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NOVEMBER 15tH 2017
N°102
November Editor: Mirella Ka
Designer: Majka Dokudowicz
Cover Photo: Majka Dokudowicz
LINK
#LINKEXPLORE
CONTENT Contact About us Youth Center - program The strangest food Sweets from my country The most used products Ola Kaczurba Joana Ganilho Marques OphĂŠlie Cottier Gordana Scepanovic Yana Volkova Bilal Zegoud Ola Kaczurba
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Mariam Sassi
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Mirella Ka
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OphĂŠlie Cottier Yana Volkova Mina Duma Majka Dokudowicz Bilal Zegoud
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EVS, K.A.NE.
Food Food Food Food is history Mezze: Food, Memory and Hope Food and social inclusion Food losses and food waste The best things in life are free New food trends Are we all different? Food patterns Tunisia: the country that celebrates everything with food What impressed me the most in the food etiquette in Nepali culture Past event Future event Interview with an EVS volunteer My Project My Sending Organization
K.A.NE. Staff members of KA.NE.: Filaretos Vourkos Fotini Arapi Jelena Scepanovic Nantiana Koutiva Vyron Giannakopoulos EVS: Anna Szlendak Gordana Scepanovic Joana Ganilho Marques Mariam Sassi Majka Dokudowicz Mehdi Jaffar Mina Duma Mirella Karadzhova Ola Kaczurba OphĂŠlie Cottier Paquita Couppey Sheila GĂłmez Sofiene Lahdheri Yana Volkova ACT Volunteers: Bilal Zegoud Janae-Amira Jussa
@kane.kalamata
WHO ARE WE?
ANNA
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OLA
Kalimera! I am Ania and I come from Poland. I will be working for KANE and running Photography and Ukulele workshops. I studied photography in the Institute of Journalism of the University of Warsaw and worked for press photo agencies when I lived in my country. I enjoy every form of photography, I use both digital and film camera, I also create my own pinhole cameras. Besides, I am totally addicted to travel.
Hello there! I’m Ola but you can call me Alex. I’m 18 and I have just finished high school. I come from capitol of Poland – Warsaw. I love chocolate, breathtaking harmonies, good guitar riffs, totally crazy hairstyles and classic rock. I’m a dancer therefore I will be teaching contemporary/jazz dance and polish in the Youth Centre.Also, I will be helping with therapeutic riding in a horse centre. See you around!
JOANA
OPHELIE
GORDANA
Hello ! My name is Joana, I’m 29 years old and I’m from Lisbon, Portugal. I studied fine arts, art education and museology and I just arrived Kalamata for a 12 months EVS project. I’ve worked for a lot of time in bookshops and I love to read. I like quiet places where I can be in touch with nature. I’m a curious person and I’m always better if I have a cup of tea with me.
Bonjour ! My name is Ophélie, I come from France. I am in Kalamata for 11 months and volunteer at the Day Care Center for children with autism. Living abroad is a wonderful opportunity to meet fascinating people and to learn about cultures. It allows to become independent, open-minded and to avoid ethnocentrism. I can’t wait to discover the greek way of life and to visit the country. I’m also excited about tasting the food (of course !). I like to exchange and discovering so… see you soon around Kalamata !
Hello! I am Gordana Šcepanovic from Croatia. I am here because I want to try different way of life, improve my English and to learn all I have been offered during this EVS project. I like to dance very much and I will contribute to this project with my dance or language classes and of course with volunteering in the horse riding center. This is a great opportunity and I know that the time spent here will be very important for me.
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PAQUITA
JAE
YANA
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Hi ! My name is Paquita, I'm 26 years old and I'm from Marseille in France. I will stay here for eleven months. My mission will be to work in the therapeutic horse-riding and in the KEFIAP Center to assist people with disabilities. I just finished my studies in the Art-thérapy and I'm very enthusiast to begin my EVS. This will be a great experience for me :)
I’m not the best at introductions, but here goes nothing. I’m Jae, I’m nineteen years old and have lived in Liverpool, United Kingdom almost my entire life. My journey with K.A.N.E in Kalamata is centred around a project that’s going to help the migrants and promote the migrant crisis in Greece. For me this is an adventure of self discovery, testing my limits and finding out what I’m capable of. Bring it on Kalamata!
I am Yana from Ukraine. For 5 years I was studying architecture in university and I fond of everything about it as well as about natural building. Before coming here I was working as a project coordinator of the workcamps and as freelance graphic designer for different social festivals and non-governmental organizations. The last 4 years I’ve been travelling to different places in Europe such as eco-villages and rural areas helping people and promoting volunteering for peace. All kind of arts, nature, voluntarism, and travel - my biggest passions in life.
MARIAM
Stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things is the best way to grow, and this is what EVS is all about. My name is Mariam, I am 24 and I come from Tunisia. Passionate by traveling, arts, adventures as well as meeting new people and discovering new traditions, places and cultures. I decided to leave all of my normal steady life in Tunisia to come seek inspiration and explore a new way of living in Greece, in the beautiful city of Kalamàta. I would use all of my knowledge and dig even deeper to give the best of me, but also try to learn everything I can from other volunteers, from locals and daily life experience, either languages, dancing, music instrument, sports etc.
MINA
MAJKA
I’m Mina and I’m 28 years old free spirit. I don’t like routine and I think that everything that seems interesting is worth trying. I’m fascinating about human interaction and being part of K.A.NE. gives me the opportunity to meet and work with many beautiful people. I am fascinated about sciencefiction and superheroes, and I guess that shaped me into an idealist who believes that there is beauty and courage in everything, no matter how small. Therefore, our duty as human beings is to highlight it.
Hello! I’m Majka, I’m 27 and I’m coming from Poland. I grew up in Warsaw, but the last 8 years I was living in Poznan, Wrocław and Thessaloniki. I’m a printmaker and graphic designer, I’ve finish Academy of Fine Arts and I’ve participate in more than 50 exhibitions worldwide. In Kalamata I will work in the office and I will also create my own projects.
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SHEILA
mirella
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Hello, my name is Sheila, I am from Valencia, Spain. I am graduate in Environmental Sciences. I am passionate about nature and protection of animals. I like to travel and to know other cultures and new people. I will be in Kalamata for 3 months people with disabilities in KEFIAP Center. Before I participated in different Youth Exchanges and Erasmus+ program during my study-project. I think is an excellent opportunity to learn and improve a foreign language and to acquire competences for personal and professional development. I am happy to know you!!
