LINK#154

LINK #154

August 1st 2020

Commitment 1

Content K.A.NE p. 4 - 6

Volunteers & Collaborators

QUOTE OF THE WEEK p. 7 Jean-Paul Sartre KNOW US p. 8 “What are you most committed to? p. 9 p. 10

p. 12

“Do you think it’s important to stand for what you believe in?”

“Do you think nowadays commitment is expressed in a different way?”

HOW TO SAY? p. 11 “You reap what you sow” MAIN ARTICLE p. 12 - 14 “How to be committed for dummies” QUOTE OF THE WEEK p. 15 Peter Drucker COMPARING p. 16 - 17 Differences between Greece and Spain

p. 18

MY PROJECT p. 18 Alix : Ιπόσχεση Horse Therapy Center MY SENDING ORGANISATION p. 19 ADICE - Association for Development of European and Citizenship Initiatives) INTERVIEW p. 20 - 21 Interview with Maria Helena Correia ART REVIEW p. 22 - 23 “Cinderella Man” - how to fight for your life RECIPES p. 24 p. 25

Gołąbki Krówki 2

p. 24 4

Catarina

Editor & Designer

@kane.kalamata +30 272 108 188 2

Editorial

www.kentroneon.wordpress.com www.ngokane.org info@ngokane.org Salaminos 8 24100 Kalamata Greece

LINK 3

Volunteers Alix

Hi ! I’m Alix and I come from France, I‘m eighteen and I’m taking a break from my studies because I didn’t like what I was doing so i decided to go on ESC. I’ll stay here for 6 months and I’m so grateful and happy to do this experience in Greece with foreign volunteers. I work in the Therapeutic Equestrian Centre. I love horses, to share moments with people and to discover new places.

I am Annalisa, I come from the wonderful city of BologAnnalisa Hello! na (Northern Italy). I have an academic background in Inter-

national Relations (European Affairs) and look forward to become a project developer in international cooperation, tackling social issues through the participation of civil society. I am spending a year in Kalamata, volunteering at the K.A.NE’s office, helping out with the design and management of youth mobility and social projects.

Catarina

Hello! My name is Catarina and I’m a 21 year old girl from Portugal. After finishing my studies, I decided to stop for a year to clarify my ideas and decide what I will do next. Right now, I will be a volunteer here in Kalamata for the next six months, I’m working at the Therapeutic Horse Center Ιππόσχεση in Analipsi (Messsini). It’s the perfect combination between learning and being in contact with nature. There’s not much to say about me, I’m a calm person and probably my hobby is to listen to some rock music while reading a book or walking around the city.

4

Volunteers My name is Hania and I come from Poland. I am a volunteHania Kalimera! er at K.A.NE.’s office and I will stay here in Kalamata until the end of

August. I really like to travel, because I think life gets boring if you stay in one place for too long! One of my biggest dreams is to live for at least couple of months in several different countries, so I can truly experience other cultures – not just as a tourist.

Kamil

Hi! I’m Kamil from Poland. I’m 22. I decided to try out EVS to experience something new in life and search for my own way, as I’m not really sure, what my future entails.

I’m a big fan of sports, especially football. In my free time I like to ride my bike, stay active in general, listen to music or watch some intricate movies.

Marlena

Cześć! I’m Marlena and I come from Poland. I’m 23 years old and I study in Kraków. I like new adventures and challenges and that’s the reason why in July I’m going to start my EVS in Kalamata. In my free time I like riding my bike, spending time in the forest and painting. Also, I love travelling and getting to know new places. My favourite painters are Picasso, Dali, Miro and Matisse.

Tania

Yuhu! My name is Tania. I come from a town in the northeast of Spain. I studied psychology, although now I don’t have in mind to dedicate myself to it. Honestly, now what I want is to know new places and live new adventures. My life plan is to live in as many different countries where I can. I will stay in Kalamata for a year and I’m volunteer in The Dog Shelter.

I love the nature, sea, music, photography and enjoying the life.

5

Collaborators I am Filaretos Vourkos. For the last 15 years I am working Filaretos Hello, in the field of Non-formal education as a volunteer, youth worker

and youth trainer. 10 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.

Jelena

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 K.A.NE. does, so I decided to stay and be part of it.

everyone! I am Nadiana, ESC & VET coordinator in K.A. Nantiana Hello NE over the last few years as well as Greek teacher. I am passio-

nate in travelling around, meeting new people and organising festivals.

