// Project summary
Together 4 Nature is project bringing together partners from Germany, Spain, Portugal, Lithuania, Latvia and Bulgaria to Vilnius, Lithuania for a week of fun, work, and cultural exchange.
It is for young adults with a concern for preserving the environment. The nature of the project is based on exchanges between multiple countries including Bulgaria, Portugal, Latvia, Spain, Germany and Lithuania. The aim and purpose of the project is to gather and exchange information about environmental threats and how we, as young adults, can contribute to the reduction of these threats. We will prepare and release a publication in which every country will present the largest problems threatening their countries’ environment. After completion of the publication we plan to prepare a short film showing the creating process.
During the duration of the project each country will collect interesting information and data which will be gathered into a general publication in English. Alongside these activities, as the projects coordinating organization, we will familiarize the participants from other countries with Lithuanian enterprises and organizations that participate in the goal of protecting our environment. In general, these activities will help to not only become better acquainted with other countries’ environmental problems, but also to become more tolerant of other people, cultures and traditions. Creating a short film of the projects activities we hope to create more associating and socializing between people from different countries, and to observe how people of different cultures find ways to work together towards one general goal.
The project results will be presented in Vilnius. A tent will be set up in the city, into which people will be invited to enter to observe the completed short film, we will distribute our publication and personally present the experiences and information gathered. Those who visit the tent will leave with a small surprise: a potted plant including a reminder to be aware of environmental issues. All organizations contributing to the project will be presented with a copy of the publication, a copy of the short film and a potted plant.
// About US (Culture)
Carlos Fierra
Carlos: I’m a Geography and Citizenship Teacher. As President of this local Youth Association I try to show young people how important is our Planet and how important it is for the the people of this planet to have a balanced existence. As a leader I will try to make this Youth Exchange a big success. So I count on you also ;)
Geoclube:
Our organization works with the environmental protection and knowledge about nature in Portugal and around Europe. We are trying to have more European initiatives at the moment and so we want to help in any kind of project related with youth, youth in action program, and nature of course.
We have regular activities like campings or travels around nature with walks and also some cultural activities like Traditional games.
We participate in Training Courses, Contact Making Seminars and in Youth Exchanges.
Jessica Preuss
Jessica Preuss: I started my studies of journalism at the University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal in 2002. Within my studies I worked much on documentaries produced for real clients and on media education projects with teenagers from Magdeburg.
In spring 2006 I began my own media production business called blende39 with three fellow students. Since this time I officially belong to the media landscape of Saxony Anhalt and am doing my work for the TV channel MDR, for institutions of the federal state and the city.
Blende39 is a young film production company from Magdeburg, which is located in the east part of Germany.
We are three journalists and one media manager. Thanks to our abilities we are able to realise documentaries, TV productions for news and magazines & image films from the first idea to the complete movie.
We provide the script, deal with the pre-production, shoot the film and handle all parts of the postproduction.
Our main focus is to carry out documentaries and to work on video projects socially and culturally oriented. Besides being a young commercial film production company we also understand ourselves as a platform for young journalists and young people in general who want to express themselves and simply shoot films.
Lately, we were involved in a media education project in cooperation with the Jugend Bildungsnetzwerk Magdeburg - a youth educational institution. Together with our project participants, in the age group between 13 to 22 years old, we produced a documentary about young migrants life in Saxony-Anhalt. The teenagers are all born in post-soviet countries and have been living in Germany from six months to seven years. However, being a foreigner is not the only connection between them. All of them are Jewish. Their parents could not live Jewish traditions and Jewish culture during their lives in their mother countries. Now, the children are seeking for their religious roots and their personal backgrounds. The documentary shows on how they perceive themselves in terms of present and future by the stories of their ancestor. Blende39’s core aim was to provide their professional and personal support. The whole project and its result will be presented online (in German): http://www.zweiteranlauf.de
blende39 GbR
Klausener Straße 15
39112 Magdeburg
info@blende39.de
preuss@blende39.de
www.blende39.de
Telefon: +49.391.58 42 016
Mobil: +49.179.23 21 450
Agnė Varnagiryte
Coordinator of international projects at VU SA. Second year student of Cultural history and anthropology with a vision to finish. Usually smiling, interested in people, tall, almost not blond girl. Will help, if you need.
VU SA - Vilnius University Students’ Representation - is a public non-governmental non-political organisation representing the students of Vilnius University.
This organization was founded on 18 November 1989. Later on, in 1993 Vilnius University Students’ Union was re-organised into Vilnius University Students’ Representation.
The mission of Vilnius University Students’ Representation is to represent and protect academic, social, cultural rights and interests of the students of Vilnius University both within and outside the University.
Roger Schrader
Roger: I am a Peace Corp Volunteer working at Youth and Civil Initiatives in the Rose Valley in Karlovo, Bulgaria. I have been here for about 17 months and I have to say I am liking Europe very much. My home town is Owego, New York USA. For this project I am leading the Bulgaria group.
Youth and Civil Initiatives in the Rose Valley: We are a young NGO, officially coming together just over a year ago. We are from the town of Karlovo in the beautiful region of the Rose Valley in the central part of Bulgaria. Among our key priorities are: raising young people’ s awareness of the aching problems of our world, integration of socially disadvantaged and disabled people, fostering cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue. This we do through different initiatives such as: awareness raising campaigns, organising local events, seminars, conferences, carrying out surveys, polling citizens’ opinion on different issues, taking part in intercultural youth exchanges.
