INTERNATIONAL MOBILITY TODAY 4 TOMORROW
Youth in Action is the Programme the European Union has set up for young people. It aims to inspire a sense of active European citizenship, solidarity and tolerance among young Europeans and to involve them in shaping the Union’s future. It promotes mobility within and beyond the EU’s borders, non-formal learning and intercultural dialogue, and encourages the employability and inclusion of all young people, regardless of their educational, social and cultural background: Youthin Action is a Programme for all!
NADJA MEDVEŠEK at Associação Transumância e Natureza
We both worked on action 4.3. Support to Youth Workers Mobility programme, in cooperation with two organizations – Mladinski center Trbovlje (Slovenia) and Associação Transumância e Natureza (Portugal). This booklet is intended to be an inspirational user manual for all the ones working on the youth field and on their communties, raising the Seeds of Tomorrow.
Nadja’s MOBILITY PROJECT This was »Today for Tomorrow« project from 1.4. 2013 until 30.9. 2013 in Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo (Portugal), founded with support from European Commision. I worked with ATN (Associação transumância e natureza) organization which is a non-governmental, nonprofit organization. Their mission is to conserve, improve and disseminate knowledge on the natural heritage through the protection of Reserva Faia Brava (which is private protected natural area) in a sustainable way. I organizated tree events, the TEDTalks conference style - inspirational speeches with name »Sustentavel_mente« (this means sustainable mind) from young entrepreneurs. I also organizated Intensive week of workshops . The goals were to involve the local community, especially young people, and provide them with ideas, tools and knowledge so that they can create their own business in connection with nature and settle in the local territory.
INÊS GAMA at Mladinski Center Trbovlje Inês was mainly connected to the development of projects connected to the youth and community from Trbovlje. Mladinski Center Trbovlje as a youth center provided the space and tools for the following projects: 1. Metamorfoze - sustainability workshops and presentation together with Mladinski Center Zagorje (MCZOS) 2. Do it Yourself workshops - creative recycling for young entrepreneurs 3. GREEN CORNERS international sustainability thinking and doing youth exchange application between Portugal and Slovenia 4. MEDIAMENTI youth exchange - Poggio Mirteto, Italy All the projects were developed during 6 months, from 16 of April to 16 of October. Meanwhile, Inês also worked in the youth center as a photographer, designer, mentor, portuguese teacher and organizator of exhibitions.
INÊS GAMA AT MLADINSKI CENTER TRBOVLJE
What is ATN What is MCT Trbovlje Youth Centre (MCT) is a public body established in 2001 by our local municipality in order to provide service, information and guidance to the local youth. There are 2900 young people from age 15 - 29 in our town, however our region is small and we are active in two more towns. We promote activities of non-formal education, youth international learning mobility, community actions, cultural activities, information and guidance, different kinds of youth facilities, etc. We are regular involved in the international cooperation since 2005, we have many experiences in sending and hosting of young people. Until now we have sent abroad more than 30 young people and hosted more than 40 volunteers. We have many experiences in youth international mobility, we are doing different international seminars and trainings, youth exchanges, evaluation meetings etc. MCT is located in the centre of the town and has its own building with cafeteria and small youth hostel. This was our first exchange of youth workers and we can say that it was a good experience and a good opportunity for 2 young youth workers to gain more knowledge, experiences and motivation to continue with their work in youth field.
The Associação Transumância e Natureza (ATN) is a local environmental NGO, created in 2000, at Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, Guarda District, in the northeastern part of Portugal. Our mission is to conserve, value, study and promote the natural heritage of Northeast Portugal, through sustainability and community participation, by managing and protecting natural areas. ATN aims to achieve species and habitat conservation in natural areas; to guarantee economical sustainability of nature conservation projects; to contribute to economic and social dynamism of the region. ATN wishes to be a leading NGO in finding effective approaches for sustainable nature conservation in this region. To this end ATN applies state of the art knowledge on nature conservation, and be a leading NGO in further developing of the creation and management of private wildlife reserves. Nature management includes both active nature conservation measures (fire prevention, promotion of prey species) and giving the way to natural processes (e.g. grazing with large herbivores). Experiments, diagnostic and trend monitoring, operational research and scientific peer reviewing form an integral part of the nature conservation strategy. The Faia Brava Reserve, the first private protected area in Portugal, was created by ATN and remains a core area for ATN’s nature management.