Spiros

Hello, my name is Spiros Koutsogiannis and since the beginning of 2020 I am a project manager and responsible for the Research and Development department of KANE. I hold a degree in Civil Engineering and I have been working in the EU funded projects field since 2010, having implemented almost 65 projects.

Anna

Hi, I'm Anna Charalampous. I'm here to help with K.A.NE. social media, website and administration. I'm happy to be part of the team promoting youth work, education and volunteerism, both locally and globally.

Nancy

Hello World! I’m Nancy and I have been working in K.A.NE. since 2017 as a Project Manager and EVS/ESC coordinator. I’m passionate about meeting new people and exchanging knowledge, experiences and ideas. I love the fact that many young people visit every year my hometown Kalamata and contribute to our society.

6

Quote of the week

“Commitment is an act, not a word.”

Jean-Paul Sartre

Author: Marlena

7

1

Catarina

st Q U E S T I O N

What are you most committed

Maybe is a short answer, but I’m committed to a few things, yet quite big in my opinion: Im committed to my friends and family and I’m committed to what I believe in/stand for.

Hania I’m committed mostly to people, because I believe that taking care of quality relationships is the most important thing in my life. Knowing that I can always rely on my family and friends makes me feel secure and I want them to be sure that they can also rely on me. That gives me a power to truly commit to other causes.

to?

Alix

I like to be committed when I trust people or things.

That’s why, when I find a project or a situation close to my heart, I’m really involved. But it take time to be sure that my commitment is worth the cause.

Kamil I’m convinced that at this point in my life I’m most committed to keeping a healthy balance of every aspect of my existence. Before I’d tried many ways of living and I can tell you, that longing to live in one extreme or other doesn’t lead to many good things, except for learning. Yin and Yang are not a fairytale. You can see them in everyday life. They are the only things fueling this world. That’s why I focus on balancing everything and not putting all the eggs in one basket. I imagine it’ll lead me to a great and fulfilling future.

Marlena

Annalisa

Right now I’m the most committed to my voluntary service in Kalamata and to my studies that I’m doing online. Both of the activities are challenging and I’m glad because of that. Also, I’m committed to my relationships.

In short, I am committed to some social causes, a few values and principles (kindness is a big one in my book), my close family and my own wellbeing. To mention some day-to-day things I am committed to, I really try never to waste food nor water, and that’s not just because I think it’s wrong, it because I have actually experienced first hand what it is like not to have drinkable or even running water and good or even decent quality food.

I don’t buy things that I don’t have an actual use for and I don’t spend more than half an hour per day just scrolling social media homepages. Also, I take every occasion I can get to challenge gender stereotypes and I never do or say something (nor renounce to) just because someone is asking.

Tania It may sound a little cheesy, but I try to be committed to being a good person, respecting and not harming others, either they are people, animals or plants.

8

2

Hania

Do you think

nd Q U E S T I O N

it’s important to

I think standing for what you believe in is essential, but what is equally important - we need to remember to respect others’ right to express their opinions and views at the same time.

stand for what you believe in?

Alix

Obviously! For me, it’s really important to be heard when you are standing for a cause. You need also to understand the different way of thinking about the others opinions. But, if you are committed to a cause, you must stand for that and be the change.

Kamil I reckon it’s important to stand your ground, express what you believe in and show it by living by your rules every day. You don’t have to preach your opinions to everyone you meet, in fact you shouldn’t, because you’ll most likely just annoy them. You just have to stick to your ideas and self-conduct rules and people will follow you, if they’ll see you’re a righteous person. Don’t act, just be true to yourself. In the end all that matters is how you perceive yourself in this world.

Annalisa I believe it is very important, and I really feel it when I see someone incapable of doing it, but I also know that we live in societies in which looking good and cool is more important than integrity, and I am a Political Science graduate, so I know for a fact that sometimes you have to prioritise the final result over the right way to achieve it. It is also true that, sometimes, not speaking up is actually a matter of safety, and Brecht’s quote “Unhappy the land that is in need of heroes” does resonate with me. What I can say for sure is that we should stand together for what we believe it.

