// Project summary
The extended fires of August 2007 affected almost all Europe, the South suffering the most of the damages and loss of human lives.
Greece was one of the countries that suffered a lot: forests hundreds of years old, houses and properties as well as human lives were lost that summer.
As organization promoting the voluntary work, we knew from the first moment that our help would be needed and appreciated. That is why we have already been active in the affected areas organizing already many activities of reforestation. This youth exchange was the third time that ELIX was working in the field in the burnt area of Ancient Olympia in Peloponnese.
During this exchange, we went a bit further than doing restoration work and decided to come closer to the people of the area. The stories and the memories that local people carry with them told us more about the fires of that summer. The life after the fires is for sure different than the life before: many people lost their houses and properties, a great part of the flora and the faune has disappeared and these new conditions have already pushed many of the young people to leave the area.
The young participants of the project tried to collect many of the stories and memories of the local people and put them together in a special album made for this occasion. This was the main but not the only aim of this exchange. Our group also continued the reforestation works in cooperation with the local authorities spent some time to collect non-formal education material that will be used in future environmental education activities for teenagers.
// Thanks to our National Agency (Training)
posted by ELIX on 15/01/2009
// Our teams :-) (Event)
Stella Parascha - Elix, Greece
Nikoletta Filippou - Elix, Greece
Artemis Driva - Elix, Greece
Vassilis Thanopoulos - Elix, Greece
Evgenia Diatsigka - Elix, Greece
Tariq Dana - Lunaria, Italy
Paola Notarrigo - Lunaria, Italy
Spiridione Ezio Maresca - Lunaria, Italy
Valentina Grasso - Lunaria, Italy
Guido Michieletto - Lunaria, Italy
Cécile Tonneau - Solidarités Jeunesses, France
Guillaume Melin - Solidarités Jeunesses, France
Florian Lambert - Solidarités Jeunesses, France
François Le Gall - Solidarités Jeunesses, France
Bernard Imhaus - Solidarités Jeunesses, France
Ruth Dencas - Cocat, Spain
Sofia Medeiros Granato - Cocat, Spain
Olga Miró Artigas - Cocat, Spain
Virginia Pereira - Vertigem, Portugal
Evelyn Solano Brenes - Vertigem, Portugal
Laura Pérez Bertozzi - Vertigem, Portugal
Hélder Leal - Vertigem, Portugal
Xavier Sousa - Vertigem, Portugal
posted by Kostas Voudouris on 21/10/2008
// Intercultural days and nights (Culture)
In between the long talks about last year's fires and the intersing visits in the affected areas, we profit a lot of the nice surroundings, the kind people and the exciting traditions and culture of the area of Olympia. We also explored our own cultures, tasted our food and drinks from our own countries and tried hard to have as much fun as we could... :-)
posted by Dora on 20/10/2008
// Reforestation day (Training)
A couple of days before we leave Olympia, on Saturday the 18th, we visited the Hill of Galani, only some minutes away of the city centre of Olympia and very close to the famous archaeological site. The area of Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, was severely damaged by the fires of 2007. That Saturday morning, we had the opportunity, not only to get familiar with the surroundings and the environmental disaster of the area, but also do some reforestation work on the hill in cooperation with the local authorities.
posted by Dora on 18/10/2008
// Back to school - day 2 (Event)
One day after our visit to the primary school, we went back again. This time we were invited by the children and their teachers to plant some trees with them at the backyard of the school. The area all around the school is still black and full of burnt trees, so some new trees would be more than needed at the school anyways. The children explained to us that they had decided to make their school greener that is why they gave a specific part of their backyard to our Organization. Their idea is that we go there every year and plant new trees at this specific part of the school and they take care of the young trees all along the year. So, there we were, for a second day at the primary school, planting trees with our little friends…
posted by Kostas Voudouris on 17/10/2008
// Back to school - day 1 (Training)
One of the most interesting parts of our exchange was our visit to the primary school of the area. Thanks to the cooperation of the school director, all of us had the chance to…go back to school and become children again, even for one day :-)
We spend a whole morning with the children and their teachers, playing games, making drawings and telling stories about the environment and how to protect it and how to make our cities a better place to live.
