Call for participants: “Leadership in Regenerative Learning Communities»

[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)

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Experiencia: Intercambio Juvenil «Act Now», en Senegal

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].

Experiencia: regeneración de manglares en Senegal

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.

Marcial, de Benin, y Pablo, de Asturias, (autor de este artículo) reforestando mediante propágulos de manglar

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.)

«Live Sustainably» training course in 3 words

We asked participants in our latest course to describe the training experience in 3 words.

This is what we got!

«Live Sustainably» second edition: about to start

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!

Biodiversa en la feria de asociaciones

Biodiversa participó ayer en la feria de asociaciones organizada en Oviedo por la Asociación Youropía, dentro del marco de su proyecto «SEEDS».

Puesto de Biodiversa en la feria, atendido por Esther Vallado, Presidenta y Gestora de Proyectos Educativos de la asociación

«SEEDS» es un proyecto cofinanciado por el programa Erasmus + de la Comisión Europea, que reunió a 26 trabajadores juveniles de 16 organizaciones y 13 países. El proyecto creó un espacio para conectar organizaciones de diferentes áreas geográficas, para comprender sus realidades locales y el trabajo que llevan a cabo.

La feria de asociaciones tuvo lugar ayer Jueves 27 de Febrero de 2020 en el local vecinal «Los Ríos», en el barrio de Ventanielles, Oviedo. Durante la misma, Esther Vallado, Presidenta y Gestora de Proyectos Educativos de Biodiversa, presentó la propuesta de valor de la organización, consistente en su especialización en educación ambiental no formal (fuera de los currículos obligatorios, participativa, experiencial, voluntaria…) y en el uso de metodologías educativas basadas en la naturaleza, para jóvenes y adultos.

La directora de juventud nos da la bienvenida.

Algunos puestos de las organizaciones participantes

Otras organizaciones presentes en el encuentro fueron:
– Common Sense Youth Organisation, de Azerbaijan,
– Ladies Innovative Atelier, de Bulgaria,
– Proni Center for Youth Development, de Bosnia Herzegovina,
– League of Youth Voluntary Service, de Bielorrusia,
– Belarusian Youth Public Union «New Faces», de Bielorrusia,
– Have a Dream, de Egipto,
– Cabildo de Gran Canaria, España,
– Cámara de Comercio e Industria Italiana para España, España,
– United Societies of Balkans, de Grecia,
– Arciragazzi Portici Utopia Attanasio, de Italia,
– Azes Valboenses, de Portugal,
– The Civic Resource Centre, de Rumanía,
– Anlayis Icin Genclik Dernegi, Turquía,
– Tunisian Scouts, Túnez,
– Parcours le monde, France

… junto con otras de (o con sede en) Asturias, como:
– Cáritas Diocesana – CEA
– Asociación Retina Asturias
– Asociación Hierbabuena
– Colibris en Acción
– Cruz Roja Juventud

Foto de grupo de los asistentes

Muchas gracias a Youropía por organizar encuentros tan interesantes como bien facilitados y estructurados.

Live Sustainably TC – results and impact

Judging for the incredible number and quality of results and impact that our latest training course «Live Sustainably: How to live the present without compromising the future» had and is still having, I think we can safely say that it was our most sucessful training to date.

This was largely due to the work and commitment of us involved in the design and preparation of the experience, and in the skillfull conceptualisation and delivery of the educational programme, but also largely due to the fantastic participants that we had, which took the «Live Sustainably» experience to the next level, both professionally and personally.

Here’s a quick review of what happened after the training:

– Lovro, from Croatia, submitted his first Erasmus + project, which was approved in the 3rd round of this year: a youth exchange on plastic awareness for 36 young people, called «Say No to plastic». 3 of the partners on this project were also our partners in «Live Sustainably».

– Lilla, from Hungary organised and lead one educational hike per month since the end of the training (September, October, November). Where: in Budapest and surroundings. Target group: Erasmus students. During the walks they collected rubbish and Lilla conducted several activities that she learned during our training.

– Rocío, from Spain, made this cool video of the training: https://youtu.be/SbYnqZI1YoQ

– 4 participants published posts on their blogs with very positive reviews of the training: 

Filipa, from Portugal: https://www.vidaeconsciente.com/l/live-sustainably/

Lovro, from Croatia: https://bit.ly/2PyAPWt

Yolanta, from Poland/Spain: http://europaaqui.org/una-semana-para-empezar-a-cambiar-el-mundo/

Holly, from the UK: https://bit.ly/2tkgj2X

– We created the Youthworkers for Sustainability Network and, within it, to keep learning from each other, a series of webinars that everyone is contributing to and Filipa is managing:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tVHE_dSR7AIzsZ_JMXS0Cs2nQS2SNjzgNYro6RcKgCo/edit?usp=sharing

– Filipa, from Portugal, became a Circular Economy Club Organiser and, in this framework, organised 1 workshop and 3 lectures on sustainability: https://www.circulareconomyclub.com/members/filipa_gouveia/events/?ayi_paged=1

She also organised and run the project «Eco School». It happened on 20th November in a school in the city of Peso da régua, Portugal, for students from 14 to 16 years old. It comprised several activities: a bulk store owner shared an «eco talk» debate with the students. They discussed some documentaries (Earth, Baraka, Roten, Cowspiracy, Minimalism, The true cost) and then they (Filipa and the store owner) gave a workshop, to teach students and teachers to make their own natural cleaning products. Some teacher also run some activities.

Filipa running the workshop

Public attending the workshop

 

And on 2nd December she organised an “eco-talk” with Esther Vallado, the educational programme designer and lead trainer of «Live Sustainably»: https://youtu.be/jILSfcPj_dY, where they re-visit one of the most valued inputs during the training: the systems thinking iceberg.

