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INFOPACK LIFE, LAND, AND WATER (ViTA) European Solidarity Corps 2023/2024 1. Introduction The Life, Land and Water Project (ViTA), aims to continue with the promotion of a healthy and sustainable culture, through environmental and human development activities, which are being carried out through its Tribe of the Sun Programme from the Al Hamam Association in Cortijo Los Baños (Lucainena de las Torres), located in the area of influence of the Tabernas desert (Almeria), considered the largest in Europe, where desertification and depopulation can be considered the main socio- environmental problems. 2. Description of the Al Hamam Association The Al Hamam Association develops three action programs: the Aruna Program, to disseminate techniques for the evolution of consciousness and spirituality; the Seeds of Life Program, to support natural upbringing, and schools of alternative pedagogy; and the Tribe of the Sun Program, to explore tools for personal growth in groups, and harmoniously integrate the social, economic, and environmental elements in this place. Here group life is a continuous learning, a place where we seek, experience and share new ways of living and living together working together. Internal growth and commitment to the environment make us walk together to achieve our goals, each finding its true identity. The purposes of Al Hamam Association are: a) Personal development and growth, through yoga, meditation and techniques that enhance physical, mental and emotional well-being. b) Promote cultural biodiversity, art and social development. c) Assist rural and environmental development with awareness and sustainability. d) Promote volunteering and cooperation at European and international level. e) To experience a learning of sustainable life in the different dimensions of the human being, through the design of a permanent culture in the time. f) Recovery of traditions and giving value to natural resources. g) Educate, and raise awareness through art, creativity and in relation to nature as fundamental elements in development in freedom. h) Share activities and experiences of parents and children through natural upbringing and alternative education.
3. Purposes and Objectives of ViTA: Main Purposes: 1. To promote a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. To raise awareness of European rural cultural heritage and its conservation. To promote the construction of an inclusive society with European and permaculture values. 2. 3. General Objectives: 1.- Environment Area: To promote traditional techniques of rural cultural heritage. To curb erosion and combat climate change. To increase biodiversity and the ecosystems of endangered species such as the chameleon. Enhance food sovereignty. Curb environmental impacts, and water, soil and air pollution. Optimise the use of resources and energy. Regenerate degraded soils. 2.- Sustainable Life Area: To adopt good practices that can serve as a reference in the future life of young people and in the design of development policies. To help rural and environmental development with the involvement in the lifestyle of residents and volunteers. To promote Integral Health. 3.- Communication Area: To promote participation in a democratic and active way of life in an intercultural community, with solidarity and interest in social inclusion. Cooperation within the community, promoting quality in the work and in common actions with other organisations and interested agents. Disseminate construction techniques of dry stone and traditional irrigation systems (e.g. irrigation ditches) that can be replicated by participants in other communities. To make young people from other countries aware of the reality of the problem of desertification and climate change, of its global nature and of the fact that we will have to live with its consequences in the coming decades throughout Europe. Promote volunteering and cooperation at European and international level. 4.- Learning Area: To educate and raise awareness through the relationship with nature as fundamental elements in the development of freedom and personal self-realisation. To experience a sustainable lifestyle in the different dimensions of the human being, promoting a permanent culture in time for all living beings. The specific objectives are: 1.- Environment Area: To build walls on the edges of the agricultural terraces using the dry stone technique. Improve the irrigation system by conserving the irrigation channels and ditches. Reforesting of the hills and wadis. Expand and care for the edible forest. Participate in the care of orchards and native and endangered farm animals. Produce and apply ecological fertilisers and phytosanitary products.
2.- Sustainable Life Area: Obtain tools for physical and emotional well-being. Facilitate adaptation to the ovo-lacto-vegetarian diet. Integrate healthy and sustainable habits. Promote cohesion and raise awareness of interculturality, through dialogue, dance, gastronomy... 3.- Communication Area: Create a project blog. Establish connections with other local, national and international organisations. Have daily organisational meetings, weekly coexistence meetings, and tutorials on demand. Disseminate, document and manage information internally and externally. To develop "Health and Culture" Days. 4.- Learning Area: To develop systemic thinking and holistic vision. Acquire knowledge related to rural cultural heritage, agro-ecology and holistic health (body, mind and soul). Improve language skills. Intercultural and rural adaptation and integration. Improving internal and external listening skills. Developing self-responsibility and empathy. 4. Description of project activities The dates of the Team Volunteering Activities, TVA, (not including travel days) are: - - - TVA1> 7-27 March, 2023. TVA2> 30 August- 19 September, 2023. TVA3> 3-23 September, 2024. And the dates for the Complementary Activities, "Health and Culture" Days (HCD), are: - HCD1> 25 March, 2023. - - HCD2> 16 September, 2023. HCD3> 21 September, 2024. The activities will take place, in Cortijo los Baños, located in Lucainena de las Torres (Spain), and will be comprised of young people from different European countries; in each activity, participants from Spain, Portugal, Germany, Romania, Turkey, Poland, and Italy. The European partner organisations, Supporting Organisations (SOs), will be in Germany, Eurocircle Deutschland e.V. (ECD); in Italy, Associazione Eurobox (AE); in Portugal, PROATLANTICO - ASSOCIACAO JUVENIL (PAJ); in Turkey, Topluma Destek Dernegi (TDD), in Romania, ASOCIATIA DE TINERI DIN ARDEAL (ATA); and in Poland, FUNDACJA ROZWOJU SPOLECZENSTWA PRZEDSIEBIORCZEGO (FRSP). The approach and methodology of the project is action learning supported by non-formal and informal training activities with group dynamics. Each team volunteering activity will be divided into cultural and environmental solidarity work tasks and training and socio-cultural cohesion tasks.
