UNA THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF WORLDWIDE FRIENDS ICELAND
CONTENTS MEET THE TEAM
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INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE
9
INSIDE VIEW OF RAUFARHÖFN
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GREEN ENERGY
15
SLOW FASHION
REISE | PAGE 2
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MEET THE TEAM On the outskirts of Reykjavik is a small house owned by Worldwide Friends Veraldarvinir, well connected to the city center by bus line 18. The house is called " The Farm" because it has a small farmyard, a greenhouse, and a composter where you can degrade the organic remains of the food. Therefore it is a house where you can live a sustainable life experience by reducing, reusing, and recycling. This particular location hosts two different kinds of workcamps: sustainable living camps and photography & journalism camps.
The photography & journalism camps allow a lot of creative room, giving the volunteers the opportunity to write about a topic of their choosing. With access to nearby hiking trails as well as downtown ReykjavĂk, volunteers have plenty of places to take their own pictures and practice their photography skills. But of course, the farm creates a great atmosphere to get to know each other. Cultural nights, game nights, and other bonding activities allows you to get to know where your new friends are from and what their culture is really like. We present to you our newest farm residents and their work! 3
CAMP LEADER SPAIN STUDY: SPORT & PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SCIENCE QUOTE TO LIVE BY: "THE BEAUTY OF
ACINOM
TRYING"
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ROTCIV
VICTOR OLLETA
MONICA PORTILLO CAMP LEADER UNITED STATES OF AMERICA STUDY: GEOGRAPHY & ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES QUOTE TO LIVE BY: "BE GRATEFUL FOR WHOEVER COMES, BECAUSE EACH HAS BEEN SENT AS A GUIDE"
VOLUNTEER ITALY STUDY: MEDICINE QUOTE TO LIVE BY: "HAPPINESS IS ONLY
OKUSTE
TRUE IF IT IS SHARED"
ORTEIP
PEITROÂ GIUSTINIANI
ETSUKO SHIMIZU VOLUNTEER JAPAN STUDY: EDUCATION QUOTE TO LIVE BY: "LIVE THE LIFE YOU LOVE, LOVE THE LIFE YOU LIVE"
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TOM BIHAIN BELGIUM STUDY: CINEMA QUOTE TO LIVE BY: "I NEVER LOSE, I EITHER WIN OR LEARN"
MOT
VOLUNTEER
ANER
- NELSON MANDELA
RENA AOKI VOLUNTEER JAPAN STUDY: BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION QUOTE TO LIVE BY: "HAPPINESS DEPENDS UPON OURSELVES"
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INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE BY: ETSUKO SHIMIZU The International Day of Peace - also known as Peace Day - is observed around the world each year on the twenty-first of September. Established in 1981 by unanimous United Nations resolution, Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all of humanity to commit to peace above all differences and to contribute to building a culture of peace. On the International Day of Peace, people around the world take part in various activities and organize events centered on the theme “peace”. Events vary from private gatherings to public concerts and forums involving large audiences. Some of these activities include: interfaith peace ceremonies a toast for peace a peace choir lighting candles peace prayers a peace convoy of vehicles tree planting for peace art exhibitions promoting peace picnics for peace peace walks
The peace dove flying with an olive branch in its beak is one of the most commonly featured symbols for the day. In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, a white dove is generally a sign for peace. The dove can also represent “hope for peace” or a peace offering from one person to another, hence the phrase “to extend an olive branch”. Often, the dove is represented as still in flight to remind people of its role as messenger. This year's theme for International Day of Peace 2019 is "Climate Action for Peace". In its message for International Day of Peace, the United Nations said this year's theme on climate action has been chosen as "the global climate emergency is a threat to security and stability." Climate change has become a prominent issue, and this Peace Day is meant to reflect that. There has been an increase in climate strikes all over the world in order to get more government involvement in better environmental practices. On September 23rd, a climate action summit was held at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The leaders of their respective countries discussed how to respond to climate change.
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"If you choose to fail us, we will never forgive you"
Swedish environmental activist Greta Thumberg attended the summit, and warned world leaders “If you choose to fail us, we will never forgive you." She wants climate change to get the attention it deserves from world leaders in order to keep the future bright for generations to come. The event did end up on a high note. When UN Secretary General Guterres concluded the event, he declared that 77 countries have committed to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions. Our volunteers had the opportunity to meet with a UN representative for a youth panel on the topic. There, they were able to discuss their personal and country's efforts to combat climate change. But one theme remains: climate change is very real and it is imminent. While it is easy to dismiss one's own individual actions, they truly do make a difference, Continue to make efforts, encourage change, and bring peace to others.