Marlena Yes, even if the whole world says something different. As long as we don’t hurt anyone, we should fight for our beliefs and fully dedicate ourselves to them. That’s the only way to see if it’s worth it or not.

Who doesn’t take the risk, doesn’t drink champagne.

Tania When it comes to exposing your beliefs out loud, it seems essential to me never to lose values such as tolerance and humility. I can’t stand people who give moral lessons to others, with an superiority tone.

They try to impose their ideas and ridicule those who don’t think like them. Being critical does not mean being a critic, and constantly judging others.

Sharing and debating different points of view is always interesting and enriching, but always with respect. One of the values in which I believe and defend the most is freedom of opinion. “Live and let live” sums up my philosophy of life perfectly.

Catarina For me is extremely important that I stand for what I believe in, I can not think in a certain way and then do something different, I would feel hypocrite if I did that! Defend my beliefs or the causes I believe in is something really important for me.

9

3

Hania Certainly internet has made it much easier to express our commitment to important causes. I’m afraid that because of that, forming and sharing opinions requires less effort, so people are often arrogant and less open to dialogue or feedback.

Do you think

rd Q U E S T I O N

nowadays commitment is

Kamil

expressed in a

I think it’s true, as in these times there are a lot of ways people can express their feelings. There’s freedom of speech in most of the countries in the world and there are a lot of platforms to take advantage of. Some people, who are very passionate about a certain topic, are very courageous and share their points of view very freely, but on the other hand, I think most of the people became very conservative with their expressions, as they’re scared of what the public may think. All in all I think the structure of how many people really express their commitment stayed more or less the same, as not many decide to do it, but the ways and possibilities of doing it grew a lot in numbers.

different way?

Alix

Yes, I think it’s expressed in a different way because we can show ours opinions just by an article on internet and we can sensibilized people faster by social media. But commitment is not new, and for so many years ours grandparents were committed without internet. In my opinion, it’s expressed in a different way but when people want to stand for a reason or expressed something, there are a lot of ways to do that.

Marlena I think nowadays people express their commitment in the same way as they did before, however now they are using different tools such as Internet and media in general. They didn’t change their attitude towards the things that are important for them, they just changed the ways to express it.

Annalisa So, just a few days ago I read an article about how some young US citizens boycotted Trump’s election rally just by downloading more than a million tickets for the Tulsa event and then not showing up. That’s just a small display of what the Internet can be if you want to speak up. Today, we do have a lot of different and ingenious ways to put together a campaign. At the same time, I also think that these new - not face to face - ways facilitate the creation of a whole generation in which a few people take actual responsibility for what they believe in, and the rest just clicks on a button or gives a thumb up.

I do wonder what it must have felt like to be Italian, young and socially active in the 70s, because when my parents share their stories it sounds like a completely different experience, human wise.

Tania

Catarina The way we show it nowadays it might be different, but in my opinion commitments are still important for these new generations, we still show it! Before if you wanted your voice to be heard then you needed to be loud! Now the job is “easier” for sure with a lot of ways to spread information, but you still need to be loud so your ideas and your rights are heard and respected.

10

I think it is undeniable that social networks have contributed to making visible and disseminating more than ever aspects related to commitment to social, political and environmental issues. But like everything, this has positive and negative things, because I think sometimes they are used for other types of interests outside the good of the cause.

Whether they are advertising, monetary or simply to gain popularity in the public eye. For example, the boom that feminism is having in recent years is fantastic but at the same time it scares me to see how some brands use it as a marketing strategy to sell their products. The Internet is a double-edged sword. It’s important to promote its good use.

How to say?

“You reap what you sow”

Man erntet, was man sät

Каквото посееш, такова ще пожънеш

Si raccoglie quel che si semina

Co zasiejesz, to zbierzesz

Що посієш - те й пожнеш

O , τι σπέρνεις, θερίζεις

Ką pasėsi tą ir pjausi

Colhes o que semeias

Author: Marlena

11

“How to be committed for dummies”

C

ommitment is one of those big words that describes a desired and positive attitude, represents some kind of ideal that we should all try to follow. But although describing a committed person seems quite easy, defining commitment is a difficult task. Is it a value? A personality trait? Or maybe a behaviour?

What it means to be committed?

“Take the matter of bacon and eggs. The chicken makes a contribution. The pig makes a commitment.”