Hello, Earth-citizens! I’m Mirella Ka. and the Universe is my best friend. I was born on the Black Sea Coast in Bulgaria, but now only my base camp is in Burgas, as my nomadic nature always brings me to different places. As I love always trying new things and activities, I’ve been through variety of experiences - in art & communication field, in tourism, in aviation... I love to share my experiences as a traveler, as a volunteer, as an adventurer, as a discoverer of diverse interesting events, as an activist, as an Earth-citizen in my blog - Let’s humanize (click here). I came to Kalamata, because I felt in love with the description of the “ARTivist” project and after several tries to learn Greek, I hope this one will be the most successful one!
SOFIENE
MEHDI
BILAL
Taking a decision to leave everything what you have and take a deep plunge into something unknown is never an easy one. I took such a decision, left my job and decided to take one-in-a- lifetime opportunity to do my EVS in Greece. My name is Sofiene, I’ am 26 and I am from a tiny country in North Africa called Tunisia. I am a photographer, videographer, graphic designer and I am here to share my experience and knowledge as well as expand it and acquire new skills. I’m social, open minded and always curious about different cultures and meeting beautiful people.
There are at least as many things to know as there are humans and countries. EVS enables the possibility to know much more about our World. Καλημερα, Hello, my name is Mehdi, I am 24 and I come from France. Passionate about Life and Nature, my biggest motivation is to learn from other cultures, from people, from life. I decided to quit my job there too, so I could catch the opportunity to experience something unique in Greece, in Kalamata, and all the Greek cities I will have the chance to see. I will bring you all I have, and I will learn from everyone all I can.
My name is Bilal, I am 25, I am Moroccan but I come from Belgium more precisely from Brussels. I study tourism. I am passioned by boxing and fitness. I will be in Kalamata for 6 months working with Refugees.
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K.A.NE.
FILARETOS
jelena
NANTIANA
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Hello, I am Filaretos Vourkos. For the last 10 years I am working in the field of Non-formal education as a volunteer, youth worker and youth trainer. 6 years ago,I decided to create the Youth Centre of Kalamata, in order to initiate youth work in Kalamata and promote active citizenship as factor for change.
Hi, I’m Jelena Scepanovic, an EVS coordinator in K.A.NE. and a volunteer of the Youth center. I came from Montenegro in 2012 as an EVS volunteer. I really liked the idea of the Youth center and the work that KANE does, so I decided to stay and be part of it.
My name is Nantiana! I’m 23 years old. I live in Kalamata! I was living for 5 years in Patras! I was studying there greek philology and now I’m teaching greek to the youth center in Kalamata.
fotini
VYRON
Hi my name is Fotini Arapi and I am project manager in K.A.NE. organization and responsible, among other things, for all sending motilities (sending EVS volunteers, participants in training courses, interns, etc). Apart from my work in K.A.NE., I also volunteer in the Youth Centre of Kalamata, a volunteer initiative managed by a team of local volunteers. I am very proud of and I love the Youth Centre, its dynamic atmosphere, and most of all, its natural inclusiveness that allows everybody to feel “at home” there. See you around :-D
I would describe Vyron as an imaginative fast learning and inventive generalist with a passion for remarkable food and the great outdoors. That’s enough talking about myself in third person. Hello, I am Vyron Giannakopoulos, I consider myself a curious and open-minded person. I have studied the science of Geography and as the newest member of K.A.NE. I am here to help by managing the creative projects of EVS volunteers, planning events, creating new projects and doing anything that will add value to our organisation. In my free time I like exploring new places and learning new things. But feel free to contact me on any issue if you need help. Namaste
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FOOD The strangest food
MOROCCO
BULGARIA
Locusts. They can be grilled, fried, roasted, boiled, eaten right away, or dried and eaten afterwards. In Belgium, it is advisable to remove the wings of locusts wherever it is.
This cold soup is meant to refresh you in the hot summer. Sometimes it’s even served with ice. It is made of yogurt, cucumber, garlic, walnut, dill, vegetable oil and water.
FRANCE
MONTENEGRO
In France we eat snails (escargot). The most popular recipe is removing the snail from its shell and mix it with butter, garlic, shallot and parsley. Then we put all that back in shell. 16
Popara. Bread, milk and cheese. Nothing strange in these ingredients, right? Well, bread should be left over from few days ago and then mixed with boiling milk and cheese.
POLAND
PORTUGAL
Czernina - from czarny "black" is a soup made of duck blood. Among the ingredients used are: dried pears, plums or cherries, apple vinegar and honey. Served with homemade kluski or pasta.
In Portugal we have several dishes in which the main ingredient is blood, usually cooked with rice. One of my favorite Portuguese’ delicacies is Morcela, or black pudding, which is made from pork’s blood.
ROMANIA
UKRAINE
In my opinion, aspic is the strangest food in Romania. It is a dish served cold in which ingredients are set into a gelatin made from a meat stock. We usually serve it on Christmas or Easter.
Salo - raw pork fat. Served with dark bread, garlic, pickled cucumbers. Often as a snack with vodka.
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FOOD Sweets from my country
BELGIUM
BULGARIA
The Napoleon candy is one of the treasures of Belgian confectionery. In its hard candy-like Haribo chewing gum shell, the Napoleon candy contains a soft, tangy heart. It's a must-try!
Praskovki or Cookies "Peach" are made with a moist sticky dough. Then their centers are scooped out and mixed with a buttery sugar and walnut filling or fruit jam. This filling is used as glue to stick to one to another.
FRANCE
MONTENEGRO
ILa bergamote de Nancy is the confectioner’s speciality in Nancy since the 9th century. The “bergamote” sweets are flat, square, golden and sour, flavoured with essential oil of bergamot orange. 18
Although the baklava is strongly linked to Turkey, this delicacy is often seen on our tables. There are a lot of combinations and the taste is unrepeatable.
POLAND
PORTUGAL
Krówki in direct translation it means “little cows”. They are made of milk, butter and sugar, crispy on the outside, liquid on the inside. Makes your mouth water?