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An Inside View on Raufarhöfn BY: PIETRO GIUSTINIANI For International Peace day, it would be appropriate to give an example of how our organization promotes peace and international cohesion through our many camps. After all, the name of the organization itself is Worldwide friends, putting friendship as the highest priority between the volunteers from all around the globe. To see how these volunteering camps bring people together, we asked two camp leaders about their experiences. SPECIFICS OF THE CAMP Raufarhöfn is a small village in the Melrakkaslétta peninsula, situated in the Northeast of Iceland. It lies 380 kilometers away from Reykjavik, which is a drive of about 7 and a half hours. The camp mostly deals with coastline cleaning, house upkeep, and art renovation. It offers plenty of free time, i giving the volunteers an opportunity to really get to know each other. We asked our latest Raufarhöfn camp leaders, Victor Olleta and Anna Benedetti, about their time at the north house.
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We asked our latest Raufarhöfn camp leaders, Victor Olleta and Anna Benedetti, about their time at the north house. Q: Who is the ideal volunteer for the camp? Victor: I think it should be adventurous, suited for community life and always trying to engage in team building. Anna: There is no specific ideal volunteer, because the activities that can be done can vary a lot. If you have some background in one of the fields of the programs it will be well appreciated, but it is not mandatory.
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Q: Are there any prerequisites? Victor: No, there is no specific skill needed, maybe just creativity and sense of curiosity. Anna: The only prerequisite is motivation. Life in a tiny village like Raufarhöfn can get pretty boring, so we are always looking for volunteers that can spice up the situation with games and cultural night. Q: How long have you been a camp leader for? Victor: For four months and a half. Anna: This year, so far I stayed for a couple months and I have four more to go, but I've been coming back every year since 2015. Q: In which way Raufarhöfn is different from other camps? Victor: it’s in a small village and it can feel a bit limiting but it also has great redeeming qualities, for example is quieter, and there you can truly enjoy some silence, its walls show the personality of all it's previous volunteers through beautiful murals. Anna: Raufarhöfn is very peculiar because of all the paintings and art on the walls of the house. The most beautiful thing there is that every group lives a permanent sign, a piece of art that will remain in the years. Q: What are the main challenges of this camp? Victor: Making something out of nothing, a thing every volunteer is to build on the things we like about others, overcome stereotypes, and welcoming knowledge from others,. Anna: I think the main challenge is getting used to the isolation: the village is very small and there are not many hikes you can go on. At the same time the weather changes very quickly and it is usually impossible to make
1 0 any sort of planning.
Q: What would you say to a camp leader coming there
Anna: I would probably teach them some games and
for the first time?
tricks to keep the volunteers busy when there's nothing to do or the weather is too bad to go
Victor: Brace yourself, focus on the organization
outside
and the volunteers you get, try to cheer up in difficult situations and be the first to break the ice
Q: What would you say to a volunteer instead?
also it doesn’t hurt to be a good manager. Victor:Think of games and your unique skills, try to teach others about them, even your language. Anna: To a volunteer I would say that even though things can get boring every now and then, at the same time they somehow get crazy, and you'll end up jumping naked in the sea or training with the Japanese to become a samurai. Q: How would you describe your experience there? Victor: I learned a lot because it was challenging, learned to manage people with little to work with, it was more of a holiday rather than a workday. Anna: When they first told me I was going to Raufarhöfn I was a bit pissed because I know that place can get very desolate, but after meeting the amazing group I was leading and getting to learn every language they spoke the atmosphere was totally changed. In that kind of environment you stop being a group of humans and start being a group of penguins, getting closer and closer to not let the warmth get out. I find it lovely. Q: If you could change anything in it, what would it be? Victor: I’d like to see more information on the camp beforehand, also it would be nice to have more games/cards those can be useful for the team bonding, maybe some painting equipment. Anna: I don't know if I could change anything about it. It would be cool to have larger groups of people but it is also true that the larger the group, the smaller the "family effect".
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Green Energy
A lot of countries believe that the end justifies the means, ultimately ignoring where the fuel is collected and at what costs. But the combustion of fossil fuels leads to another issue: global warming. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, a gas that retains heat in the atmosphere. While this phenomena is
BY TOM BIHAIN
crucial to keeping our atmosphere habitable, too much carbon dioxide can lead to increases in
Humans have a need for energy and want to get it
temperatures and extreme seasons.
for the lowest price possible. However, most humans are willing to do anything to get just that,
While humans have spent little time on Earth, we
and unfortunately commit a lot of atrocities to
have produced enough emissions to dramatically
reach to their goal.
increase the atmosphere’s temperature to a concerning level. But changing the way we obtain
One of the most popular sources of energy are
energy can greatly influence the amount of
fossil fuels. All countries that use fossil fuels
greenhouse gases being released into the
want to obtain them for the lowest price possible.Â
atmosphere.