The cultural and environmental solidarity work tasks will be allocated 20h/week and will be alternated with the Rural Cultural Heritage, Healthy Life and Agroecology tasks via a rotating work method, in which 3 teams of young people will be trained. The tasks of training and socio-cultural cohesion will be allocated 15h/week and will be divided into a total of 5h/week to focus on theoretical aspects of Rural Cultural Heritage, Healthy Life, and Agroecology; as well as Yoga and Meditation Workshops, Communication Activities, Celebration Activities, Coexistence Meeting and Emotional Management Workshop (10h/week). As an Extra Activity during the weekend, an excursion will be provided to get to know the environment and its cultural heritage given that Lucainena de las Torres does not have public transport. On the last weekend of each Team Volunteering Activity, the "Health and Culture" Days will take place. The programmed tasks will be developed in four areas, linked to the objectives by areas: 1) Environment Area: within this area are the Rural Cultural Heritage tasks, linked to the creation, improvement and conservation of walls using the dry stone technique and irrigation ditches. Agro-ecology tasks will involve the care of vegetable gardens, trees and animals. They will also create fertilisers such as compost, bokashi, phytofortifying slurry and biofertilisers, as well as slurry to prevent and treat pests and diseases, and will apply natural extracts (phytosanitary products). 2) Sustainable Living Area: food processing and manufacturing: cooking and recycling food; drying herbs, fruits and vegetables; making bread, jams and various preserves (depending on the time of year). Waste management (e.g. recycling used oil to make soap). Maintain cleanliness and order with biodegradable products. Emotional management activities, body and consciousness activities (yoga, meditation...) and cohesion and celebration dynamics, as well as workshops on Conscious Eating and Natural Cosmetics. In addition sports activities such as hiking are offered. 3) Communication Area: This will be developed through daily organisational meetings, weekly meetings of residents and coordinators, and personal tutorials of volunteers with tutors, and in case of need, external mediation and/or facilitation. Liaison with other local, national and international organisations. Dissemination activities, spaces to document and manage information internally and externally. Collective tutorials to reflect on learning and organise dissemination and visibility activities (RRSS, weblog, conferences...). 4) Learning Area: This area will be developed mainly in the days programmed for training through study circles, with talks and various workshops, to focus on the theory necessary to develop the tasks of Rural Cultural Heritage, Agroecology and Sustainable Living.
5. Volunteer Profile The project is open to the participation of all young people, without discrimination of origin, colour or gender, interested in collaborating in environmental and climate change actions. However, we are especially excited about the possibility of facilitating inclusion and extending these opportunities to young people who are refugees and/or disadvantaged and have mobility difficulties, whether due to economic, social or geographical obstacles. So this is one of our main criteria: we would like to make the greatest possible positive impact on their lives, and select young people who can one day also expand that positive impact on the lives of others. Participants may benefit from being in a larger group, as this can be an incentive for young people who do not feel ready to embark on challenging and long-term experiences on their own; it can also bring them closer to getting to know how our organisation works, to confirm their possible future long-term stay; and the activity being of short duration, it can encourage the participation of those young people who cannot commit for a long period of time due to their studies or jobs, but still want to be of help to the community and nature. Participants for this project will be selected through the European Solidarity Corps Placement Administration and Support System (PASS) on the basis of their CV, questionnaire and motivation letter, followed by a video call to confirm their attitude and commitment to the objectives, ability to live in a rural environment with a warm climate, as well as the likelihood of being able to share a home and work with others for an intense period of time. The final selection will be made by the "Life, Land and Water" project coordinating team, with pre-selection by the supporting organisations. An understanding of biology and ecology, a desire to work the land, as well as some previous experience in sustainability projects are desirable, but not essential for participation. A basic knowledge of Spanish and a desire to become fluent in the language would also be an asset. An ethical commitment to social and environmental justice, flexibility, emotional maturity, capacity for responsibility and systems thinking, teamwork, motivation to learn and practice the skills necessary to develop their life and work in a community in a rural setting will be considered.
6. Practical arrangements Working Hours Volunteers commit to 20 hours of work and another 15 hours dedicated to training and other activities on a weekly basis. A total of 35 hours a week dedicated to the project, spread over 5 days and two days off. The diet is ovo-lacto-vegetarian, mainly local and seasonal. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served 7 days a week. Picnics will be offered on weekends. The accommodation consists of several wooden cabins with rooms of different sizes, a yurt as a common space, and bathroom modules with toilets and showers. A document with information on basic rules and agreements for coexistence will be provided. Participants will receive individual support on an equal basis among all participants in an activity, with respect to the maximum budget available. Participants anticipate payment of travel costs, which will be reimbursed at a later date. The participant will respect the maximum available budgets according to the Agreement of the Project ViTA. The travel days are: TVA1> Arrival day 6, and Departure day 28 March, 2023. TVA2> Arrival day 20 August, and Departure day 20 September, 2023. TVA3> Arrival day 2, and Departure day 24 September, 2024. Any exceptions will be agreed organisation. It is not necessary for the development of the activity. In spite of this, the host organisation will facilitate the transfer to the nearby towns of Sorbas and Tabernas, where there are more opportunities for public transport, in case of need; because Lucainena de las Torres has no public transport connection. The days off are Saturdays and Sundays of the first two weeks of the activity, and Sundays and Mondays of the third week of the corresponding activity. However, it is possible that as an extra activity, excursions may be organised to explore the surrounding area on these days. The consumption of non-legal drugs (marijuana, hashish, etc.) is prohibited; as well as the consumption of tobacco is restricted, to areas for smokers, duly signposted and previously agreed upon; and the consumption of alcohol, restricted to festive moments of group, previous agreement, and to alcoholic substances of low graduation (wine, beer, etc.). Food Accommodation Volunteer Support Travel days and costs in advance with the coordinating Local transport Free Days Others