Pastel de Nata, custard tart in English, is the most known sweet in Portugal. It was considered by The Guardian, the CNN Travel (and the author of this article) one of the world’s best dishes.
ROMANIA
UKRAINE
Snow White - it’s very popular and also very delicious. It is easy to prepare. The main ingredient is the lemon that offers the sour-sweet taste that I’m crazy about!
Vatrushka is a pastry formed as a ring of dough with sweet cottage cheese in the middle, sometimes with the addition of raisins. 19
FOOD The most used products
BELGIUM
BULGARIA
Delhaize Belgium conducted a survey to know the food trends, favorite dishes and culinary habits of Belgians. Pasta on the top of Belgian favorites then comes chocolate, fries and flour.
Yogurt, white cheese and liutenitsa. The ingredients of liutenitsa are: peppers, carrots, eggplant, onion, garlic, black pepper, vegetable oil, sugar, salt and tomatoes.
FRANCE
MONTENEGRO
After pasta and rice, the most staple foods, unsurprisingly for France, are bread and cheese !
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Potatoes, eggs and cheese. Since ancient times there are usually these products on our tables.
POLAND
PORTUGAL
The most typical ingredients used in Polish cuisine are sauerkraut, sour cream, mushrooms, and smoked meat.
Bread, codfish and cabbage are for sure the most used products in Portugal. The image shows Caldo Verde, the Portuguese cabbage soup, that you must eat with a special type of corn bread, broa.
ROMANIA
UKRAINE
Potatoes, onions and flour. They are at hand for everyone and we have lots of dishes where we need them.
Potatoes Cabbage Sour cream (Smetana)
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FO O D FOOD IS HISTORY
Joanna d’Arc would always eat quince jam before the battle for the courage
Before writing his famous prophecies, Nostradamus wrote a “Treatise on jam and preserves” (“Tratado de las Confiruras”) in 1555 that included his jam recipes.
Earliest secure evidence of cheesemaking is in 5500 BCE in Kujawy, Poland
Polish King Stanislaw II August every Thursday would invite poets, musicians, writers, creators, intellectuals for a dinner to his castle where they would discuss about art, politics and literature. The sign that diner is over was when dried plums were served to the king.
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The oldest honey was found in 1922 in Tutankhamun’s grave. It was still eatable.
During World War II British soldiers were eating “mock bananas” since real bananas were too expensive and hard to get. “Mock bananas” were made of mashed turnips with sugar and banana aroma.
Nutella was also created during World War II as a substitute of chocolate regarding amount of hazelnuts inside.
Attila the Hun's soldiers would press their meat under their saddles, drying it out and effectively curing it with the salt from their horse's sweat.
Ancient Egyptians worshipped onions and their circular layers that represented eternity. They were used during pharaohs burials (found in the eyes of King Ramses IV who died in 1160 B.C.) and presented baskets full as funeral offerings.
The Arabs invented caramel, which served as a hair removal for women in a harem.
According to a legend, it was Napoleon who asked for the baguette to have a long shape. This made it easier for his soldiers to carry their bread around down their pants while being in the battlefield.
While “Let them eat cake” is commonly attributed to Queen Marie Antoinette upon learning that the peasants had no bread, there is no actual record of her having said it.
In Greece, Greek yoghurt is a symbol of political resistance. In the 1950s, a male subculture known as the “Teddy Boys” initiated the practice of yaourtama, which is throwing yogurt at a disliked politicians.
In 2013, a group of Obama’s opponents used social media to organize The Great Marshmallow Protest; bags of marshmallows, sent by mail to Congress, were meant to remind elected officials that they were being too soft on the president.
Thomas Jefferson was the person to introduce Americans to the French Fries.
OLA KACZURBA 23
FO O D Mezze: Food, Memory and Hope
Marcel Proust believed that smell and taste have the power to bring back the memory of the past. In the In Search of Lost Time, he found in a madeleine – the small lemon cake in the shape of a shell – the rescue of his childhood memory. Neuroscience proved that he was right; smell and taste are sentimental as they connect directly with the hippocampus - the center of long-term brain memory, unlike the other senses that are first processed by the thalamus the source of the language and gateway to consciousness. Food is memory, identity, and affection; it is also culture and heritage. It has the ability of opening a space to talk about one's own existence: what has been and what is yet to come. Talking about food, whatever the language used, is also talking about sharing; it is opening a possibility for bringing people together, it is a step to create bridges. And sometimes those are the main ingredients to ground new beginnings in literature, like Proust, or in real life. That’s what happened in the Association Pão a Pão [bread to bread], born last year from a question asked to Alaa Alhariri, a Syrian student in Portugal: “what do 24
you miss the most about home?” – “the Syrian bread”, she answered. From there, with help from Francisca Gorjão Henriques, Rita Melo, and Nuno Mesquita, they start to search for a way to solve this question, while also thinking about the integration of refugees in Lisbon. Portugal has shelter solutions for refugees, but not consistent integration projects - and government assistance lasts only for about 18 months - so the vast majority of refugees do not stay in the country. This is also the reality in many other European countries. There is a need to create structures that enable people to rebuild their lives as part of their host community - and employability is a key factor for integration, both financially and socially. But truth to be told, the experience and skills they bring from their previous lives are not recognized as valid in the western labor market. Targeting this issue, Pão a Pão, designed their interventions by supporting vulnerable groups, such as women and young people who had their studies interrupted by the war. But, on the other hand, they also wanted to create initiatives that would allow people to make the most out of their abilities. Well, with years of experience at home, with their families, if there was something that they knew how to do – and to be very good at – it was cooking. At first, they thought about opening a bakery, but soon realized that there was potential for much more than that; and since there wasn’t a Syrian restaurant in Lisbon, they began testing the idea by organizing group dinners and catering services. That was the beginning of Mezze, an Arabic word for "small plates typically shared”, 25
