tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61097555889699766002024-03-14T13:05:47.938+00:00Concordia International VolunteersConcordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.comBlogger195125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-75677797264198815012020-03-10T14:47:00.001+00:002020-03-10T14:48:04.808+00:00Coordinator Story: Barney at Green and Away<br />
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<u>Green & Away
International Volunteer Project<o:p></o:p></u></div>
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<u>Summer 2019<o:p></o:p></u></div>
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My thirtieth international volunteer project – my sixth as
coordinator – took place at Green & Away, an ecological conference and
events centre in Worcestershire. The other volunteers were Karolina from the
Czech Republic, Amaury, Clemmy and Nicolas from France, Marta from Italy,
Annika from the Netherlands and Laura from Spain. Our work involved laying a
phone cable, helping in the running of a wedding, and dismantling and storing
the tents and other equipment. We also helped with chores around the project site,
including preparing breakfast, cooking, washing-up, cleaning, watering the
flowers, lighting the showers and shutting the gates at night. </div>
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This being an English
summer, the weather was a mixture of sun and rain, but fortunately the worst of
the rain was at night – on the last night of our project in fact. When the
weather was nice we always looked forward to a swim in the river after work. On
our days off we went to Great Malvern and Worcester, where we visited the
cathedral, walked and shopped in the city centre, and enjoyed fish and chips
and coffee. We also attended a discussion forum where we gave our feedback
regarding the project site. Some afternoons after work there were sports and
games, and some evenings there was a campfire. I would like to thank our hosts
at Green & Away and the staff at Concordia for making this project
possible, as well as all the Concordia volunteers for being such a great team –
always cheerful, hard-working, flexible, and fun to be with.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Barney, Coordinator at Green and Away Take Down 2019Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-69656846291429756042019-08-23T15:51:00.001+01:002019-09-19T11:00:10.285+01:00A Volunteer and Coordinator's story: Barney 2018 - Volunteer in France and Coordinator in the UK<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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This summer was my fourth which combined volunteering
overseas with coordinating in the UK. </div>
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My first project took me to France’s
least-populated department, Loz<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">è</span>re, where a mere 12,000 people inhabit
its regional capital Mende. Our group, led by Rui from Portugal and H<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">élène </span>from
France, also consisted of the other Francophone volunteers Sarah, Marie, Aziz
and Mohamadou, Spaniards Diego and Be<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ñ</span>at, Rebecca and Luli from Italy, Jo from
South Korea, and Alejandra and Jorge from Mexico. </div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Our task was to renovate Les
Boissets, a complex of old farm buildings, by sanding and then varnishing the
doors and shutters. We slept in tents in a neighbouring field. There was also
time for canoeing, hiking and vulture-watching, and a walking tour of Sainte-Énimie.
We stayed in touch with families by connecting to the local tourist office’s
free wifi. The project was in a peaceful, remote and beautiful mountainous area
with abundant wildlife; we saw deer and snakes (mercifully away from the tents!)
in the wild. It was memorable for me as the only English volunteer not just
because of our work and activities in this isolated corner of France, but because
of the heroics of the English football team in reaching the semi final of the World
Cup.</span><br />
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The second stage of my volunteering was as coordinator of
the summer’s final Green Away project in rural Worcestershire. Due to a
number of last-minute cancellations I coordinated what I’m assuming to be Concordia’s
smallest ever group – consisting of Dana from Germany and me! Our work involved
helping to run the final events of the summer at this sustainable tented
conference centre, powered largely by solar energy, and then gradually taking
down the tents and other equipment, as well as performing day-to-day tasks in
order for the centre to function, such as chopping and then lighting the wood both
for the stove and for the showers, watering the flowers, cooking, washing-up
and cleaning. While I never quite got used to the compost toilets, the role
they play in fertilising and in saving water is undeniable. We were part of a
much larger group of volunteers from many walks of life, including even a volunteer
who is a member of the House of Lords. The leisure activities included a
day-trip to Worcester, a quiz night, dancing, cycling, swimming in the nearby
river, football, rounders, cards and other games. <o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the best aspects of international volunteering is the
variety of projects carried out as well as the range of people participating.
Last summer’s projects, which bring my total to twenty-nine, were no different.
Having participated in, or coordinated, international volunteer projects for
two decades, I would encourage others to do the same. It is one of those times
when you can break out of your daily routine, leave your comfort zone, broaden
your mind, meet people you might not otherwise meet, and as a result become a
better, more knowledgeable, more flexible and more open-minded person.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-78151647466227014142018-11-14T16:38:00.000+00:002019-02-05T13:08:06.666+00:00Volunteer and Co-ordinator Story: Barney <div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Volunteering, Coordinating, Leadership</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>My International Volunteer Projects 2017</b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barney at Manjushri project as coordinator</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This summer’s volunteering began by the sometimes rainy Cumbrian mudflats and ended in the heat of southern France. After these latest projects, which bring my total to twenty-seven (four as coordinator), I take the opportunity to reflect on how volunteering and coordinating have helped me to develop my leadership and organisational skills.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As coordinator of one of the summer projects at Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre (MKMC) near Ulverston, I was privileged to work with a small but enthusiastic group of international volunteers: Barbora from Slovakia, Eliška from the Czech Republic, Florent from Belgium and Julie from France. Our work consisted of housework and gardening, as well as helping in the art studio and café. We also enjoyed two days out walking in and around Ulverston, as well as a trip to Coniston where we made good use of the leisure budget by treating ourselves to coffee followed by hiring a rowing boat. While the work of our group, together with that of the other volunteers, was directed by Steve and his team at MKMC, I was the first port of call if any of the Concordia volunteers had any issues which needed resolving, whether relating to work, accommodation or free time. I made sure there was a leisure activity available in the evenings and on days off, when I also organised packed lunches for the volunteers. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barney and Manjushri Volunteers on a day trip in Ulverston, Cumbria</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After a gap of a couple of </span>weeks<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I was one of a group of international volunteers to renovate the Réals mill near Cessenon-</span>sur<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-Orb, a village not far from the southern French city of Béziers. With the guidance of the local </span>organiser<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Rodolophe, the aim was to remove excess vegetation and to rebuild the parts of the mill which had fallen into disrepair, so as to make the mill a more attractive place for visitors as well as habitable for bats. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barney and his fellow volunteers at the work site in France</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The group also consisted of our two French coordinators Emelyne and Alexandre, as well as Marlene and Mariame from the Dominican Republic; Adèle, Florian and Toine from France; Nebojša from Serbia; and Maria and Sophia from South Korea. While not a coordinator on this project, I found the leadership and </span>organisational<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> skills which I had </span>learnt<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> on UK projects to be useful when (while careful not to be a “backseat driver”!) I was occasionally asked my thoughts on group matters. As an English native speaker and who has studied French as my second language, I was sometimes asked to interpret, although I have to admit that after putting into English as well as I could a talk on bats I decided I might benefit from brushing up my natural history vocabulary in both languages! Free time activities included trips to the seaside, nearby tourist sights </span>and<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> mountains, an outdoor concert, dinner at a nearby village, canoeing and bowling.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barney on his second project as a volunteer in France</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Having seen my own leadership and </span>organisational<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>skills<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> develop from volunteering, I would definitely encourage others to coordinate and participate in projects. These are important skills in many careers and walks of life including in my own career of teaching. Both as coordinator and volunteer I have been on a constant learning curve and I look forward to continuing to develop my skills in the future. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Barney Smith, Summer 2017</span></div>
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Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-40719729634406525692018-01-03T15:58:00.000+00:002018-01-03T16:50:42.420+00:00A Group Coordinator's Story: Joana at the Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre<b>Joana lead a group of international volunteers on the last shift of our project at Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre at the end of summer 2017. Volunteers' work supported the day to day running of the centre and had the chance to learn a lot about meditation and Buddhism. Thank you Joana for your great article and we are glad you had such a great experience and learnt so much from it!</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKG7gIie0PMtLyFAU8ecegiJnlyAUTo9bP2VWi0ZWTr1o89uFdzhT6kykwhPICuIZAiJavW04hOSlIZOIJJ5R9qJcJD9kwqzyrt5mwFho6Jsqp2y-_wufjEtNJBgsJbDGjxOzao1BvBK2/s1600/21317666_1546853258670203_4109631623883014447_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKG7gIie0PMtLyFAU8ecegiJnlyAUTo9bP2VWi0ZWTr1o89uFdzhT6kykwhPICuIZAiJavW04hOSlIZOIJJ5R9qJcJD9kwqzyrt5mwFho6Jsqp2y-_wufjEtNJBgsJbDGjxOzao1BvBK2/s320/21317666_1546853258670203_4109631623883014447_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joana leading volunteers on a outdoor excursion!</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Being a
coordinator on one of Concordia's summer project was one of the most rewarding
experience of my life. At first I was really worried about not being able to
make this experience the best possible for the volunteers, indeed having all
those responsibilities in terms of social activities and group bonding was a
first for me, however the volunteers made it quite easy. The main problem I
encountered was probably trying to be firm and cool at the same time, acting
