To strengthen the intercultural experience even more, we included a visit to the local Lemkos community festival “Łemkowska Watra” in Zdynia, where Lemkos community members from around the world gather every year. As this year was declared The European Year of Volunteering 2011, the participants were also asked to share their experiences and points of view on several volunteering related issues. What’s more, they had this incredible opportunity to meet Szymon Modrzejewski, this year’s winner of The European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage – Europa Nostra Award in Category 3: Dedicated service by individuals or organizations. Szymon Modrzejewski devoted his life to the preservation of abandoned cemeteries,
tombstones and monuments of roadside religious architecture in South Poland and Ukraine. He started as a simple volunteer, managed to engage local and young people in caring for our heritage and then, together with them, establish a Magurycz Association which now supports their work. “Born to be Wild 2011” was a project which made a connection between the fields of outdoor activities, environmental education and intercultural learning and turned it into an interesting and appealing summer activity for young people. The project could only happen with the support of Youth in Action Programme.
all photos: Bruno Miranda
18th to 27th of July, Radocyna Base Camp, Poland
reflections / reports
Born to be Wild – a participant’s perspective By Magda Cieśla
especially the survival training that came to use due to the rain and the flood that attacked our camp in the last few days. We were living, hiking (just a bit – the only thing I would have changed), swimming, cooking and learning, all as eco-friendly as we could. The international evening, when we’ve all tried our best to present our countries, meals and songs to everybody else, was quite a success (can everyone still remember the words of “Bella ciao”?), and the day of eco-cook-
ing (even though that was the day when we all were the hungriest) was particularly educating. All was great, but one may ask, what was all this for? Staying for a week and a half in the wilderness, bathing in the ice-cold river, living in a tent (and, for one rainy night, in a self-built shelter), learning how to live ecologically – all this is enough for a summer activity; but the fact that we lived it together with others and got to know some really great people – it’s priceless.
Issue 8 December 2011
The first day started with a little warm-up session, and some integrating activities. As this proceeded, we all started to feel more connected to a group as a whole, and feeling more comfortable with everybody else. Later on we were asked to present our expectations as participants of the project; we were also supposed to say what knowledge/ skill/hobby we want to share with the others. The offer seemed to be fairly diverse; enough to say that it consisted not only of the ecological and survival stuff, but also of things such as photography workshops, massage learning and many more. Surprisingly, all that we have planned happened afterwards. Not only did we organize ecological discussion panels, but also we learned about basic survival techniques, about the land where we stayed and its history, not to mention the eco-cooking techniques that I happen to practice even now, few months later. All the skills presented during BtbW were useful afterwards,
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An international group of young people, gathering all in a small town in Eastern Poland must be quite a shock for the locals – and surely it was like this, when Born to be Wild participants started gathering to begin this amazing, breath-taking and immensely cool experience together. Everyone, in that number people from all corners of Europe – Portugal and Poland, Germany and Italy, and Czech Republic – first met at the bus station in Gorlice, and right away started the cooperation that proved to be so important later on. But first things first – we left Gorlice by bus, “collecting” some of the lost participants on the way. Wild woods, dominating the landscape surrounding the place of our stay, were the first thing to see on our way there. “Radocyna” camping site proved to be a very nice place to be, with the exception of the last few days – but about this later on. We arrived there, and ten days of fun, wild life and ecology training begun.
reflections / reports
GetStarted – Grindelwald By Adela Pintea in order to have some laughs together. A big success was the “NGO Show” an attractive and interactive method of presenting the participants’ organisations. And of course, the international evening, that became a mix of traditional food/drinks and costume party.
“If it ain’t fun, it ain’t working”, one of the principles of our GetStarted training. A course on the project management of international youth exchanges within the Youth in Action framework. Between the 15th and the 23rd of October, people from eleven different European countries met near the “top of Europe” in Grindelwald, Switzerland, with the goal of learning more about youth exchanges, to find potential partners and just to enjoy each other’s company. If the first days were dedicated to “get to know each other” and intercultural activities, during the middle of the training course the “serious work” began, with project cycle and programme design. Since we are big believers of the “learning by doing” method, the last days were dedicated to a project writing simulation; the participants had to submit a mock application to the National Agency! Eight nights being a long time spent together, we had to introduce some evening programme
great methods = GetStarted)
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photo: Giuseppe Spinelli
These are the 5 Gs that come to my mind when I think of the project I was invited to attend between the 15th and 23rd October 2011 in Grindelwald, Switzerland. As a complete beginner when it comes to IYNF projects, I had no idea what to expect beforehand and right after I arrived. What I experienced later though, were professionals working tremendously hard to give as much as possible from their knowledge, skills and experience to
Martin Babiar
photo: Giuseppe Spinelli
photo: Ewa Iwaszuk
(Great participants, great instructors, great venue, great content, by Martin Babiar
the participants. And they definitely have them, despite their very young age. They gave us so much. In terms of capacity building and project writing, of course, but in addition, in terms of how to approach and treat people so they feel like home. We were also taught in a practical way how to get to know and understand people from different backgrounds and cultures, a very important factor to understand and realize before starting any international project. Finally, some very good ideas were “woken up”, put down on a piece of paper and I cannot wait for them to come into being. GetStarted was definitely the best methodical course I have attended so far. It was a fantastic linking of theory and practice. The diversity of methods, the colourfulness of every single
activity and later of the whole place, and the approach towards the participants were simply great. The whole week was precisely planned to every single detail while keeping the fluency and the flow very smooth. And still, it gave us space to get to know the venue, the people and enjoy the sun (and snow, too).
Now I know what experiential learning in methodical courses should look like and I see it as a big commitment for my own future work and project realization. I hope one day my (our) courses will look similar, I will do my best to succeed and so – thank you all for showing me (and perhaps us) the way!
photo: Ewa Iwaszuk
5Gs = 1G
With an average overall evaluation of 92%, we are even more motivated to work towards the preparation of GetStarted II, the second part of the training course, which will take place in Germany between the 3rd and 10th of March 2012. To read more about it, go to our looking forward section!
reflections / reports
From Prague to Brussels – the European Affairs of IYNF By Vanessa Hofeditz
Vanessa and Seda, policy Office of NFI
Issue 8 December 2011
will also contribute to it. Unfortunately I was not able to participate in the Youth Strategy Meeting from September in Spain, because of my busy university life. The second COMEM meeting of the year took place this November, more details about it will come in our newsletters. In general, the YFJ is very happy that IYNF is again more involved in their work and I am personally looking forward to build some partnerships with other organizations and get more active in working groups and other projects. All in all, I am very glad that I had the chance to do the internship in Brussels, not only for all the new things I was able to learn, but also because it showed me that young and adult Naturefriends have actually a lot in common. NFI is working on very interesting topics and I am sure that there is much more space for cooperation than we are already using. For all of you, I can only recommend to apply for such an internship in Brussels or the headquarter of NFI in Vienna like me, it is a great chance to get to know better the Naturefriends’ work and one of the main environmental organisations of Europe. I hope that I could raise your interest about this topic. If you have any questions or would like to get involved in IYNF’s European Affairs as well, don’t hesitate to contact me at vanessa@ iynf.org.