which opened in September of this year in Lisbon, and currently employs twelve refugees – twelve people who gained a job, a project of life and a way of integration through their own culture. The departure from Syria left their lives suspended. They passed through Turkey, Egypt, and Greece; some have tried Jordan. They left behind the land where they were born and became men and women; they left their families, the blood of their blood. But above all they left the war, although not always war left them – most of them still have family back home or in transit to a place that, hopefully, would become a new place to call home. They started from scratch, many times in many places. They found many walls along the way, and few of them were as beautiful and cozy as Mezze’s, where we can even see photographs of Syria before the war. Here they had the opportunity to be welcomed by a community but also to contribute for it, by providing them a service: simultaneously a place to eat and a place to bring two cultures together, while enriching both. But it took a lot of effort to reach here, to be able to feel comfortable again. They faced fear and distrust; they overcame prejudice. The women of the group had never worked outside their homes, and the men were too young, having little or no working experience at all. Mezze was an opportunity to have a job, but also certified training on food safety and hygiene, as well as basic cooking techniques, a working asset that will improve their chances to find a job, regardless the time they stay in the project. Here the kitchen is 100% Syrian, coordinated by the hand of 26
Fatima. Chef Luis Barradas lends a hand, assuming the role of the adviser, helping with notions of dish presentation, quantities, composition of the menus and tips. They serve manish za'atar, syrian bread with spice mixture; hummus; shorbet adas, a lentil soup; kibbeh, fried beef dumplings with bulgur and spices; fattoush, a vegetable salad; moussaka, a spicy gratin of meats; or fatayer, bread stuffed. But Mezze goes beyond food: it is a space to share, to learn, to live and to celebrate two cultures which are brought together by the brave ones who had the courage to make it happen. There will be workshops, music, writing – different cultural elements to provide a wider experience of Syria. There is also a small Arab library, open to satisfy the client’s curiosity, but mostly to be used by those who work there, to keep them close to their roots and to allow them to keep growing inside of it. Small gestures and small spaces that can make a difference and help to shorten that distance that will be always too long: the distance from home. Here, they have something to long for. More than a promise, it’s a seed for the future, for a better life, that they can waterer and make grow. Food can bring back the past, but it can also help to make us hold together. In Mezze, we find a kitchen that works as a time machine, able to carry those twelve people back to a home that no longer exists in a material world, but will live forever in their hearts. And it a generous journey because they share it with us.
JOANA GANILHO MARQUES 27
FO O D FOOD AND SOCIAL INCLUSION
I. Working in a restaurant as a therapeutical activity In Caen (Normandy, France) a care institution for adults with psychiatric issues have an original therapeutical activity. The beneficiaries, through an association, are running a canteen/ bar. The place is called « La Loco ». Customers could come from Monday to Friday for lunch and also to take a coffee during mornings and afternoons. The staff are the residents and beneficiaries and one nurse or educateur of the care institution. Enable people to be independant and having responsabilities is part of the treating process for people with psychiatric issues. This place is also a way to reduce prejudices and fear about people with psychiatrics issues thanks to the meeting between customers and the staff.
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II. Working in a restaurant as part of the rehabilitation process In Milan, the restaurant InGalera has been running since octobre 2015. Why writing about the place in particular ? This place is a wonderful example of the alliance between food and solidarity ! Its staff, from cookers to waiters are inmates (except the head chef and head waiter). InGalera is taking place into the Bollate prison and means in italian slang « in Prison ». This is the first prison in the world which hosted a restaurant and where inmates are working through contact with non-prisoners. This project allows members of the staff to prepare their entering to social civil society and get ready to be employable by learning a job and acquiere skills through a long term experience. This experience is also an opportunity to regain a work ethic. A studied showed that the rate of recidivism is 10% less in Bollate than in the others italian prisons! This project is also a way to reduce prejudice about inmates thanks to the meeting face to face between customers and the staffs. The participants are seen as waiters and chefs not as criminals. It helps to realised that people are not only defined by their past. Lunch and diners are served from Tuesday to Saturday. If you want to eat there, don’t forget that booking is requiered and also do it in advance because the place is renowned! One of the most important italian food critic went to InGalera, he praised the food, the waiters and the « convivial atmosphere » and added « To have honest prices, you have to come in jail ! ». More informations about the restaurant there : http://www.ingalera.it/en
OPHÉLIE COTTIER 29
FOOD FOOD LOSSES AND FOOD WASTE
Key facts Each year 1.3bn tonnes of food, about a third of all that is produced, is wasted, including about 45% of all fruit and vegetables, 35% of fish and seafood, 30% of cereals, 20% of dairy products and 20% of meat. Food is lost or wasted throughout the supply chain, from initial agricultural production down to final household consumption. Food losses represent a waste of resources used in production such as land, water, energy and inputs, increasing the green gas emissions in vain. Up to one third of all food is spoiled or squandered before it is consumed by people. It is an excess in an age where almost a billion people go hungry, and represents a waste of the labour, water, energy, land and other inputs that went into producing that food. 30
What is food loss and food waste? Food is lost or wasted throughout the supply chain, from initial production down to final household consumption. The decrease may be accidental or intentional, but ultimately leads to less food available for all. Food that gets spilled or spoilt before it reaches its final product or retail stage is called food loss. This may be due to problems in harvesting, storage, packing, transport, infrastructure or market / price mechanisms, as well as institutional and legal frameworks. Harvested bananas that fall off a truck, for instance, are considered food loss. Food that is fit for human consumption, but is not consumed because it is or left to spoil or discarded by retailers or consumers is called food waste. This may be because of rigid or misunderstood date marking rules, improper storage, buying or cooking practices. A carton of brown-spotted bananas thrown away by a shop, for instance, is considered food waste. Food losses and food waste have negative environmental, economic and social impacts. They represent a missed opportunity to feed the region’s growing population, with potentially negative impacts on the sustainability of food systems and on food security and nutrition. Promoting sustainable consumption can, however, help in mitigating these impacts, through reducing resource use, degradation and pollution caused by food losses and food waste, while increasing the quality of life for all. Food losses and food waste have negative economic impacts for all stakeholders in the supply chain. They lower incomes of producers and increase the price of food for consumers. Reducing food losses and food waste would, therefore, provide economic benefits for both producers and consumers.
