By Mirko Ornielli Between the 2nd and the 9th of October 2022, I was one of the 20 participants of the training of trainers of work camp coordinators, organized by SCI Catalunya with the collaboration of several international partners. We were coming from different countries in Europe and sub-Saharan Africa and we were staying at the Ametlla del Vallés in Catalonia (Spain). The place itself was magnificent, in the middle of this little village, near the woods, with a breathtaking view of the entire valley. Every day, the sunrise and sunset were visible. The training was part of the Grassroots...
Experiències de voluntariat
Des del 1982 milers de persones han passat per l’SCI Catalunya: joves i no tan joves que han trobat en l’SCI un espai on contribuir a la construcció de pau i la transformació social. Algunes han fet camps, d’altres voluntariats de llarga durada, altres han format part dels grups locals. Escolta i llegeix les seves experiències!
Conclusió d’un intercanvi juvenil: “The future is not empty”
Per Karolina, Sergio, Fatima i Ona a l’Intercanvi Juvenil “Covid19: what now?” Ja farà més d’un mes que hem tornat del nostre viatge cap a la utopia. Durant una setmana vam aprendre a parar, agafar perspectiva de nosaltres mateixes i el que ens envolta i detectar tot allò que ens remou per a poder-ho tractar i curar. El treball interior realitzat durant aquells set dies va visibilitzar també coses sobre nosaltres que no esperàvem, tant a escala individual com en l’àmbit col·lectiu. L’anàlisi sociocultural realitzat va ser molt enriquidor, ja que participàvem joves de Suïssa, Catalunya, Macedònia del Nord, Portugal,...
My experience in the Eco-camp in Palestine
By Cristina Ferret Pérez A group of international volunteers and I traveled to Al’masara to work alongside local volunteers in an eco resistance camp. This project constitutes a peaceful act of resistance to the systematic Israeli Illegal occupation over Palestinian territory. I was able to see firsthand how life is under the Israeli Apartheid regime and how it affects every aspect of Palestinians’ daily lives. Israel is committing human rights violations on a daily basis, which is forbidden under international law, and the international community has an obligation to act. It has been a unique learning experience and an enriching...
Going one step further: experience from the Youth Green Deal project
By Mar González Service Civil International has promoted a culture of peace for more than 100 years through the organization of international workcamps. Environmental workcamps have always taken up a significant share of all projects, and many initiatives were taken to put environmental issues at the forefront. Still, in 2014 SCI launched the campaign “A climate for peace” to make the link between climate change and peace more visible and to make it a priority within SCI’s peace work. The campaign highlighted the work SCI branches and partners are doing to mitigate climate change and raise awareness about the issue....
“The time during my ESC flew by because it was filled with so many learnings”
By Anna Sach Being an European Solidarity Corps Volunteer at the office of SCI Catalunya for seven months, the time just flew by because it was filled with so many different learnings, feelings, experiences and people I met. I realise how big the change is from the first time when I entered our office in January, nervous and unsure what would expect me, – to nowaday when I am laughing and talking during lunch break with my colleagues, trying some conversations in Catalan and feeling way more at home. Barcelona is a quite big and crowded city, but I learnt...
My experience in the Youth Act International Forum
By Athar Shtiwe After participating in the International Forum Youth Act I, luckily, I was invited to participate in the International Forum Youth Act II. We were a group of young people from different parts of the Mediterranean and on the 13th of June, we arrived and started our journey in the beautiful city of Barcelona. The International Forum Youth Act II was a fabulous place and space to share, talk and discuss our realities. I shared my experience as a Palestinian youth, and I talked about the struggle of the Palestinians in general. Moreover, I listened and learned about...
Discussing Democracy in Strasbourg’s Youth Action Week
By Àneu Muns For one week in June 400 young activists, youth workers, civil society and representatives of student organizations gathered in Strasbourg, France, for the campaign of the Council of Europe Youth Here: Democracy Now! and was organized under the patronage of the Irish Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and in partnership with the City of Strasbourg. Moreover, this year we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the youth sector of the Council of Europe in order to make proposals be translated into policy and programmes at Council of Europe level in the future....
Fighting Global Challenges in the Peaceweek
By Marzia and Hannah For one week in March, we – activists, youth workers and educators – came together in Barcelona for the Peaceweek, a training seminar on the linkages between the climate crisis, (forced) migration and displacement. Our group consisted of 21 people from the Euro-Mediterranean region. All focusing on different issues – the climate crisis, economy, migration and feminisms. But we did not just talk about them in isolation, but connected them in our discussions. We lived together for one week, and to maintain a peaceful and safe environment we established a group agreement, defining rules, limits, boundaries...
Pausing for breath after the first half of my ESC at SCI Catalunya’s office
By Anna Sach I wake up on the night train at the French-Spanish border. The sun is rising over the Pyrenees. I have three weeks “out of office” behind me: a week of online Mid-Term Evaluation Seminar; a week of training in Rome on queer feminism and dealing with gender-based discrimination; a week of visiting friends, a concert and a big demonstration in Germany. I look at the landscape and am grateful for this distance with which I can now look back on my European Solidarity Corps (ESC) voluntary service. Since January, I have been living in Barcelona and...
My ESC in SCI Catalunya
By VIOLETTA SFOUNTOURI Taking the decision to come to SCI Catalunya as a volunteer was pretty easy, as a very good friend of mine, who I trust a lot, advised me to take a look at the ESC placement in the organization last year. I did not know anything about SCI up until then, so I knew it was going to be something really new for me and I felt ready for a challenge. Having been here for four months now, I feel really proud of having made the decision to come. I feel like I have already done so...
The Art of Upcycling
By Gemma Solans Rodríguez We took part in a Youth Exchange Erasmus+ project, ‘The Art of Upcycling’, amid the Latvian coast in a city named Liepaja. From the 21st to the 28th of March, we reflected on recycling and the topic of waste management. Taking our cultural backgrounds into account, we introduced to the group the present situation in our respective countries, in order to develop concrete strategies to reduce our green footprint impact and engage with others in a greener world. There were special occasions within the program schedule in which we shared food, traditional music and games in...
Coordinating the african regional training in Zimbabwe
By Kerry Hargadon, trainer The 8-day Camp Coordinator Training took place from 23-30 January 2022 at Fambidzanai Permaculture Centre near Harare, Zimbabwe. Participants were 27 current and future camp coordinators and group leaders from 7 African countries, who were able to explore and deepen their understandings of their roles. Sessions covered topics including conflict resolution, understanding group dynamics, using nonviolent communication, and creating a safe space for participants. Participants engaged meaningfully in the learning process and embraced non formal education methods such as role play, dynamic activities, group presentations, and individual reflection. Participants felt that In addition, the training went...