like a “mum” and a friend at the same time.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWfegpdW9JouukNTBMCPGxADgGwpBj5HVUF8DK0RkZG8OyETRGIo5Tymok_8V7uwFdrGTeenrCNQTY05ggUTN0IFu3K3lW5-85xQzVdKQtw0cCFUsbQ2AJMBGFhP-3VKLHbdB7Eekd5Ay/s1600/21557919_2344691222422953_2636038047673246780_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWfegpdW9JouukNTBMCPGxADgGwpBj5HVUF8DK0RkZG8OyETRGIo5Tymok_8V7uwFdrGTeenrCNQTY05ggUTN0IFu3K3lW5-85xQzVdKQtw0cCFUsbQ2AJMBGFhP-3VKLHbdB7Eekd5Ay/s320/21557919_2344691222422953_2636038047673246780_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joana and the group of international volunteers</td></tr>
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<o:p> </o:p>The greatest
lesson I learned from this experience was putting other people's interests
(mainly volunteers) before my own, as a coordinator I thought it was my role to
make everyone feel comfortable and as satisfied as possible from the various
activities. However, as a human being I wasn't always agreeing with what the
volunteers were keen on doing; it was really uplifting to put myself second for
the best of a group, as it is something I was not too used to do (but I really
enjoyed it and it taught me so many things about myself). Within the group as
well, many differing views were expressed in terms of social activities, being
the coordinator taught me a lot about doing compromises and taking
responsibilities to please everyone whatever was decided. For instance, when we
went on a day trip to the Lake District, the physical abilities of all the
volunteers were quite different in terms of hiking, but by talking to each of
them separately and then as a group we managed together to make a plan for the
day that pleased everyone.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgweZyZDhL9xqzJmFFgFzUvLPElo9EQjnAsNzFZScBHzlV9INEVm_0_h1vQ2MbjB2IWBuoc3An_2j2ZKyCmP3fxFJqhaPD_LrrZkNXizNiSQeRVDFhH5KWNT2mkN5PkZEXMf9jhLwD0gvNn/s1600/21314808_1545471058808423_2566126544704420077_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgweZyZDhL9xqzJmFFgFzUvLPElo9EQjnAsNzFZScBHzlV9INEVm_0_h1vQ2MbjB2IWBuoc3An_2j2ZKyCmP3fxFJqhaPD_LrrZkNXizNiSQeRVDFhH5KWNT2mkN5PkZEXMf9jhLwD0gvNn/s320/21314808_1545471058808423_2566126544704420077_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the volunteers doing some cleaning at the Manjushri Centre</td></tr>
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<o:p> </o:p>I believe the experience of coordinating a project in the UK
made me more confident about a lot of different things; I now know how to make
all the voices in a group heard, I've learned how to communicate well with two
different parties (in this case the host and the volunteers) to prevent any
issues from happening and avoid further conflict when an issue is already here.</div>
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For the
future, I will definitively be using those leadership skills, communication
skills and of course the kindness and understanding the Manjushri Kadampa
Meditation Centre taught me. I would really recommend to anyone, from any
background and any personality to try being a coordinator as I think we all
have so much to learn from volunteers and hosting organisations.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Joana Salles, Group Coordinator at the project Manjushri 3, summer 2017 <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.concordiavolunteers.org.uk/uk-projects/co-ordinating-in-the-uk/" target="_blank">Are you interested in becoming a Group Coordinator for
Concordia? Read here about how to apply.</a></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-72211626735573118942018-01-03T15:35:00.000+00:002018-01-03T15:35:49.415+00:00A Group Coordinator's Story: Coordinating an Eco Festival project in the UK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Here is the story from our of our Group Coordinators, Alex, who lead an international group of volunteers at an Eco-Festival project in Worcestershire during summer 2017</b><b>, especially helping with the set up of the site before the festival started. </b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9MYEWmiy8aijT0K-kZBSJrpYTa7sdaePtq0ex_zhZLwqFYu0iQ3VV3ZpcV-EfNqrIdFCfdjT7QcVmv-dnYh7YAQrzLfoVG91-dkciyiOeoTxZVYRIRnPuAwprgzI-DEI6KdXQGXLHWgb/s1600/Green+%2526+Away.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="859" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9MYEWmiy8aijT0K-kZBSJrpYTa7sdaePtq0ex_zhZLwqFYu0iQ3VV3ZpcV-EfNqrIdFCfdjT7QcVmv-dnYh7YAQrzLfoVG91-dkciyiOeoTxZVYRIRnPuAwprgzI-DEI6KdXQGXLHWgb/s400/Green+%2526+Away.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main marquee of the Eco Festival Green and Away</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">After
I came returned to the UK, from an amazing long term volunteering project in
Romania through Concordia, I had a meeting with the Concordia team to discuss the experience and settling back in. Soon,
the conversation turned to the future; “What’s your plans for the summer?” (or
something to that effect). Bored of my small room in a busy flat and full of
wholesome memories of my Balkan travels, I gladly said “I’m down for anything!”
(or something to that effect).</span><span style="color: red; font-family: "book antiqua" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">Before
I knew it, I was heading to the Concordia office for a <b>coordinator training
course</b>, where I’d meet a bunch of like-minded volunteer types. We discussed
everything that we might encounter as a UK coordinator, if and when we ever
coordinated other volunteers. The handy information we were given had
strategies for dealing with matters like group cooking to conflict resolution,
the latter transpired to be more applicable than the former.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">Inspired
and intrigued I came away with many new ways to take two weeks off work and volunteer
instead. I could have stayed at Buddhist sanctuary, worked with deserving young
carers or taken part in a music festival! Instead I was bound for two weeks
camping in a muddy field eating vegan food – not my grandparents’ idea of a
good break. Nevertheless, I was looking forward to working with ‘Green and Away’,
an eco-friendly and creative events venue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , serif;">My first notable encounter of Green and Away
hospitality came when one of the Concordia volunteers missed their connection
and was going to arrive in the middle of the night. Although it was only my
responsibility to ensure the Concordia volunteers were settled into camp, half
the other volunteers at Green and Away stayed up with me to welcome the lonely traveller
in with a cheer and a hug! It was very warming and I knew I would I be with
good company for the duration of the stay.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS PMincho";">As the long hot days went on we could see the camp
growing and taking shape. Structures were being built every day and the muddy
field was transformed into a homely venue. We could see the fruits of our
labour. Everyone had their jobs to do, which was increasingly difficult in +30<sup>o</sup>C
heat, but we had plenty of water and support. In the midday sun we would swim
in the stream and cool off, it really put you in touch with your senses and
with nature. Later in the evenings we would sit around the campfire or snuggle
up in the Mongolian yurt and get to know each other. It was a satisfying,
social and wholesome lifestyle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS PMincho";">We would get days off allocated during the week, so
there was the opportunity to head into town and relax. The Concordia volunteers
and I went for a day in Worcester, where I treated them to a full English
Breakfast. Despite having a vegetarian among us, everyone enjoyed their meal
(the café offered a veggie full English). This was their first encounter with a
British classic, since they all came from different countries. It’s nice to
know I could offer a cultural experience as well as a tasty one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS PMincho";">Once all the physically hard work was done and our
beautiful camp was ready for guests. This is when the dynamic on camp changes
from being practical and resourceful to being hospitable and service driven.
The guests were always lovely and everyone on camp bands together to help each other
out.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2osGILuuYVxrifFazsivjto8LYVb-8luEzNkG71txF6cBEsspLzULv_5LeoUdH7_kebKbHTCxPN9tdijdhPoeJaVhnF3CtwA7fWjnXyKr-SwZrhEdHq5-dw2mPfL9xY2MA51PrNd8YdB/s1600/collage_greenandaway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1200" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2osGILuuYVxrifFazsivjto8LYVb-8luEzNkG71txF6cBEsspLzULv_5LeoUdH7_kebKbHTCxPN9tdijdhPoeJaVhnF3CtwA7fWjnXyKr-SwZrhEdHq5-dw2mPfL9xY2MA51PrNd8YdB/s400/collage_greenandaway.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS PMincho";">Sadly, all good things must come to an end. After
being so absorbed in the atmosphere of Green and Away I had to don my
coordinator hat once more. Gathering the other volunteers feedback was great,
because I got to hear that they had a magical time too. This project was very
comfortable from a coordinator perspective. Although, I think the role was
useful, the accommodation, food and task allocation was excellently handled by
the Green and Away team, so my job was to keep everyone happy and having the
best time possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS PMincho";">Despite having to resolve an issue between Green and
Away and one of the volunteers after I got home, which was later resolved, I
had such an amazing time. Green and Away is a special place where you can
forget time passing and enjoy eco-living. They a strong sense of community
which is welcoming and supportive. The work is hard and can be physically
challenging, but it certainly pays off. I’m proud to have been a part of Green
and Away and to have helped spread the message of sustainable development while
personally having a lot of fun. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS PMincho";">Alex Kimber, Group Coordinator at Green and Away Set Up, Summer 2017</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "book antiqua" , "serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS PMincho";"><b style="font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.concordiavolunteers.org.uk/uk-projects/co-ordinating-in-the-uk/" target="_blank">Are you interested in becoming a Group Coordinator for Concordia? Read here about how to apply.</a></b></span></div>
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<br />Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-72787113966817150192018-01-03T11:03:00.000+00:002018-01-03T11:03:05.082+00:00A volunteer story: Coordinating a festival project in UK and teaching English in Spain - summer 2016<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Here is an article from one of our most committed volunteers, Barney Smith, who's been supporting Concordia for many years by joining projects overseas, promoting our work, co-ordinating projects in the UK and offering us his Blogs and reports every year. We would really like to thank Barney for all his support!</b></div>
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<b>Here we would like to propose today one of his BLOGs written in 2016.</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">This summer of contrasts started on the English south
coast in the busy tourist season and ended in the tranquil olive groves of
Andalucia.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">My twenty-fourth international volunteer project (my
third as coordinator) was at Patchfest in Brighton, a community festival
project which I had also coordinated 2 years earlier. My group consisted of Julien
from France, Fabienne from Germany, Eduardo and Martina from Italy, Esther from
Netherlands, and Leena and Marti from Spain. Our work involved setting up and
taking down the equipment for Patchfest, and helping on the day with the
running of the event, including stewarding, selling food and drink, washing-up
and recycling. The festival is a source of pride for the local community and
provides a platform for entertainment from local music talent. As in 2014, we
were blessed with glorious weather. Our leisure activities included touring the
sights of Brighton and walking under the cliffs near Brighton Marina, after