- John Mack Carter We make commitments both on personal and professional level. You can stay faithful in a committed relationship, you can committ not to eat mangos from Israel even if you love their taste, or to write a big report for work on time. The first step for all of those behaviours will always be a purpose. We have an intention of doing something, because it serves a goal that is important to us. A simple desire is not enough to build good foundations for commitment. It can be a value that we believe in, for example fidelity, diligence or world peace. As an above-mentioned quote shows in a funny way, commitment requires sacrifices and we’re only ready to sacrifice if we have a deep moral conviction that it’s the right thing to do.

The next step for committing to something is to say out loud that we will do it. Only when we clearly articulate our promise, we receive tools to monitor if it’s been kept. We cannot skip it, as without a promise there is no commitment.

We now understand that a strong purpose is necessary to build up a motivation to do something. We could say that commitment shapes the process that leads us to achieving our goals and its main ingredient is dedication. It helps to maintain in our promise, to be persistent. Being committed requires constant effort, continuous hard work and sacrifices. And that makes it so difficult.

12

Why is it difficult?

Another thing that makes it so difficult to keep our commitments is that it requires sacrifices and demands difficult decisions. For example, let’s say that you are a volunteer and you have to sacrifice your free time, even if after a while you’ve become tired and you would you prefer to meet your friends and go to the cinema instead of giving food to homeless people. Or, a more serious example, if you’re married your life decisions will always have to include your partner’s needs and desires.

Besides enormous effort and difficult sacrifices, being faithful to our commitments is also a personal test. You have to be really persistent and stubborn in order to succeed, but one small mistake can bring you to a failure. That’s why we perceive being committed as a very noble trait, an ideal that we should all try to follow.

“Commitment means staying loyal to what you said you were going to do, long after the mood you said it in has left you.” Unknown

“

(...) sometimes it can resemble a battlefield

” Being committed means putting a lot of effort: we have to constantly work on our motivation, remind ourselves of the purpose, force ourselves to stay focused on the goal. Sometimes it can resemble a battlefield, where we fight with our weaknesses and the changing environment.

Our motivation is very prone to wane, our mood changes, the amount of excuses raises. It’s a hard work to stay loyal to what we promised and failure is always a step behind.

Why is it fulfilling?

“Commitment leads to action. Action brings your dream closer.” - Marcia Wieder We usually link commitment with charity, relationships or working for a cause. There is no real commitment without a good reason! Truth is, because being committed is so hard, it gives us an even better feeling of success. It’s personally

13

empowering and rewarding and absolutely inspiring on an interpersonal level, if we prove that it’s possible to go through all of those obstacles. It fulfills the mythological theme of a personal journey towards self- development. On the other hand, it often brings some measurable outcomes that are useful for others.

We love to follow committed people: they make us believe that everything is possible with a sense of focus and dedication. Everyone needs a role model to feel inspired and to gain personal strength necessary for keeping our commitments.

“

(...) they make us believe that everything is possible

The recipe for commitment

”

So, in summary, we can say that a recipe for commitment is: a good, deep sense of purpose that gives as motivation, an intention to do something articulated clearly as a promise, dedication and continuous hard work that bring us to a successful end.

Seems difficult? Well here’s our light in a tunnel: failure in keeping a commitment does not mean that you’re not a committed person. I strongly believe that commitment is an attitude and not a personality trait, which is a good news for all of us. We can all be successful in keeping commitments, although some personal qualities make it easier to stay committed and for other people it might require more effort and support. But in the end, nevermind the obstacles – it’s worth it.

14

Author: Hania

“Unless a commitment is made there are only promises and hopes, but no plans.�

Peter Drucker

15

Author: Marlena

What’s different?

The differences between Greece and my home country

Spain

G

reece always aroused my curiosity. When I went to high school, we had variable subjects and for a quarter I had a mythology class. I remember the teacher showed us a lot of movies about mythology where Greek landscapes came out as beautiful and hypnotizing. I dreamed of being able to see them one day. Many years later, when I considered doing a long term EVS, I was sure about my destiny. I am delighted with Greece. The only downside? Let’s say it was not the most exotic choice. I hoped it would see differences between Spain and Greece, but not so much. For me, Greece is as if it is an unknown extension of Spain to discover. The sun shining in the middle of winter, kilometers of olive trees, the breeze of the Mediterranean Sea and its typical dry landscapes.