photo: IYNF archive (3x)
After finishing my one-year long European Voluntary Service in the office of IYNF in Prague, I did not want to leave the organization completely and asked to stay involved by taking care of the European Affairs of IYNF. That means, representing the Young Naturefriends from all over Europe at the European Youth Forum (YFJ), which we are member of, and following everything happening on EU-level that might be linked to the interest of IYNF and its members. In the beginning of April I took part in my first statutory meeting of the European Youth Forum, the Council of Members (Comem) that took place in the beautiful city of Antwerp in Belgium. Representatives of all Member Organisations of the YFJ gathered to discuss current topics that were proposed by several organizations. On top of that, the report of the Presidium, as well as a motion on a more environmental sustainable youth forum, have been approved. I was very happy especially about the latter, because it also reflects
hosts a big number of NGOs and offers great working spaces and delicious organic-food and drink in its own cafeteria. All of you who will be in Brussels one day should step by for a visit! During my internship, I researched funding possibilities for NFI’s next Landscape of the Year project happening in 2012/2013 in the Upper-Rhine area which covers parts of Switzerland, France and Germany. Besides that, I helped with some translations from English into German and French. And of course, because Brussels is Brussels, I also had the chance to enjoy free dinners and receptions of all different kinds. Those places for networking are really the place to be, if you want to meet people and make contacts for yourself or your company or organization. For example, I went to a reception of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), where I met many enthusiastic youth workers or volunteers like us. I also had a meeting with James Higgins, the responsible person for Sustainable Development and Health in the European Youth Forum. We had a very interesting chat about both topics and on how much IYNF and its members could benefit from the farreaching network and knowledge of the Youth Forum. For example, the youth involvement for the Rio+20 conference in 2012 about Sustainable Development is at the moment one topic the YFJ is working on and I hope that IYNF
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Vanessa during her intership
very well IYNF’s point of view that in order to reach a more sustainable future, European youth work should become more sustainable as well. I am curious to see the outcomes and implementations of this motion. All in all, it was very important for me to be present at the Comem in order to understand better the work and structure of the YFJ, but also to meet new people and organizations. Since our office moved from Brussels to Prague in 2002, we are suffering a bit from the distance to Brussels, the main decision-making place also for international youth work and place for networking among youth NGOs. NFI (Naturefriends International), with its main seat in Vienna since its establishment, always had the same problem. Since last summer they have again a NFI Policy Office in Brussels, where Seda Orhan Defrancheschi is doing lobbywork, especially on Sustainable Tourism, at the EU institutions. I was curious about her work and decided to apply for an internship in Brussels, in the Policy Office of NFI, where I could combine some networking for IYNF and work for NFI. All the people involved liked the idea, so straight after my last exam of my European Studies in Maastricht, I went to Brussels and started four very interesting weeks. The office of NFI is located in the Sustainable House of Brussels (Mundo-B), which
reflections / reports
Warming up memories from a summer workcamp By Anna Swetnik different programmes and missions of Go New, Go Healthy, Go Active and Go Green. As an enthusiastic vegetarian trying to make my and others’ lifestyle healthier and greener, I decided to go for the second project, but if I had the time and no work during that period, I would have gone for one more! It was a funny feeling to be a participant of a youth project again. I realized that for the last few years I had been always more or less involved in the preparation or coordination of such events, so it was pleasant not to be responsible for anything else than the active participation and to fully enjoy the atmosphere of a group. And the people I met there were wonderful – all of them together and each one individually! But let me start from the beginning. Since the first moment after arriving in Portugal I liked everything and the whole time I spent there was full of surprises which reminded me about a very important rule of life – that every reality is in the end better that any kind of imagined version of it and that it is always better to have a lot of free space in
our expectations, to be open and flexible when the true things are happening. The Go Healthy workcamp was organized to promote a healthy lifestyle, with special attention given to food and building biological gardens which can be used as supplies to obtain the veggies, spices and fruits of a good quality. The first day and a half was planned for the games which helped us to get to know each other and learn to communicate and cooperate together as a team. It worked very well; I especially enjoyed the theatre workshop with many funny body exercises or elements of improvisation to express ourselves and use the imagination and the energy of the group. When the day programme was over we had a lot of free time to integrate, which was taking place mainly on the beach, because the “hostel” where we were accommodated was just next to the ocean. I don’t think I must describe how amazing it was. I will never forget all these pleasant and peaceful moments when we watched the waves on dark water, listened to the sounds of nature around us in
between the international hit songs we sang together accompanied by the guitar. Our first task was to learn a little about how to set and take care of the small bio-garden. We went to the place where the municipality created them, among typical blocks of flats, so that the inhabitants would have a chance to grow their own vegetables and herbs. The enthusiasm of the guy who taught us how to create the garden, prepare the soil and plant the seeds infected us all as fast as the sun burnt our arms and noses. Thanks to this workshop we were ready to share our newly gained skills with the kids. What kids? Well, very special kids from ATL Galiza, where we spent most of the time later on. It is one of these daily roomcenters for kids and youth from the neighborhood or region, where they can hang around when their parents are at work, or because there are some interesting workshops or help in education offered to them. The coordinator of this place is such a great woman, that I did not have to ask any more questions about the welfare of all the children
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photo: Julia Kehnen
Our partner organisation from Portugal, Rota Jovem, organised a series of workcamps this summer. From the middle of July till the end of September 4 workcamps happened thanks to the support of the City Hall of Cascais, where Rota has its office. Each project lasted 2 weeks and gathered around 25 young people who lived for this time in a venue of Foundation O Século situated in Estoril (it is between Cascais and Lisboa). I was lucky to participate in one of them and I strongly recommend you to join the next edition of similar meetings in this place if – hopefully – they will be organized again. Generally, for me the concept of a workcamp is the best type of youth meeting because it combines two elements which I find important. I mean volunteering, as the most precious part of a nowadays lifestyle, and a very meaningful and enjoyable work (there is a little workaholic inside me who says that and therefore even for a holiday I choose and option to get tired!) The offer of Rota’s workcamps was really wide and each project seemed interesting; volunteers could choose from the
Lisbon summer workcamp participants
reflections / reports
there – I am sure they were not only fine, but liked to be there. She was managing it all so well, that we were all impressed. She gathered people from local community, involved parents often coming from immigrant background, had an EVS volunteer from Spain there and got financial support for the improvement and reconstruction of the venue. We were invited to help there and it was a perfect opportunity for us, volunteers, because this kind of places are just ideal for people who like to do something which makes sense and see the results of our efforts. In the end I was wondering who gained more throughout the time we were there… I suppose it was a mutual exchange of positive energy and inspiration among us, the kids and the people working for ATL Galiza. First we painted the wall surrounding the yard where children play, which of course,
turned into great fun because both the kids and we could legally get dirty. Then we were arranging the small garden and again we did it all together and enjoyed the transformation of the small piece of land form a useless one, into a green, nicely smelling field. Sharing such tasks and taking care of something in a group makes the people come closer and brings a lot of satisfaction – never miss the opportunity to experience something like that! The following days were mostly spent at the center playing with kids and creating the theater performance with them. Sometimes it was challenging, because of the language barrier but we managed fine, used all other ways to communicate, laughed a lot and it was a chance for us to share all the games we knew. One day we were cooking together a vegetarian dinner – it was one of the best intercul-
tural menu I have tried. From the very beginning we were taking a lot of photos and recording short videos which served as a material for another fruit of this workcamp. We were asked to make two movies, one presenting the job we did at the place with the children and the second one showing the fun and intercultural moments. After seeing how much enjoyable this task was, I think that it should be a part of every youth project to create such a movie. The last afternoon at ATL Galiza was full of touching moments, as we watched the play with the young actors saying how important a balanced diet is and dressed up by fruits and veggies. Then we saw the finished movies and felt like starting all over again. It was hard to say good bye, it was hard to leave. When I had seen the plan of this workcamp on the first day I was afraid that we have
to much free time, but then it turned out that there were only few moments when I was alone or had nothing to do. There was something extraordinary about this group – we got along really well and were hyperactive. There were Capoeira workshops on the beach, karaoke and movie evenings, long walks and crazy parties. Thanks to our great coordinators from Rota (thank you Carla, Goncalo and Celia!) we visited Sintra, Cascais and Lisbon to get to know the history, culture and cuisine of the region – and there was a lot to get to know. I don’t know how it works for you, but for me this kind of journeys and gatherings is the best way to recharge my batteries and realize again why I appreciate NGOs and youthwork so much. And to experience the situations which can be described in words: “You can’t until you say you can!”