which we found time for the quintessential English meal: fish and chips.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">After a night’s camping near Brighton Marina, an
overnight coach journey to the south of Spain, and a week’s Spanish course in
Granada, it was time for my twenty-fifth international volunteer project – in
the town of Jódar. In addition to our group leaders Rubén from Spain and Robbie
from Ireland, the other volunteers were Jack and Nancy from China, Nikol from the
Czech Republic, Christine and Sara from Denmark, Elena from Greece, Leonardo
and Silvia from Italy, Mihailo and Sofia from Serbia, Nikolas from Slovakia, Jane
from South Korea, and Can and Ozan from Turkey. Our work involved teaching
English to the students by means of games and other fun activities. This gave
me an opportunity not only to use my experience as a teacher but also to
develop my skills and imagination in developing students’ linguistic skills
outside a classroom setting. In our free time there were trips to Cazorla, Úbeda
and Baeza, as well as hiking in the mountains, and almost daily swimming in the
town’s outdoor pool, as we sought to cool off from temperatures reaching 40
degrees Celsius.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">As I reflect on my summer of volunteering I would like
to thank the people who made it possible: especially Suzi and her colleagues at
Concordia; Duncan, our host at Patchfest; our Spanish hosts and the people of
Jódar for making us feel so welcome; and all my fellow volunteers on both
projects. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-75512625851482301182017-11-29T13:10:00.003+00:002017-11-29T13:12:03.043+00:00A group coordinator's story: Kiranpreet Sira at the Manjusrhi Buddhist Centre<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volunteers working on their statues</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Coordinating
the Manjushri project with Concordia was truly a special and unforgettable
experience. Manjushri itself is a beautiful and peaceful place to be, with the
beach just 5 minutes away and beautiful scenery. We attended all meditation
classes, which was a great opportunity to learn more about you and experience a
peaceful mind. Our work consisted of preparing statues ready to be painted, as
a team we managed to complete the preparation of a full set of statues. We had
the evenings and weekends free to explore! As well as socializing with our own
group there were many other volunteers. We all went to Karaoke night on
Thursdays, which was great fun! All in all it was a great experience and I
would love to go back. From this experience I have taken away with me many good
memories, life long friends and an understanding of how to always remain
positive (Kiranpreet Sira, Coordinator at Manjushri 2, 2017).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: start;"><a href="http://www.concordiavolunteers.org.uk/uk-projects/co-ordinating-in-the-uk/" target="_blank">Are you interested in becoming a Group Coordinator for Concordia? Read here about how to apply.</a></b></span></div>
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Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-730632977061536592017-11-22T10:54:00.000+00:002017-11-22T10:58:38.882+00:00A Group Coordinator's story: Zsolt Kulcsar - Madhurst Festival 2017<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zsolt, first right, and the team of volunteers, building the Clown for the festival</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Madhurst volunteer project – August 2017</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Madhurst project was the fourth volunteer project that I have co-ordinated in
the UK and I can certainly say that it was one of the most unique projects I
have seen so far. Madhurst is a project for those who have a creative mind and
love to create something unforgettable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Madhurst
is a festival which lasts for almost two weeks and takes place every year in
August. It is based half an hour away from Chichester in lovely historical village
called Midhurst. Every year the international volunteers have to create a float
for the final day of this festival. Besides the creation of the float they also
help with various tasks like setting up venue for the visitors of the festival.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">During
the first two days the volunteers had to help with a conservation project in
the South Downs national park. Due to this the first two days were quite
physical and tiring, however it was the perfect team building exercise as we
all got to know each other pretty well before we began working on the float
together. As we were so close to the nature we also went on some long walks in
the area which further helped the team to bond during the first couple of days
of the project. Nevertheless, by the end of the conservation project the volunteers
were fairly exhausted so this was the perfect time to have a day off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After
the initial conservation project (and the well deserved break) the volunteers
began to build the float which was the main aim of this project and took almost
a week to complete. It was amazing to see how invested the volunteers were in
this task. On the first day after we went back to the accommodation they spent
at least another hour brainstorming their ideas about the float. They liked
this part of the project to the extent that they even stayed longer every day
in order to work-out every little detail on the clown perfectly. The fact that
the host was very flexible on the working hours made it even easier for the
team to work on their own speed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Concordia Volunteers parading with the amazing Clown they designed and built</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
was also lovely to see how well the volunteers got along with the locals. It
was clear to the volunteers that their work was appreciated by the people of
Midhurst. Although we did get quite exhausted by the end of the two weeks, I
really enjoyed co-ordinating this group and I think it was a good decision to
come back and co-ordinate another project for Concordia this year. What made
this project so perfect was the fact that every volunteer was able to
contribute towards the float by bringing their own ideas and sharing it with
the team. This also reflected in the free time that we spent together which
made the project even better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(Zsolt Kulcsar, Concordia Group Coordinator, Madhurst, Summer 2018)</span></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.concordiavolunteers.org.uk/uk-projects/co-ordinating-in-the-uk/" target="_blank">Are you interested in becoming a Group Coordinator for Concordia? Read here about how to apply.</a></b></div>
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Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-79990390917671158922017-11-22T10:41:00.000+00:002017-11-22T10:59:05.721+00:00A Group Coordinator's story: School and Eco Festival project - Ed Steele 2017<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ed with his first international volunteer group in Cornwall (Trythall School Project)</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;">During this summer I co-ordinated 2
Concordia projects. These were small groups of around 7-8 volunteers from
around the world, we lived and worked together for around 2 weeks. Bonding with
a group of strangers who became friends and working together to do really
valuable work for communities was a fantastic experience a one I cannot
undersell, if you are at all curious about co-ordinating I highly recommend
trying it.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">The first was in Cornwall improving a school
that prioritized outdoor education and creative learning. Discovering the
beautiful countryside around Penzance including its coves, beaches and ancient
Celtic standing stones was unforgettable. The work included building a rabbit
proof fence to defend the school’s poly-tunnel, clearing out weeds and
replanting some exotic plants. The school had a friendly collection of animals
including Lambs, Hens and a somewhat disheveled cockerel. One of the highlights
was appearing as a giant Kraken carnival float in the school’s end of year
play, and enjoying a rural Fayre. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The second project was working at an
environmental festival in Worcestershire, mainly deconstructing the marquees
that constituted the site. The festival itself was staffed by some dozens of
young volunteers who (alongside the Concrodia volunteers) made the festival a
really fun place. Before deconstruction we worked at a animal themed fancy
dress wedding, and joined in the festivities along with a guests- a memorable
experience for sure! Other highlights were the wonderful healthy organic (and
often locally sourced) food, as well as the musical entertainments in the
evenings and a lovely collaborative atmosphere on the camp.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ed's second group at the eco-festival Green and Away</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US">Aside from the work seeing different people
all coming together to have fun and learn about each other’s culture is one of
the best things about co-ordinating. This was a fantastic learning experience
that can translate to so many other aspects of life. In addition seeing your
own country through new eyes is a surprisingly interesting, as is learning
about what people from other countries are really like. Without Concordia there
are so many countries that I would know no-one from, and this bringing together
of people is one of the most best things about Concordia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volunteers enjoying Green and Away eco-festival</td></tr>
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(Ed Steele, Concordia Group Coordinator, Trythall School and Green and Away, Summer 2018)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.concordiavolunteers.org.uk/uk-projects/co-ordinating-in-the-uk/" target="_blank"><b>Are you interested in becoming a Group Coordinator for Concordia? Read here about how to apply.</b></a></div>
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Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-71266294574050608572017-03-15T16:37:00.002+00:002017-03-15T16:37:10.472+00:00Preparing Youth Exchange - Susie's story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Futura Std Book","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The camp was really easy to get to, with at least one train each hour from Fiumicino airport train station. The train cost €11 and took about 1.5hours. It is a nice journey through the centre of Rome and they are large trains so there is no problem with getting a seat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Futura Std Book","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The camp is about 20 minutes’ walk from the station, most of which is off of the main road so it is a pleasant walk. The camp is held in a farm which some of the buildings have been converted to accommodate activity camps. The accommodation is really comfortable with 4 main dorm rooms; two holding 4 people, and two larger dorm rooms holding 12 people. There are 3 shower rooms and, although it wasn’t plentiful, there was usually hot water available. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Futura Std Book","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The scenery is completely beautiful and it is easy to distance yourself from the rest of the world and just focus on camp living, particularly because there is no Wi-Fi available to participants, so it was easy to focus on just spending a week within the camp.