– Jolanta, from Poland/Spain organised a weekend training for environmental mediators, from 30th November till 1st December, for participants between 16 and 24 years old.

 

– Estelle, from France, proposed to the cultural centre of the town where she lives the screening of one of the documentaries that we watched during the training.

– And the portuguese team is organising the 1st Gathering for Sustainability (1º Encontro pela Sustentabilidade). It will be an open space technology event (methodology that they learnt during the training) with the main objective of creating a Portuguese network of people and groups linked to sustainability through sharing and debate, creating collective intelligence, which will also include cleaning a forest plot and planting trees in an area devastated by Hurricane Leslie. The project has received the support of the city council of the city where Bruno, one of the participants, lives.

Very proud of our participants and of the success of this course!!

Live Sustainably: how to live the present without compromising the future

Participants in Live Sustainably

Dear readers,

The residential part of «Live Sustainably» is over. From now, we go on with the «Youthworkers for Sustainability Network». (We will publish more information about that in the near future.)

It’s been intense and demanding, as well as extremely satisfactory and rewarding. There are many things we could say about the experience, but some of the participants have already summarised it quite well. We leave you with the links to their reviews, in Portuguese/English and Spanish:

https://www.vidaeconsciente.com/l/live-sustainably/

http://europaaqui.org/una-semana-para-empezar-a-cambiar-el-mundo/

Many thanks to the authors Filipa Gouveia and Jolanta Pieniak.

Enjoy!

Live Sustainably – Call for participants

What: a training course to learn about practical sustainability

Where: In the beautiful valley of Valdediós (“valley of Gods”), in Asturias, Spain

When: 2nd-8th Sept 2019

Why: Every day we make decisions about how we live our present, which affect directly or indirectly the health of the planet, of other living beings and of ourselves, and which are compromising the capacity of future generations to satisfy their own basic needs.

With “Live Sustainably: how to live the present without compromising the future” we aim at raising awareness of the importance of caring for our environment and most of all to develop the competences needed to live a sustainable life and to inspire and motivate others.

How: Apply here now

 

The objectives of  this training are as follows:

– To provide you with competences to live a life which is more respectful with the planetary boundaries (more sustainable) and to promote and facilitate effectively a change of habits towards sustainability among the young people you work with;

– To encourage you to think critically, so you can unmask frequent phenomena such as “greenwashing” (or fake sustainability), fake perceptions of certain commodities as “cheap”, etc;

– To share resources and tools to inform and raise awareness about the importance of caring for the environment, inspire and motivate to live a more sustainable lifestyle;

– To create an international network for promoting sustainability among young people.

With this project we want to contribute to more young people knowing, practising and promoting environmental sustainability, and this way improve the capacity of our planet to satisfy the needs of the future generations.

Conditions for participation:

Please only apply if you fulfil the following conditions:

• You work with/for young people and you are interested in promoting and facilitating environmental sustainability practices among them,
• You are over 18 years old at the time of the training course,
• You are currently living (and will travel from) any of the 11 partner countries: Armenia, Croatia, Portugal, Italy, Hungary, Greece, UK, Germany, Czech Republic, The Netherlands or Spain,
• You speak English fluently,
• You are willing to be fully present and participative during the whole duration of the training course (2-8 September);
• You are happy to spend a week in all comfort but rather isolated and surrounded by nature.

Costs:

• Your travel costs to Spain will be refunded after your participation in the training course¹;
• Comfortable accommodation in a big traditional rural house and tasty sustainable meals will be provided during the training course by the organizers at no extra cost for you;
• Participation fee²: We have set a participation fee on a sliding scale from 50 to 150€.  You will be free to choose your contribution according to your own personal financial possibilities and the value you see in this 6 days training programme;
• CO2 offset fee: You will be required to offset the CO2 emissions produced by your air travel through the following site: http://www.atmosfair.de/en/. This amounts to 15 EUR per person for the round trip³.

¹ Provided all the original tickets and receipts are presented. Maximum reimbursement: 820 EUR for Armenia, 360 EUR for Greece, 275 EUR for Croatia, Portugal, Italy, Hungary, UK, Germany, Czech Republic and The Netherlands, and 180 EUR for Spain (only if you travel from more than 100 km away)

² In order to make this training possible to the quality standard that we usually deliver, we need some extra income aside from the European grant that we got.

³ We have calculated the total emissions of your flights in 22 tons of CO2 and shared the compensation costs among all of you.

More information:

You can have a look at the preliminary programme of the course:

How to apply:

Fill in the application form here.

Applications will be reviewed frequently, and places allocated immediately if the application is considered good enough. For this reason, we recommend that you send your application as soon as possible. All applicants will be informed of the results of the selection process in due time.

This training opportunity is open to everyone, but we will give preference to existing members of Biodiversa and the other partner organisations, provided that they fulfil the above-mentioned «conditions for participation».

Our partner organisations in this project are: Associação Animam Viventem and Associação Spin (Portugal), Argonauta (Croatia), Amici della Natura (Italy), Naturfreundejugend Deutschlands (Germany), Youth Exchange Service (The Netherlands), Gyermek (Hungary), Cia Cekija (Czech Republic), Natura Humana (Greece), Viaje a la Sostenibilidad (Spain), Coyote Initiatives (UK), Colors of Green (Armenia).

Do you believe in your dreams?

Do you want to know the secrets behind successful and sustainable projects?

Biodiversa will be sending 3 lucky participants to Slovakia to take part in this life-changing experience with John Croft himself, the founder of the Dragon Dreaming project management methodology.

This methodology comes from the aboriginals in Australia and is currently used by Airbus and other leading international companies as the most effective project management methodology known to date.

Apply here before 31st March.