The Federal Conference of Austrian Young Naturefriends By Irene Raffetseder youth group. The winners of the 2010 award, young Naturefriends of Wattens (Tyrol), have created mobile boxes for pedagogical nature games, which all participants could try during the meeting.The Federal Conference 2011 was a successful event of the Austrian Young Naturefriends and the kick-off for the realization of many new ideas in all our fields of activities.
Issue 8 December 2011
kinds of climbing competitions, ski and snowboard training courses, the new outdoor academy with workshops for experiential education, the relaunch of our magazine “friends” and “Murmelpost” and a wide range of events for our members.During the conference, the “Goldene Murmel” (“golden marmot”) was awarded for the best environmental project of an Austrian
The new presidium members of the Austrian Young Naturefriends
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unteer team to create future programs for about 50.000 young members of Naturfriends in Austria. Christoph Pirngruber follows Christian Kremeier as chairman. Christoph wants to increase the networking between the federal institutions and the revival of nationwide events. Topics of environmental politics should be part of the Young Naturefriends’ work as well, as the use of new media to address the young generation. The new responsible person for international topics within the Young Naturefriends is Ferdinand Reimer – one of many newly voted, motivated federal team members.During the conference the 9 state organizations presented exemplary projects on market stands. So the delegates took the opportunity to discover interesting projects, to talk with their colleagues from all over Austria and to develop new ideas.The different departments presented their highlights of the last three years. These were for example: international environmental workcamps, different
photo: Iris Erber
The Federal Conference of Austria’s Young Naturefriends (Naturfreundejugend Österreich) took place from the 9th until the 10th of April 2011 in Steinach am Brenner, a little village in Tyrol. The slogan of the conference was “renewable – multifarious – together”. Renewable: The Young Naturfriends want to be an organization which combines continuity with persistent improvement. The conference should also be a sign of a fresh start with new ideas.Multifarious: The Young Naturfriends offer a wide range of outdoor programs focused on sports and nature. Events, excursions, trainings and competitions represent the diversity of people and activities. Together: All active members have the opportunity to contribute and realize their own ideas in the Young Naturfriends community. We tell children and young people: “Life starts outside”. 50 delegates from all over Austria took part and discussed their motions for the next three years. The delegates voted a new federal vol-
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Issue 8  December 2011
reflections / reports
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Even though it was quite a long time ago I remember it very well; May 2009, Vienna, my first IYNF meeting. Few months before I had been chosen as one of the two following EVS volunteers, I had been invited to go there. It was a great idea; we – I mean Vanessa and me – could meet each other, get to know everybody and get more familiar with how the organization works. It was exciting, interesting and it made me very enthusiastic. I can still recall the emotions, impressions and thoughts which mixed together and filled my head as an exotic cocktail. With no doubts the positive observations and a huge dose of inspiration were dominant, but among them there was one thing which got my attention and made me wonder about something. As it turned out later, it was not the last time that this was going to happen, because also when I came to Prague I had this experience quite often. It is about a very basic but at the same time very important part of our daily life – food. Well, if we put it this way and let it be only this way, then of course this whole article would not be needed, but I like to perceive it differently: “(…) food is not rational. Food is culture, habit and identity. Food choices are likened to fashion choices or lifestyle preferences (…)” Jonathan Safran Foer, Eating Animals (p.263) I wish to share this approach with you. I have had this opinion and lived the value behind it for over 10 years now, but sometimes I was not really direct and explicit in explaining my reasons to become vegetarian, maybe even not strong enough and persistent in promoting a no-meat diet and lifestyle. Perhaps this was the case quite often, but on the other hand, according to our Open Space golden rule: Whenever it starts is the right time. Apparently I needed the right time, maybe also some support from the people sharing the same view and some inspiration to create this article. It all came
photo: wikipedia.org
More than food. Vegetarianism for a naturefriend. By Anna Swetnik
together with a book I have read recently (in this Tube you can find the review of it which I hope will encourage you to read it). I am talking about Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. I will refer to it often in my article, because (besides the motivation it gave me) I find it a great collection of useful information and statistics which can make my text complete. The book it’s not only showing the perspective of an individual experience but in addition, it is enriched with numbers, details and attractive comparisons; because, I guess, they increase my chances to convince the most skeptical. ;) I am writing it because I find this topic as significant as other sustainable practices and choices. (To me sustainability is a huge and complex puzzle which consists of many different but equally important elements.