If we can help food producers to reduce losses through better harvesting, processing, storage, transport and marketing methods, and combine this with profound and lasting changes in the way people consume food, then we can have a healthier and hunger-free world. Graziano da Silva Director-General Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations GORDANA SCEPANOVIC 31
FOOD T H E B E ST T H I N G S I N L I F E A R E F R E E
How to be a freegan ? Mhm freegan ? What does this mean? Well today in our western societies buying food became an important part of our budgets, especially if you are going for organic quality food. But freegans understood that even though food is expensive to produce and to buy, it is also wasted and thrown into the trash for an important part of it. Freegans are people that are collecting free food that shops, farmers and so on do not want and cannot sell. Freeganism is good for your wallet but it is also an ecological and political act. Here are listed some different way to get free food. This can be apply during travels, to save some money and extend your journey or in your everyday life as a real way of getting food. Dumpster diving Maybe one of the most famous and well known act of freeganism. One may think that food that is thrown away by shops and supermarket is no longer eatable, well this is wrong. Most of food that ends up in the bins is perfectly good, it may just 32
not look perfect for fruits and vegetables or be too close to the expiration date. It is also interesting to know that for most of expiration dates, there are no legal limits set by authorities and it is just dates that food producers have decided to use. Yoghurt for exemple are still perfectly good up to one month after the expiration date !! Good tips, organic shops like normal shops are also wasting a lot of food, so for nice organic food just go to their dumpsters !! After Market food Markets, nice and fresh food from local growers, usually cheaper than supermarkets, but still more expensive than free ! When the market close and farmers are taking back their goods, lot of fruits and vegetables that are not perfect enough or with small dots or that fell on the floor will not be taken back and just left on the ground when everyone is gone. This is an easy way and maybe nicer that dumpster diving to collect free food ! Good tip ! Kalamata market is usually closing around 2pm, and lot of food is still there waiting to be collected on the floor ! Local shopping A lot of shops such as bakers and cafés, have food they haven't sold by the end of the day and that they cannot sell the day after. Just be nice, explore your neighborhood and talk to your local shops to see with them if they would like to give to you what they haven't sold at the end of the day. Good tip ! See with your neighbors and organise with your local shops how to collect food together for everyone during the week ! After harvest Harvest is an important moment for farmers, but as important it is that most of fruit and vegetables growers have to answer the commercial needs of their buyers for perfect beautiful veggies and fruits.. Thus all the imperfect veggies and fruits will be left behind.. Just go after they finish and just grab what is left ! Good tip ! For fruits especially this is a good way to fill up your shelves with jams and for veggies to make conservation products So here are few good tips to become a freegan ! Go outside and just grab delicious free food ! YANA VOLKOVA 33
FO O D NEW FOOD TRENDS
With the rise of obesity in North America, many people choose to take charge of their lives and measure the food they consume. Since then, the new modes in food succeed and multiply. How to understand? The snacking Followers of the “snacking� eat on the go, on the street, in public transport, most often prepared products. Last 20 years, In France, where this way of life has become very trendy, the time for lunch reduced from one hour and forty minutes to 30 minutes! In North America, this trend is reflected in visits to fast food restaurants. Its offshoots, "Meal to Go", "Dinner to Go" and "Gourmet to Go", consist of prepared items to make an ordinary or gourmet meal that can be consumed everywhere, even on the street. Among our neighbors to the south, some companies have realized the importance of this new way of doing things and deliver packaging at home that contains all the necessary ingredients.
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The ingredience This growing phenomenon is based on the knowledge of the quality of the products, their origin and the method of processing the foods they consume. This phenomenon is similar to "slow food", an international movement born in Italy. The crudivorism Also known as "living food", raw food consists of uncooked food, often from organic producers. Proponents believe that the cooking of foods eliminates a large part of the vitamins and trace elements present in their natural state. There are three types of raw food: credi-vegetarians, crudi-vegans and credi-carnivores. The last ones add meat, raw or almost, to their diet. The instinct nutrition Instinct nutrition is a method of feeding practiced in some raw food. It consists of the preparation of raw foods, while avoiding adding artifices that could alter the consistency, flavor and smell of the latter. Food here is neither seasoned nor mixed. The hedonistic dimension This one makes more reference to the gastronomy. Its followers are willing to pay more for more aesthetic products, combining the friendliness, taste and pleasure of eating healthy. This trend is developing among 50-year-olds, mainly among the wealthiest. Food rations In order to consume the food necessary for the proper functioning of their bodies in a healthy and sufficient quantity, many people opt for a balanced diet. They rely on a daily intake of animal protein, fat, ions, water and cellulose, as well as the calculated consumption of cereals, fruits, vegetables, starchy foods and sweet products.
BILAL ZEGOUD 35
FO O D ARE WE ALL DIFFERENT? FOOD PATTERNS
I was always amazed how different cultures have developed very similar dishes regarding distance and isolation from each other. I want to believe that in some spiritual way they all were connected but as my realistic part speak I know that, as everything in history, it was a long way of trials and mistakes. Anyhow, the most important part is that now, we can enjoy diversity of food and dishes keeping some familiar shape. Sandwich? Pita? Kebab? Tortilla? Everybody heard a story of Lord Sandwich, who invented sandwich that we all know and love today. Well he wasn’t the first to think about putting meat and vegetables inside piece of grain batch of any kind. Both bread and flat bread were well-known across the world hundreds of years before the Christ. Adding things inside was just a matter of 36
time. Nowadays we have many varieties of this simply amazing “put -everything - that - youhave-inside” dish that we can truly take delight on. Salads Years of growing vegetables helped us find right connections and mixes. With influences of other cultures, content of salads has grown but still in its roots simplicity of mixing vegetables was perfect for people who wanted and needed some diverted diet. Have you ever heard of the “Greek” and “Italian” salad? Maybe orient one? Or Moroccan quinoa salad with chickpeas? I can go on and on but my point is simple - every part of the world had tried its best at combining greens together. And they did quite well… Meat with rice, meat with potatoes, meat with pasta, meat with grains, meat with… more meat? Although, after all we got out of the caves and became farmers, planting and harvesting vegetables was not the first human instinct. We were meat eaters and we made our meat 37
more appealing. Chicken Tikka Masala, stew, roast with plums and fried potatoes, fish&chips, spaghetti bolognaise, pyzy, sushi‌ it’s all about meat. Jams, marmalades, confitures and other preserves The idea of fruits dying quickly must have mattered to prehistoric people really much hence lot of different ideas how to preserve them. First trials of food preservation started in Paleolithic, when the then people assumed that by doing so, the need of looking for fresh food will ease. As the say laziness pays off! In ancient times, Romans would use honey to conserve fruits and flowers, meanwhile Mediterranean arias choose oil olive and vinegar. It was like this until the discovery of sugar, that changed everything – it was the time that jam came to life. Asia, Arabs and Europe developed: marmalades (Spain), compotes (France), conserves (Baltic and eastern Europe, Asia), curds (UK), chutney (India), confitures (France), jellies (Canada) and pastes (France). 38
Alcohol Of course alcohol will show up on this list. Even ancient Greeks knew that there is no celebration without the gift of Dionysus – wine. But did you know that the first record of alcohol is actually from more than 10000 years ago when Chinese villagers stated to produce and sell alcohol drinks? Since then every culture in every part of the world produced their own alcohol. That’s the reason we can enjoy Scotts Whisky, Polish Vodka, French Wine, Belgian Beer, Japanese Sake, Mexican Tequila, Chinese Huangjiu, Native American Pulque, Maya Balche Bebida and many many more.
