Work

In today's world, it is impossible to imagine life without togetherness if we want to stand up for human rights worldwide. The issue of human rights concerns us all and must not be forgotten. Therefore, forums are needed where there is room for exchange and discussion. With the youth exchange in September 2023, we want to work out joint possibilities for action in relation to human rights and give young adults an insight into human rights work and the existing actors. The aim is to inspire the participants to get involved in this field. The venue will mostly be Göttingen. The individual days will focus on religious, linguistic and ethnic minorities and nationalities as well as indigenous people in the world. The focus will be on the challenges of human rights work and the problems of those affected and other activists. We also plan a trip to Berlin where we will have the opportunity to meet an MP at the Bundestag. The thematic focal points are to be dealt with in group work or plenary work. Discussion groups, postcolonial tours of Göttingen or a joint demonstration can/will be part of the programme. The youth encounter could result in various formats, such as a joint social media campaign, posters or a video about the two weeks.

Partner

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) is an international human rights organization that advocates for threatened ethnic and religious minorities, nationalities and indigenous communities. We take sides with the victims of crimes against humanity, and we are not afraid to name the perpetrators and their accomplices. Our aim is to inform the public about the persecution and extermination of minority groups – with press releases and media interviews, with our magazine "Für Vielfalt", via the Internet and social networks, with exhibitions, lectures and public debates. We put pressure on policy makers; we publish human rights reports, documents and memoranda and expert opinions, provide experts, try to win over advocates and demand help for the needy and the persecuted. We are often able to ensure that war crimes are not covered up and that human rights violations cannot be played down

Location

Göttingen is a university city in Lower Saxony, central Germany. The population is around 120,000. Göttingen is famous for its old university Georgia Augusta, which was founded in 1734 (first classes in 1737) and became the most visited university of Europe. In your free time, you will have the opportunity to explore the pituresque city with its bars and student clubs. The mountains of the Harz are not far.

Accomodation

We will be accommodated at a nice youth hostel in 3 and 4 bedrooms. It is located in the center of Göttingen. It has a big kitchen and a social living space. Beds, blankets and pillows with covers are available. Please make sure you bring a sleeping bag or sheets, a towel and slippers! There is free internet. Food: In the hostel there is a big kitchen for the group. Please be prepared not only to cook there, but also to clean up afterwards ;) This will be done by the kitchen team of your group. Volunteers have to cook the meals for themselves. Please bring easy recipes from your home country.

Requirements

STP will support your travel costs with up to 100€ upon the presentation of your tickets. If you want to learn about the work in the human rights field, be active and see the university city of Göttingen, this is just about the right camp

Notes:

If you are from a Non-European country, please wait until the 15th of June 2024 with your purchase of your tickets. STP will support your travel costs with up to 100€ upon the presentation of your tickets. If you want to learn about the work in the human rights field, be active and see the university city of Göttingen, this is just about the right camp

Descrizione

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Work

The tasks will be mowing andcollecting the grass. Additionally, the participants of the project will support the work on renovations on the Castle grounds. The hilly massive around Lohra Castle is listed as National Nature Reserve. Open Houses supports the Reserve since several years with volunteering activities. In a forest near the Castle the participants will remove trees and bushes which are not corresponding with the protection aims in order to clean the paths and make them enjoyable again. They will also will collect the wood remaining after maintenance works, load it on a truck, unload it at the castle and split and stack it for wintertime or for the fireplace. Besides that, the volunteers will continue the maintenance of the green area at the castle. In addition, in the later part of the summer, they will support the recollection, assortment, splitting and storage of wood to prepare the castle for the harsh winter months. PARTICIPATION TERMS Participants have to take part for the whole time of the project. The working part consists in six hours per day. Be informed, that during all projects the work will take place also on rainy and cold days and be prepared for that.