Of course there are few which can help you build the frame and many thanks to which you can predict the desired picture, but you will certainly not have it complete without all the pieces.) However, for some reasons and to my astonishment, vegetarianism and related issues were a little bit missing among Naturefriends or approached only on a very practical level. Yet, in my opinion, it should be a priority for now. “We have the burden and the opportunity of living in the moment when the critique of factory farming broke into the popular consciousness. We are the ones of whom it will be fairly asked, What did you do when you learned the truth about eating animals?”, (p.252.) I realized that, as a devoted vegetarian, it is me who should underline the meaning of veg-
etarianism and give reasons for it to become a value among other which are present in this movement. I am aware of the risk, probably I am stirring up a hornets’ nest, but only through discussion and changes we push things forward. Why do I do it? Why do I eat only vegetarian food and write this article? Because I strongly believe that: “One of the greatest opportunities to live our values-or betray them-lies in the food we put on our plates.” Jonathan Safran Foer, Eating Animals I was really surprised by the low number of vegetarians among people I met at the beforementioned IYNF meeting. I know it is not right to assume, but sometimes it is inevitable – for example when you come from an environment in which more than half of people are vegetarians or vegan. And I arrived with this mindset, I was used to be one of many, suddenly I was one of the very few. It even crossed my mind at that time that I got mislead by the name: “Naturefriends – that’s something for me, I care for nature” – I thought, and it is equal for me to: I do not eat animals, because I love them. Every one of them, in any form and I do not want to ever be forced to do it by any circumstances or under any conditions. (…) someone who regularly eats factory-farmed animal products cannot call himself an environmentalist without divorcing this word from its meaning. (p.59) Yes, I agree that it was not completely fair from my side to come with such an image of a group of people I had not known, but it would be untrue if I say that vegetarianism is just a diet for me. I also don’t think that we have the right to judge anybody by just chosen elements of their behavior, nevertheless if we demand from ourselves some commitment and effort to care about the world around us, why not doing it as totally as possible? Need examples to compare the level of involvement and the green ideas behind our actions? IYNF has introduced the CO2
meetings, activities, teambuilding events and as office supplies (applying the same rule - we all recycle and we ask everybody to do it, to join, to follow - if it is a good practice, then why not?) And I am sure that it is both meaningful and easy. We have a chance to contribute to the great change and be responsible for a better future – no matter how
idealistically that sounds. I can admit that it is a small scale project, but it is as much as we can do to influence this matter – no one will do it for us and in the same way we will not involve others, if we don’t start from ourselves. Have a look how Foer explains that: “When we lift our forks, we hang our hats somewhere.
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Anna Swetnik
We set ourselves in one relationship or another to farmed animals, farm-workers, national economies, and global markets. Not making a decision – eating “like everyone else” – is to make the easiest decision, a decision that is increasingly problematic. Without question, in most places and in most times, to decide one’s diet by not deciding – to eat like everyone else – was probably a fine idea. Today, to eat like everyone else is to add another straw to the camel’s back. (…) It is too easy to imagine a near future in which most of the seats at the global table are filled by either obese or malnourished people. But it doesn’t have to be this way. The best reason to think that there could be a better future is the fact that we know just how bad the future could be.” (p.262) According to my previous paragraph I should probably say something about me - to serve as an example. I stopped eating meat when I was 17, mainly because I was influenced by my vegetarian friend, but it did not happen without any reflection from my side and it was only after some time since we had met. But still for some time I was eating fish – it was a result of a deal with my mother, who was not very happy with my decision. This compromise lasted
Issue 8 December 2011
Anka (left) and Ilze (right) cooking vegetarian food during the staff retreat
photo: Ewa Iwaszuk
Compensation when somebody travels to the meeting by plane and general recycling and reusing of all materials is being done, appreciated and promoted – that is all great, but then why not more vegetarian dishes and local or seasonal products on our shared tables? Indeed, it will take time, energy and some preparations to arrange that, but there are reasons, good reasons to do it. And I do not mean just the animals’ welfare which is often the key factor for most vegetarians. Nowadays, eating meat means eating the product of factory farms. Due to that animals’ life is miserable, conditions there make them suffer and then they are killed in a horrifying way, but there is something more than that. Apart from these purely empathic reasons, there are also ecological aspects influenced by that fact and this is the common platform where a vegetarian and a naturefriend can meet and shake hands. Let me just shortly present some information based on research made by J. S. Safran again: “Animal agriculture makes a 40% greater contribution to global warming than all transportation in the world combined; it is a number one cause of climate change.” (p.43) “(…) our food choices contribute at least as much as our transportation choices to global warming. (…) …omnivores contribute seven times the volume of greenhouse gases than vegans do.” (p.58) “Today, it isn’t unusual for meat to travel almost halfway around the globe to reach your supermarket. The average distance our meat travels hovers around fifteen hundred miles.” (p.104) I don’t want anybody to misunderstand me; it is not my intention to convince everybody to become vegetarian, neither I think it is, in fact, possible. Anyway, if so, then I would even be afraid that it is not the best way to make this decision. The motivation should come from a deep and strong reflection, passion, conviction. Otherwise it may be a shallow choice with a short duration. What I think could work, and this would already be a great improvement, is to provide mainly (ideally: only) vegetarian and vegan food at IYNF
photo: Ewa Iwaszuk
reflections / reports
reflections / reports quite long, although I was eating sea creatures less and less often. Finally, when I was 24, I got to the point where no halfway solution seemed right for me and I became a real vegetarian, which means not eating any kind of meat. For me it also meant trying to reduce the use of any leather products to the indispensable minimum (in fact, the only problem is sports shoes – for hiking, climbing, flamenco). I regret that I have not come across such sentence earlier: “There are some things, though, we don’t need labels to know. Although one can realistically expect that at least some percentage of cows and pigs are slaughtered with speed and care, no fish gets a good death. Not a single one. You never have to wonder is the fish on your plate had to suffer. It did.” (p.193)
When somebody asks me why I do not eat meat, I answer: because I was wondering, if I am able to kill an animal myself and then prepare it etc. I tried to imagine it and I realized that I could not do it. Then I should not pay somebody else to do it for me just to eat something that I do not really need to have in order to survive. What’s more, I do not want to take part in the massive killing of animals. They are the most beautiful and wonderful part of natural environment for me and so I stopped distinguishing between a pet, a household animal or a wild animal. My dog at home, a cow on a field and a wolf in the forest are for me all equal and important. During this time of being vegetarian many other reasons became part of my inner motivation, I took my time to confront them, understand them and fully represent them
with what I say and do. And it feels right this way, because only like that, I am allowed to write all these lines. When I discovered the meaning and importance of green issues in our daily life, I already felt kind of relieved that I already do something for the case, by refraining from eating meat. Again Foer found perfect words for this: “(…) consider the environment and the food crisis: there is no ethical difference between eating meat and throwing vast quantities of food in the trash, since the animals we eat can only turn a small fraction of the food that is fed to them into meat calories – it takes six to twenty-six calories to fed to an animal to produce just one calorie of animal flesh. The vast majority of what we grow in the United States is fed to animals – that is land
and food that we could use to feed humans or preserve wilderness – and the same thing is happening all over the world, with devastating consequences.” (p.210, 211) I could go on with all these reflections and comments on Foer’s book but this text is already long, so let’s finish it at this point. Once again, I would like to encourage you all to read this book, spend some time reconsidering your everyday food choice bearing in mind how it is produced, how long it was transported and how much it was modified and whether it really needs all these colorful layers of packaging. I hope that I will be present at next IYNF meeting and that we will talk about all sustainable topics at the round table where we will serve ourselves to freshly made – by us and for us – vegetarian dishes.