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Futura Std Book","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The other participants were lovely and everyone was enthusiastic throughout the camp. The trainers seemed to have endless energy and were really good trainers. The activities were a good mix of discussion based and activity/physical based and always had a debrief session so we were aware of the purpose behind the activity. The activities were designed to be varied and to take us steadily out of our comfort zone and we were frequently reminded that this camp was the time to try things with no fear of consequences. It did always feel a safe environment among like-minded people where we could try new things and test skills without fear of ridicule ‘doing something wrong’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Futura Std Book","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The exercises were based around teamwork on the first day and a half. We then moved onto discussions and group working based on the concept of gender, stereotypes and following onto prejudices. The third day explored more discussions on gender and then involved role plays on managing conflict. The fourth day centred on the team working, leadership and trust and then in the afternoon, we went into groups based on which camp we would be leading and found out more details about the teen camp plans and Erasmus +. On the fifth day, we were separated into groups of six people and were given the morning to start planning an hour-long activity. We had the morning to prepare this and then each group led their activity with the rest of the group. We led activities on the afternoon of the fifth and morning of the sixth day. We then had a debrief, evaluation and wrap-up session on the afternoon of the sixth day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Futura Std Book","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Overall, the exercises were varied and I believe that everyone learnt new skills and also learnt more about themselves. As we all lived together for a week with no contact with the outside world, we bonded as a group really well and part of the experience was the communal living. As is the nature of communal living, there were peaks and troughs in energy levels and there were times where some people were easier to work with than others. However, because we were all living in such close proximity, it was an excellent opportunity to work with different people and challenge our own beliefs and behaviours. Everyone on the camp was really lovely and we have kept in touch through Facebook since returning home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Futura Std Book","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">One evening we had an international food night where we all made food from our countries. Adam and I made a chicken casserole and cheesecake – both which are easy dishes to make as the ingredients are easy to source. I just took over a Colman's chicken casserole sachet which was light and small to pack. The food at the camp was amazing and most days we were able to eat outside. Everyone was put into teams to do the mealtime prep and washing up, and general cleaning duties. There was also a bar where we were able to buy beer and wine. We were all over 18 and everyone drank in moderation (although the wine is homemade wine and deceptively strong!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Futura Std Book","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Overall, it was an excellent camp and I learned new skills, exercises and icebreakers. It was a challenging but thoroughly rewarding and enjoyable week. I look forward to returning in May.</span></div>
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Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-31933704988675833772017-03-15T16:31:00.000+00:002017-03-15T16:37:20.809+00:00PRISM - training the trainers on breaking down gender stereotypes <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt -18pt; text-align: left;">
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What a fantastic privilege to have joined a funded training course in Italy, meeting so many amazing people and having been supported by such a great training team. The training was set up to support people’s learning around teenagers, gender stereotyping and group facilitation skills so that in the summer we might lead a group of international teenagers to complete their own international volunteering project around gender stereotyping. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A beautiful week’s weather (even though in February) twinned with an amazing setting saw our group spend lots of time outdoors. A mix of fun icebreakers, energisers and team building games were coupled with some time to discuss issues around gender and theory to do with non-formal education processes. As mentioned, the training team were extremely knowledgeable and various facilitation methods meant that we quickly got to performing as a group.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The dormitories were in nice buildings but with 10 to a room and a couple of strong snorers involved it is fair to say that I’ve had better sleep… But when you wake up to this, you’re not so fussed (see picture above). The food was supreme! I was stuffed each day and still lost weight! Evening entertainment was a real laugh and an on-site bar seemed to help things along ;-)</div>
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So looking forward to seeing everyone again this summer and a huge thank you to Lunaria in Italy for hosting and to Concordia here in the UK for co-ordinating on our end!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><b>Adam Muirhead</b></i><o:p></o:p></div>
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Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-82344639759526955442017-03-13T12:06:00.000+00:002017-03-13T12:06:10.899+00:00Being a volunteer with Concordia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Trying to put into words how much enjoyment I get from volunteering with Concordia is hard, but I'll try…so here goes!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’ve been volunteering with Concordia for over 5 years now. I started out by wanting to do an extended trip overseas and to see more than the backpacker trail. I was lucky enough to spend three years living overseas in my 20’s on various working holiday visas so 10 years on from these adventures I found myself wanting to have a trip where I would feel like I had lived and experienced a different culture even though I just had the gift of being able to take 6 weeks off work. I came across Concordia on an internet search and then went on the North-South training in Brighton. The training was great and I met like-minded people who wanted to visit and experience different cultures too which just made me more excited about my upcoming trip. For my first volunteering trip, I went to Nepal and lived in an orphanage at the foot of the Himalayas for 2 weeks. Sounds all very rustic and romantic right? Rustic, beautiful, and amazing it was but not sure that romantic can be a description particularly when our ‘shower’ was using the only communal tap for over a mile and had chickens around our feet! I shared the camp with 5 other volunteers from Japan, Hong Kong and France and can honestly say that it was some of the most incredible weeks of my life. On the project we mainly did manual labour such as building a dam for the flood season, creating a vegetable garden and creating a new room by using pickaxes against a cliff face. We also spent our evenings playing with the children and teaching them English. Our hosts were amazing and took us to lots of different places including a local viewpoint to watch the sunrise over the Annapurna range and to local shops and coffee shops. Following the workcamp, I spent about 3 weeks backpacking which was also incredible, but also made me realise that the two weeks I had spent volunteering gave me a rare insight into the ‘real Nepal’ which you rarely get backpacking. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When I got back to the UK I started helping with the overseas volunteer training as a volunteer and then came across the opportunity to be a coordinator for overseas volunteers coming to the UK to do a project. Again, I went on the weekend training for this and met more like minded fabulous people, many of which I am still friends with. So, in 2013 I was one of two coordinators for a project in East Sussex to renovate a school for children from developing countries to come to the UK and do their baccalaureate through winning scholarships. I was joined by fabulous volunteers from all over the world; Taiwan, Ukraine, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Holland and Germany. We spent two weeks renovating the school; painting, gardening, demolishing walls and sheds and building furniture and in our spare time ate amazing food and visited various places in the local area. It was my first experience of leading a group and was quite nervous beforehand but being able to share the leaders’ responsibilities with another UK volunteer helped and all the training and support that Concordia gave us meant that we never felt on our own.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">After that project, I started assisting with the coordinator training as well as the overseas volunteer training. Through Concordia’s partnership with Girlguiding, I have been a Concordia leader in two-week trips to the Republic of Korea in 2015 and Vietnam in 2016 with Girlguiding groups. Acting as a Concordia leader is both rewarding and challenging and on both trips, I have seen fellow volunteers grow in confidence and blossom as a result.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This year I have participated in a turtle conservation project on the west coast of Mexico and also just got back from a week long Erasmus funded project in Italy where along with fellow volunteers from all over Europe we are going to lead an activity camp for teenagers in the summer which will also encourage discussion and debate on gender stereotypes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Volunteering is now a major part of my life and makes me feel alive, proud and happy to be me! I can’t recommend it enough! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-73318948929380905052016-11-30T12:15:00.000+00:002016-11-30T12:15:28.197+00:00Only a joke? Learning about online cyber-bullying and Hate Speech on a Concordia hosted workshop <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
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<i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue";">The Council of Europe's 'No Hate Speech' campaign aims to raise awareness
of the problem of online bullying and Hate Speech. Concordia France recently ran an
international workshop in Le Mans, France aimed at training educators and youth
workers in methods to teach about this growing problem.</span></i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue";">Have you ever been the subject of a 'joke' comment which instead
of making you laugh maybe revealed more about the senders prejudices? Have you
ever read a Facebook post which you thought was a little close to the bone? Most
of us have. Cyberbullying and Hate Speech are new names for old problems.
Traditionally intolerance and bullying involved comments thrown across the
street or the playground, but today our increasingly online social lives offer
new avenues for such comments. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue";">'No Hate Speech' was the topic of a recent workshop organised by
Concordia France in Le Mans for educators and youth workers from across Europe. The
'No Hate Speech' movements aims to raise awareness of this growing problem
through education and publicity. It was established in 2012 by the Council of Europe.
The workshop aimed at giving educators the tools to use with young people to
make them aware of their online actions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b id="yui_3_16_0_1_1479876285096_29335"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue";">Prevention is better
than cure. </span></b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue";">Could we define key terms like Hate Speech, gender,
discrimination, LGBT+, migrant, and refugee? These are words we use everyday
but for which tying down a concrete definition is surprisingly difficult
without a dictionary. Heated group discussion ensured. What were our personal
experiences of discrimination? We identified instances where we had either been
perpetrator, witness or victim of Hate comments. Sharing experiences and
feeling made us aware of the impact of the problem. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue";">We learnt methods to break down hateful comments to examine their
origin and effect. One activity 'the tree of Hate' centred on one example of
Hate and in groups we identified the root causes of the comment and what
effects it later had. Our group choose the infamous 'Breaking Point' UKIP poster.