MEDIAMENTI International Youth Exchange, Poggio Mirteto - Italy This experience brought light to what is my work as a youth worker. To be responsible for 5 young people during almost eleven days was a gain in terms of personal development without comparison to any experience before connected to the youth field. I recognized during this exchange the relevance of youth work into an extend that I didn’t before. How group dynamics can help the young person to brake his/her boundaries and social limitations and engage in any activity with a group of people with freedom and, at the same time, with care for the group’s opinions and suggestions. The young person also acquires amazing leadership skills which he/she can use wisely in his/her future work in an organization, company or as entrepreneur or even simply as a house worker.
Stress management, project management and time management are all very useful tools for any working person in this world- A youth exchange can give a lot of knowledge on this matter with simple tasks such as organizing a group to wash and clean the dishes or to put a room together for the next activity. I didn’t realize before how much work is actually to put a youth exchange together. So much dedication, devotion, hard work and joy at the same time to do it as a group. I loved the fact they had evaluations every day with the main leaders. Because it is an intensive program in which a big group of people is at almost all times together, it brings us to realize how much we need to manage in terms of emotions for us to carry on with all activities with the same energy and dedication and at the same time motivating the group to engage in the activities, to participate actively, to feel both safe and open in a big group. Leader is just a name for a person who needs to be led to the truth about him/herself to the point that he/she realizes that there is no leading and no led, there is just learning, continuous learning, giving and receiving.
PROMO CAMPAIGNS From idea to action Working with creative young people, who are full of ideas and potencialize their ideas into real actions with concrete objectives, turning them into a sustainable business, was one of the highlights of this project. Through promotional campaings, using photography as a toll for teambuilding and interconnection, the links between proeminent young entrepreneurs was established and improved. At the same time, there was a deep improvement on my photographic skills and visual concepts and imagenery while working with them, as the campaigns were done together, from the start until the editing process. In this campaign, we can see the collaboration between a hair designer, a fashion designer and a visual artist, combining their skills sinergistically.
DO IT YOURSELF WORKSHOPS CREATIVE RECYCLING BY PROEMINENT YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS
DiY WORKSHOPS Helping to build sustainable Businesses Do it Yourself Workshops were build with the concept of connecting creative recycling with sustainable businesses by proeminent young entrepreneurs and artists / designers. We worked mainly with the visual artist Vesna Lenič Kreže, 25 years old, developing firstly her mentor skills (communication and presentation skills, mainly), quality products (personalized necklaces done with 1.reused materials (buttons, old necklaces, toys...) and 2. natural materials (wood, hemp, stones, sea shells...) and finally her brand and slogan - VIEL - Obleči sebe (VIEL - Wear yourself). With that slogan, we created a series of promotional campaigns where a specific character as woman was connected with a specific necklace, implying that with the workshop, a person could discover more about him/herself. Through the necklace, recognizing what kind of attitude towards him/herself and towards the world she /he has. We envolved different types of public in the workshops: from kids, to young and older women as well as few men, which was itself
already an accomplishment of the success of the workshops and their aims as youth work. ViEL is now starting her own business, working more and more with different materials on her necklaces and improving concepts for them. Do it Yourself workshops brought me to realize how with a simple concept, one as a youth worker, can help to transform an artist into a sustainable entrepreneur, which, among other results, brings the community to grow in terms of creative thinking and doing, building a strong sustainable social and local network of active young people.
PHOTOGRAPHY & MENTORING
PHOTOGRAPHY, MENTORING, ACTIVE PARTICIPATION, CREATIVITY
During the mobility project, I was photographing different youth events, organized mainly by Mladinski Center Trbovlje. It was a great experience for I could develop my photographic as well as mentoring skills on that field, giving more knowledge especially to a youngster, who was photographing with me the Youth Olimpiads in Trbovlje. Photography, as I perceive it more and more, is a tool that one can use to show the youth a different view on the world, a perspective that they didn’t see before about themselves and on their ideas and background experiences, which is revealed through the pictures that they take, in terms of angle, point of view, choosen subject/s, framing (...). I realized how talking about the pictures that the young people take, by reflecting with them on the composition/s and concepts chosen by them, creates an amazing exchange of ideas, in which the formalities between us are broken and the space for pure creation with freedom and open dialog rises, giving the opportunity for youg people to experiment and think out of the box.