This visit was more than a simple visit to a school; it was actually a part of bigger plan of environmental education in schools though the means of non-formal education methods and activities. The educational material that we used, came from ideas and activities that all of us had applied in the past in our countries. The core part of the programme though makes part of an educational tool-kit for environmental education in schools that ELIX has developed in the past 2 years.
Our activities at the school aimed at involving as many children as possible; that is why we decided to involve the whole school - about 120 pupils! We divided the children in 6 big groups according to their age and class. We had children of all classes - from 1st to 6th grade - so we had prepared different games and activities for each age group. Some of the activities were story-telling drawing, energizers as well as team games specially designed for children and focusing on environmental issues.
posted by Kostas Voudouris on 16/10/2008
// Sharing experiences with locals (Culture)
A big part of our time in Olympia was devoted to the local people and to the stories and memories they had to share with us about the fires of 2007. Besides, this was the main aim of our exchange, so we focused a lot on meeting as many locals as possible. For this, we spent several days visiting places in the area of Olympia and also in neighboring cities and villages like Zacharo, Platanos, Floka and more.
We had the chance to see with our own eyes the extent of the disaster caused by the fires, the burnt hills and mountains all around as well as the remainings of some destroyed houses and properties. The villagers and the residents of the area described to us the days of fire of last August. Most of them were caught by the fires in the area together with their families trying to save their properties and the important buildings and places of their villages or cities.
A great number of them also shared with us their disappointment and frustration about the way the State handled the situation and treated them both during the fires and after the period after them. The hardest moment of our contact with locals was when we came across a woman, who had lost her husband and other members of her family in the fires.
During our visit to these cities and villages in Olympia and around, we had the chance to ask local people questions and personal impressions about the fires. We also talked with local officials, public servants, volunteer firemen and other persons that were directly involved in the fight of the fires, and their testimonies completed our image about the fires of 2007. Last, we manage to shoot a lot of pictures and videos containing all these personal testimonies, stories and feelings of the local people as well as the general atmosphere of the area one year after the disaster.
posted by Kostas Voudouris on 13/10/2008
// Programme of the exchange (Training)
ONE YEAR AFTER THE FIRES: GREEN IS THE COLOR OF HOPE!
Ancient Olympia, 8th – 21st October 2008
Daily program
Wednesday, October 8th
09:00 – 21:00 Participants’ Arrival
21:00 – 22:00 Dinner
22:00 Night out – Get to know each other
Thursday, October 9th
08:30 – 09:30 Waking up
09:30 – 10:30 Breakfast
10:30 Departure for Ancient Olympia
15:00 – 17:00 Arrival – Accommodation
16:30 - 18:00 Ice-breaking games
18:30 - 19:30 Presentation of ELIX
19:30 - 21:30 Presentation of the exchange and its activities
21:00 – 22:30 Dinner
22:30 Night out
Friday, October 10th
08:30 – 09:30 Waking up
09:30 – 10:30 Breakfast
10.30 – 14:30 Speed greek language & culture course
14:30 – 17:00 Lunch
16:00 – 21:00 Presentation of our Organizations
21:00 – 22:30 Dinner
Saturday, October 11th
08:30 – 09:30 Waking up
09:30 – 10:30 Breakfast
10:30 – 13:00 Groupwork: Cleaning of burnt areas – Planning and preparation of the reforestation
13:00 – 15:30 Lunch
15:30 – 20:30 Groupwork: Meeting with local people, discuss, collect information, pictures and objects related to the fires
20:30 Dinner & Italian night
Sunday, October 12th
08:30 – 09:30 Waking up
09:30 – 10:30 Breakfast
10:30 – 13:00 Sight-seeing in the area of Ancient Olympia
13:00 – 15:00 Lunch
15:00 – 17:30 Free time
