Last weekend we had the NatureFriends Secretaries meeting, in the welcoming and cozy NatureFreundeJugend Haus in Hannover.
It was a fantastic experience, where we re-connected with like-minded individuals and changemakers, worked together to find solutions to our common challenges, and discussed future exciting project ideas and partnerships.
Archivado bajo Internacional, Networking
[Update from 10th March 2023: all places have been covered. You can still apply if you want to enter the waiting list.]
Biodiversa is offering 4 places for the training course «Leadership in Regenerative Learning Communities», which will take place in the Educational Hub of Vale da Lama Farm (www.valedalama.net), a Regenerative Organic Farm located in the Algarve, South Portugal, from 19th to 26th April 2023.
LRLC is an educational project directed at youth workers from rural and semi-urban areas. It aims to deepen solutions and practices within the scope of environmental education/action, coming from a regenerative development paradigm.
The project is coordinated by Projecto Novas Descobertas (www.projectonovasdescobertas.org), and Biodiversa is one of the partner organisations, together with Keti Keta (PT), Boodville (ES), Palma Nana (IT) and Kalistratia (IT). There will be a total of 26 participants.
About you
Are you?
– A youth worker with fewer opportunities*;
– Over 18 years old;
– Officially living in Spain;
– Fluent in English;
– Interested or with experience in Education/Action for Regeneration;
– Developing work in rural and/or semi-rural areas (this is preferable, but not compulsory).
About the place and learning opportunities
The facilities include camping area, indoor showers and toilets, indoor/ outdoor classroom/multipurpose space and indoor/ outdoor dining area. WiFi, charging stations, tools and didactic materials are also available.
It’s close to the sea and Ria do Alvor nature reserve, an amazing estuary where a lot of our Ecosystem Regeneration Learning activities take place.
The spaces, practices and routines of Vale da Lama Farm offer the possibility for practical examples of Regenerative Agriculture and Permaculture solutions.
Costs
The project is funded by the Erasmus + program of the European Commission.
All project-related costs (accommodation, food, course materials, etc) will be provided to you free of charge.
Your travel costs will be refunded, up to 275 EUR. To be coherent with our values, we will ask you to find the most environmentally friendly means of transportation possible (avoid or minimize air travel) and to offset the CO2 emissions of your trip at your own cost if you do take a plane.
How to apply
If you got excited when reading this project description and you fit the profile, write us an email at asociacionbiodiversa@gmail.com explaining briefly how you meet the selection criteria, what excites you about this project and what you intend to get out of it.
Please state your full name and the title of this project in the email subject, and remember to tell us where you live (it must be somewhere in Spain). Your phone number can also be useful, as we may be calling some of you during the selection process.
The selection will be made on a rolling basis, so if you’re interested, apply as soon as possible!
Preference will be given to Biodiversa members, those of you who already cooperated with us somehow, and those of you living in or close to us here in Asturias.
* People with fewer opportunities means people who, for economic, social, cultural, geographical or health reasons, a migrant background, or for reasons such as disability and educational difficulties or for any other reasons, including those that can give rise to discrimination under article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental rights of the European Union, face obstacles that prevent them from having effective access to opportunities under the Erasmus + programme)
Archivado bajo Actividad, Curso de formación, Erasmus +, Internacional, Oportunidad, Proyecto
Hace ya casi dos meses del Intercambio juvenil “Act now”, un proyecto en Senegal sobre la regeneración de manglares, que también trataba los temas de medio ambiente, justicia climática y el impacto del colonialismo.
Fue una experiencia muy interesante, dura y maravillosa a partes iguales, ya que en mi caso estuve enferma del estómago durante todo el viaje, pero aún así pude disfrutar y aprender muchísimo de la vida africana. Existen numerosas diferencias entre Europa y África, más allá de lo que ya sabemos, y me refiero a la manera en qué se relacionan las personas.