OLA KACZURBA 39
FOOD
T U N I S I A : T H E C O U N T RY T H AT CELEBRATES EVERYTHING WITH FOOD
Ramadan special sweets: Zulbia, is a sweet served warm or cold. It has a somewhat chewy texture with a crystallized sugary exterior coating. Citric acid or lime juice is sometimes added to the syrup, as well as rose water (up picture). Mkharek, is a honey donut sold especially during the month of Ramadan. Mkharek is made from a soft, light dough of flour, semolina, yeast and whole beaten eggs. The dough is worked for a long time and allowed to rise until 24 hours. Then, round donuts are prepared and gilded in a very hot frying. Drained, they are then soaked in honey or in a thick syrup of sugar. 40
Mloukhia for Aid Al Fetr (First days after Ramadan) Mloukhia is the leaves of Chochorus Olitoriu. To prepare the dish, the leaves, already separated from the stems are dried then ground to produce a very fine powder and stored in jars or other tightly closed containers. Mloukhiya, takes 5 to 7 hours to prepare, which is often done to halfway in the evening and completed in the morning. The powder is prepared with olive oil and some tomato paste into a sauce, not soup, and big chunks of chuck beef are often added halfway through cooking. The dark green sauce simmers on low heat and is left to thicken to the consistency of tomato sauce. The sauce is served in small deep plates with a piece of beef and eaten with preferably white hardy French or Italian bread . In certain regions where beef is not common, lamb is used but cooks for a much shorter time. 41
Kleya for Aid Al Idhha (Sacrifice Feast) Kleya is famous and cooked during the Eid. It is a sauce that consists mainly of meat and liver, cooked with oil, black pepper, cumin and salt.
Assidat Zgougou for the Muled (The birthday of the prophet Mohamed) This is a Tunisian desert where the lower layer is made of the grains of Aleppo pines "zgougou". The grains are cleaned, then they are ground in water and sieved to very small sizes. The resulting juicy substance is then mixed with wheat flour and/or starch depending on the recipe. Sometimes concentrated milk is added. Then everything is cooked at low heat while stirred. Powdered sugar is added gradually as the mixture thickens, giving rise to a grayish-brown color. The result is poured hot in a bowl and cover in a white cream then decorated with almonds and other seeds and nuts, whole or ground, and small candy. 42
Couscous with Kadid for Ras Al Am Al Hejri (Arabic new year) This is a special couscous because it is with Kadid which is dry sheep meat, that is full of spices and salt, along with eggs and sometimes raisins and sweets.
MARIAM SASSI 43
FOOD WHAT IMPRESSED ME THE MOST IN THE FOOD ETIQUETTE IN NEPALI CULTURE
One of the things that really impressed me during my stay in Nepal was the drinking habit which Nepalese people have. They never drink directly from the water container, no matter if it’s a bottle, a mug, a glass, a metal pot, or whatever it can be. They pour the liquid directly in their mouth without any lip contact with the container (up photo).The cultural reason for this is because Nepalese have a strong ritual sense of pure and impure, clean and unclean. Tsokho means pure, untouched or undefiled whereas jutho means impure, defiled, or having been touched by someone. This is especially relevant when offering your water bottle to someone. Westerners don’t typically drink the way Nepalese people do, so it’s best not to offer your water bottle to a Nepali. I respect that the deep reasons for this way of drinking, are cultural, but I would also add that this drinking technique is very useful, smart and needed in a 44
place where the water from the tap is so polluted (almost poisonous) that it’s even not useable for dish washing. Or if you use it to wash dishes or fruits/vegs, you have to dry them very well before using/eating them. And even not a thought about drinking from the tap or wash your teeth with this water, because for sure you will get sick. I’ve noticed in a lot of places for food, there are metal pots with drinkable water available, so that even random passengers can drink. And if dozens of people would drink from the same pot of course this drinking manner becomes very practical! Not only drinks, but food also becomes “jutho” if once touched by the lips or the tongue. So, you cannot give it to anyone else or return it to the pot. Another thing is that Nepalese don’t take food from another’s plate; sharing food is not a custom. In a lot of countries it’s the opposite. Like in mine. The notion for sharing food with the others is so common that very often when we go in a company to eat out, we agree whose taste is what and then we order several meals that we share. This you can never see in Nepal, neither at home, neither in a restaurant. The traditional meal for the country, called Dal Bhat is so staple that basically in the villages as this one where I spent my voluntary service, it’s the only thing they eat all their lives. It is composed of white rice (bhat) and lentils (dal) and it is typically accompanied by a vegetable curry (thakkali), a mixture of spicy vegetables (pickles) and greens (sak). People in Nepal don’t have the Westerners standard of eating three times per day – for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and having snacks between the meals. They eat twice per day, dhal bat of course! First portion is around 10-11h in the morning and second one is in the evening – around 19h. If by any chance it happens an afternoon snack, don’t be surprised that it’s another variation of rice. Beaten fried rice that can be salty or sweet, depending on one’s taste. It’s delicious! 45