How about some food for thought? I mean, “vegetarian food”!
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Eating Animals Jonathan Safran Foer book review by Anna Swetnik There are more than few reasons why Eating Animals by Jonathan S. Foer is a must-read for all the people who claim to care about Earth, nature and our (when we say our we should really mean animals, nature and people!) future. Not only is it full of relevant information and awakening statistics, but also it uncovers the real background of current meat production, through exploration of factory farms, while offering in the same time examples of alternative solutions in food business. Besides the value of the content, it is a good reading, written in a style that avoids a preaching tone – you can always see the line between the analyzed facts and private decision of becoming a vegetarian made by the author. Foer is taking the reader on an intensive and challenging journey which he had made himself before; starting from the point of asking a crucial and fundamental question like: what meat is. Apart from in-depth research followed by equally deep reflection, he puts the whole meat business into a wider context of nowa-
days world’s problems. Therefore Eating Animals proves that the choice of food is of the same importance as other choices we make to lead a sustainable lifestyle. This book will shock you, it will make you feel uncomfortable, it will even disgust you, but it will also show you why it makes sense to make an effort and look at our everyday food habits, choices or traditions from another perspective. Yes, it may as well convince you to become a vegetarian, but before it does, it will certainly encourage you to ask more questions by yourself instead of serving you readymade answers. Another detail which makes the book a really valuable and important voice in anti- or promeat discussion is that the author is not the only person whose opinions are presented. He shared the pages of his book with activists, farmers and other people whom he met during the time when he was writing this book. It took him over 3 years, but it takes much shorter time to read it, so don’t put off the book which might change your life!
book cover
This sentence from the text should already give you a foretaste of what you can expect: “When we lift our forks, we hang our hats somewhere. We set ourselves in one relationship or another to farmed animals, farm-workers, national economies, and global markets. Not making a decision – eating “like everyone else” – is to make the easiest decision, a decision that is increasingly problematic.
Without question, in most places and in most times, to decide one’s diet by not deciding – to eat like everyone else – was probably a fine idea. Today, to eat like everyone else is to add another straw to the camel’s back. (…) It is too easy to imagine a near future in which most of the seats at the global table are filled by either obese or malnourished people. But it doesn’t have to be this way. The best reason to think that there could be a better future is the fact that we know just how bad the future could be.”1 I could draw a similarity between the no-meat diet and this book – they both may seem difficult to accept and deal with in the very beginning, but they bring much more satisfaction afterwards, and to digest them is a healthy, pleasant treating of our mind, soul and body. And last but not least – animals… well, isn’t the real and complete concern about their welfare an inherent part of “love and care for nature”? 1 Eating animals, Jonathan Safran Foer, Penguin books 2010, p. 262.
information
Water habitats and recreational use
The first project year will be devoted primarily to a group of themes subsumed under the heading “glaciers, karst and mountain forests”. These different habitats are unified by one significant character: water. As water reservoirs, they have important ecological functions, from which humans highly benefit. However also sport enthusiasts like hikers, mountain bikers, ski-tourers and skiers are fascinated by these sensitive habitats. Beside the outdoor experience and the recreation from everyday life, a beautiful landscape and nature have a strong attraction, which often
astating impacts on glaciers, karst and mountain forests. A careless stay in nature like hiking, skiing and snow boarding on unmarked slopes, injures plants and soil as well as it disturbs animals. Another negative effect is the ruthless expansion of infrastructure for recreational activities in sensitive mountain ecosystems. Glaciers are important for the worldwide water supply. Threequarter of the global fresh water is conserved as ice and snow; hence the glacial ice is the largest reservoir of earth’s fresh water. If the glaciers keep on melting rapidly there will be a water shortage in many regions and also the groundwater level will decline.
Great karst springs are important water resources, also for cities like for example Vienna (Austria). In Europe many karst regions exists, e.g. in Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia etc. As of the hydraulic conductivity of water, karst reacts especially sensitively to negative environmental impacts. Impacts due to pollution, inappropriate management, overexploitation and clearing can pollute very quickly karst springs, which causes severe problems for drinking water. With their network of roots mountain forests are saving the topsoil and protect against natural hazards as e.g. they stabilise slopes to preserve landslides after continuous rainfalls. They are also a natural filter to purify precipitable water, which is
important for clean spring and groundwater.
Children and Paintings
Hiker
Activities in 2011 The project was officially launched on Environment Day on the 5th of June, with a hike in a mountain forest with Naturfriends of St. Aegyd and the presentation of a painting contest for children featuring water habitats, which was organised by Young Naturefriends Austria. The best pictures were displayed at the spot and are shown on the project website. In the years to come the project concept is to be raised to the international level and translated into practice together with all our member organisations. Information on the project is provided at the project website (only in German): www.wasser-wege.at.
Issue 8 December 2011
Glaciers, karst and mountain forests:
faces problems in the field of nature conservation. Intensive recreational use has negative effects, as it e.g. increases traffic volume and with this also enhances the global warming which has dev-
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The following years are devoted to a group of themes: 2011–2012: “glaciers, karsts and mountain forests” 2012–2013: “rivers and riparian forests” 2013–2014: “lakes and littoral zones” 2014–2015: “bogs and carrs”
Dachstein
photo: Judith Michaeler (2x)
Bodies of water and riparian ecosystems exert a strong pull on people looking for rest and relaxation and are consequently exposed to rising pressure from human use. Based on the successful project “Natura Trails”, in 2011 Naturefriends International have launched a five-year pilot project in cooperation with Naturefriends Austria and the Austrian Federal Forests Management, under the heading of “Water:Ways”, with the objective of drawing attention to the sensitivity of water habitats and of prompting responsible behaviour whenever time is spent in the outdoors. A brochure in each project-year and diverse activities will be organised for the purposes of presenting different water habitats with their characteristic animal and plant species and ecological interactions, of explaining ecological interrelationships and of pointing out best-practice examples of environmentally sound recreational use.
photo: Florian Rosenberg
New pilot project of Naturefriends International: Water: Ways – experiencing water treasures By Judith Michaeler
interviews
Interview with Ilze Jece, new Secretary General of IYNF By Adela Pintea and Zane Šmite
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What is your previous experience and connection to environmental and non formal education fields? Since teenage years I have been involved in various environmental movements and in 2005 I established the first youth environmental organization in Latvia „Green Alternative” to give the opportunity to passionate young people to engage in issues that matter to them. Since 2004 I have been working as a free-lance trainer for various European youth organizations and Latvian National Agency, covering subjects from non-for-
activities, exploring its project ideas and working style, thus I am very inspired to learn and invest my time to develop IYNF even further, share my vision and use my project management skills. Throughout the years I have accumulated loads of competences in nonformal education, environmental protection, youth work and empowerment, and IYNF looks like an ideal place, where much of creative and innovative ideas are welcomed. Equally I am looking forward to learning much from IYNF and its sustaining members.