The same happy, open and carefree personality. The same desire to enjoy life and small pleasures.

Bars, restaurants, crowded terraces. Street life until late at night. Food as a social act, to share with friends, family or acquaintances.

When I got to Kalamata, I walked down the street and sometimes I had the feeling of being in Spain.

It’s true that here in Kalamata 90% of people have dark hair and where I live there is much more variety. But the physical resemblance between Greeks and Spanish is amazing. Most of the people I cross on the street could pass perfectly Spanish. Normally when I hear an unknown language I am unable to decipher any word. But when I heard the Greek it was different. It sounded strangely familiar to me. Although I could not understand anything, I could catch some words. Sometimes I even heard someone speak from a distance and I had the feeling that they were speaking Spanish!

Then when they got closer, I saw that it was not. I looked for information about it and the explanation would be that both languages have ​​ a very similar phonetics and morphology, a high use of the vowels and a very expressive tone. In both countries, punctuality is not considered an act of bad education, on the contrary, people often joke about it. And we share the time of “siesta” since the two countries are practically paralyzed between two and five.

16

Athough not all are similarities, there are also some significant differences. Although we have a very similar personality, the Spanish, we are more brutal, dramatic and scandalous. On the other hand, I perceive the Greeks more refined, calmer and less noisy. One of the things that surprised me most about Greece is the apparent lack of control that is perceived. There are hardly any police on the street. In Spain we are very controlled, we have almost more police than inhabitants! Every five minutes you come across a police car.

And without a doubt for me the most shocking is road safety. Almost everyone goes without a helmet, many people don’t wear a belt, overtaking when a car is coming from the other direction, in a tight curve ... On the one hand I like not to feel as controlled as in Spain, but at the same time I don’t like them some actions that I consider very dangerous and that put the others at risk.

“

To sum up , I can say that although it’s evident that there are significant differences between Spain and Greece, without a doubt I think that of all the countries I know, for me Greece is the most similar.

(...) we have a big commitment for our loved ones

”

Both in Spain and Greece, we have a very big commitment for our loved ones. It’s very important to maintain a strong union with our family and friends and always show unconditional support for them in the face of any adversity. Although I have been able to observe that the Greeks have a greater commitment to the well-being of strangers than the Spanish. Greeks are extremely generous to people they don’t know. I remember one day that I got on a bus to ask about the bus to go to the hospital and the driver told me “Wait!”

She called her partner and took me to a place, where she stopped, and she told me, “See that bus over there?

Run! He is waiting for you”. In Spain it has happened to me to get to the bus when it was about to leave and it did not wait. As for the commitment to the environment, although Spain is not one of the most committed European countries in Europe, in this regard we are much more committed than in Greece. I’m quite surprised to see how little importance there is here for the preservation of the environment.

17

Author: Tania

My Project

Hello! I’m Alix and I work as a volunteer in a horse-therapy center.

My project is very interesting because I can learn about therapy and horses.

Name Ιππόσχεση – Κέντρο θεραπευτικής Ιππασίας Καλαμάτας Address Analipsi, Messinis, 241 00 Kalamata Website www.ipposhesi.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile. php?id=100010941100666 E-mail ipposxesitr@gmail.com

know them a bit more now and it’s easier for me to see when they are on a good mood or not.

People I work with: I work with Catarina, another volunteer, and Panayotis and Amalia who do the therapy. It’s better to be the volunteer to lead the horse and play with the patient.

What I love about the project: I choose also this project because I had some experience with horses and I wanted a project in the nature. I’m very glad to have a project with two completely different field.

I really enjoy my project and my tasks at the horse center. It’s a good opportunity for me to learn a lot of interesting psychological things about disabilities. In just 5 months, it’s a pleasure to have responsibilities and work in a team!

What are my tasks: A My responsibility is also to lead the horse for a lesson, the horse needs to be calm and serene to assure the security of the child. I learn also more things about horse when we do horse training before the lesson.

What am I learning from it: I learn a lot about the psychology of a person with psychological or physical disorders. It’s my first professional experience and I’m really happy to have responsibilities and to have the opportunity to know more about disorders, how people can react, why they act like that etc…

It’s so interesting and it allow me to learn all about this psychological system that I had no idea before my volunteering.