En primer lugar, quiero mencionar la palabra “Teranga”, es una palabra que hace referencia a la forma única que los senegaleses tienen de acoger a sus invitados, ellos lo definían como ayudar a los demás antes que a ti mismo. Y así es, en todo momento se notaba ese espíritu de la hospitalidad, un sentimiento de amor incondicional que se distinguía muy bien del comportamiento general al que estamos acostumbradas aquí en Europa, que denota egoísmo y mirar antes por nuestro propio beneficio. Sin duda, este aspecto es el que marca la diferencia de las relaciones interpersonales allí, se siente la unión de la población en el día a día, en la pasión por la naturaleza y en la familia.
Para mí, este factor fue el más sustancial, el de poner por delante el apoyo entre las personas que quieres para poder lograr las cosas y salir adelante. En conversaciones muy profundas que tuve con mis compañeros, pude apreciar como la familia es el aspecto alrededor del cual más se desarrollan sus vidas. Su religión también tiene gran representación en ello.
Algo que me impactó muy negativamente fue la relación europea con África, cómo en las calles se puede apreciar la invasión de marcas y productos multinacionales, que desplazan el propio mercado local y las consecuencias que esto tiene en la economía del país y los ciudadanos. Genera impotencia ver la pobreza de las infraestructuras en pro de extraerles sus propias riquezas, y como sus salarios son una décima parte de los nuestros, mientras trabajan literalmente todo el día; a pesar de ello sus valores no se mueven en torno al dinero, sino como ya he dicho, se mueven por amor, y eso me hizo replantearme el valor de muchas cosas de mi vida.
El tema de la comida, que para mí fue el mayor reto, pues es bastante complejo, ya que viven de lo que pueden recolectar de la naturaleza, y por tanto la cantidad y variedad de producto se basa en la producción de la temporada, algo que sería lo lógico en todas partes. Pero ahí está la razón de los problemas de nuestro entorno: tenemos la comida como ilimitada y abusamos de ella, exceso de consumo y pérdida de calidad nutricional.
Durante el intercambio allí se adaptaron a nuestro estilo de alimentación, y los participantes estaban sorprendidos de comer más de dos veces al día, de tener carne varias veces y otros productos a los que no están acostumbrados, pues los alimentos del día a día allí son el pan, el arroz y el pescado. Para nosotros los europeos, era difícil mantener ese menú tan limitado y en varias ocasiones tuvimos que acudir al supermercado a comprar snacks, fue un gran asombro para mí descubrir que algunos nunca habían comido un helado o unas galletas de chocolate.
Sin duda, una fascinante vivencia, que en muchas ocasiones me hacía sentir culpable por mi modo de vida, y que recordaba en especial momento cuando los niños nos gritaban ‘tubap’ que significa ‘blanco’. En fin, comprensible.
Por último, quiero mencionar el poder de la gratitud, una emoción que todos pudimos sentir, en primer lugar por haber vivido este increíble intercambio, y por cada una de las actividades que desarrollamos, las cuales siempre terminábamos cantando “Diarama/djarama” que significa “gracias”, y esto nos recargaba de felicidad y energía.
Por todo esto, agradezco una vez más a Biodiversa por darme la oportunidad de participar en este proyecto, a ASAN por organizar todo con enorme cariño y profesionalidad, a International Young Naturefriends y Naturfreundejugend.
[Artículo escrito por Ana González Fernández – en la foto delante del todo con pantalón azul y camiseta negra -, participante de Biodiversa en el intercambio juvenil «Act Now», enmarcado dentro del proyecto «Greening International Youth Work», promovido por Naturfreundejugend con fondos del programa Erasmus + de la Comisión Europea].
Archivado bajo Actividad, Erasmus +, Experiencia, Intercambio Juvenil, Internacional, Proyecto, Testimonios
Del 3 al 17 de Septiembre tuvimos un encuentro internacional en Senegal con compañeros de diferentes partes de Europa y África. Fueron 2 semanas muy intensas donde ahondamos en la cultura, la sociedad y la biodiversidad de este país y en cómo los manglares son una pieza clave en la conservación del medio ambiente.
