“(g)local impact”/International Training Course/Poland, Gdańsk, June 2010

Hello,
we are Anna and Salvi, together we would like to invite you to the international training course '(g)local impact'. The training course is organized by Morena Association www.morena.org.pl. Project coordinator is Anna Krzeszowska (ak@morena.org.pl, 0048-58-3444-111).
All interested please, contact her!

Contents
Based on our long international experience we were always facing the issue of the 'local impact' of international projects. Thinking about 'gathering locals with all the foreigners' coming to the project, which are the values/added values, the contribute of an international project to the local communities?
During the seminar we want to focus on:
- how to make a proper needs analysis;
- how to measure the so called local impact;
- how to make sustainable local and international projects;
- reasons to start a project from local level/needs and reasons to start from the international level/priorities.

Target group:
- youth leaders,
- youth workers,
- coordinators of international projects,
- all the people who want to explore the idea of the '(g)local impact ITC :)

Practicalities:
- ITC will take place in Poland, Gdansk in June 2010,
- participants cover 30% of their travel costs and pay a 25€ contribution fee.

Training Course in Greece!

The ACRO NGO is applying for a training course under the title 'Bridge' regarding EVS!
The aim is to create a network of multipliers as to have a database of volunteers for exchanging knowledge, experience and youth workers.

The event is taking place in June 2010 with 4 participants per country aged from 18 to 28.
Anyone interested, please contact: Magda Douka, magda.douka@gmail.com

So what happens next?

There were a few project ideas initiated during the meeting:

• Dream a little Dream (and make it happen!) is an idea for creating a 'better world'. The change is to be initiated in different levels... through self-development, through community development. Through media, arts and creativity and through influencing economists, journalists etc. Within the group we have agreed to exchange different views of change via e-mails and see where we find the common points.

• Youth in Relaxtion is a project answering the fast and wild, yet beautiful world we live in and the need for learning how to relax in the speeding for success. The idea is to make a training course where youth leaders would learn different reaxation techniques.

• A Chair for the World was initally meant to be a youth exchange though during the talks it felt more as a youth initiative within which there could be a youth exchange event organised as well. The idea is to initiate different activities for promoting preservation of natural goods. One of the ideas was to turn unused chairs into something useful for example a flower pot which we would place in front of the houses or buildings in the city. That is how we wouldn't throw them away and at the same time we would have plants growing where they usually don't. As a peak of different activities there would be a 10 days exchange organised with youth from different countries joining in a 'survival' challenge in the nature (with therapy with horses).

• Chain of Compliments is meant as a youth initiative project for creating moments of happiness within people... Simply by giving compliments or nice thoughts to others. No matter if they are friends, family, colleagues at work or total strangers. The personal chain is to grow into making posters and flyers, pocket compliment books, a web page.

These project ideas are based on thinking (or rather dreaming) of our world as a place we would want it to be. It is the changes we would want to make as creators of a better world.

All of them are beautiful ideas and worth working on which is also what the participants of the meeting agreed upon. We were thinking about how to support the actual realisation.

One way would be to apply for funding the network under Youth in Action programme, action 4.3. This is how we would enable partners in developing the projects further by being able to meet and cover other costs for planning. It would also help strenghtening the relations between partners and so create a sustainable partnership.

SO, LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS ,)

DAY 4

Energizer.

Defining a common project(s) we might want to pursue,
steps that need to be made,
sharing tasks and responsibilities.

Break.
Evaluation.
Lunch.
Departures.

DAY 3

Energizer.

Preparations for the public event in cooperation with The Association for the Blind.
Activities:
- tandem cycling,
- golball (a game with a sounding ball),
- 'blindwalking',
- presenting YiA,
- lots of fun!!!

Energizer.
Somewhere Over the Rainbow: the world we want to help create.
Joining ideas, creating working groups.
Working in smaller groups, creating basic project ideas.



Energizer.
So how about this energizer ;)

Preparing and presenting project ideas, defining the type of a project.
Letting it cook in our minds :)
Daily evaluation.
Dinner.
Free evening.

DAY 2

Energizer.
Attending MAN garden: planting the seeds, growing plants, see what's under the rocks.
Brief organisation/ group/individuals presentations.
Break.

Energizer.
'Baking' a cultural cake – sharing pieces on speed dates.
Lunch.
Energizer.
ACTivation projects presentations.
Break.
Energizer.
What made you choose those projects? Implementing Appreciative Inquiry principles.
Daily evaluation.

Dinner &Intercultural Bazaar.

DAY 1

Participant arrivals.
A traditional Slavic welcome.
Who is who?
Uverture to our common journey or... getting to know eachother.