Coordinator Story: Barney at Green and Away

Green & Away International Volunteer Project

Summer 2019

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. 

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.

Barney, Coordinator at Green and Away Take Down 2019

A Volunteer and Coordinator's story: Barney 2018 - Volunteer in France and Coordinator in the UK

This summer was my fourth which combined volunteering overseas with coordinating in the UK. 

My first project took me to France’s least-populated department, Lozère, where a mere 12,000 people inhabit its regional capital Mende. Our group, led by Rui from Portugal and Hélène from France, also consisted of the other Francophone volunteers Sarah, Marie, Aziz and Mohamadou, Spaniards Diego and Beñat, Rebecca and Luli from Italy, Jo from South Korea, and Alejandra and Jorge from Mexico. 

 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.

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.

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.

Volunteer and Co-ordinator Story: Barney

Volunteering, Coordinating, Leadership

My International Volunteer Projects 2017

Barney at Manjushri project as coordinator

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.

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.

Barney and Manjushri Volunteers on a day trip in Ulverston, Cumbria

After a gap of a couple of weeks I was one of a group of international volunteers to renovate the Réals mill near Cessenon-sur-Orb, a village not far from the southern French city of Béziers. With the guidance of the local organiser 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. 

Barney and his fellow volunteers at the work site in France

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 organisational skills which I had learnt 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 and mountains, an outdoor concert, dinner at a nearby village, canoeing and bowling.

Barney on his second project as a volunteer in France

Having seen my own leadership and organisational skills 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. 

Barney Smith, Summer 2017

A Group Coordinator's Story: Joana at the Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre

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!

Joana leading volunteers on a outdoor excursion!

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.

Joana and the group of international volunteers

 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.

One of the volunteers doing some cleaning at the Manjushri Centre

 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.

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.

Joana Salles, Group Coordinator at the project Manjushri 3, summer 2017 

Are you interested in becoming a Group Coordinator for Concordia? Read here about how to apply.

A Group Coordinator's Story: Coordinating an Eco Festival project in the UK

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, especially helping with the set up of the site before the festival started. 

The main marquee of the Eco Festival Green and Away

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).

Before I knew it, I was heading to the Concordia office for a coordinator training course, 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.

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.

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.

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^oC 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Alex Kimber, Group Coordinator at Green and Away Set Up, Summer 2017

Are you interested in becoming a Group Coordinator for Concordia? Read here about how to apply.

A volunteer story: Coordinating a festival project in UK and teaching English in Spain - summer 2016

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!

Here we would like to propose today one of his BLOGs written in 2016.

This summer of contrasts started on the English south coast in the busy tourist season and ended in the tranquil olive groves of Andalucia.

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.

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.

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. 

Barney Smith, Summer 2016

A group coordinator's story: Kiranpreet Sira at the Manjusrhi Buddhist Centre

Volunteers working on their statues

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).

Are you interested in becoming a Group Coordinator for Concordia? Read here about how to apply.

A Group Coordinator's story: Zsolt Kulcsar - Madhurst Festival 2017

Zsolt, first right, and the team of volunteers, building the Clown for the festival

Madhurst volunteer project – August 2017

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.

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.

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.

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.

Concordia Volunteers parading with the amazing Clown they designed and built

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.

(Zsolt Kulcsar, Concordia Group Coordinator, Madhurst, Summer 2018)

Are you interested in becoming a Group Coordinator for Concordia? Read here about how to apply.

A Group Coordinator's story: School and Eco Festival project - Ed Steele 2017

Ed with his first international volunteer group in Cornwall (Trythall School Project)

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.

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.    

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.

Ed's second group at the eco-festival Green and Away

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.

Volunteers enjoying Green and Away eco-festival

(Ed Steele, Concordia Group Coordinator, Trythall School and Green and Away, Summer 2018)

Are you interested in becoming a Group Coordinator for Concordia? Read here about how to apply.

Preparing Youth Exchange - Susie's story

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.

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.

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.

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’.

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.

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.

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!)

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.

Susie Death

PRISM - training the trainers on breaking down gender stereotypes

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.  

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.

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 ;-)

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!

Adam Muirhead

   

Being a volunteer with Concordia

Trying to put into words how much enjoyment I get from volunteering with Concordia is hard, but I'll try…so here goes!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!  

Only a joke? Learning about online cyber-bullying and Hate Speech on a Concordia hosted workshop

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.

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.

'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.

Prevention is better than cure.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Taking it forward

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.

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. 

Mark

Participant in the No Hate Speech Training & International Volunteer with Concordia

 

No Hate Speech

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.

The topic of the week focused around the No Hate Speech Movement, 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.

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.

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.

But the week wasn’t all doom and gloom!

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!

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!

Nicola

No Hate Speech participant and

longtime volunteer with Concordia Volunteers