Marta
Marta: I am student already for two years. Currently I am not working, just enjoying life. I would like to think that I’m friendly, I am a little bit shy, but try to be active and funny. I am the leader of the Latvian group and the head of Action group in this project. At the moment I live in Riga while I’m studying, but I am coming from the small Jaunsvirlauka civil parish. And that is the place where group of crazy Latvians will come from. We have a place where youth can come together and decide about activities what we could make. In our parish young people are always active; they are writing projects held in our parish and also some international projects. Mostly our aim is to make active life for local youth, but we are also inviting other organizations to participate in our events. We are making contacts with other country’s and that’s why we can go to international youth projects. For our youth it is a great opportunity.
Dema
DEMÀ (DEPARTAMENT D’ESTUDIS DELS MEDIS ACTUALS) is a non-profit Association, founded in October 1998, that intends to work in several areas in adult education, particularly in the field of labour and social integration, training for trainers and the methodological research.
posted by Roger Schrader on 29/01/2009
// Magazine (Event)
Style: Tabloid
-What about? Good and bad examples of taking or not taking care of enviroment
-Language: All the articles should be translated into lithuanian and english
-Pages: 1 page for good and bad points; 1 page for the “global topic” article, each country. (On the whole about 30 pages with covers. + 2covers.About 30 pages with covers. Format A4. In one page both: english and lithuanian. + 1page (leading page) english and lithuanian
-Themes:
1) Each country will discuss different subjects.
2)Each country: about one main local problem/issue; one global problem/issue.
Pictures: bring to the project. (Portugal guy is good at painting!!!!) he will help, if he comes.
-Info research:
-Main themes: 1) Energy 2) Bio diversity 3)Air pollution 4)Water pollution 5) Trash 6) Position of europeans Deadline for choosing the main themes is January 1st.
-Information preparation: each country will bring ready articles to the project place
-Magazine format: A4. In one page both: english and lithuanian
Number of magazines: 200 – 500.
Title of the magazine: will be decided in the project.
Cartoons!!!!!!!!!!!!!! in the magazine, on the covers....... :):):):)
posted by Roger Schrader on 28/01/2009
// After premeeting: (Event)
As I write this, I am sitting in the Prague Airport waiting for my connecting flight to Sofia, Bulgaria. One has to love plane travel - spending more time waiting for the flights then actually flying.
Anywho, before I get lost on that tangent, I would like to update you all on what is going on. Yesterday concluded the Advance Planning Visit for the Together 4 Nature Youth Exchange. It will be held this coming Spring, 25th April - 3 May 2009. Travel days will be 25 April and 3 May (arrival and departure) I hope to see you all (and those I did not see - Spain ).
There will be more details coming out later, but I will try my best to quickly summarize what we decided.
Participants
1. 5 + 1 ( 5 participants and 1 leader)
2. Gender balance
3. Over 18 (if possible). Try not to go below 16.
4. Know English well. If the participants do not know English well, it would best if they know another one of the languages that will be represented: Bulgarian, German, Lithuanian, Spanish, Portuguese, Latvian, and as bonus - Russian! If worse comes to worse, one of the other group members can function as a translator, however, as this project will be very busy and several products will be produced, this option is the least desirable.
Groups
There will be 6 groups and the participants will be divided up among these groups.
1. Film - headed up by Jessi
2. Design - headed up by a yet-to-be-determined leader from Spain (still deciding)
3. Photo - headed up by Carlos (still deciding)
4. Action group - headed up by Marta
5. Premier and PR - Agne
6. Magazine - Roger
During the project, these groups will be working largely on their own and will have their separate working areas.
To make things a bit easier, we are asking each country to come up with some icebreakers to share.
Magazine
We will have only a few days to create and publish the magazine. This means that each country will have to prepare the articles ahead of time. The articles do not have to be written but the research and at least an outline should be prepared before 02 May, 2009. The articles will be finalized during the first few days of the project.
The style of magazine will be more tabloidish. This means that it will will informal and breezy. Each country will prepare 3 articles with pictures. One article will be on a local issue that the country is doing well, the other article will be on a challenge the country is struggling with. The themes of these articles can be either local or national. The final article will be on one of the following global issues:
1. Alternative Energy
2. Biodiversity
3. Air Pollution
4. Water Pollution
5. Trash
6. The European Position
Each country will have 2 pages. Each article will be 1/2 page followed by a 1/2 page translation in Lithuanian. At 3 articles per person this comes to 3 pages per country. Clarification will come in a future post. Along with these articles there will be a leading article explaining the project and other pages will be devoted to sponsors and other supporters. The title of the magazine will be chosen at a later time.
Film
For further information please contact Jessica/Jessika Preuss. She can provide more details about the vision for the film. However, in brief, footage will be shot in many different locations during the project. The vast majority of the people interviewed for the film will be normal everyday people. Over all the film will be a max 10-12 minutes. At the end of the project, the film will be premiered at a local cinema for the community. After the project, a DVD will be created and sent to the partner organizations. Sadly, there will not be enough time produce a film and a DVD during the project. As I said in regards to the magazine, more details will follow.
Other Details
Each group needs to bring a flag.
posted by Roger Schrader on 27/01/2009