Gracias a Nature Friends Senegal tuvimos la oportunidad de convivir 15 días como una gran familia tanto en Dakar como en la ciudad pesquera de St. Louis, que fue la zona donde el proyecto de regeneración del manglar se llevó a cabo.
Durante todo este tiempo he hecho una gran cantidad de amigos con los que he compartido experiencias, anécdotas, conocimientos y sobre todo reflexiones en relación a cómo la justicia climática debería de ser, la influencia del colonialismo portugués y francés en Senegal y qué impacto real creemos que ha tenido y tendrá nuestro proyecto en el futuro próximo.
(Artículo escrito por Pablo Sánchez Argüello, participante enviado por Biodiversa al intercambio juvenil «Act Now», enmarcado dentro del proyecto «Greening International Youth Work», promovido por Naturfreundejugend con fondos del programa Erasmus + de la Comisión Europea.)
Archivado bajo Actividad, Erasmus +, Experiencia, Intercambio Juvenil, Internacional, Proyecto
We asked participants in the training course what they learned during the week. Here are some of their answers:
Concepts about sustainability that I did not know, an internal perspective to start the change from ourselves. thousands of resources to continue growing outwards and inwards. – Silvia, Spain
I was able to fulfil my expectations and was able to create a beautiful connection with people. It was also important for me to be in tune with myself, others and nature. Throughout the training I got to realise that I still have power inside me and that the fire that I thought was extinguished, is still here. – Fi, Portugal
I learned that: I am not alone, I can meet amazing people. There is a lot of positive energy to share and receive. Doing things with heart is one of the most important things. – Maja, Slovenia
I learned how to connect more to nature and take it as a self learning. I also learned methods, tools that I will use in my youth work. – Mica, Germany/Romania
I learned to listen to others, to myself and to nature. To be more gentle with myself and allow myself to feel the way I feel about the world around me. To look at things from a different perspective. – Mathilde, France
I learned to better respect my environment and have a better understanding of everything that is surrounding me. – Tiago, Portugal
The time to act is now. Start from yourself. – Brigjilda, Azerbaijan
I learned new ways to create activities and a sustainable lifestyle, new practices related to nature… and I got many resources to continue improving this knowledge. – Mota, Spain
Technical sustainable aspects. Being part of something bigger than me. Connect with my surroundings. – Afonso, Portugal
The most valuable experience was to pay attention to the professionalism and knowledge of the 3 trainers that I really appreciated. I will take this with me, in the heart, as an example. It empowered me to have trust in my inner voice and act more. – Andreea, Romania
Resources
During the training course, we collected many educational resources in a Padlet, which is freely available to all here: https://padlet.com/szatyorprojects/LS_2022
3rd edition?
If you, reader, are working in the international youth education field and are interested in hosting the 3rd edition of «Live Sustainably», don’t hesitate to get in touch and, together, we will make it happen!
Archivado bajo Curso de formación, Erasmus +, Inspiración, Proyecto, Recursos, Testimonios
We asked participants in our latest course to describe the training experience in 3 words.
This is what we got!
Archivado bajo Actividad, Curso de formación, Resultados
The second edition of “Live Sustainably” took place in Máriahalom, Hungary, from 9th to 17th August 2022.
The training course lasted 8 intense days in which 23 participants from 10 different countries discovered, explored and discussed ways to lead a more sustainable lifestyle.
We deep-dived into topics and concepts such as the three divides, the transformative learning model, critical thinking, systems thinking, eco-anxiety, eco-competences, greenwashing…
We experienced forest bathing, becoming animal, deep listening, speaking from the heart, intention-setting, connecting with nature…
We used Deep Ecology, the Work that Reconnects, the Way of Council, the learning tribes, journalling… as ways to guide and aid our shared learning experience.