photo: Aija Davis
You are the first Secretary General who doesn’t have any previous connection with IYNF or Naturefriends International. Can you tell us something about you? Short introduction! Born in Latvia back in 1984. Enrolled very early in work in NGOs, spreading a word about animal rights, environment protection and a more just World, reproducing leaflets and giving speeches for various youth groups. Graduated from Law studies, where I explored human rights issues and engaged in human rights education work. Traveled and lived in far lands to understand cultural and social differences in communities around the World, researching the roots of global issues and possibilities to heal deep wounds of our societies. Previously I have employed myself in holistic health, giving yoga workshops and doing holistic bodywork in various wellness and yoga studios, prison and crisis centers in Latvia. From time to time also music takes a bigger space in my life, letting me feature in some music bands and co-record albums. I enjoy traveling and I am addicted to magical encounters with people in the tiniest villages in the World, breath-taking mountain views, soothing sounds of ocean hitting the coast, and fresh smells of rainforest.
Acrobatics and the Baltic sea
mal education, cultural diversity, and volunteer management to environmental education, gender quality and community building. Could you describe your relationship with nature? In nature I seek silence and connection with something that’s far bigger than me. Mountains, oceans, rivers are so full of life, so full of presence that you forget all the daily worries and completely surrender to the experience.
I think IYNF has a very big potential to develop various underdeveloped issues in Europe concerning environmental education, social responsibility and sustainability in youth work. I strongly believe that bringing young people back to nature and using nature as a tool for selfdevelopment is definitively one of the most effective ways to transform our societies and make people more conscious, aware and caring for what’s going on in the World.
At the present moment, what is your idea/ perception of IYNF as an organization and Naturefriends movement as a whole?
What was the main reason for which you applied for the SG position in IYNF? For about a year I have been virtually following IYNF’s
What have you experienced in your first 3 months working as a SG for IYNF? I have discovered IYNF’s potential, got to know great projects that have been happening in the last years in IYNF. Gained clearer vision as to what IYNF, NFI and our member organizations do and how to bring IYNF closer to meeting the needs of our members. These 3 months have flown away really quickly, filled with fruitful meetings and visits across Europe. I have been enjoying working with my new colleagues in the secretariat. And I am looking forward to see how my work for IYNF reveals and brings new learning for myself and development for IYNF. Something inspirational you want to say to all the naturefriends? I believe that whatever is your cause, participating in any good-doing brings so many more perspectives in your life, helps you find your community and grow as a person. I wish that we can overcome our differences and concentrate on protecting nature, nurturing living environments and rebuilding our communities, through actively and joyfully engaging in so many activities IYNF offers. Share your talents, participate with the heart and everything else will happen.
interviews
New Networking Coordinator in IYNF: interview with Ewa Iwaszuk By Adela Pintea and Zane Šmite
How are you feeling as a new member of Naturefriends? :) I got introduced to the Naturefriends community during the Networking Conference in May. I
went to Radolfzell, met everyone and I was thinking: “Wow, it’s a group of young, motivated people, inspiring, with lots of good ideas that they are keen to implement”. I left Radolfzell inspired by the creativity I saw there and fuelled by the energy I received from those people. After having spent 5 months working for the organization I am learning a lot about the movement, it’s good but also weaker parts, its history and present and I can see a lot of potential but also a lot of work to be done, which is challenging, but also motivating. However, so far I feel happy to be a Naturefriend – it’s a lot about community and people and the people who make this organization have received me very warmly and supported me while I was making the first steps in the organization. Oh, and it is nice to have gotten the t-shirt, too. What do you understand by networking and how do you see this concept in IYNF? What does networking give to our member organizations and their members?
It is good to distinguish between the terms “network” and “networking”. In my view, IYNF network consists of member and partner organizations, their member organizations and members (so many members in one sentence!) as well as organizations and people who take active parts in IYNF meetings and activities. It is a living organism consisting of individuals and organizations, with its heart, brain, lungs, palms, fingertips and elbows spread all over Europe, from Baltics to the Balkans, from Portugal to the very east of Europe. The networking in IYNF, on the other hand, is the process of supporting international cooperation and learning within the IYNF network. It consists of international networking meetings, capacity building activities, like training GetStarted, IYNF communication channels through which it is possible to promote activities and finally support services, such as partner search and matching, IYNF knowledge systems or grant writing feedback and consultation… To follow with my notvery-clever metaphor, it is like
encouraging this organism to go to the gym or, even better, take yoga classes so it can realize the wholeness of itself and find surprising connections between its different body parts... OK, I think maybe I should avoid using metaphors in the future. IYNF networking gives opportunity for like-minded individuals to meet, exchange ideas, inspire each other and create projects together. It brings support to organizations and individuals who are active at a local, regional or national level but are not yet feeling very confident in the field of international cooperation. It also brings fresh outlook and alternative way of thinking to the organization and its members. You have been working in the office for four months now. How do you see the Networking programme evolving from now to the next few months? What have you managed to do so far and what are your next important tasks? Among many other tasks I performed in the last few months, definitely a highlight for me was managing to add
Issue 8 December 2011
Ewa Iwaszuk – new Networking Coordinator in IYNF
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Why IYNF, why did you choose to work in the Czech Republic? As a child I wanted to be a professional football player. This did not work out, so I had to figure out something else… More seriously, few months before graduating from university I started to look for things I could do after I finish school. I was looking for jobs and volunteering opportunities in NGOs with values that I identify with, that would offer interesting projects where I could apply my existing knowledge and skills, build on them and gain lots of new ones. Although I considered different locations – I even applied for an internship in Nepal – it was my dream to come back to Prague, my favourite European city, where I first lived during my Erasmus. It wasn’t until I found about IYNF – first about the offer for EVS volunteers, then about the vacancy of Networking Coordinator – that everything clicked: the organization, the position offered, the place.
photo: Pyry Mikkonen
Introduce yourself shortly. Who is Ewa? I’m Polish, 23 and a fresh university graduate. Before that I used to be mostly a student but I also did lots of different things. I used to work as an event photographer, coordinator in a volunteering organization, artistic workshops leader on a children camp, volunteer for Amnesty International, helping hand on music festivals, promotion and communications person for a variety of student organizations, tourist guide in Buckingham Palace… I like low budget travelling, developing photos in the darkroom, cycling, books, arthouse cinemas, concerts in small venues, trains, camping and Eastern Europe.