Partner

Open Houses – not empty buildings, but places with visible and invisible traces of history, places which have grown and decayed over the centuries, places which were shaped by those people who lived there long ago as well those who left only yesterday – places which will be shaped by those who live there or who come as a guest. Open Houses – rooms which want to be filled with dreams and ideas, with meetings and exchange, by people of different backgrounds, different cultures, different generations and different ideas and visions. The history of Open Houses Network dates back to the mid-1980s, when a group of young people started to restore village churches in East Germany in voluntary work to protect them from decay. The engagement for these buildings united people who enjoyed the freedom these activities provided and who filled these rooms with life again in ways which by far exceed the craftsmen's work done – through exhibitions, concerts, making music together or just sitting by the camp fire. Meanwhile, rooms free of political and ideological pressure are no longer urgently required; however, places have become rare where people can meet without commercial pressure, free of bureaucracy and institutionalism, free of nepotism and the exclusion which it produces. What should be easy – to go somewhere in order to meet people and to work together – has become difficult. The tightrope walk between, on the one hand, public activities in a monetary and functional sense, and the retreat into private life on the other, is very difficult, and it requires a lot of power and permanent efforts to tackle red tape and financial restrictions. Free spaces are less and less understood as common property, and are permanently being cut back. The idea of public property seems to have gone out of fashion, and places of common responsible work have become rare. Open Houses Network tries to create and protect such spaces. In this process, we do not want to be the doers, but be people who have a vision, who want to initiate something, but who also are aware of depending on the co-operation of others. We understand our projects and events as offers – as offers to create space for commitment, for changes, for meetings.

Location

LOCATION: Next towns: Bleicherode (6 km), Nordhausen (20 km), Erfurt (75 km) Region: Thuringia Lohra Castle is situated in the heart of Germany in Northern Thuringia. The castle, which is surrounded by a scenic hilly landscape, is located on the edge of a natural reserve area. Being one of the largest castles in Thuringia, the history of castle Lohra begins in the Middle Ages. Its architectural styles which have been preserved in the structures of the ensemble attest to a prolonged period of occupation and historical evolution up until today. The castle is more than thousand years old, and it is a relic of German medieval past that is still standing at the heart of a region through which the story of the German nation has been written. Today, it includes twenty buildings from different time periods, showcasing this historical evolution to the enchantment of visitors and heritage enthusiasts: medieval fortifications, remnants of a tower from the 11th century, a Romanesque double-floored chapel, a manor house from the Renaissance period as well as stables and granaries from the 19th and the early 20th centuries. The ensemble is situated in the centre of a beautiful forest. LEISURE TIME The camp places are mostly situated in small villages in rural areas, so the participants should not expect busy places and normal city activities for the leisure time during the working days. Small trips in walking distance are possible in the afternoon. On the weekends it is possible to organise an excursion to nearby cities or to have other leisure activities.

Accomodation

ACCOMMODATION: shared rooms with 2 – 5 beds in 3 guest houses, warm shower (limited hot water), 1 camp kitchen (cold water), coal-burning stoves FOOD: The meals will be prepared together as they are part of the community life, what means that every participant will be responsible for the meal at least once during its stay. So, it would be very nice if the participants could bring typical recipes from home in order to introduce each other to the preparation of food from all over the world.

Requirements

WHAT TO BRING Usually, average temperatures in Germany during the summer time are about 20o C to 30o C; during the night it will get colder. It is possible that there may be two weeks of non-stop sunshine, but every day rain is not impossible either. In September and October, it's about 8o C to 18o C. Passport Insurance Certificates (EU-members should bring their European Health Insurance Card; those which have an individual travel insurance should bring the certificate) sleeping bag stable work boots, really appropriate for practical work appropriate clothes, waterproof coat mosquito protection lotion dictionary typical recipes, sweets, music, instruments and games from the participants' home country for group activities

Meeting point

TERMINAL: Next bus station: Großlohra, Friedrichslohra/Wartehalle Next railway stations: Gebra/Hainleite (5 km), Wolkramshausen (12 km). Next airports: Leipzig/Halle (LEJ, 155 km), Frankfurt/Main (FRA, 280 km), Berlin (BER, 300 km)

Notes:

Open Houses does not provide internet access or phone at the sites. So, it will be not possible for the participants to check emails or to make phone calls from the project place. The next public phones are at most of the places far away and there are no internet cafes nearby. In the case that participants will need access to internet or phone they should prepare themselves in advance. Furthermore, washing machines are not available at the camp places.