Something that was completely new for me, is that anywhere you order the national meal Dal Bhat, you can get more however times you want, until you are full, but from the very first portion the serving is made in small quantities, because Nepalese people believe that the food should be respected, not thrown away. For this reason they only put in the plate as much as they think you can eat. And one more thing is that once food that is on your plate has been touched by your lips or tongue, it is considered polluted. People in Nepal eat with their right hand but use their left while drinking water (if the right hand is soiled from eating). And when I say with hand, it’s literally like this because they don’t use cutlery. I also love eating with hands and I find it funny that something which is part of the culture in one continent, is being seen as bad education manner in another continent. People usually don’t talk while eating, which I appreciated a lot in their culture. Last but not least in my list of impressions about Nepalese food habits is something that I really didn’t like. In traditional 46
Nepalese households, the males are served food first, and the women often eat in the kitchen or at the table after the males are finished. As a guest in a Nepalese home, Western women would generally be served with the men, but should be sensitive to traditional gender customs and not invite the Nepalese women to eat at the table when it’s not appropriate. That was totally crazy for me – I being served with the other volunteers who were only guys and the girl who is serving us cannot join us, but she has to wait for us to finish and then she can eat! All alone in the kitchen, directly from the pot, if there is something left!!! And imagine, if being a lot of people and some of us take an extra portion, then it risks that there wouldn’t be anything left for the Nepali girl. Same is the situation regarding the hierarchy between father and kids. The kids are waiting for the father to come back from work and eat first, and if they go to bed earlier than he comes back home, they simply don’t eat…
Mirella Ka 47
PAS T EV E N T STATION: GREEK FOOD
Friday, the 27th of October, most of the EVS volunteers, took a trip through the Greek Gastronomy country. They went to the old train station of Kalamata to take their train. They enter into the first wagon called ΣΤΑΘΜΟΣ (Stathmos). Before the trip began, the volunteers attended an Art exhibition called « My other self », which took place into the wagon. They met the curator who offered them a special tour in English. Then, the travel through the greek gastronomy country started! The first stop was at « Bread city ». The volunteers tasted bread dipped into olive oil and balsamic vinegar. As the greeks say, they made (and enjoyed!) « popara » ! Of course their friends feta, red wine and rosé joined them at this first stop. Then, they reached « Main course city ». Not everybody was accommodated 48
at the same place but they visited each other ! Some of the volunteers were hosted at the « Dakos hotel » with their friends bread, tomato, olive oil and feta. Other stayed at « μπριζολακια με πατατες στο φουρνο youth hostel » for the possibility to chill with grilled meat and potatoes. The others camped at « Gyros Pita camping » which is, most of the time, the first stop for travelers who are doing their first expedition through the greek gastronomy. Volunteers meet each other at « kolokithokeftedes cafe » and at « hot white cheese with tomato and boukovo Restaurant » before going back into the train. The travel continued to « Sweet city ». They visited the « Yogurt with cherry syrop Museum » before going back to Kalamata. But finally the drivers offered them an extra excursion at Wine place! When they reached the old train station of Kalamata, the EVS volunteers were happy they have tasted the greek gastronomy but also that they have spent time with the drivers of the train. In one evening they learnt a lot about the greek food and about Kalamata, its energy and its inhabitants.
OPHÉLIE COTTIER 49
F U T U R E EV EN T INTERCULTURAL NIGHT
It is finally the time to celebrate our beloved Intercultural Night, gaining new knowledge about the different cultures and also tasting all the amazing food that everyone will bring, together with the folk rhythms that everyone is invited to dance! Our volunteers form Spain, France, England, Poland, Ukraine,Tunisia, Portugal, Belgium, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Romania are ready to cook for you many traditional plates from their countries and also to show you how their traditional folk songs are danced! Your traditional dishes, sweets, drinks etc are more than welcome, no matter if they are Greek or from any other country of your origin! The night will continue with music and dance with you also having the opportunity to try the steps of different folk dances, under the guidance of our volunteers! We are waiting for you, full of #positive energy and full of good mood in order to enjoy our multi-cultural night that we are wishing to be unforgettable! ( FB event page: www.facebook.com/events/144586476167692), click here) YANA VOLKOVA 50
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i n t e rv i e w w i t h a n E VS V O L U N T E ER I N T ERV I E W W I T H M AJ K A
Majka, can you say a few words about yourself? I’m Majka, I’m from Poland and I’m 27 years old. I’ve graduated in June from Academy Fine Arts. How come you’re in Kalamata? For how long and when did you arrived? I’ll be in Kalamata for 11 months and I arrived on the 4th of October. When I decided to apply for EVS (European Voluntary Service) I knew it’s gonna be Greece because I studied here before and I really liked it then. I was basically checking all the NGOs in Greece and what projects do they have. I didn’t had any specific place where I would have liked to go, and as it was a last minute decision, I wrote to 2-3 NGOs just to ask if they have any open calls for a polish volunteer and very luckily, I found my place in Kalamata.