Was this the result of fear of immigration, loss of border controls, a lack of
knowledge of migrants and other faiths, a consequence of welfare cuts? Had it
resulted in the EU 'no' vote? Topics for endless discussion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue";">Had we personally been discriminated against because of our looks,
faith, sexuality, origins or even dress? Together we stood in a line, and
stepped forward if we could answer no to each statement. It was surprising how
many of us were left behind. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue";">Towards the end of the week a workshop was organised for local
youths from Le Mans to allow some of us to put our skills into action. A
publicity event was organised in Le Mans to engage the local population; this
involved handing out compliments from a bucket to passers by, asking people to cite
things they loved, and aimed at educating about the project. Another group
learnt how to make a video about online bullying. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue";">The international nature of the week greatly contributed to its
success. Attendees from Austria, Albania, Greece and Great Britain all looked
at problems with a different perspective. Attitudes to problems like the
European migrant crisis are different depending on whether you are a transit country
or potential host.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue";">By actually taking part in activities you really learnt how these
topics could be taught back in your host country. But perhaps as valuable as
the actual training was the chance to engage with others with different background
and different ideas. The ultimate take home message was maybe, we are all
different but we all have the same feelings. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: helvetica neue;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: helvetica neue; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Mark</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: helvetica neue;"><b>Participant in the No Hate Speech Training </b></span><b style="font-family: "helvetica neue";">& International Volunteer with Concordia</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue";"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></b></span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-91950219173631165842016-11-30T12:03:00.000+00:002016-11-30T12:03:40.057+00:00No Hate Speech<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-KUjwj_kvoLWnVcjgrzayw5HOdLLXi5S3TKK-AmNKLkP6C2wdQHmFDY6SpMWRB9JlQR0QFxJHHy08UWrCKnljh1RbQU7QqXESFMxNpmYc9ErK_U3frZA-mtTw5jnRcU-PG0tIwkUrMVm/s1600/nhsm-1420x600.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-KUjwj_kvoLWnVcjgrzayw5HOdLLXi5S3TKK-AmNKLkP6C2wdQHmFDY6SpMWRB9JlQR0QFxJHHy08UWrCKnljh1RbQU7QqXESFMxNpmYc9ErK_U3frZA-mtTw5jnRcU-PG0tIwkUrMVm/s400/nhsm-1420x600.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The day after I turned 30, I hopped on a train to London, made my way to St Pancras International station and boarded the Eurostar – destination, Le Mans! The reason for my journey was to attend a training course, funded by Erasmus+ (yes, the same people who run the university exchange) and open to participants from across Europe. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The topic of the week focused around the <a href="https://www.nohatespeechmovement.org/" target="_blank">No Hate Speech Movement</a>, set up by the Council of Europe, which aims to educate people on the forms of hate speech, where it is found and what actions you can take to combat it.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On a personal level, this training course woke me up to the reality of hate speech. As a white, British, straight female, I’ve not come across much hate speech directed at me personally. I glossed over what I saw online, inwardly condemning the people who wrote it, but not thinking about the causes or the effects that it can have on the victims. I wasn’t an ally, I was a bystander. I came away from this training much more aware of the damage that hate speech can cause, and the ways in which it has crept into our daily lives through social media, sensationalist tabloid headlines and online comments.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Considering the year we have had in the UK (*cough* Brexit *cough*) and the fact that the US elections happened during the week-long course, this training could not have come at a more relevant time. It’s no secret that there has been a rise in reports of hate crimes in the UK since June, and the US seems to be following the same trend since the election. But now, rather than sitting and feeling helpless about what I am witnessing online, this course has made me consider the actions that I can actually take to combat Hate Speech when I encounter it. From reporting hate speech online to running workshops on hate speech to the young people I work with, I now have practical actions which I can take to stem the tide of hate and anger which I see in our society.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But the week wasn’t all doom and gloom!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I don’t think I have ever been on a course or volunteering project where I felt so immediately at home and comfortable with the people I was sharing my time with. Participants from UK, France, Slovakia, Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia and Greece came together with one thing in common – huge hearts and a desire to be part of a happier, more inclusive world. We explored the beautiful city of Le Mans together, we exchanged our food and customs from across Europe, we shared the similarities and differences of language and had fun making fun of ourselves! Of course, being in France, I consumed much more bread, cheese and red wine than is required in one person’s diet, and had a lovely time doing it!</span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-ac9bf4f0-b516-b8e4-375f-c41c47b45402"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For anyone thinking of attending a training in Europe, I say do it. I have had great experiences, met wonderful people and had my eyes opened to new ideas and discussion which have benefited me both in my work and personal life. All this was provided for free, and even my travel costs were covered (well, most of it) Fingers crossed the next training course won’t be far away!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nicola</span></i><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></i></h2>
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<i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">No Hate Speech participant and </span></i></h2>
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<i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">longtime volunteer with Concordia Volunteers</span></i></h2>
Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-68266799583429962982016-10-28T11:54:00.000+01:002016-10-28T11:54:44.593+01:00#OurRightsOurVoices<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVeWQwBYNBSassjznQXtHeZknFbvrVlIHuThII2p76iW3eTEtE_6AVhL8joEmRdbjARSgH4ZFVcz3oeaRry-WG9Polb1LuQEiOQb7XrqU5g9RWghPUNJMbsa-grtajxM8X9e5fsdZfZFR/s1600/Global+Human+Rights+Week+leaflet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVeWQwBYNBSassjznQXtHeZknFbvrVlIHuThII2p76iW3eTEtE_6AVhL8joEmRdbjARSgH4ZFVcz3oeaRry-WG9Polb1LuQEiOQb7XrqU5g9RWghPUNJMbsa-grtajxM8X9e5fsdZfZFR/s400/Global+Human+Rights+Week+leaflet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Last week, you might’ve noticed several publications on
Twitter and Facebook focusing on Human Rights. For a weeklong period, (17<sup>th</sup>
to 22<sup>nd</sup> of October), our two international networks CCIVS and
Alliance joined forces with organisations and individuals, planning local
events, actions, trainings and volunteering to bring attention to the needs and
actions for Human Rights.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Worldwide, and locally, the denial of human rights is a
serious obstacle to the fulfilment of peace and human happiness, and as a
charity hosting and sending volunteers overseas, we are one of many players in
the game needed to take on our role. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>We are stronger
together</b>. One of the greatest things I believe is coming out from
volunteering is that no-one goes away the same. You may arrive as an
individual, but you leave the project as part of a group. For a short period in
your life, you have come together, formed a coalition of nationalities showing
that everyone is ready to do their bits to make this project successful. Last
week, this was proven to work the same on an organisational level with great
ideas and events were being carried out world-wide. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Our friends in Volunteer actions for Peace organised the
seminar “Moving On and Settling Down”, to analyse and learn deeply about the
phenomenon of migration, in the past and present. Egyesek Youth Association in
Hungary counteracts the hate speech promoting an open society, Solidarités
Jeunesses holding a week long Peace Week, INEX - Sdružení dobrovolných aktivit
inviting to a workshop on diversity & migration.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Within the movement of volunteering we organise several
international volunteer projects, providing a natural habitat for volunteers to
meet each other, with the common goal to engage in a well-needed communal
project. In Italy, Legambiente Paestum organised a volunteer projects with
international volunteers and refugees, working together to protect and recover
the highly important ecosystem in the region, the "Dune Oasis". SIW
Internationale Vrijwilligersprojecten, Switzerland, had this summer a workshop
on human rights and the freedom of movement on all of their projects. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Over the week, eradication of poverty, the rights to food,
housing & a life in dignity, the rights to a life in Peace, the rights for
Migrants and Refugees, the right to sexual orientation have all been giving
their day to highlight what is being done, and what can be done to continue the
good work. Our role for the week is to ensure that as many people possible is
being reached by the message, the calls, the rights and the actions showing
that there is a movement carrying about these rights, that serves as not only
guidelines but for RIGHTS to be treated as a human being. The work by
individuals and charities are still equally needed this week, and so our work
will continue working towards an open society, where the Human Rights are
respected globally. <o:p></o:p></div>
Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-51058931512091448912016-10-13T11:19:00.001+01:002016-10-13T11:19:34.666+01:00My Indian Adventure: Eco-Education and Environmentalism in the Himalayas <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUyzNyv_fHCyU7_0mNRpIJYyHLmfM01xVANPiaCiFaa2ne0ROH8l-eky_wjncBIkAC0Nk-cdFdxqUK0mSgU0L0Is8FyNI4u1cRl91atr_8Ml8QYIzM_oGVBx8kKuhxzjBbcHEDTTvEAIEt/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUyzNyv_fHCyU7_0mNRpIJYyHLmfM01xVANPiaCiFaa2ne0ROH8l-eky_wjncBIkAC0Nk-cdFdxqUK0mSgU0L0Is8FyNI4u1cRl91atr_8Ml8QYIzM_oGVBx8kKuhxzjBbcHEDTTvEAIEt/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Volunteers doing yoga in a temple in the
mountains – from south Korea, England, Italy, and Japan</b></i></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<h4>
Namaste! It didn’t
t<span style="text-align: center;">ake long before this greeting, accompanied by a joining of the palms, became
second nature to me in India. Everywhere I went, I was greeted by a beaming
smile and a ‘Namaste Madam ji!’. Not to mention the offer of a hot chai!</span></h4>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have always been
captivated by images, stories, and representations of India, and after hearing from
friends who travelled there it quickly became my dream to visit and experience
the country for myself.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Last year, I spent two
weeks volunteering with kids as part of my summer spent in Italy, which turned
out to be the most memorable and enjoyable part of my trip. This encouraged me to
volunteer in India, to immerse myself in the local culture and offer my service
within a community. I was firmly opposed to working for a profit-driven company
and knew that I wanted to dedicate myself to a worthwhile cause. This led me to
discover Concordia, and the rest is history!<o:p></o:p></div>
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My project was based
in a village in Himachal Pradesh, a mountainous state in the Himalayas. The
project, run by a local NGO, was focused on education, environmentalism, and
eco-tourism. I went with an open mind, not knowing what to expect of India or
the work required, and found that the project became so much more than I’d
