PARTICIPATE+ | Call for volunteers - ESC project

Kids in Action 8 - United in Solidarity

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION

The duration of the project activities is 12 months (August 2021 – August 2022). 5 volunteers are needed to take part in the year long volunteering project in Škofja Loka, Slovenia. They will be involved in 10 local organizations active the field of youth, social care, prevention and education (Day Care centers for Children and Youth, Schools, Project learning of young adults...). Volunteers will be included in the work of 1-2 organizations as equal members of their teams and as such they will have an opportunity to show and improve their own abilities, develop sense of initiative, gain new skills and get new knowledge through organizing and realizing different activities (workshops, courses, individual support, sports, games, plays, presentations, lectures).

More info: https://www.docdroid.net/19vsST6/kids-in-action-8-slovenia-infoletter-pdf

ACCOMMODATION, FOOD AND TRANSPORT ARRANGEMENTS

The volunteers will be accommodated in the flat located on the main square of Škofja Loka, old historical town with about 13000 inhabitants, located 25 km NW from Ljubljana. Each volunteer will stay in single bedroom with shared cooking, washing, laundry and social facilities. Volunteers will cook by themselves, monthly food allowance will be provided (180 €). They will be also entitled to receive a monthly allowance of 120 €. To each of the volunteers, the bike will be provided and tickets for public transportation (if needed).

PARTICIPANT PROFILE

Candidates should be motivated, flexible, patient, creative, open-minded, self-initiative, communicative, interested to work with children, adolescents and they should be able to speak English. Some past experiences from pedagogy, psychology and youth leisure are welcomed. Ability in music, sport, manual activities, handcrafts, dances, art, multimedia would be also convenient. Future volunteer should bring in her/his own ideas into the project and be prepared to create, plan and execute her/his own projects. We look for 8 volunteers of a different nationality.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Application deadline: 01/03/2021

*To apply for the project, candidates have to send their CV and motivation letter to matjaz@familija.eu or to apply through the European Solidarity Corps portal.

The first candidates considered suitable for the project will be selected.

For now, the deadline for the applications is 1st March 2021, but the selection period might be prolonged.

We wish you luck! :)

EVENT | 76th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz Camp

Education is key. This is the motto that Miguel Moratinos-Cuyaubé kept reminding the audience in his intervention on the 76th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Auschwitz camp. The online meeting gathered Millie Magid, the B’nai B’rith Chair of UN Affairs, Dan Mariaschin, CEO of B’nai B’rith International and David Michaels, B’nai B’rith Director of UN and International Affairs, to discuss the lessons of the holocaust and the role of the United Nations in the fight against anti-semitism. Although the term may seem outdated, prejudices are still present nowadays and racist propaganda is easily spread on social media; but how can we defeat hate speech? And which should be the role of the UN?

Amongst plenty of strategies such as reporting anti-semitism or asking governments to protect their citizens from hate speech, Moratinos advocated for the need of investment in education programs. These programs will help young and older generations to empathize with the horrors of the holocaust, its prejudices, and its discriminations based on religious beliefs, ethnicity and sexual orientation, among others. It is with education that we will value and understand others’ beliefs, reasonings and personal histories. Precisely this latter aspect, personal histories, is the best way to keep in mind that, despite differences, they are all human lives.

Education is not only necessary to bear in mind historical atrocities but to understand, criticize and fight human rights violations that are still happening nowadays, such as those in the Gaza Strip. Through remembrance of the past we should learn and apply common knowledge to the present. The point is not to repeat history but to build a new empathic and less-prejudiced chapter. This is why raising awareness and promoting events and conferences such as the one held by B’nai B’rith is important. However, the UN also needs to consider other important questions regarding human rights that were not specifically mentioned in the online conference.

Making policies against hate speech, (re)educating forthcoming generations and being as neutral as possible in diplomatic confrontations are still challenges that the UN faces. Working towards the total implementation of the Declaration of Human Rights is a must in this organization, and only with respect and acceptance will this be accomplished.

---

Marina Palau, intern@ICDET

VIE+W | See through my eyes

“All great literature is one of two stories; a man goes on a journey or a stranger comes to town.” Said Leo Tolstoy.

Every journey is a new opportunity to new chances, to new life or may be new love… If I have to speak for myself, I found the love of my life after a journey. Then she abandoned me and When she had gone I lost even myself. Although I knew that I will not find her again even so at every opportunity I made a plan and I went on a journey.

That was a journey in a journey alike dreaming in a dream. Being in Sofia was the first step that I took for travel in the New Year. Also It was one of my most accurate steps. After spending some time in Sofia me and my roommates decided to visit Plovdiv. We were so excited because we were going to travel by train in a different country. We had to spend our money very carefully. That's why we were prepared really hard. Like making sandwiches, buying some cheap and healthy snacks.

Eventually we got the train and our three-hours journey had begun. The first 45 minutes were interesting for us but after that all of us tried to find a way to sleep. Some of us thought our own coat was the ex-lover that we missed and slept by hugging it. Some of us put on headphones and listened to music. One way or another we arrived in Plovdiv happily.

In the first moments we arrived at the Plovdiv we needed to find a toilet. Because we ate we drank on the train… We asked so many different places for WC but everybody rejected us. At last we went to the municipality. There was nothing left to do. But again we rejected…

While we were leaving the city hall in a totally disappointed manner, an attendant told us that we could go to the mosque and she showed us where to go. We rejoiced like we found treasure.

We started visiting all the city on foot. In my opinion travelling on foot is the God of travelling. Because when you walk around, you learn around by heart. Speaking of heart and god, I remembered the sacredness of the places we visited.

We went to The Assumption of the Holy Virgin orthodox church, Djumaya Mosque, Plovdiv Ancient Roman Theater, Nebet Hill and maybe dozens of other places but we forgot their names. But there was something that we didn't forget, is energy which cannot be expressed in words, is the air of ancient lives and old people…

While we were walking around, we felt like we traveled in time. Without any judgement or glances. They didn’t judge us because they were like us. They were as if they were unwittingly detached from the time they actually lived and someone left them there. Although they didn’t care about that. They were singing and dancing like there is no tomorrow.

Although it is a small city, Plovdiv fascinated us. While we were walking oldtown’s street we were not like ourselves. We weren't hungry, we weren't thirsty. We were just walking like deceived by a master illusionist. Yeah, we found the nickname of this city for us: Master illusionist… Although the city deceived us we learned something: “Be Brave! Be wild! And stay forever! Hungry for art, love, knowledge and adventure!”

While we speak about love, art, being brave or wild but for each of one we have to be alive. So what is the first condition of being alive? Eating…

When we noticed that condition we turned to real life. As I said at the beginning, we had to use our money sparingly. That’s why we opened our bags and we checked what was left in them.

We were lucky! We found 1 sandwich and we shared that to be alive. We rejoice and we thanked God for the blessing God has given us.

With the energy that we got from our food, we set off again toward the train station, where our return journey would begin.

We arrived at the station early. We bought our tickets and we started to wait for our time. But how could we know that a gipsy man would bother us? If we knew, would we ever go early? Of course not. Even so, this is real life. We are not in a fairy tale. One way or another we parried the guy that asked for some money or cigarettes. After that we saw the beautiness that God sent for us to see: Sunset…

I know it's not that nice for you or meaningful but me - as an electrical engineer candidate, you can't even guess the value of the sunsets behind transmission towers for me.

As in the story of Leyla and Mecnun. It is like an answer that you give when someone says ugly to your beloved: “See her through my eyes...” So “See this sunset behind transmission lines through my eyes…”

---

Onur Camlica, volunteer@ICDET