Descrizione

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Work

The camp leader has to be able to work independently as well as in a team. Since most of the camps are organised by several camp leaders (one or two and one or more technical leaders) it is necessary to agree upon several issues in a team. All in all, leading a camp means a lot of work and empathy as well as a lot of fun. Open Houses gives the camp leaders the opportunity to be creative and to take over responsibility for their own work. Of course, they will not be left alone in their role. Before getting active as a camp leader s/he will take part in one camp as a volunteer, parallel to the introduction as camp leader. It will be a good experience to be an “ordinary participant” for one or two weeks and to get to know the camp leader's tasks from the participants' point of view. After experiencing the atmosphere of the first camp and after Open Houses and the potential camp leader have gotten to know each other better. PARTICIPATION TERMS Participants have to take part for the whole time of the project. The working part consists in six hours per day. Be informed, that during all projects the work will take place also on rainy and cold days and be prepared for that.

Partner

Open Houses – not empty buildings, but places with visible and invisible traces of history, places which have grown and decayed over the centuries, places which were shaped by those people who lived there long ago as well those who left only yesterday – places which will be shaped by those who live there or who come as a guest. Open Houses – rooms which want to be filled with dreams and ideas, with meetings and exchange, by people of different backgrounds, different cultures, different generations and different ideas and visions. The history of Open Houses Network dates back to the mid-1980s, when a group of young people started to restore village churches in East Germany in voluntary work to protect them from decay. The engagement for these buildings united people who enjoyed the freedom these activities provided and who filled these rooms with life again in ways which by far exceed the craftsmen's work done – through exhibitions, concerts, making music together or just sitting by the camp fire. Meanwhile, rooms free of political and ideological pressure are no longer urgently required; however, places have become rare where people can meet without commercial pressure, free of bureaucracy and institutionalism, free of nepotism and the exclusion which it produces. What should be easy – to go somewhere in order to meet people and to work together – has become difficult. The tightrope walk between, on the one hand, public activities in a monetary and functional sense, and the retreat into private life on the other, is very difficult, and it requires a lot of power and permanent efforts to tackle red tape and financial restrictions. Free spaces are less and less understood as common property, and are permanently being cut back. The idea of public property seems to have gone out of fashion, and places of common responsible work have become rare. Open Houses Network tries to create and protect such spaces. In this process, we do not want to be the doers, but be people who have a vision, who want to initiate something, but who also are aware of depending on the co-operation of others. We understand our projects and events as offers – as offers to create space for commitment, for changes, for meetings.

Location

Lohra Castle and other places LEISURE TIME The camp places are mostly situated in small villages in rural areas, so the participants should not expect busy places and normal city activities for the leisure time during the working days. Small trips in walking distance are possible in the afternoon. On the weekends it is possible to organise an excursion to nearby cities or to have other leisure activities. s/he organises leisure activities after the working days and is welcome to prepare campfires, barbecues, games or other group activities. For the weekends the camp leader should be ready to plan little trips to bigger cities nearby or other activities.

Accomodation

ACCOMMODATION: Depending on the camp place. Please have a look at the camp place descriptions. FOOD The meals will be prepared together as they are part of the community life, what means that every participant will be responsible for the meal at least once during its stay. So, it would be very nice if the participants could bring typical recipes from home in order to introduce each other to the preparation of food from all over the world.