METAMORFOZE International Youth Initiative Metamorfose project was a Transnational Youth Initiative by Youth Center Mladinski Center Zagorje ob Savi and partner organization Associação Transumância e Natureza from Portugal with the cooperation of Mladinski Center Trbovlje, supported by the European Youth in Action Programme. Metamorfose project aimed to develop and create a friendly environment for young people in Slovenia and Portugal, which would encourage ownership and sense of initiative for sustainable development and participation in events for the shaping of the society and future generations of the Zasavje region. One of its aims was to reinforce among the local community, the responsibility to leave the environment as green sustainable spaces for future
generations in a better condition than it is today. With support and integration it contributed to raise awareness in young people from the region of Zasavje to actively participate in the community-based sustainable development. I participated in the project by being a leader of a group of 4 slovene young people in a training visit to Associação Transumância e Natureza in Portugal, where we were learning mainly about eko-tourism. Presentations of the visit were held alsp in Mladinski Center Trbovlje. Vegetables from the community garden started with Metamorfoze were also shown at that presentation, as well in the disclosure of the project’s program at Mladinski Center Zagorje.
PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS
MEDIAMENTi YOUTH EXCHANGE Photo by one of the slovene participants
FORWARD WE GO WITH THE LUGGAGE WE HAVE, EXPLORING THE UNKNOWN, CAVING INTO THE GRAVEYARDS OF OUR MEMORIES, TURNING THEM INTO SUNS OF NEW DISCOVERIES. THE JOURNEY CONTINUES.
CV INÊS DA GAMA 2011-2013 COLLABORATING WITH MLADINSKI CENTER TRBOVLJE 2001-2010 AND ONWARDS STUDIES IN THE AREAS OF PAINTING; ILLUSTRATION; SYMBOLOGY, PHOTOGRAPHY; CREATIVE RECOLOGY; IMAGETICS; DRAWING; YOGA; LANGUAGES; SOUND; INTERACTIVITY CURRENTLY ON PROJECT(S) DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION. to be found via facebook or via linkedin.
NADJA MEDVEŠEK
at Associação Transumância e Natureza
SUSTENTAVELMENTE Inspirational Talks 22.6. was the first inspirational speech. We prepared all professionally - cameras, microphones, projector, a comfortable room, and we advertised the event at the right time - through websites and posters. It was an active event - the audience gave questions to the guests. The most interesting thing I saw was a young guest whose name is Miguel Novoa and the work he does. Antonio Castelo was also interesting to hear, because he studied biology, and now he works as a documentary cameraman. Guest Mafalda had a simple idea - to offer food - but on a high level - on a table with a white cloth, glass jars, good wine. Julio Barbas presented his project which is connected to tourist activities such as rock-climbing and the driving of motor vehicles. 2) The second inspiration talk was on the 20.7. The guests were: Janez Tratar (Tratar bikes), a Slovenian young producer of wooden frame bikes and other wooden products, Carlos Fernandes, from Planalto Dourado – that aims to improve people’s wellness by providing them natural products. Planalto Dourado is also interesting for people who have no desire for “business’, but they want to have satisfaction in gardening on their own little piece of land. and Francisco Adão da Fonseca, an architect who has worked with SKREI (construction atelier) in the reconstruction of an old stone house at Faia Brava. He told us the story of Skrei and about his passion for Integrated Architecture. The speakers were more lively than the previous ones - in the middle of the debate, Francisco got up from the chair and started to present using the hands in a very energetic way. Janez Tratar presented also quickly Slovenia when he was showing Tratar bikes project.