We have very different patients with disabilities and ages. After almost 5 months of work, I’m feeling very confident and comfortable to work with all of them and I know what I need to do. Also, I

Author: Alix

18

My Sending Organisation ADICE offers it’s audiences different mobility paths according to their profiles, expectations and needs. The course is thus established individually in one or more stages of mobility with the identification of the perspectives, from the beginning to the return, in order to fully integrate the experience of mobility into each person’s path.

ADICE has different aims: promote equal opportunities, develop skills and to have mobility as a lever for access to employment.

The organization wants to offer the opportunity of young people to be involved in a project, to have a professional experience abroad and to choose a project suitable for each person.

1,995 people completed a mobility project with ADICE from 2000 to 2018 thanks to different program: international volunteering, european work placement, international civic service or Erasmus for young entrepreneurs.

The objective of ADICE is to make mobility a means to improve the employability of participants. They find a project according to expectations of people.

For that, we have 5 modules before,during and after ours mobility. The first is the construction of the project and development of the mobility passport to determine the profile of the person. The second is the validation of the mobility project, then we have the preparation for mobility that is an important module. The objectives of this training module are to guarantee security on the spot, to situate its mobility project in intercultural contexts. After, the finalization of the project, it’s more about administration and to sign the contract. It’s to be sure that everything is okay before leaving. And finally the Capitalization of the project, that means the volunteer or trainee receives, on his return, collective or individual time for evaluation, restitution and exchange of experience.

To conclude, ADICE is a really good organization to improve your knowledges, find a project according to you and thanks to her, everybody have the chance to do this experience!

19 Author: Alix

Name ADICE (Association for Development of European and Citizenship Initiatives) City & Country Roubaix | FRANCE Date of creation 1999 Website www.adice.asso.fr

Interview For this LINK’s edition, I interviewed the French volunteer from my sending organisation, who is doing her European Solidarity Corps project in Morocco.

Erasmus+ Volunteer

Name Maria Helena Correia Nationality Portuguese Hosting NGO WWF for nature Greece Volunteering Conservation and Monitoring at the National Park of Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli and adjacent region of Thrace Place Dadia | GREECE

Interviewer: Why did you decide to become a ESC volunteer, and why Greece?

Maria: After 2 years working as a researcher in Portugal, and later on struggling to find a new job, I consider to finally pursue this goal to do some voluntary work abroad. Luckily, I had already applied for this project 3 years ago and the sending institution had my contact. As soon as I received one email with this opportunity, I didn’t hesitate.

To be fair, it was because of this email that I’ve received, already directed to this project. Of course, I went to see other opportunities available on the webpage, but I was feeling that this job was the best one and more compatible with my love for nature.

20

Interviewer: What’s your project about? What do you enjoy and value the most about it?

Maria: The project I’m involved in is mainly about vulture population conservation in Thracean region, as well as golden eagle. The best thing about it is that we spend most of our time outside the office, in the middle of the forest, and most of the time in high spaces from where you can also enjoy amazing views! I also value a lot the positive impact that this project has on environmental awareness among the local population, since the contact and involvement with farmers and livestock breeders are fundamental to avoid direct conflict with some species, like wolves.

“

Showing that we try to be integrated (...) is very important in taking back the barrier.

”

Interviewer: To close with a smile, what’s a fun fact about your Greek experience?

Maria: Among other things, the Mediterranean cuisine! I love it, and it’s fun that I’ve never tried feta cheese in Portugal (and even if I did, I’m almost sure is not the same as here) and now I cannot stop including it in every meal I have! Even in cold soup it’s amazing! So my recent addiction to Greek cuisine is feta cheese.

Interviewer: Is there any cause or value you are particularly committed to?

Maria: Before I arrived to Greece, I had already the goal of reducing my ecological footprint in various ways, since the avoidance of single use plastics and containers in general, to the choice of food and cleaning products with the minimum package.

Nowadays in Greece I understand that things may be even worse since the recycling process in the area is not efficient… So my commitment is to reduce my residues as much as possible, not considering recycling itself as the main answer to my impact on this planet that is home not only for us, but also for future generations.

Interviewer: How do you usually express commitment to something?

Maria: I think the best way to express commitment is through actions instead of only words… and about the residues it could not work better!