Requirements

The camp/ technical leader can apply for longer or less than the dates mentioned (consultation with Incoming officer). DURATION: Between six weeks and four months, the beginning dates are fixed because of the introduction course WHAT TO BRING: alarm bell, calculator, purse, working gloves and strong shoes, sleeping bag, waterproof clothes Motivation letter related to the project, CV + photo and basics of German and valid driver license an asset Usually, average temperatures in Germany during the summer time are about 20o C to 30o C; during the night it will get colder. It is possible that there may be two weeks of non-stop sunshine, but every day rain is not impossible either. In September and October, it's about 8o C to 18o C. Passport Insurance Certificates (EU-members should bring their European Health Insurance Card; those which have an individual travel insurance should bring the certificate) sleeping bag stable work boots, really appropriate for practical work appropriate clothes, waterproof coat mosquito protection lotion dictionary typical recipes, sweets, music, instruments and games from the participants' home country for group activities

Meeting point

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Notes:

Open Houses does not provide internet access or phone at the sites. So, it will be not possible for the participants to check emails or to make phone calls from the project place. The next public phones are at most of the places far away and there are no internet cafes nearby. In the case that participants will need access to internet or phone they should prepare themselves in advance. Furthermore, washing machines are not available at the camp places.

Work

Volunteers are invited to help with the care and maintenance of this social centre and its various areas. There is work outside and inside: The meadow orchard must be cleared of bushes and, depending on the weather, apples can be collected and processed into apple juice. The work in the organic vegetable garden also depends on the weather, usually the volunteers help with the harvest of fruit and vegetables. In the castle itself, there is painting and cleaning work to be done to maintain the building. Encounters with kids and people of the region are foreseen. Overall, there is a wide variety of tasks - something for everyone!

Partner

Bedheim castle was first mentioned in the year 1169 and was destroyed and reconstructed several times in its long history. During the last 20 years, the castle became a sociocultural center for this remote region. Currently it offers meeting places for social and cultural initiatives. With historical rooms, the garden café, various types of gardens and being surrounded by beautiful nature, it is a perfect place to meet with friends, to enjoy a good piece of cake or even to celebrate a wedding. Since 1992, this association has been organizing workcamps. Volunteers enjoy spending their time to meet and work together with the inhabitants. An organic garden, a painter's studio, a goldsmith's workshop and an architect's office are the basis for the existence of the residents. There is even a small castle museum, where you can admire the bones of prehistoric dinosaurs, once living in this region. Last but not least: nice cats and dogs are waiting to be petted by the volunteers! The aim of this project is to create an atmosphere where people with or without disabilities may come, live and work together without any prejudice against handicap, nationality, or religion. We may learn more about natural beauty of the environment. We can make excursions to places of cultural and historical interest (e.g. Weimar, the city of Goethe and the concentration camp Buchenwald). We can have discussions and lectures about German history, society, culture and politics (the German East-West border was only 9 km away from Bedheim). There will be the possibility to encounter with young people of the region and getting to know more about the countries of the participants.

Accomodation

Bedheim castle offers a simple group accommodation in a seminar house. Beds will be provided. Meals will be prepared by the group (less meat but a lot of very good vegetables and fruits from the nursery). Warm water is provided from a solar collector.

Requirements

Some basic knowledge of German or English is recommended. Please bring rain and working clothes as well as swim suits, a sleeping bag, slippers, towels and warm pullovers with you. You can also bring a map, pictures or special food items from your country.

Notes:

Some basic knowledge of German or English is recommended. Please bring rain and working clothes as well as swim suits, a sleeping bag, slippers, towels and warm pullovers with you. You can also bring a map, pictures or special food items from your country.

Work

Help to improve the health and lifespan of trees and contribute to increasing biodiversity. You will work with the other volunteers on an extensively used orchard with over 100 different fruit trees. These fruit orchards have characterised the landscape for centuries and are still used today for both fruit (apples and pears) and hay. Your task is to cut off branches. You will receive a detailed introduction, as there is a lot to consider. You will be equipped with tools and climb ladders to reach the uppermost parts of the tree. There are probably still a few fruits hanging on the trees, so your task would be to harvest these first. The task is super important as trimming trees increases their lifespan and old trees are a perfect habitat for various animals. In general orchard meadows play an outstanding role for biodiversity in Central Europe and are important for the future. They are among the most species-rich habitats in Central Europe. You will work five days per week, two days off.