17:30 – 20:30 Workshop: Non-formal education games and activities about environmental issues – presentation of the material the participants have brought with them (1)
20:30 Diner & French night
Monday, October 13th
08:30 – 09:30 Waking up
09:30 – 10:30 Breakfast
10:30 – 13:00 Workshop: Non-formal education games and activities about environmental issues – presentation of the material the participants have brought with them (2)
13:00 – 15:30 Lunch
15:30 – 20:30 Free time – Possible visit to a nearby city where our EVS volunteers live
20:30 Dinner & Greek night
Tuesday, October 14th
08:30 – 09:30 Waking up
09:30 – 10:00 Breakfast
10:00 – 14:00 Reforestation in an area indicated by the local authorities
14:00 – 15:30 Lunch
15:30 – 17:00 Free time
17:00 – 21:00 Groupwork: Meeting with local people, discuss and collect more information – Design the the layout of the album
21:00 Dinner
Wednesday, October 15th
08:30 – 09:30 Waking up
09:30 – 10:00 Breakfast
10:00 – 14:00 Reforestation in an area indicated by the local authorities
14:00 – 16:00 Lunch
16:00 – 21:00 Pool party & free time
21:00 Dinner
Thursday, October 16th
08:30 – 09:30 Waking up
09:30 – 10:30 Breakfast
10:30 – 13:00 Workshop: Exchange of experiences and memories from last year’s fires in the partner countries. Discuss and compare with the information we will have from Greek local people. How much similar or different was the way we lived the fires in our countries?
13:00 – 15:00 Lunch
15:00 – 17:00 Free time
17:00 – 20:30 Workshop: Non-formal education games and activities about environmental issues – practice, introduction of new ones, discussion about how these can be used as tool for environmental education in schools
20:30 Dinner
Friday, October 17th
08:30 – 09:30 Waking up
09:30 – 10:30 Breakfast
10:30 – 13:00 Reforestation in an area indicated by the local authorities
13:00 – 15:00 Lunch
15:00 – 17:00 Free time
17:00 – 20:30 Visit to the local elementary school – Attend an event on environmental issues organized by the school
20:30 Dinner & Spanish night
Saturday, October 18th
08:30 – 09:30 Waking up
09:30 – 10:30 Breakfast
10:30 – 13:00 Workshop: Non-formal education games and activities about environmental issues – Select and classify the games and the rest of the material that will be used for the creation of the t-kit
13:00 – 15:00 Lunch
15:00 – 17:00 Free time
17:00 – 20:30 Album with the memories of local people from last year’s fires: finalize the layout and the content
20:30 Dinner & Portuguese night
Sunday, October 19th
08:30 – 09:30 Waking up
09:30 – 10:30 Breakfast
10:30 – 13:00 Album with the memories of local people from last year’s fires: finalize the content
13:00 – 15:00 Lunch
15:00 – 17:00 Free time
17:00 – 20:30 T-kit on environmental education for students: finalize the content
20:30 – 22:00 Dinner
22:00 Night out
Monday, October 20th
08:30 – 09:30 Waking up
09:30 – 10:30 Breakfast
10:30 – 13:30 Possible visit to a school (in cooperation with the local authorities), where we may have the chance to present out t-kit on environmental education to children
13:30 – 15:00 Lunch
15:00 – 17:00 Free time
17:00 – 20:30 Presentation of the results of the exchange: the album with the memories of the locals and the t-kit on environmental education for students
20:30 – 22:00 Dinner
22:00 Farewell party
Tuesday, October 21st
08:30 – 09:30 Waking up
09:30 – 10:30 Breakfast
10:30 – 14:00 Departure for Athens
14:00 – 15:30 Lunch
17:00 Departure of participants
posted by Kostas Voudouris on 04/10/2008
// What to bring with you (Training)
Dear Participants!!!
First of all thanks for your enthusiasm and energy for this youth exchange. I am marina, the president of ELIX and I hoe we will have the chance to meet at list for few days in Olympia. Anyway our Leader Kostas and Stella will be there with you from our association so that you can ask and learn about our activities in detailst through them.
Here belowe is :) a list from your campleader Stella. This things will help to prepare and implement better the activities! Moreover have in mind that during the intercultural night you will have the chance to give us an opportunity to know really your country thourgh the material you willbring and the activities you will organize!
