USE+FUL | Parkour and Freerunning

So, what really is Parkour and Freerunning?

Are they the same thing?

So, you might have herd of it, and in case you don’t remember, for sure you’ve seen people jumping over roofs, climbing tall walls, doing flips and spins in any way you could imagine. Or maybe not, anyway both are sports practiced literally almost everywhere! And though they look the very same way, they are not exactly the same thing. But to explain why, first you have to know a bit of their History.

History of Parkour and Freerunning.

Well Freerunning comes from Parkour, despite the rumors that its roots are in gymnastics. But where does parkour comes from, actually its starts over a century ago in France. It was developed by French naval officer Georges Hébert, who before the First World War promoted athletic skill based on the models of indigenous tribes he had met in Africa. He noted, "their bodies were splendid, flexible, nimble, skillful, enduring, and resistant but, yet they had no other tutor in gymnastics but their lives in nature." Then inspired by that, he starts training the French military during the First and Second World wars. And  Inspired by Hébert, a Swiss architect developed a "parcours du combattant" (military obstacle course) the first of the courses that are now standard in military training and which led to the development of civilian fitness trails and confidence courses. Years after that, Reymond Belle used "parcours du combattant" and created many courses of his own. His son David Belle is believed to be the father of Parkour. As he was the first to call it parkour. He changed it a lot, creating parkour as it is now. Later, created the group Yamakashi. David Belle and one person of his group Sébastien Foucan had different visions of Parkour development, so Sébastien Foucan founded the Freeruning.

Parkour.

A practitioner of parkour is called a traceur and they aim to get from one point to another in a complex environment, without assistive equipment and in the fastest and most efficient way possible. Parkour includes running, freerunning, climbing, swinging, vaulting, jumping, plyometrics, rolling, crawling and other movements as deemed most suitable for the situation. It is the art of movement.

Freerunning.

Freerunning is a way of expression by interacting with various obstacles and environment. The central principle of freerunning is to express yourself by moving fluidly in one's environment; there are no limitations on the form of this movement. And most of the movements are usually adopted from other sports, such as gymnastics, tricking or breakdancing. Freerunners can create their own moves, flows and lines in different landscapes. It is all about becoming creative in an objective environment.

Something More…

Still they are something more than that, more than a sport, it is art. It is about seeing the world in a different way. Where people see obstacles, you see opportunities, it is self-control, self-knowing, you believe in yourself in order to trust yourself to deeply know and feel your body and mind. And when you run it is close to be meditating because then there is only you flowing through everything.

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by Atanas Bedrev

Participant in

YE "Make social inclussion happen" in Costinesti, Romania

USE+FUL | European health insurance card (EHIC) | Why is it so important to have it?

What is the Health card?

The EHIC or "Health card" enables EU citizens to access to necessary medical and dental care in 33 countries within Europe according to the legislation of the respective country of stay.

Who can apply for an EHIC?

All European citizens with uninterrupted health insurance entitlements are entitled to a European Health Card. The health entitlements are interrupted if you have more than three health insurance contributions unpaid. For those, who are under the age of 14, and those under 16 who do not have identity cards, a birth certificate and the identity card of one of the parents shall be provided.

Issuance of the EHIC:

There are no fees for applying for the card. You can apply at regional health offices at a permanent address, at a branch of DSK Bank or Allianz Bank, as well as in some bookstores in the country.

The application for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is filled out on the spot and the ID card must be presented.

The deadline for issuance is 30 days, but often the card can be received in 15 days. The data validity permit in Bulgaria is one calendar year in the general case.

What I need to consider before using the card?

• The EHIC can be used only if the disease is incidental;

• The interventions are free for me, if they are free for the citizens of the respective country;

• If I had to pay any procedure, I have the right to request that the Health Fund in Bulgaria reimburse the fee.

• The card can’t be used if the purpose of the trip is to treat a medical problem.

I lost my card and I need medical care. What should I do in this case?

In case that you lost your EHIC card, you should ask the local institution that originally issued your health card to fax or e-mail you a certificate to replace the card. In this way you will be health insured and entitled to appropriate medical assistance.

So, if you want to spend your travelling peacefully in case of emergency, make sure you have the European health insurance card with you!

More information about the card you can find here: https://www.ezok.bg/

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by Simona Hinkova

USE+FUL | The importance of the soft skills

Every individual should strive to develop and improve their soft skills at any chance they get.

In my opinion, the soft skills are teaching us to become a better version of ourselves and a better member of a community.