Partner

This workcamp is based on the cooperation between IBG and the „Naturpark Schwäbisch-Fränkischer Wald“ including the local forestry administration. This project is brand new and a real rarity.

Location

The workcamp will take place in a single settlement approx. 10 km west of Schwäbisch Hall. The landscape in this area is very beautiful! It is dominated by forests, steep hills. Only small hamlets interrupt the nature, which makes it a perfect region for plenty of different species but also for hiking. You will really feel different here! At your accommodation is a barbecue area, several hiking trails, a special cultural landscape trail and a swimming lake (if it's still warm enough) that can be reached on a short hike. You can also reach a lot by bus: There is a brewery that can be visited; the old town of Schwäbisch Hall has museums, shops and some traditional German historical buildings.

Accomodation

You will spend the night on a youth campsite about 50 metres from the orchard (run by the local forestry administration). It will be an outdoor adventure, because in October the weather is already very autumnal, which means it can also rain, the temperatures drop and the hours of sunshine become fewer. There will be showers and toilets in a house, as well as a barn where you can set up your lounge. If it pours with rain, you can also spend the night here if necessary. There is an outdoor gas cooker for cooking. You don't need to bring a tent, but you do need a sleeping bag, a sleeping mat, warm, weatherproof clothing and sturdy shoes. So if you want to be active in increasing biodiversity, love nature and enjoy simple accommodation, almost like a kind of survival camp, then this work camp is perfect for you. Your group of volunteers will be responsible for grocery shopping and cooking together. The food will be bought with the camp budget and everybody will take turns for cooking, washing the dishes and cleaning. In order to reduce our carbon footprint on the planet, we encourage volunteers to reduce meat and try more sustainable dishes.

Requirements

Bring a warm sleeping bag (pillow if needed), a sleeping mat, warm, weatherproof clothing and sturdy shoes. Please be aware that ticks can be an issue when you spend a lot of time outdoors in natural areas in Germany - like in this camp. In our General Infosheet you will find suggestions on how you can protect yourself against them. You are also welcome to check whether a vaccination against the tick-borne disease TBE makes sense and is possible in your home country

Meeting point

You can check for connections from anywhere to „Baierbach Abzw., Michelfeld“ on: www.bahn.com/en

Notes:

This project is really for adventurers and nature lovers who want to try out living in nature and with nature even in German autumn. You will be outside a lot, there will be campfires, improvised cooking, hikes and special nature experiences. *Please be aware that ticks can be an issue when you spend a lot of time outdoors in natural areas in Germany - like in this camp. In our General Infosheet you will find suggestions on how you can protect yourself against them. You are also welcome to check whether a vaccination against the tick-borne disease TBE makes sense and is possible in your home country.*

Work

Would you like to learn circus acrobatics, pass on what you have learnt to children and perform together with the children in a circus show in front of a large audience? Then this work camp in Ahrensburg (near Hamburg) is the right place for you. The work part begins on Sunday 13th of October: together with the other workcamp participants, you will help to set up a large circus tent on the grounds of the youth centre. From the following Monday to Friday, the entire workcamp group will receive circus training in the tent from a professional circus trainer. In the second week, from Monday to Friday, you will pass on the skills you have learned to children from Ahrensburg as part of the local holiday programme. On Friday evening, the children will perform what they have learnt together with you in a circus show with a large audience in a big circus tent.