How were your first days here? They were…strange…I felt lost and shy…I don’t like to meet lots of people at once because I can’t remember all their names and the information they provide. It’s very difficult to keep track with which information comes from whom and so my first days I wasn’t very outgoing. How do you feel about living with so much flatmates? I don’t have a problem with this, I have never lived by myself in my life before, except the first one year and a half of my life before my sister was born. And actually since I was 13 I was cooking dinner for my family so I’m not used to cooking only for myself, which I think makes my flatmates very happy…and not hungry. So I assume that cooking is one of your hobbies? I don’t know if it’s a hobby, but it’s something that I enjoy to do…as well as eating. What do you like to cook most? This is a hard question…but I can tell what I don’t like, it’s easier this way. That would be rice, mushrooms, salt and sugar - that’s strange….and I eat bread without butter. Do you have a favorite polish dish? I love pierogi (dumplings) because you can make them both salty and sweet. You can make them with meat or you can make them with strawberries or blueberries. We also we have a special group of food that it’s called kluski. They are soft and mashy kind of dumplings, usually without filling and the main types are Kopytka ("little hooves") that are prepared from mashed potatoes, flour and eggs; Kluski leniwe ("lazy dumplings") that are sometimes called pierogi leniwe despite being a type of kluski rather than pierogi. They are made from fresh cheese (twaróg), flour, and eggs, and often sweetened with sugar. The name refers to easy and quick preparation from scratch, ideal for a "lazy" cook. These are one of 53
the few sweet varieties; Kluski śląskie ("Silesian dumplings") are round, flattened dumplings with the size ranging from 3 to 5 centimeters, made from mashed potatoes, potato flour, and eggs. Usually served with gravy, their distinctive feature is a small hole or dimple in the middle. Did you find something similar in Greece? Ohhh…no…and I asked to many greek grandmoms about that. To pierogi neither but we have a polish dish called golabki that is basically a cabbage leaf stuffed with meat and boiled and in Greece it’s found also and it’s called dolmades and it’s with meat and rice. In Poland you can find it also with rice. What’s your favorite Greek food? We’re talking about salty or sweet? Because I cannot decide that easy.. Why not both? First salty, then sweet. From salty, I would have to say all the seafood. I’m in love with it! From the sweets, kourabiedes and moustalevria. Kourabiedes 54
are butterish cookies with almonds and moustalevria is a pudding made of grape must. So, how long have you been in Greece before? And are still any types of greek food that you’d like to try and you haven’t yet? I was in Greece for a year during the Erasmus studies and this summer as well and I‘ll be during my EVS. I’ve meet amazing people here and I had the opportunity to try lots of greek food during Christmas, Easter or just family gatherings. I believe that there is still a lot of new things and tastes that I can find in Greece so I hope I will be able to during this time. Do you have some plans after you finish your EVS? Actually I do have a couple of plans because it’s still far away and it’s hard to plan too much for this time, I would like to apply for my PHD studies in printmaking in Wroclaw and if not, I’d like to do some artist residency in Greece. Thank you, Majka! I wish you to have a great EVS time and follow your dreams! MINA DUMA 55
MY PROJECT short introduction
I will be a volunteer in Kalamata in total for 11 months. During this time I will create different activities and events. Now, after the first month, I can briefly describe some plans and some already done projects. DESIGN As I arrived to Kalamata my roommate – Molly- was finishing her stay. I helped her, for the presentation of her project, to design and bind small booklets with interviews. As all event was about Kalamata earthquake in 1986, I found some research papers on that topic with seismic waves diagrams, that I used as visual element. Also, I took care of the design for the last 2 editions of the Link Magazine, as well as for this one. I kept the already existing design, I changed a little the proportions and I transferred the template to another program. Hopefully I will be also able to show to other EVS volunteers how to use InDesign with already existing guides, as a part of EVS skill-sharing workshop, so that they would be able in the team to design an edition of Link Magazine. 56
MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART MEETING This one will take place on 29th of November in the Youth Center of Kalamata. It will be open to anyone who want to join it, no matter if people had any previous experience in art. Even if they think that modern art is ridiculous. I will start with some small introduction and also I will prepare the guidelines to describe the work of art so we can talk about some artworks. The aim is to go deeper in the understanding of how art is an essential medium for the exploration and expression of diversity - of ideas, social and cultural identities and political perspectives. EXHIBITION A bigger project, that I would like to organize is the exhibition of prints. It will be a project in collaboration with Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki under the title: Similarities in difference – Polish and Greek contemporary printmaking. This event will aim to develop an understanding and appreciation of art’s complex role in reflecting and affecting how people relate critically and creatively to a changing world, how we can see Similarities in difference. Exhibition and follow up activities (lectures, workshops for children and adults) will raise awareness about interculturality and diversity and will also show how image of the same thing can change according to our roots, background, culture. It can draw attention to some of the links between Greek and Polish artists. We may find that they have something in common. Maybe, the participants from different backgrounds will create artworks based on the same problems, maybe their works will be related to each other, although the artist who made them never have a chance to speak to one another. I believe that this can be very interesting from a sociological point of view and can lead to important conclusions, which I would also like to look for and to present the result of that research in some small publication/lecture maybe at the end of the exhibition. WORKSHOP On 6th of November I started to run a bookbinding course with elements of printmaking in the Youth Center. I'm very excited about that, as these two art fields are what I love and what I would like to do in future as well. The aim of the workshop is to share the knowledge about printmaking and bookbinding techniques, to present the elements of the book and its history, as well as share practical skills. I hope it can help participants to improve the ability to express themselves through art, and to be able to build narration through it. MAJKA DOKUDOWICZ 57
MY SENDING ORGANISATION Dynamo International / act project
Neighborhoods in crisis, youth on the move / ACT Dynamo International is an association created in 2001 and approved by the NGO since November 25, 2004. Its social purpose is cooperation in development in the field of children's rights and more in the fields concerning children and young people, street education and social work, community development and the prevention of social exclusion, child protection and socio-professional integration. The "ACT" project aims at creating innovative citizen pathways for young people with fewer opportunities, by providing them with the opportunity to realize a volunteering project with migrants or refugees in Greece or Italy. The project will involve 54 youngsters from the deprived neighborhoods of Roubaix, Liverpool and Brussels and from Greece and Italy in volunteering projects supporting vulnerable migrants. The objectives are to: 58
- Develop volunteering projects to promote the inclusion and integration of unemployed young people at risk of exclusion or victims of discriminations and potential radicalisation - Allow these young people to get involved with newly arrived migrants in order to develop values of citizenship, solidarity and tolerance - Disseminate the good practices of the project and success stories of these young people and to make their experience known in their sending communities, and especially in the deprived neighborhoods they come from. The objective is to attract other young people towards volunteering projects and to fight against the risks of isolation and violent radicalization. In order to achieve these aims, the 6 partners of the project will: - Share existing good practices related to sending and hosting volunteers - Create a new training for young people so that they can work properly with newly arrived migrants or refugees - Send 45 volunteers in projects in Greece and Italy (in projects with migrant) - Organize 9 volunteering projects at the local level - Create videos and dissemination tools illustrating citizen pathways of the volunteers, before their departure and during their project to show the values of engagement and solidarity - Disseminate these good practices and these videos in the deprived neighborhoods to fight against exclusion and radicalization - Work closely with institutions and organize a large dissemination event at the end in Brussels involving decision makers in order to make recommendations on youth policy.
BILAL ZEGOUD 59
LINK NOVEMBER15th 2017
The volunteers responsible for this publication are hosted in Greece in the framework of the European Erasmus+ programme, KA1/youth - European Voluntary Service. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.