Every time I go to a cafeteria and I order my drink in my own cup, or refuse the straw, I believe that at least once someone can look and reflect about why I’m doing this, and perhaps question their own behaviour.

Interviewer: Annalisa

21

W’Art?!

“Cinderella man” - how to fight for your life

C

Inderella man” is an american movie about a legendary boxer – Jim Braddock in the times of the Great Depression in the USA between 1929-33. Due to many lost battles he decided to give his passion up and tried to find another job so he could make ends meet. However, because of the economic situation in the country, he couldn’t find anything. That is why Braddock, who was played by Russell Crowe, decided to give boxing another chance. He came back to the ring, started his trainings again, trained even harder than before in order to win the upcoming fight with one of the most dangerous boxers in the world.

Did he win? I can’t reveal this, but I can heavily encourage you to watch it. This movie definitely teaches what it means to be committed, humble, faithful and determined. The main conclusion of the movie is – you reap what you sow. In other words – The more committed you are, the better outcome you will get. Braddock did his best in order to provide for his wife, who was played by Renee Zellweger, the best life they could get.

Also, the plot about the Great Depression is very well developed, the viewer might understand its reasons better and, what is even more important, the results of it. We can see how the people from America struggled and sacrificed themselves to improve their situations. And also how committed and devoted they were to fight for their rights. This might be also consi22

dered as a warning for the people – what we should and shouldn’t do in order to avoid such situation in the future. „Cinderella man” was directed by Ron Howard and was based on a true story. Another good point of this movie is the music, composed by Thomas Newman. The film received three Oscar nominations and two Golden Globe nominations. This movie isn’t only for the people who are into sport, but for everyone who wants to get inspired, motivated and who is curious about the world.

23

Author: Marlena

Recipes from Poland Challenge 2 hours 4 - 6 servings

Gołabki Ingredients: - 100 g of rice - 500 g of minced meat (pork or beef) - 1 cabbage - 600 ml of passata or smashed tomatoes - Spices: salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, sweet pepper

Preparation: Filling: 1.

Glaze the onions in a pan.

2.

Cook rice in a pot, you may add some spices there.

3.

When the onion is ready, add meat and spices for taste, don’t forget to stir 4.

Pour half of your passata/smashed tomatoes into the meat, stir until it boils.

5.

The filling cannot be too runny, so heat it on low heat if needed (still stiring).

Cabbage: 1.

Peel the cabbage, detach the leaves and put them into a bowl.

2.

Boil 3-5 litres of water in a big pot, add 3 pinches of salt.

3.

Put one leaf into the water, cook it for around 1,5-2 minutes (it cannot be too raw and too overcooked). Repeat it with every leaf.

4.

Leave the leaves to cool down.

Preparation: 1.

Put the filling (around 2-3 spoons, depending on how big your leaf is) into the leaf and wrap it, remember to wrap also the sides.

2.

Now you can either cook it or bake it. Put your gołąbki into a baking dish or into a pot (one on another).

3.

Pour the other half of passata/smashed tomatoes and add some spices.

4.

It should be cooked on a stove for around 45 minutes, the same applies to the oven (I prepared them in 180 degrees C).

24

Author: Kamil

Easy 20 minutes 4 - 8 servings

Krówki Ingredients: - 300 ml of sweetened condensed milk - 100 g of sugar - 10 g of vanilla powder - 90 g of butter - Pinch of salt

Preparation: 1. Prepare a pot with a thick bottom and a wooden mixing spoon.

2. turn on small heat on the stove and put the pot there.

3. Pour milk, add sugar, vanilla powder, salt and butter.

4. Stir all the time, focus especially on the bottom of the pot.

5. Stir for around 15 minutes on a low heat until your krówka becomes sticky and changes its colour to dark beige.

6.

When it is done, turn the heat off and still stir it for around 5 minutes.

7.

Pour your krówka on a tray or on a baking paper, leave until it cools down.

8.

When its not warm anymore, put your krówka in the fridge for around 1 hour.

9.

After an hour, cut your krówka with a knife into cubes or just take it out of the tray.

10.

Enjoy your dessert!

Tips: - You might also put some cocoa or coconut shrims into your mass - If you want your krówka to be more crispy, heat it for around 20-25 minutes.

25

Author: Kamil

The volunteers responsible for this publication are hosted in Greece in the framework of the European Solidarity Corps programme of European Commission. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

26