interviews the necessary kick to the MultiEVS project and I will be looking forward to seeing the exchange of volunteers in IYNF network happen in the next year. When it comes to other networking projects, a lot of things will become clearer next spring, after we submit the grants for the February deadline and after we receive the results of the requests for funding that we submitted this autumn. I am definitely looking forward to extending cooperation of IYNF with countries in the Balkans and the Caucasus, as well as the African Naturefriends and the launching of the Year
of Sustainability, which is the theme of IYNF for the year 2012. The expectations that you had before starting, were they fulfilled? What was your biggest challenge until now? I had many jobs before, but this is my first full-time office job with own desk and other attractions of this sort. Having to sit in one place for eight hours was definitely a challenge, since I am slightly hyperactive at times. However, I love the atmosphere in the IYNF office and the variety of tasks that I perform – I don’t think there was a day that I would feel bored and I feel I am
place in the world which would be a must-visit for the other naturefriends? I love desolate places with no signs of civilization or human presence and where I can be sure I will not meet another human being for a whole day (I generally like people, but every now and then it is nice to take break), where there is no mobile phone coverage, no paths or trails. I found such places in the outlandish, space-like landscape of Iceland and mountain gorges of Kyrgyzstan, but probably my favorite place is a mountain pass between two tiny villages of Brod and Restelica in the Gora region in the south of Kosovo.
learning something new all the time. What I am definitely happy about is that very quickly I was trusted with a lot of responsibility, which I receive as appreciation of the quality of my work. I also love the international aspect of my job – being able to use all the languages I know (and the ones I don’t know quite often as well) and communicating with people from a variety of cultures and backgrounds, all over Europe and beyond. As a new member of the Naturefriends community, please share with the others – which is your favourite nature
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What persuaded you to take the EVS path? Asia: Sea, sun, sand … ok, maybe Prague is not the best example but ever since I have heard about the EVS possibility I wanted to participate in this
Joanna Wylon
incredible experience no matter where. Then I became involved in IYNF and it just happened, the organization was the obvious choice. What’s more, I became the so called “PTTK’s guinea pig” and that’s because as a quite freshly accredited sending organization I was the very first and, until now, the only volunteer they have sent to an EVS. Adela: Looking back, I can say that it was a decision taken after much consideration. And since all good stories begin in a charming city, mine started… in Prague!
Three years ago I spent a semester here as an Erasmus student and I met some great people, which had a big influence on my life. One of them told me about her year spent abroad in northern Europe as a volunteer and I remember thinking how much I would love to do that as well! At that point I had no idea that EVS exited and it took me some time to gather all the information. One year before I decided to apply, at another international project, I met a bunch of people who were all ex-EVS volunteers. That was the
photo: Raul Pinto
Although by this time some of the Naturefriends got to meet you, can you introduce yourself briefly? Joanna (Asia): As I always have something to say, it’s really hard to do it briefly. Ok, I’ll try. I’m a very active person, full of positive energy, incurable optimist, spontaneous and ambitious non – stop talker. I constantly deliver wasabi peanuts to the office (instead of chocolate) and that’s why Adela doesn’t like me ;) Adela: I’m a 23 year-old Romanian, born and brought up in the western part of the country. Though this might seem as an unimportant detail, the cultural, ethnic and religious diversity of this part of the country had a big influence on my life, including on my choice of studies. Two months ago I have finished my studies for my MA degree in Comparative European Studies. I am passionate about travelling, getting to know other cultures, learning new languages and practicing those which I already know. I think there’s no such thing as too much chocolate and sometimes I have troubles stop talking :)
photo: Anna Swetnik
Meet the EVS volunteers: Joanna and Adela
moment when I decided that I want to do it: the timing was perfect – I was during my last year of studies, I had all the information, and I was really exited about the idea of being able to support myself while working in an NGO (difficult thing to achieve in Romania). Why Prague and why IYNF? Asia: IYNF is one of the biggest, most significant and best known international NGO’s. That is why I was sure that during my EVS I’ll gain not only a true learning opportunity but
interviews
been so active there like I’m in IYNF. Adela: No. I was a volunteer for the whole length of my bachelor studies and I continued to do some project-based volunteering afterwards, but due to my field of studies they were all in the European field (mostly European awareness campaigns). I can say that working in an environmental NGO is for me both a challenge and an opportunity at the same time. Environmental issues are not very popular topics for discussion in Romania, so I plan to use this opportunity to open my mind and learn more. In May 2011 you have participated at the Networking Conference in Radolfzell am Bodenee. Do you have any impressions to share with us? Asia: To be honest, that was the highlight of my spring! Bodensee is one of the most beautiful regions in Europe, so it would be really difficult not to enjoy it! And what’s more, if you spend time in nature with such wonderful people, even if they talk about policies, motions, finances and other important, but a bit boring, stuff you can be sure that your internal batteries will be “overcharged” or just full of extremely positive energy.
Adela: Before attending the meeting in Germany I exchanged a few e-mails and phone calls with some of the people working in the secretariat in Prague. I must say that I was impressed by their professionalism (something that one looks for before starting a one-year project), and by their sense of humour, so I was looking forward to meeting them in person. But things didn’t go so smoothly, after some travelrelated issues I thought I would never make it :) But I finally got there and I met some young and passionate people, full of creative ideas and the drive to implement them. The days spent with them helped me get an idea of what IYNF is, how people involved work and where the organisation was heading. It was also really great that I got to meet Ewa and Asia. The thought that I am not going to be the only new person in the office somehow encouraged me. After two months in the office, what can you say to us about your experience until now as an EVS volunteer in IYNF? Asia: Well, it was quite hard time for me due to personal reasons but I’m really happy to be in IYNF’s office, work with fan-
tastic, young people and simply enjoy life in Prague. Adela: The only thing that comes to my mind is a roller coaster: never know where it is going, the direction always takes you by surprise, but you love it and can become addictive! It’s been three full months in which I got to do so many things, ranging from writing newsletters, editing a magazine, helping with activities, to meeting new interesting people and settling down in Prague. Some expectations for the New Year? Asia: So many of them that’s even impossible to count them! They are connected mainly with my personal development but of course not only. I’d like to find for myself some new roles within IYNF maybe try to coordinate a cool summer project or became a junior trainer, who knows? :) Adela: Just like Asia, I have a lot of plans for the New Year, most of them linked to my personal development. But IYNF wise, I am really looking forward towards a new project called “Visibility”. I am also starting to think of some personal projects, but more details about that later on.
Issue 8 December 2011
Have you been involved in the environmental field before? Asia: Before I’ve been involved in many NGOs like for instance CEEweb for Biodiversity or Polish Red Cross, which has nothing in common with environment, but I’ve never
Adela Pintea
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And why Prague? I know that it sounds very common but I really love this beautiful and cosmopolitan city. Even more – I’m definitely Prague addicted. It’s the best place to drink Czech beer, to visit “cajovna” with friends and of course to make use of one of the richest cultural programs in Europe. Last but not least, I hope to improve my Czech and, as an active tour leader, gain more historical knowledge about this wonderful city. Adela: When I started the search I decided that the main criterium is going to be the project, and not the country. But I have to confess that I was excited by the thought of returning to the Czech Republic. When I received the call for volunteers from IYNF I thought it was too good to be true: a great project, and bonus…. Prague! I was really excited by the project description, it seemed like a good learning opportunity in a field that I liked. I already had a few years experience in the NGO work field, especially in the PR side, so it seemed like a project where I could use what I already knew, while further developing my skills. I tried not to get my hopes up too soon, and be realistic, but all that went away after I got the good news.
photo: Ana-Maria Nalbaru
also a significant role in the organization. I’ve been directly involved in the organization for almost two years now and as an active PTTK member even longer, so more or less I knew what to expect as an EVS volunteer. What’s more, before my service started I managed to participate in trainings, youth exchanges and statutory meetings organized by IYNF so I had this opportunity to meet Presidium Members, Staff, Ambassadors and other volunteers, which made me even surer that IYNF’s office is the place for me.
information
“InterAct” with us!