originally thought it would be…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1Wm55DL-xzNiCU9e3kmg5ohtHSG4RdNKaNlcz56ck3ogI1QH0rYMTyJ7ioJQCY9vfrPLk7qtdRnUEqu8cMVdCoz_Kt82rH0uOZ4Jpqmf5aQaenIPPRb4rifrNbeoBJKsjP8sr5XGdrUL/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1Wm55DL-xzNiCU9e3kmg5ohtHSG4RdNKaNlcz56ck3ogI1QH0rYMTyJ7ioJQCY9vfrPLk7qtdRnUEqu8cMVdCoz_Kt82rH0uOZ4Jpqmf5aQaenIPPRb4rifrNbeoBJKsjP8sr5XGdrUL/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoCaption">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Views of the village, Junga in the
foothills of the Himalayas</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
I did not expect that
I would learn so much in the space of two weeks, not just about India, but
other cultures too: my fellow IVS volunteers were from Italy, South Korea, and
Japan. By getting to know each other and sharing food, games, and tales from
our home countries, I learnt about many cultures and now have friends in all
corners of the world. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I learnt about the key
issues faced by the local community, which gave me perspective on the wider
challenges of India as a developing country. I also learnt about Eastern
spirituality, stories of the many Hindu Gods, and some bizarre local superstitions:
one afternoon whilst playing cards with village kids, one warned us urgently,
‘Don’t whistle indoors, or snakes will come in!!!’. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The memories, photos,
and stories that I’ve taken home with me will make me smile for years to come. Learning
local ‘pahari’ (mountain) dance moves after dinnertime, having a traditional
suit tailored by a local seamstress, and dancing with kids to their favourite Hindi
music played through my Bluetooth speaker are among many precious moments that
I will never forget. I felt very proud of the environmental murals which we
painted around the village, and knowing that these will be there to spread the
message for years to come gives me a fantastic sense of achievement. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I spent a total of 6
weeks in India, and although I was lucky to see some incredible sights
including the Taj Mahal and the Golden Temple, but my first two weeks
volunteering in the small mountain village will always remain special to me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Meeting the Concordia team at the North South
preparation day reassured my concerns and gave me the confidence to go to India
alone, and I could not have imagined a better introduction to the country than
spending a fortnight volunteering and living amongst the local people. I am
still in touch with my camp leader in India, as well as many people I met
whilst staying in the village. My time in India made a huge impact on me, and
it is all thanks to the excellent organisation, support, and encouragement that
I received from Concordia which inspired me to take the leap and go for it. I
would encourage anybody who is considering it to do the same. Only one dilemma
remains – when can I go back?! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXeArUtS6Bxnn_EHwBHK53OuiBMm2KCn-hVTVHW8pLYvRA9xDjNihn8HEgN2xSkVUtJgS2uAvF-8vwaNQcfuRw5jnfNcuYHv02mRnzEVdVL9S8QitPOxje-g56SFOGQQZw6S0HdoQqFC1/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXeArUtS6Bxnn_EHwBHK53OuiBMm2KCn-hVTVHW8pLYvRA9xDjNihn8HEgN2xSkVUtJgS2uAvF-8vwaNQcfuRw5jnfNcuYHv02mRnzEVdVL9S8QitPOxje-g56SFOGQQZw6S0HdoQqFC1/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoCaption">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><b>A typical evening spent playing sports
with local kids from the village –
watched by an audience of course!</b></i></span></div>
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</tbody></table>
Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-4917028867764347482016-09-20T16:13:00.002+01:002016-12-19T15:15:01.048+00:00The end is nigh….<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Do you remember our EVS volunteer in Romania? Catch up on her story below...</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I write this blog entry just as I am about to leave for my last travels around Romania, across the country to explore the Danube Delta and (finally) its capital Bucharest.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">All project activities with the kids came to a close at the end of last week. The final two weeks of the summer camps were devoted to primary school aged children in the villages. For the most part, it was a lot of fun-particularly the first week, where we were in sole charge of the kids.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The first week and into the second we prepared (quite last minute but thankfully successfully) activities with the theme ‘Discover Europe’, with the aim to introduce the children to the culture, history, geography and language (a little) of different European countries. The first day was focused on Romania and we then branched out to present our own countries and others. I was in charge of British and Romanian culture, as well as preparing French activities-for the Romanian activities we decorated clothing patterns, made bookmarks and vampire masks amongst other things, and in the British activities included split-pin soldiers (thanks Mihai for finding them!) and loo-roll bagpipers. In the afternoons we played fun games outside and in with the kids.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The second week was slightly disappointing in comparison as we were slightly usurped by another lady running a camp-to her credit she managed to hold the attention of 60 kids with her voice, however a little less shouting at the youngest kids wouldn’t have gone amiss. Despite only assisting for some of the week, we still had fun being with the children, accompanying them on walks around the village and teaching them English and German songs.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The rest of our time in the week was filled with cleaning the flat before the imminent departure of two of the long termers the beginning of this week-(cleaning a kitchen thoroughly takes a long time but I was successful at getting the grime off the oven) as well as recording and filming for our end-of project music video to present in the closing event. With ingenious lyrics by our resident song-writer Mathias, improved singing to last time and an easier rhythm, as well as some fun scenes to accompany the music, I think it fair to say, it was a success and our audience were thoroughly entertained!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The week culminated in the closing event in which we presented on our EVS experiences and a meal followed at the weekend by a full-blown trip of Maramures all together featuring a chance to try on traditional Romanian clothes, a horse and carriage ride and hike to the Horses Waterfall in Borsa as well as a delicious meal in a shepherd’s hut in the mountains.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Thanks for organising AIST staff-was a lovely way to spend our last few days together as a full team</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Annika Mathews</span></div>
Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-4174162959548345442016-09-19T15:16:00.000+01:002016-09-19T15:16:21.245+01:00Group Volunteer leader in Italy<h4 style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This summer I volunteered to lead a group of 12 Girl Guides from
Staffordshire, England, who worked together to complete a project in the local
community of Poggio Mirteto, Italy. </span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My role as the overseas volunteer leader
was to represent Concordia through coordination the project, to lend pastoral
care to the group throughout their trip, and to liaise between the local
coordinators and the group to ensure that everyone benefits optimally from the
project. The group worked together to renovate the picnic benches and tables,
finishing them off by painting them with their own creative designs. These will
benefit local groups, hikers and other international volunteers who work at the
farm throughout the years. We then renovated and waterproofed the wooden window
frames of the barn, to keep them in good condition throughout the winter. This
work taught us many practical, hands on renovation skills (such as sanding,
natural wood filling, paining, tool work) that may not have had the chance to
develop otherwise; as well as an essential opportunity to develop important
life skills such as working as part of a team, communication, planning and
design.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Our wonderful hosts also made sure that the whole group benefited fully from our trip, and planned numerous trips and cultural activities for us. Our day trips into Rome were amazing and we got to see a lot of the famous landmarks such as the Colosseum, the Forum, the Piazza Venizia, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Our knowledgeable hosts also suggested less “touristy” areas, including the beautiful Villa Borghese Park and the historic Parco Regionale dell'Appia Antica outside of the city. We also had the opportunity to explore the inspiring medieval village of Casperia, through doing an entertaining scavenger hunt in small groups, which encouraged the young people to interact with the local people. Of course in Italy, food is incredibly important! As we were staying in an agricultural community, all the food we were eating was fresh and produced locally. Our hosts even taught us how to make traditional Italian meals and how to make our own cheese from locally sourced milk. We also took part in a language workshop, learning some basic words and phrase. We learned by going shopping in the local markets.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmaAC5zSp8qDVK3v5X11HiIRAX_wi5vKJNKDEK6t46P4o1S3Sv0sgw-ctU1y3d9XnEL2rtXmXWSbYftP6HSmoQCCaWfiC2C29L-wW1BLuD6udbQsag2WtpUn95FBqCfVwpA4B2XNyBjxL/s1600/13686730_10154679495529026_9222174837619981257_n_28294618204_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmaAC5zSp8qDVK3v5X11HiIRAX_wi5vKJNKDEK6t46P4o1S3Sv0sgw-ctU1y3d9XnEL2rtXmXWSbYftP6HSmoQCCaWfiC2C29L-wW1BLuD6udbQsag2WtpUn95FBqCfVwpA4B2XNyBjxL/s320/13686730_10154679495529026_9222174837619981257_n_28294618204_o.jpg" width="176" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Our
wonderful hosts also made sure that the whole group benefited fully from our
trip, and planned numerous trips and cultural activities for us. Our day trips
into Rome were amazing and we got to see a lot of the famous landmarks such as
the Colosseum, the Forum, the Piazza Venizia, the Trevi Fountain and the
Spanish Steps. Our knowledgeable hosts also suggested less “touristy” areas,
including the beautiful Villa Borghese Park and the historic Parco Regionale
dell'Appia Antica outside of the city. We also had the opportunity to explore
the inspiring medieval village of Casperia, through doing an entertaining
scavenger hunt in small groups, which encouraged the young people to interact
with the local people. Of course in Italy, food is incredibly important! As we
were staying in an agricultural community, all the food we were eating was
fresh and produced locally. Our hosts even taught us how to make traditional
Italian meals and how to make our own cheese from locally sourced milk. We also
took part in a language workshop, learning some basic words and phrase. We
learned by going shopping in the local markets.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">For
me as an overseas volunteer leader I got to continue to work with young people
in a different environment, and supported them to have the opportunity to
travel and go out of their comfort zones. Through doing our renovation work I
was able to develop my team leadership skills, communication and organisational
skills, as well as useful “DIY” skills. I’ve learned how to work with others
who may be of different cultural backgrounds and working styles, to ensure the
successful and mutually beneficial trip. I have also really enjoyed submersing
myself in a different culture and feel that I have learned a lot through this
truly unique voluntary work. </span><br />
<h3 style="text-align: right;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nia</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></i></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: right;">
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Group Volunteer Leader 2016 - Italy</span></i></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqoUVz_WUd3E_HHlC9QI3SWvRh4mqc2CKYWVKlX7qtNyuUrEKu4dWX2clMsYVI2Zvk5yIc2kWxdRT28NI7fdG9pNNJJdo_AqLK0XlOVSQDWuZtVN_O4oQQf2PzlfA6wN0MWXKH0FHEj2bW/s1600/13909039_10154697702234026_6220983846491645595_o_28836616641_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqoUVz_WUd3E_HHlC9QI3SWvRh4mqc2CKYWVKlX7qtNyuUrEKu4dWX2clMsYVI2Zvk5yIc2kWxdRT28NI7fdG9pNNJJdo_AqLK0XlOVSQDWuZtVN_O4oQQf2PzlfA6wN0MWXKH0FHEj2bW/s400/13909039_10154697702234026_6220983846491645595_o_28836616641_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-76890520564041961812016-09-06T13:28:00.000+01:002016-09-06T13:28:15.451+01:00International Group Leading with Concordia International Volunteers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A question I get asked a lot by my friends these days is
