Searching for 600 years old oak-tree

We did not find it. We tried, but did not know the way (there even was a map), and we were close.

But our other searches resulted with bigger success.

We were searching for fresh ideas, experiences and inspiration how to improve long-term volunteer (LTV) and EVS (European Voluntary Service) exchanges in SCI through better prepared hosting projects for LTV during international training “Hosting projects – what we can do”, organized by LTEG working group of SCI and SVIT-Ukraine. The training gathered SCI activists and volunteers from Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Sweden, Moldova, Russia, Finland and Belarus in a small town of Svyatogorsk, Ukraine, March 17-23, 2008.

We managed to do a lot during these days. Learnt about SCI and its structures, place of LTEG working group in it. Who are the stakeholders in sending and hosting EVS volunteers and what are specific motivations of different stakeholders. What are the ideal and less ideal working tasks for EVS/LTV and what are the additional benefits to host a foreign volunteer – or maybe the same work could be done by locals? Discussed special preparation and support for projects involving disabled volunteers. Elaborated criteria for successful hosting projects, where and how we could find them, and discussed examples from participating organizations, how they are looking for hosting projects. Wrote promotion materials to inform and attract potential new partners for hosting projects. Exercised some theater trying to imagine how it looks like when you visit potential partner for hosting LTV. Tried to remember some math while calculating budgets for hosting and sending volunteers, which costs are involved, and how these costs can be covered (Youth in Action, other donors, hosting projects finance the volunteer). Talked about rights and responsibilities of volunteers, hosting organizations and hosting projects, and contracts among volunteers and hosting projects. Learnt how to hold a candle in a right way during the walk through medieval caves, how a communist leader Artem can become a good neighbor for Christian Orthodox monastery, and trying to catch best view of bright moon looking through milky-foggy sky.

Played foreign theater in order to live through different conflicts which could take place during EVS/LTV, and how unconditionally constructive strategy could help. Experienced sauna with birch besom and cold swimming pool afterwards, discovered that in Moldova and Germany there’s absolutely same song about the months when people were born. Developed monthly and weekly work plans for the volunteer, what needs to be prepared before volunteer is coming, and what should be included in ideal on-arrival training/program for the volunteers. Talked about involving local community, if and why it is needed and how both community and volunteer could benefit from it. Tried different moves of Ukrainian folk dances, how Ukrainian cossak looks like and the taste of vareniki.

The training also allowed participants to exchange experiences, talk about difficulties and how to overcome them in different aspects of hosting LTVs and EVSs, consider different perspectives – hosting organization-hosting project-volunteer, and elaborate some guidelines and recommendations how to organize ‘ideal’ hosting projects for volunteers.

Open space session became a chance to talk more in detail about international structures and cooperation in organizing LTV/EVS exchanges, and what steps could be taken in the future in order to improve international structures and promote LTVing in SCI.

And actually we found the 600 years old oak-tree at the end. And a lot more!

The training was organized with financial support of “Youth in Action” program of the European Union.