For the youth exchange bring with you (if you have them and investing little time in research):
WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU
• Digital Camera with extra space for taking photos
• Video camera (if available)
• A favorite book of short stories OR 1 favorite short story (preferably in English or that you can translate easly)
• A favorite portrait (painting or photograph)
• Photos, articles (books if they exist) of fires in your country/ ways of prevention/testimonies etc
• Native songs (in usb stick) that involve around the theme of fire, either literally or metaphorically (and lots more for the intercultural night)
• Myths, tales (incl. biblical ones) etc for the religious connotations that fire has
• Questions that revolve around fire: how, who, when, why, consequences, more emotional inquiries for those who lived through the event (they will eventually lead us in a questionnaire for the whole group)
please for any question or doubt post on the blog!
:) Marina
posted by Marina Sarli on 02/10/2008
// Preparation material (Training)
Here we are to make things more clear about the material you have to bring with you!
Let's clarify two of the outcomes of this project:
A. 1 training kit (material) about environment and fire prevention and protection
B. 1 album where we testimony our effort to keep the memory of what has happened one year ago in Greece. This album will be created after talking and meeting local people, with the material you'll bring from your country.
In this line, we kindly ask you - in order to obtain a good result at the end of the project - to bring with you
For the A Activity (training kit)
1. educational and ecological activities that are implemented from organizations, teachers in your coutry
2. informational material about rules to prevent and fight fires, material given by the fire department of your city or that you can find on Internet
3. any other material you think can be useful
For the B activity (album of memories)
1. Photos, articles (books if they exist) of fires in your country/ ways of prevention/testimonies etc
2. Native songs (in usb stick) that involve around the theme of fire, either literally or metaphorically (and lots more for the intercultural night)
3. Myths, tales (incl. biblical ones) etc for the religious connotations that fire has
4. Questions that revolve around fire: how, who, when, why, consequences, more emotional inquiries for those who lived through the event (they will eventually lead us in a questionnaire for the whole group)
5. Digital Camera with extra space for taking photos -Video camera and idealy one laptop per each group/nationality (please inform us about its availability)
For any comment or question please send your post on the blog of our youthechange
http://greenhope.yource.net/blog.aspx
You are all invited to join it as soon as possible, because as always the success of this youth exchange a part from your activity, depends mainly on your commitment and participation!
Ciao
Kostas and Stella
posted by Kostas A on 02/10/2008
// For intercultural nights (Culture)
Is this your first youth exchange?
if not, you may know that international nights can be either a very funny and memorable experience or it can be a very boring moment!
it's in your hand to reach the first!
:)))) some small suggestions!
ask your self, how can you present your country in a funny, interactive and intersting way?
- through food! bring ingredients and tipical food from your countries
- by deconstructing stereotypes: creat some activities like quiz, treasure hunt, games, theatre play
- throug dance and song presentation: teach the others one of your tipical song or dance!!!!
Moreover we ask you to bring:
• A favorite book of short stories OR 1 favorite short story (preferably in English or that you can translate easly)
• A favorite portrait (painting or photograph)
Leave your imagination free, think about it and bring your country live in Greece!!!!!
Kostas and Stella
posted by Kostas A on 02/10/2008
// Welcome (Event)
Dear all,
Welcome to our youth exchange "One year after the fires: green is the color of hope!".
We are young people from Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal and France, who decided to meet in Ancient Olympia in Greece. For two weeks, on 8-21 October 2008, we talked about the big fires of 2007 that made all Europe and especially Greece suffer great loss of people and unrepairable damage of the environment.
We had the chance to meet local people, who shared their stories and memories with us, to visit a primary school and talk about environment with the local children and also reviving a burnt hill of the area by printing some trees.
In this album, you can find some written memories and some images from our days in Olympia.
We hope that this will help you catch some of the spirit of our exchange and feel as excited as we felt during our stay in Olympia!
Enjoy reading!
Elix team
posted by Marina Sarli on 17/09/2008