“where are you off to next then?”</h3>
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I have developed the reputation for being the traveller of
the group, the one who will only stay in the same place for a short amount of
time. The one who always has the next destination booked, or the next adventure
planned (Berlin, in case you were wondering!)<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is in no small part due to my volunteering with
Concordia International Volunteers. I’ve volunteered with this organisation
since 2009, and they still manage to find me new adventures to go on! I have
participated in a Spanish work camp, attended workshops and seminars across
Europe, helped to deliver training weekends in the UK, co-ordinated UK
volunteer projects, contributed to the writing of educational resources, and
most recently, visited Asia twice to lead on their group volunteering
programme. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.concordiavolunteers.org.uk/overseas-volunteering/group-volunteering/" target="_blank"><b>The group volunteering programme</b></a> sends groups from the UK to
participate on international volunteer projects. I travelled to Vietnam in 2015
and South Korea in 2016, both times with groups of Girl Guides from London and
the South East Region.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFsZ3aOGC3jnOGiSzSaALfsjG453UkptghrQYiiJpfo8cw1YjAhyaBIHJw1sU1fzbY0_XXVUxuX6U0-4HBxd82lWinHAohas8Q0V8W9x5fzvyF-iiJcPH8tSjMGeixAzR-7mVcWxF50fX/s1600/11898889_519627361534750_7089814871292603036_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFsZ3aOGC3jnOGiSzSaALfsjG453UkptghrQYiiJpfo8cw1YjAhyaBIHJw1sU1fzbY0_XXVUxuX6U0-4HBxd82lWinHAohas8Q0V8W9x5fzvyF-iiJcPH8tSjMGeixAzR-7mVcWxF50fX/s400/11898889_519627361534750_7089814871292603036_n.jpg" width="400" /></a>To say that these trips were challenging is putting it
mildly! From non-stop rain for most of our time in Vietnam and living in leaky
rooms, to finding a variety of gluten free food in Korea (difficult to find
much that wasn’t rice and plain steamed vegetables!). From lost luggage in
Hanoi, to an (almost!) lost passport in Busan. Hospital trips, cactus stings,
sore hips and knees. Bad stomachs and squat toilets! Early mornings, late
nights, hot sun, crowded bedrooms. Eating rice three times a day...<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>But for every challenge, there was a reward.</b> Moments such as
early morning Tai Chi on our junk boat in Halong Bay, or even earlier morning
meditation with a Korean monk at a templestay. Finally seeing blue sky after 10
days of rain in Vietnam! Meeting local residents in Busan and being given free
ice cream while we painted steps in 35 degree heat. Watching friendships
develop between UK and Korean teenagers, who may live 5000 miles apart but
share the same appreciation for the High School Musical soundtrack and photos
of Zac Efron!</div>
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Then there is the personal growth. Sitting in a rooftop
restaurant and listening to the youngest member of your group describe so
eloquently how the trip has changed how she views the world is a moment that
has stuck with me, and is my reason for forgetting all the difficulties and hard
times and coming back to Concordia for more.</div>
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<i>Nicola </i></h4>
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<i>Eternal part of the Concordia Family</i></div>
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Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-52003233797817103712016-09-06T12:57:00.001+01:002016-09-06T12:57:16.469+01:00Volunteering in Iceland 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In July, 19 students and two members of staff, embarked on
an amazing trip to Iceland as part of the Volunteer Abroad extension study. The
trip was the culmination of 9 months of hard work, with students having to
fundraise to pay for the trip throughout the year.</div>
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Students travelled to the remote East of Iceland and
volunteered in a beautiful village located in a fjord. The students worked
extremely hard and undertook 5 days of environmental volunteer work. This included removing Alaskan lupins which
are an invasive plant species, clearing up the local coastline and digging the
foundations of a traditional Icelandic greenhouse.</div>
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The group also took in the amazing and beautiful sites that Iceland
has to offer, visiting waterfalls, glaciers and geysers.<span id="goog_745286764"></span></div>
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All of the students who took part in the trip were a credit
to the College and should be really proud of what they achieved.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Concordia have organised four fantastic trips for our
students</b> over the last few years, with destinations as diverse as India,
Vietnam and Iceland. I continue to be impressed with the dedication and
organisation of Concordia. They have a genuine commitment to ensuring that
students have a unique volunteering experience and undertake meaningful work.</div>
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
For example, in India our students lived in a rural village
alongside the local community and volunteered at a local school. The local community
were so welcoming and we had the privilege of eating in villagers houses and learning
first-hand about Indian culture. Our students had also fundraised in order to
buy the Indian primary school children a pair of shoes, pens and school books. Our students gained an enormous amount from
the trip and not only learnt about a new culture, but also developed leadership
and team working skills.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On all of the trips and projects that we have worked with
Concordia, their support prior, and also during the trip, has been outstanding. The leaders that Concordia sends to accompany
the group have been excellent, and any issues have been dealt with swiftly and
professionally. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: right;">
<i>Michelle McGrath,</i></h3>
<h4 style="text-align: right;">
<i>Teacher, Esher College</i></h4>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-72661702579457936322016-08-18T12:22:00.000+01:002016-08-18T12:23:46.017+01:00MTV on the island of Tokushima<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-cptctsoAsQ_9maWUpJrCznXZTohppe1gCwmtGzmbpCyrHMwensDSQJfl8d-bCTZSOv5I6R5oIdo6ySnfC5C5Sw3boAuQ-L0XzMgsiKw963kco6XiS1Ufor9iOoM6IsCRMkGTVbrcng-/s1600/Map_of_Japan_with_highlight_on_36_Tokushima_prefecture.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-cptctsoAsQ_9maWUpJrCznXZTohppe1gCwmtGzmbpCyrHMwensDSQJfl8d-bCTZSOv5I6R5oIdo6ySnfC5C5Sw3boAuQ-L0XzMgsiKw963kco6XiS1Ufor9iOoM6IsCRMkGTVbrcng-/s320/Map_of_Japan_with_highlight_on_36_Tokushima_prefecture.svg.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21.6px;">To start with a cliché, has it really been just one week? </span></h2>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21.6px;">Thanks to the amazing people I have met, there have been so many wonderful experiences and these unique insights into life in Japan are exactly why I wanted to spend so long volunteering in this fascinating country. The landmarks of Hanna Road are slowly becoming more familiar, although I would be lost without Shinri-san, Yani and Natalia to guide me. The blazing sunshine makes the water we supply even more essential and it is particularly rewarding to see a dusty corner return to life, such as the site of the recent car accident. Hopefully we won’t see any more of those!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21.6px;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21.6px;">As we go around the city it is impossible to ignore the preparations for the festival and the sense of excitement is infectious. Right now, I cannot imagine the one million visitors we will be welcoming and I know being involved will be both a privilege and a real highlight of my time here.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #555555;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 21.6px;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21.6px;">We have also been watching the teams practice, setting a very high standard for us to imitate as part of the international group joining the main parade on Sunday. What an honour! This also means we will soon be joined by another Workcamp, which will include two friends from the orientation weekend which seems so distant now. It was sad to bid farewell to the other group, although they truly inspired me with their enthusiasm and dedication to mastering the Japanese language. </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21.6px;">My own attempts to improve have begun with three lesson at Topia. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21.6px;">These classes have definitely stretched me, but my desire to communicate to the wonderful people around me is providing good motivation.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21.6px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21.6px;">To me, this is also about learning more than just the language. There is an entire culture to fathom out and I am extremely grateful to my patient guides. Food is an endless voyage of discovery, not just because of all the new things I am trying, but I have quickly realised that our regular breakfast stop is the social hub of our little corner of Tokushima and I love meeting familiar faces there most mornings.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21.6px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xBjyY7WQqCUhCIcFEUgzUykv72W_gdAoMD28_2t7TwCDyy1EKKclIUWM9uYfDRrk_LA5xxYX7Ij9NLarv0TgzT7q4YDs5pWkdenSaY46rcjQJrQ-Wqk6T-zQQ3qR4RW3P8dBlPXTj6Il/s1600/1280px-Awa-odori_2008_Tokushima.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xBjyY7WQqCUhCIcFEUgzUykv72W_gdAoMD28_2t7TwCDyy1EKKclIUWM9uYfDRrk_LA5xxYX7Ij9NLarv0TgzT7q4YDs5pWkdenSaY46rcjQJrQ-Wqk6T-zQQ3qR4RW3P8dBlPXTj6Il/s320/1280px-Awa-odori_2008_Tokushima.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21.6px;"><span style="line-height: 21.6px;">My taste buds have been left in no doubt about the quality of Japanese produce as our talented cooks create masterpieces that are breathtaking in both presentation and simplicity. I think I will be on a constant mission in the UK to try and recreate my favourites. Cooking itself is also great fun for me, whether it is watching experts at work, or frantically learning etiquette from the locals around me. I just hope I don’t offend any of them with my frequent errors!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21.6px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21.6px;">So, it is soon to be all hands to the deck for the festival ... and we can’t wait for the fun and games to begin.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21.6px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21.6px;">Follow the rest of the adventures of Keira, our MTV volunteer in Japan, through her blog:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21.6px;"><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://bizandaigaku.jugem.jp/?cid=10">http://bizandaigaku.jugem.jp/?cid=10</a> </span></span>Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-81758517844040807072016-08-18T12:11:00.001+01:002016-08-18T12:11:41.164+01:00 NCS - unforgettable experience<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Signing
up to NCS was an easy decision. Having the reps talk to us in our school
assembly I knew instantly that NCS was something I wanted to be involved
in. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I
spent the first week in Devon getting to know my team while partaking in many
different challenging outdoor activities.</span> <span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Week
two brought us to Brighton university spending the time living together as a
group and continuing to learn a range of unique and interesting skills.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Weeks
three and four our groups worked on different community projects. Our group
chose to concentrate on raising awareness for autism, supporting Resources for
Autism.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Overall
I felt that meeting new people was the best part of NCS. I have had a brilliant
time and made some lifelong friends. It has helped me with my confidence and I
have learnt many new skills. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">NCS