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More often than not, fossil fuels are collected from foreign countries. But there are alternative ways to collect energy, including renewable energy. Renewable energy can harness energy from the sun, wind, water, or geothermally. In fact, 86.8% of the energy used in Iceland is produced with renewable sources. There are two principal types of renewable energy in Iceland: geothermal and hydroelectric. The most prominent is geothermal energy, which produces 69% of the country’s power. Hellisheiði . It's the second biggest geothermal center in the world. Iceland has 7 centers total. The electricity produced in Iceland is is enough for 5 million people. However, the entire country of iceland has a population of only 340 thousand inhabitants, so energy is actually being overproduced. The other green energy produced in Iceland is hydroelectricity, which produces 11.9% of Iceland’s energy. Kárahnjúka’s flood barrier is the most powerful hydroelectric center in Iceland, keeping the island as one of the top 20 of the hydroelectric producers in the world. However, green energy can cause some environmental consequences if they are exploited. Water is often re-injected into the ground when people are exploiting geothermal energy. This practice can cause little earthquakes because of the displacement and replacement of water. 13
Overall, green energy is a clean energy that
labor of the installation, as well as the sulfur
more countries should invest in. It is locally
smell, it is still worth investing in and using as
sourced and renewable, and has the potential
a primary source of energy.
to dramatically reduce its carbon footprint. These energy practices release little
As long as these sources are not being over-
greenhouse gasses and produces little to no
exploited, most of the environmental
waste. Geothermal energy is disposable almost
consequences can be avoided.
everywhere on Earth, keeping it green and relatively cheap. While there are some minor inconveniences with geothermal energy, such as the cost and
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The smell though, you will have to get used to.
SLOW FASHION BY: RENA AOKI & MONICA PORTILLO
It seems that sales and new styles hit the stores every other week. You hardly ever really notice it, but the constant coming and going of new clothing items in most of your favorite shops are a result of the fast fashion industry. Fast fashion is when designs from catwalks are quickly moved through the fashion industry and end up as cheap items in retail stores. The new inventory coming into stores reflect the top current seasonal trends. We have access to many fast fashion clothes cheaply. Fast fashion companies like ZARA, H&M, and UNIQLO and so on, are all around us. However, purchasing from fast fashion companies leads to other environmental, economic, and social consequences. Western societies are benefiting from this industry at the cost of developing nations. Fast fashion is not only quick to hit the stores, but quick to end up in the trash bin as well. These products lack quality, and come apart quite easily. But big corporations still manage to find workers in developing countries to produce garments at a cheap price and sell it to maximize their profits. Unfortunately, people in these developing nations have no other choice but to participate in the fast fashion industry in order to support themselves and their families. They are made to work for several hours a day in poor working conditions, some leading to deadly accidents. With garments being made at such a fast rate, there is much more waste being produced. More cotton is needed as well, and many farmers resort to using harmful pesticides that negatively impact their health.
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SECONDHAND POP-UP SHOP AT LOFT HOSTEL
BUT, WHY DO WE PRODUCE AND CONSUME SO MUCH SO FAST? There are two main reasons: accessibility and novelty. We do not mind throwing away clothes because we can buy new clothes so cheaply. These clothing items are produced at such a rapid rate, and purchasing said items give people immediate satisfaction. This positive feeling encourages frequent purchases.
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Frequently purchasing from these companies only encourages these companies to continue their business practices as is, leading to no change. If consumers begin to shift their interests elsewhere, corporations will need to adapt to keep their customers. Purchasing from more sustainable, ethical, and transparent brands can reduce your environmental impact and improve the livelihoods of those who produce your clothes.
These brands are considered slow fashion. Slow fashion is an awareness and approach to fashion, which considers the processes and resources required to make clothing, particularly focusing on sustainability. Some characteristics of a Slow Fashion brand include: high quality, sustainable materials local business rather than huge chain enterprises locally sourced few specific styles per collection Visiting second-hand shops are also a great way to practice slow fashion. Their products are ecofriendly because they are recycled products. They have gently used items that are sold at a low price. Since these items are also local, it reduces the need of any transportation needed to get these products from their origin to the store. Reykjavík has its own flea market - Kolaportið - that sells second-hand items. These products include the famous Icelandic sweaters. These sweaters are the ideal local eco-friendly garment since it is produced in the country and handknitted. Here, they are sold at a cheaper price than anywhere else in the city. Loft hostel in downtown Reykjavík also has a popup secondhand shop. These garments and accessories have origins from all over the world, reflecting the guests of the hostel. If you demand high sustainable and ethical standards, slow fashion will become in demand, leaving fast fashion practices in the past. Big corporations have so much power to improve the livelihoods of others and reduce waste dramatically, but so do you as a consumer. Be a conscious consumer with your next purchase and encourage your friends to give it a try.
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