Evaluation results:
We asked participants to give a score out of 10 to different aspects of the training, and these are the average scores that we got:
How useful was this training course for you?: 8,7
How much were the objectives of this course achieved?
How did the methods and tools that we used on this training course support your learning process? 8,5
How satisfied are you with the work of the trainers? 9,2
We, the trainers team, are humbled and overjoyed by the fantastic evaluation results that we’ve got!!
We thank the participants for their trust and involvement and we already look forward to a third edition of “Live Sustainably”!.
Archivado bajo Curso de formación, Erasmus +, Experiencia, Inspiración, Internacional, Networking, Oportunidad, Proyecto, Recursos, Resultados
The second edition of our acclaimed training course «Live Sustainably: How to live the present without compromising the future» is about to start (9th-17th August), this time in Máriahalom, a fantastic location in Hungary.
The first edition of the training was hosted in Asturias by Biodiversa in September 2019.
We are very happy to have one of our training courses happen again in another country and very thankful to Szatyor Association for taking it over!
Archivado bajo Actividad, Curso de formación, Erasmus +, Experiencia, Proyecto
During the weekend of 13th and 14th June 2022, we met in the Naturefriends office in Berlin to officially launch the Strategic Partnership «Greening International Youth Work».
The members of this project are:
and, of course, Biodiversa!
From left to right: Mamadou Mbodji (from ASAN and Vicepresident of Naturefriends International), Aykut and Sina Franz (from Naturefreunde Jugend), Francesco Mangiarini (from IYNF) and Esther Vallado (from Biodiversa).
Pari joined us online, representing our Italian partner.
During the meeting we got to know each other better, we shared our expectations, wishes and fears for this joint venture, we came to communication agreements, reviewed the project timeline, planned the next steps, and enjoyed some leisure time together in the evenings.
It was a productive and joyful start to this exciting long-term project, which we believe will produce outcomes which will be widely used by the international youth work community from 2023 onwards.
Archivado bajo Proyecto
Biodiversa is offering 2 places in a EU-funded youth exchange that will take place in Senegal, Africa, from 3rd to 17th September 2022. This is the first activity of many within the long-term project «Greening International Youth Work».
PROJECT DETAILS:
3rd and 17th are travel days. We will first spend a few days in Dakar, receiving information about the project and the reality in Senegal. We will then travel together to St.Louis, 280 km north of Dakar, where we will be conducting the mangrove regeneration project.
There will be 2 online meetings with the selected participants well prior departure, to clarify all the information regarding conditions at the destination, vaccinations needed, etc, and solve all possible doubts.
CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPATION:
You are:
Preference will be given to Biodiversa members and former course participants, as well as to those of you living in or close to Asturias.
COSTS:
You will be provided with basic but comfortable accommodation in Senegal during the project dates, as well as food and local transportation, at no cost for you. The local activities will also be organised at no cost for you.
Travel insurance will also be covered fully with the project grant, so at no cost for you.
In adition, 100% of your international travel costs will be refunded, up to 530 EUR. For this you will have to keep all your travel documents and boarding passes and send them to us after your return. For coherence with the project topic, only one return flight is allowed (there are direct flights from Madrid to Dakar).
The only cost for you will be a participation fee of between 50 and 120€, depending on what you can afford and what you consider that this experience is worth. We will use part of this fee to compensate your flight’s carbon emissions (1.154 kg CO2) through the Naturefriends Climate Fund, and the rest to contribute to the project administration costs. If this fee is an obstacle to your participation, please let us know.
HOW TO APPLY:
Write an email in English to asociacionbiodiversa@gmail.com explaining how you meet all the selection criteria and why you want to participate in this project. Please include your mobile phone number and prefered times/dates for us to contact you. We will be calling the pre-selected participants during the first week of July.
Deadline to apply: Monday 4th July at midday.
Read you soon!
Archivado bajo Proyecto
Asociación Biodiversa 