has been an unforgettable experience. Thank you.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<h4 style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><i><b>Wesley</b></i></span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">See Wesley's experience from the first week of NCS with Concordia</span></div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ulRtI83YtY8/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ulRtI83YtY8?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-13281647794485948612016-06-28T16:41:00.001+01:002016-06-29T13:00:41.906+01:00Volunteer abroad, discover new cultures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqiHMEfxvawx5d6_thz1-vWm3IxP-nd1liUBJs1gERDLnvl1FrQvPCPQuXf_1dpc-q5GNfPxH_PP1fZOXkxzF4Gp-C2Gac3TwhtRQ8fnjNVglhmL2CqmHg7eOTjZIOwJdd_PT1ZZL0N8eV/s1600/tumblr_mqfckafQdg1rasnq9o1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqiHMEfxvawx5d6_thz1-vWm3IxP-nd1liUBJs1gERDLnvl1FrQvPCPQuXf_1dpc-q5GNfPxH_PP1fZOXkxzF4Gp-C2Gac3TwhtRQ8fnjNVglhmL2CqmHg7eOTjZIOwJdd_PT1ZZL0N8eV/s400/tumblr_mqfckafQdg1rasnq9o1_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<h4 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 35px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Below you can read a text from our international volunteer coordinator Francesco, a text that highlights the meeting of cultures, and why we should continue discover more. </h4>
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If you volunteer abroad you get to know about new cultures. But what does it really mean “learning about new cultures”? Is it about discovering different food, languages, art and music? Or is it more? Is it easy to get a real insight into another culture through volunteering?</div>
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Well, cultures are much more than what’s visible to the naked eye: using an analogy, what we can see about a culture is like the top of an iceberg, very small compared to what lies underneath and supports it. Below the surface there is a world of values that deeply shape everything that a culture is: concept of time, personal space, what is friendship, how direct can you be with someone, etc.</div>
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Not understanding the culture you are immersed in can be tough. When speaking to volunteers about to go on a project, “cultural shock” is always one of the things they are most worried about. To them, we say that volunteering will allow them to know the bottom of the iceberg, and although it can be difficult at times, it is definitely one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences that volunteering abroad can offer. Especially because our international partners, hosts and leaders know how to support volunteers during this process.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 35px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Volunteers approaching Concordia often don’t realise how much they benefit from it and come back to us with their eyes open to new perspectives and ways of seeing the world. And that is exactly <a href="http://www.concordiavolunteers.org.uk/documents/concordia-volunteer-beliefs.pdf" style="border: 0px; color: #006699; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">why Concordia is so deeply involved in international volunteering</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;">If you want to read more about Intercultural Learning and “culture as an iceberg”, we would recommend that you have a look at this free online resource: </span><a href="http://pjp-eu.coe.int/en/web/youth-partnership/t-kit-4-intercultural-learning)" style="border: 0px; color: #006699; font-family: Helvetica, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Intercultural Learning T-Kit</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;">. Here is a quote taken from it: “</span><em style="border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Intercultural learning can be one tool in our efforts to understand the complexity of today’s world, by understanding others and ourselves a bit better. […]. Intercultural learning may enable us to better face the challenges of current realities. We can understand it as empowerment not just to cope personally with current developments, but to deal with the potential of change, which can have a positive and constructive impact in our societies. Our intercultural learning capacities are needed now more than ever”.</em></div>
Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-86459909831692983672016-06-24T14:52:00.000+01:002016-06-24T14:56:00.145+01:00Testimonio from a SVE in España<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>I first heard about European Voluntary Service during a
Blablacar journey from Brest to Rennes in northern France.</b> </span></div>
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An excitable fellow passenger spent almost
the entire 3 hour drive telling me all about her life changing experience she
was having as a volunteer. I was astonished to learn that such an opportunity
existed; even more so that I’d never heard of it! As soon as I got home from
that journey I jumped straight on the computer, and typed in those three magic
letters E V S. Little did I know, I too was about to embark on a life-changing
journey….<o:p></o:p></div>
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Flash forward 6 months. After what seemed like an eternal
flight from London, I arrive, dazed and confused at Madrid-Barajas airport. I
walk through the sliding doors expecting to find my tutor Cristina, struggling
to remember her face from the Skype interview we’d had months previously. After
making eye contact for a couple of seconds too long with a few potential
Cristinas, I give up and go outside to see how warm it is. ‘Hmmm I could get
used to this!’ It crosses my mind to get practicing my Spanish straight away
and ask someone “donde está Majadahonda?” just in case Cristina doesn’t show
up. But how do I pronounce Majadahonda again? I decide to have another go at
the arrival lounge.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As I walk back
towards the sliding doors, I notice out of the corner of my eye someone holding
a card with a British flag printed on it and ‘Bienvenido Sam!” written above
it. Ah that must be Cristina, but who’s this grinning blonde girl with her? Of
course, it’s Greta my fellow volunteer from Lithuania. Immediately, my nerves
disappear and we chat all the way to Majadahonda. On the way, I pluck up the
courage to ask to Cristina to pronounce it as slowly as she can. Now I’ve got
it!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cristina takes us to our new apartment and we meet our
housemates Martha and Juliet. Once the ‘besos’ and ‘encantados’ are out the
way, Martha looks at me and says something very quickly in Spanish, everyone
laughs… loudly. I join in pretending to understand the joke. Greta and I
exchange a look of bemusement and then the tour of the flat begins. I think I
got away with it this time but I it makes me realise that my Spanish is going
to need some serious work. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The following day it was time to meet the rest of the team
at the youth centre. We were greeted with beaming smiles and warm embraces and
given a tour of the building. Though making small talk in Spanish was a
challenge, whatever lingering anxiety was quickly extinguished and I knew then that
this was going to be a great year. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The first few months of the project flew by as Greta and I
settled in nicely. From making new friends from across Europe at the on-arrival
training to starting our intensive Spanish course, from exploring Madrid at the
weekends to getting to know our students at the English conversation workshops,
our full-on schedule kept us incredibly busy. Before we knew it, it was
Christmas and a chance to reflect on everything we’d learnt so far.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I went back home to the UK and bored my family and friends
with perhaps too much detail of my time thus far in Spain. I realised that
despite a few minor imperfections, the experience I was having was an
incredible opportunity to learn many new skills and to grow as a person. Though
it was hard to say goodbye once again to friends and family, I was eager to get
back to Spain. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The second half of the project seemed to go by even quicker
than the first. Though our Spanish course came to an end I was gaining more and
more confidence speaking this wonderful language. We started with the English
Book Club in January which turned out to be a great addition to the project, a
chance to make new friends and of course to read some brilliant books. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Arriving back in Majadahonda from a weekend trip to France
in March, I realised that I was starting to feel very much at home here. Our
conversation workshops were improving week on week, I was meeting loads of new
people, my Spanish was coming on leaps and bounds and after a long, wet winter
(by Madrid standards!) the sun was starting to shine again. In just a few short
months the whole thing would sadly be coming to an end. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It is only now, with the project drawing to a close, that I
am starting to appreciate the excitement and passion of the girl who introduced
me to EVS during that fateful Blablacar journey back in France a year and a
half ago. it is starting to sink in just how much I have learnt this year. From
simple Spanish slang words like ‘chungo’, ‘majo’ and ‘molar’ to using video
editing software, from running a book club to learning all about how EVS works,
from writing a newsletter of international opportunities to improving my
confidence in public speaking, the list goes on and on. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">European Volunteer Service 2016</i></div>
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Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109755588969976600.post-18756674520222232052016-05-10T14:35:00.003+01:002016-12-07T11:02:13.960+00:00Versteck in the south of Germany<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC10O-PUFqd44YlgHls6cvikVMqcriPiEaunEMlRyNOebutDCxk7wIyY8uBfMhyphenhyphenzok5V5Fua7E_p8UU9vFezKZH2-83G9_D-esemyHtfXCyBK0MdbsiLwUumWuINaGQQiw7v-0mSY6JPCc/s1600/Germany+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC10O-PUFqd44YlgHls6cvikVMqcriPiEaunEMlRyNOebutDCxk7wIyY8uBfMhyphenhyphenzok5V5Fua7E_p8UU9vFezKZH2-83G9_D-esemyHtfXCyBK0MdbsiLwUumWuINaGQQiw7v-0mSY6JPCc/s400/Germany+2015.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>A photo of me in my medieval costume with one of the local children. Behind us is the view from the top of the 13th century tower where the play scheme was based.</i></div>
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In the
beautiful surroundings of southern Germany I was able to do two things I love:
speak German and work with children. For anyone interested in practising their
language skills, I can definitely recommend volunteering at a children’s camp
or play scheme. The children were all very forgiving of my many grammar
mistakes and willingly involved me in their games. The forest in which the
holiday club took place lent itself perfectly to hours of “Versteck” (hide and
seek), interspersed with art and crafts. All the volunteers dressed up in costumes
to go with the medieval theme of the holiday club, which inspired the children
to create their own gowns and armour. A group of small girls transformed me
into their fashion doll and added to my costume daily – finally resulting in a
head scarf, veil, apron, 2 cloaks and small bag round my waste, in which we put
‘precious’ stones and jewellery. I loved being greeted by a shriek of
“Jennyyyyyyyy!” every morning, and soon forgot the challenges of speaking a
foreign language with the fun of being with children out-of-doors every day.</div>
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Outside of
the play scheme, which lasted until 2pm each day, we were able to explore the
surrounding area and visit the local museums and tourist attractions. The
international volunteers stayed together in a youth hostel and we cooked for
ourselves, often attempting to recreate typical dishes from our home countries.
It was fascinating to learn about other cultures and taste their cuisine, and
especially exciting to get to know people my age from all over the world. A
highlight was probably the many evenings of card games and the fun we had
trying to create little Russian felt boots, which the two Russian volunteers
kindly but despairingly tried to teach us! I was also taken aback by the level
of gratitude which the locals showed to us as volunteers, and we were
frequently given free fruit from the market and on one occasion two large bags
filled with bread from the local bakery. This interaction with other volunteers
and with people from the area has not only boosted my confidence in speaking
German, but has also made me more confident when meeting new people in general
– which was perfect preparation for the first few weeks at university.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I would
recommend this experience to anyone. Thank you, Concordia, for making it
possible!</div>
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Concordia Volunteershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948793231452763283noreply@blogger.com0