Partner

Jugendtreff Hagen - Hagen youth centre The Hagen youth centre in the district of the same name in the small town of Ahrensburg offers a comprehensive open programme for children and young people, supervised by teachers. There are a variety of indoor and outdoor games, a campfire area, a wood and pottery workshop, billiards and table football as well as a romping room with climbing nets The ijgd has been organising volunteer service programmes since 1949. We are an independent, non-profit association for international youth work, a recognised independent youth welfare organisation, and one of the largest and oldest workcamp organisations in Germany. Each year, we assist around 5,000 young people into volunteer work in Germany and abroad. We give them the opportunity to be creative, act in solidarity, take responsibility for themselves, and discover their own true potential and strengths. Our principles: Ecological learning, voluntary contribution, self-organisation, social development, intercultural learning, gender equality, anti-racism/anti-discrimination and political education. Follow us on Instagram ijgd_workcamps Facebook @ijgd.workcamps

Location

The youth centre is located just outside Ahrensburg right next to the forest and is surrounded by a beautiful outdoor area with a campfire site. There is a football pitch in the immediate neighbourhood. You can play sports there. There is a bus connection to Ahrensburg town centre (30 minutes). There you can visit a swimming pool, the pedestrian zone or Ahrensburg Castle. On the middle weekend or on free afternoons and evenings, trips to Hamburg, Lübeck or to the beautiful sandy beaches of the Baltic Sea are worthwhile. On some excursions you will be supported by the youth centre with minibuses.

Accomodation

You will sleep on camp beds with mattresses in the cosy youth centre with a wood-burning stove and beautiful outdoor area. A central kitchen, sanitary facilities with three toilets and one shower each, as well as two lounges for eating and for group activities with billiards, two table football tables and air hockey are available. You will cook together. You will be provided with money for shopping. A transport service is available by arrangement for shopping trips. Vegetarian or vegan meals are possible. Please indicate any intolerances when registering.

Requirements

Physical fitness for circus training; sporty, comfortable clothing preferably in black for the performance under black light

Meeting point

at the accommodation on Friday 11th of October between 3 and 6 p.m. From Hamburg airport take S-Bahn S1 (direction Wedel or Hamburg-Blankenese) to Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (Hamburg main train station, about 24 min travel time). The S1 is running every 10min. At Hauptbahnhof (main train station) you should change to the underground train U 1 in direction of „Großhansdorf“. Trains are running every 20 minutes. After travelling for around 36 minutes, you should get off at the station “Ahrensburg Ost”. At Ahrensburg Ost you take the bus 269 in the direction “Dänenweg” and leave it after 8min at the station “Spechtweg” From the Spechtweg bus stop, walk to the crossroads 50 metres away, turn right into Hagener Allee and after approx. 50 metres you will reach the youth club, your camp site, on the left-hand side. More Information about train and bus connections: www.bahn.com or www.hvv.de/en

Work

Study part: The group will receive German lessons by a qualified teacher who is a native speaker. You will receive 3 hours German lessons in the morning. The grammar and communication will be deepened, depending on the wishes and needs of the participants. In your free time, excursions through Berlin and the surrounding area are planned. It is planned that the volunteers also communicate in German with each other in their free time to deepened the subject matter.

Partner

"Projekt- und Begegnungsstätte" of the Association of Young Volunteers (Vereinigung Junger Freiwilliger e.V. (VJF))

Location

Location: You will live in the"Projekt- und Begegnungsstätte" of the Association of Young Volunteers. The small bungalow village is located directly on the banks of the lake "Langer See" in Berlin-Grünau. It's a quiet place, a bit away from the center of Berlin, but with a good infrastructure. Leisure time: The free time activities are determined by the participants at the beginning of the camp. Please research in advance what you would like to see in Berlin and bring your suggestions with you!

Accomodation

Accomodation: You will live at the center in heated bungalows. Bed linen will be provided, so you don´t have to bring a sleeping bag with you. There is no washing machine and only limited internet access in the center. Food: You will have the chance to prepare your own meals in a kitchen at the centre. Please bring easy recipes from your home country, so you can prepare some traditional meals for each other."

Requirements

Language skills: minimum A2 This course is not suitable for absolute beginners!

Meeting point

Projekt- und Begegnungsstätte der VJF Krimnitzer Weg 25 12527 Berlin Arrival time: Arrival day from 10am until 4pm. If your arrival time deviates, please let us know.

Notes:

Please bring with you: - a flashlight - warm clothes - towels and personal items - entertainment (music, games, instruments,...) - International Student Identity Card (ISIC)