The introductory speech was given by Luís Pereira Ricardo Beato from the municipality of Figueira, who spoke about how important is this event, Sustentavel_mente, for young people in Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo. 3) We had Sustentavel_mente 3 on the 24.8. The speakers were interesting, because of their work and also because of their presentations (Tomelo made a presentation in powerpoint format simultaneously in English and Portuguese languages). Tomelo manufactures natural soaps, body lotions, creams from donkey milk. Marco Ferraz (Ambieduca) - who prepares workshops for children showed us how to harness solar energy (eg. during preparation of dried fruits), Ricardo Nabais (an ATN staff member with whom I also worked with during my mobility project), presented the tours that he leads and organizes for the company “Rotas Raízes”. “Linden tree” (from Croatia) is another project which has interesting organizated tours with horses and accommodation for tourists in indian tents - with them we were also able to have a live skype-conference.
MONITORING: together with a colleague from ATN, biologists, we went to a location where the Bonelli Eagle was often visible before; we wait and watch to find the nest. Counting birds, recording and processing of data (monitoring) is important, because some of the birds are on the top of the food chain - through them we can see changes in nature like: when the conditions are bad is small population size, and when they are good is big population. Photo by João Cosme
SUSTENTAVELMENTE Intensive Week Intensive week was devoted to the integration of entrepreneurship with nature, educating young people and motivating individuals in the implementation of business ideas. 1.DAY: On Sunday, 1.9., we started with the “inspirational talks”. The guests were: a non-governmental organization (AEPGA) that is responsible for the protection of donkeys and a company that deals with rural development, which is called “Novos Povoadores”. The speakers presented their companies, their future plans and answered the attendees. In the afternoon we went to see the ancient Coa engravings at the natural outdoor rocks with Anna Berliner, manager of Casa da Cisterna, an eko-tourism house in the old Figueira de Castelo de Rodrigo city. The images are from around 22.000 years BC. We noticed the engravings of horses, deers, among other images. Some animals had two, three heads - which could simbolize their movement. 2. DAY: On Monday we visited the financial institution “Nerga”. They prepared a presentation of the company, showing their current investment projects and, among other things, what kind of support they could provide to the region. The day continued with a tour of sightseeing in the city of Guarda: a water dam wall called “Caldeirão” and “Torre de Ménage” (Ménage Tower). In the afternoon we were hiking. Ricardo Nabais (“Rotas e Raízes”) led a tour around the natural park of Serra da Malcata. 3. DAY: Dulcineia Catarina (“Teritórios do Coa”) lectured about their business plan. Then we visited the field of herbs in Freixedas, which is owned by the “Planalto Dourado”, company which produces essential oils and natural soaps. In the late afternoon we visited an interesting tourist farm, which has a swimming pool, bungalows and a tree house for tourists. They also work with beekeeping, selling their honey. It was interesting because we received more knowledge on honey production. 4. DAY: Cristina Ferreira (“Wakeseed”) lectured on marketing, entrepreneurship and sustainable development. In the afternoon we visited Mrs. Eugénia, who makes homemade cookies, jams, sweet almonds, spicy nuts, among other products. The participants asked her about the used methods for the production of her products, ideas for flavors as well as more about the history of her factory. Then we went to the cheese factory “Queijaria Quinta da Lapa”, where we saw the production of cheese. 5.DAY: Bárbara Pais (ATN) gave a presentation about business models with practical work envolved by the participants, in which every person needed to develop a model idea. We concluded the week with the presentation of the developed business-idea models. A conclusion: It seems to me that young people in Figueira have a lot of ideas, which with the right encouragement, assistance and mentoring by the local organizations and entrepreneurs, can grouw into concrete sustainable entrepreneurships and collaborations.
MARKETING ATN has a wide range of products that enable the organization to maintain and sustain the costs of FAIA BRAVA’s natural reserve protection and conservation.
Joy A journey
Getting to know the people, plants, animals, new culture and traditions was a dream coming true. Being in the wonderful nature, participating in a theater group, taking care of a little owl Otus scops, riding on the roof of an off-road car, crossing the river by jeep, learning traditional portuguese dancing, music with whistles and accordion, tasting the sweet almonds of Figueira...all I’ve experienced during this mobility program will remain in my heart forever.
INTERNATIONAL MOBILITY
SKILLS AND COMPETENCES ACQUIRED BY NADJA MEDVEŠEK & INÊS GAMA
TODAY 4 TOMORROW
reliability leadership independence perseverance responsibility organizational skills accuracy confidence flexibility
positivity quick learning ability communication reliability leadership perseverance responsibility organizational skills initiative