The improvement of soft skills brings up the character of an individual and helps them become a potential leader and enchanting your teamwork skills is the most important soft skill. While practicing you learn when to apply your leader skills, when to listen and understand the needs of the other side, as well as how to express yourself by the best way. It is important for any potential leader to be a great communicator. To​ get your foot in the door at your dream job, it’s important to have solid credentials: a degree, work experience, and professional references. But it’s your soft skills - not hard-hitting credentials and technical know-how - that ultimately determine your employability and staying power.

Soft skills help you work more effectively in your chosen career, build solid relationships, and navigate challenges that arise on the job.

1. The time -​ the​ only resource we cannot create more of. That means it is important, especially for every leader to manage their time properly. We could take advantage of some techniques in order to use our time much more effectively. Such techniques are for example to applying specific timeframes for each task. Setting up priorities properly is also very useful for time management as a whole. ​

2. Solving problems is extremely important part of the basket of skills of a leader. Conflicts at your job can be terribly distracting, frustrating and even upsetting. On top of the aforementioned, workplace conflicts can detract from concentration and the ability of employees to perform their jobs well. Rather than complaining to others, avoiding the issue, or acting rudely toward those involved, you should come up with a plan for resolution. Good​ problem solvers are able to analyze challenges and work toward solutions, either alone or in a group. This skill includes critical thinking, decision-making, and the willingness to ask questions and explore new ideas.

• Discuss a problem calmly and objectively with a team;

• Examine how a problem affects different constituents;

• Come up with possible solutions and evaluate each idea;

• Make a plan to carry out the solution.
  

3. Data Analysis Data analysis is all about how you use numbers and information to make decisions. These skills include mathematical reasoning, quantitative analysis, and quantitative communication skills. At work, you’ll use data analysis to: Study data to support business decisions, answer questions, and solve problems;

• Identify information gaps where more data and analysis are needed;

• Find statistics to support a project;

• Create clear, effective spreadsheets;

• Translate data into graphs, charts, or other visuals.

4. Productivity

Employees with strong productivity skills are able to strategize, organize, plan, and deliver results. When people can count on you to get things done on time, you become an invaluable member of the team. At work, you need productivity skills to:

• Manage your time and stay focused to meet deadlines;

• Develop a project plan that includes goals, requirements, resources, and a timeline.

5. Digital Proficiency

Digital proficiency is the ability to navigate technology to accomplish a task or reach a goal. When you have this skill, you know how to choose - and then use - the right technology for the job, so you can work as effectively and efficiently as possible. 6. Creativity

Creative employees can think outside the box to generate original ideas and solutions. Creativity is related to curiosity, which enables you to learn new things on the job. Creative people enjoy playing with possibilities. At work, you need creativity to:

• Brainstorm groundbreaking ideas and solutions, either alone or in a group;

• Ask questions to uncover new ideas;

• Keep an open mind as you evaluate possible solutions;

• Solve problems that at first glance seem unsolvable.

7. Agility

When you’re agile, you’re able to adapt to a changing work environment. You can do your job well even when the ground is shifting under your feet. Mental agility allows you to go with the flow, embrace complexity, and stay curious. Interpersonal agility helps you stay open-minded with others, which brings out the best in everyone. 8. Self and Social Awareness

Working professionals, as productive and competent as they may be, are human beings with feelings. Monitoring your emotions and being aware of how others are feeling are invaluable skills to have in the workplace. At work, you need social-emotional skills to:

• Self-reflect and learn from past mistakes;

• See things from someone else’s point of view.

9. Work ethic

Work ethic is a soft skill that proves your belief in the importance of work and its ability to strengthen your character. Demonstrating work ethic should be important in every career.

Soft skills examples related to work ethic include:

• Integrity;

• Responsibility;

• Discipline;

• Initiative;

• Dependability;

• Commitment;

• Sellf-motivanotion;

• Professionalism;

• Teamwork;

• Time-management.

Many people are strong in certain soft skills, while weaker in others. It’s common to either underestimate the importance of soft skills or overestimate your own abilities.

Why should students be taught soft-skills in Schools? In this way, students are going to be the leaders of future organizations, business and institutions and for this; they need to have adequately nurtured personalities.

An eminent psychologist Daniel Goleman states that soft skills are the people-skills because these enable the individuals to manage their role in society with harmony to others. No matter if a person is exceptionally high in IQ but not having interpersonal skills can lead him to failure in life.

“Children of today are the future of tomorrow and education is a vital weapon to prepare the children for their future role of the leaders of the community” – Nelson Mandela.

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by Vanesa Husaini

Participant in

TC "Promoting visual facilitation" in Brolo, Sicily