By Ewa Iwaszuk
The 1st of December marked the first year of running of IYNF’s networking programme, InterAct. The programme that contributes to many activities and projects of IYNF is happening thanks to the grant from the Youth in Action (YiA) programme of the European Union, under action 4.3: Youth Support Systems and Networking. The aim of this article is to update the IYNF stakeholders on what is happening within this project.
One of the focuses of IYNF is the facilitation of networking among the member organizations and their local groups. We support cooperation between more than 1000 local groups of IYNF to create a living international community of organizations and individuals. We want to bring groups from different countries and cultures together and facilitate opportunities for young Naturefriends all over Europe to live the IYNF values of solidarity, equality, respect, sustainability and love and care for nature. We aim to increase the participation of young people, their self-organizing skills, support personal and organisational development and create a meeting place for youth leaders from different countries so that they can network for future cooperation. The InterAct project is aimed at development and support of the framework of networking programmes, maintaining regular information flow and communication tools, increasing awareness of the local groups about possibilities of international cooperation and Youth in Action programme and extending the network to partners in South and Eastern Europe as well as other Programme and Partner Countries of YiA.
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What happened so far? The fact that you are holding this issue of Tube in your hand is also thanks to the InterAct project – part of InterAct is supporting IYNF communication tools: Courier and Calendar newsletters, Tube magazine, social media channels (If you
photo: MTF 2009 archive
What is it all about?
are not “liking us” on Facebook yet, change it today on facebook. com/IYNForg !). The existence of these channels helps all individuals and organizations to promote their activities and increase visibility of their projects and ??? ideas. The project also helped us to develop the promotional materials and thanks to this more people are reached with the networking programmes. But it is not only about spreading information – the InterAct programme is also aimed at knowledge accumulation! What does it mean? Thanks to this programme, we have resources to gather all the experiences, ideas, best practices, tips and information regarding organizing international youth activities in publications such as Networking Support Package: an online collection of articles, guides and templates related to youth work. Moreover, the project contributes to direct exchange of experience and facilitation of projects. Thanks to it, we hosted a Youth Secretaries Meeting in Prague that was a great way to exchange information, updates and expectations. The youth secretaries and youth workers from all over Europe also had a chance to discuss common strategy of international cooperation. As a part of the InterAct project we are also able to offer the partner search and matching for international projects.
What is still up? The InterAct project will be unfolding until the end of May 2012 (unless the world ends before then, of course). What will still happen in the upcoming months? The Networking Coordinator will work, together with the organizations involved, on the pilot project of the MultiEVS programme, the exchange of EVS volunteers within IYNF network that will be launched next year. IYNF will also develop its communication field further: we hope to soon launch our new website which is much more interactive and clear than the current one and gives the users the most up-to-date content related to networking, access to tools and documents and ability to register with a networking portal. We will also add a movie promoting international volunteering to our collection of materials. We are also now working on a completely revised edition of IYNF handbook, which is a guide to international youth work and organizing international activities, full of useful tips and advices. As an additional tool that can help in organizing large activities, we are going to offer a cookbook for groups, full of tasty eco-recipes, handy and easy to prepare at large events. The cookbook has been written and published by German Young
Naturefriends and is going to be translated into English by IYNF.
How can I join? Are you wondering how you can get involved in the InterAct programme? There are plenty of opportunities to participate! If you are a young person active at a local or regional level, and you have an international activity in mind, the IYNF office can help you develop it and support you during the process – this involves project management and grant writing support, partner search and matching, access to tools, materials, guides and continuous advice. All member and partner organizations of IYNF can also join the Multi-EVS programme, as long as they have a valid EVS accreditation. You can also use the IYNF communication channels to promote your ideas and activities. You are also welcome to request access to IYNF knowledge library. If you would like to find out more, please contact me at ewa@iynf.org. We would like to thank Youth in Action for their support to InterAct by covering 50% of all related costs.
information
photo: GJo
Invitation to Green Games 2012 If everything you have already read about our Green Games training course hasn’t convinced you to apply, we are sharing with you this wonderful picture, which has been taken in Pentedattilo, Reggio Calabria, the place where Green Games 2012 will take place. Enjoy the photo and keep an eye open for our future updates of the project!
Activities and B-days * Jana
* Angelina
* Gabriela
* Ewa, Niels
January
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Issue 8 December 2011
* Martine
* Lukas
* Ilze
Green Games
* Hana
* Jana Soupalova
* Martin
* Ivan
March
Get Started II
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* Zane
* Andreea
* Andrei
* Astrid
* Veronika
* Ansgar
* Tatiana
February
Naturefriends offers on IYNF e-store! Useful, nice, original, comfortable, friendly, natural… If you are looking for something like this to delight your colleagues, family or friends, we have precisely what you're looking for!
IYNF T-shirt “naturefriend inside” men sizes: L, XL / women sizes: S, M, L New IYNF t-shirt is made from eco fabric (organic cotton and bamboo) which is thin and comfortable. The t-shirt is in a green leaf color and is cut in the nice shape. There are three good quality white prints on it: front: “naturefriend inside”, left sleeve: full name and logo of International Young Naturefriends, back: big Naturefriends logo with hands and flowers. Fancy and eco! Price: 15.00 EUR*
Education and learning through outdoor activities
Naturefriends Yearbook 2010
Jan Neuman Extensive collection of games and problem solving activities, outdoor excercises and rope courses for youth programmes. The activities are introduced by a comprehensive chapter on theory of outdoor education. ISBN: 80-903577-0-9 Price: 10.00 EUR*
Full colour, 96 pages. Presenting the activities, highlights and interviews of the Naturefriends movement during 2010. Get to know more about our projects and the people behind the organisations. Price: free, you just have to pay the shipping costs.
IYNF USB stick USB Stick for data storage and transfer in corporate colours of International Young Naturefriends, with the organization’s logo on one side and the slogan “Connect & Inspire” on the other. Price: 8 EUR*
How to buy an item? It is very easy: 1. Go to the IYNF e-store on www.iynf.org 2. Choose the product(s) of your choice 3. Order and pay
4. Enjoy!
IYNF neck travel pillow Soft and foamy inflatable pillow, easy to pack, easy to use! Price: 4.00 EUR*