The project's main idea was to form a group of 15 - 25 young people who would live together for two or three weeks in a particular village in one of the country regions of the Czech Republic. During this period these people are working, having seminars, making trips and excursions and playing games. They should try to understand local problems connected with sustainable live styles and to increase communicative relations between young people from around the whole world. The inner language for the group is English, however Czech leaders provide for interpreting for the sake of communication with locals. This program was based on the Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organisations group of Youth voluntary workcamps.
Description of Camps:
KUCELOV I: July 2 - 14, 2000; 8 volunteers The camp is situated in a typical village in a region rich in folklore near the Slovakian border, 15 km from Veseli nad Moravou. It is surrounded by the hills of Bile Karpaty with orchid meadows. The region is famous for its typical "slivovica brandy".
Volunteers chosen to participate at this camp were preferentially from the Czech and Slovak republics and from Austria. The group worked on preparing an educational cycling path in the Hornacko region. They cleared paths and built path markers and benches along the cycling path. They worked in public green spaces. Volunteers also managed to pick and dry herbs which are now distributed under the name "the Carpathian mixture".
Volunteers were able to discuss problems connected with development of the region with representatives of the local government and a specialist in eco-agroturism and in biosphere preservation. Their accommodations were in a local school and they cooked for themselves.
KUCELOV I I: August 17 - 31 2000; 14 volunteers
The camp is situated in a typical village in a region rich in folklore near the
Slovakian border, 15 km from Veseli nad Moravou. It is surrounded by the hills
of Bile Karpaty with orchid meadows. The region is famous for its typical
"slivovica brandy".
The group worked on restorating the greenery of a public park and on preparing a fruit drying device in a hut serving as a meeting place for the community. They helped the community with street lighting.
Volunteers were able to discuss problems connected with development of the region with representatives of the local government and a specialist in eco-agroturism and in biosphere preservation.
They met handicrafts-makers and did some drawing, painting and ceramics. Their accommodations were in a local school with basic equipment and they cooked together.
LOPENIK: June 25 - July 7, 2000; 8 volunteers
The camp specialised in culture-nature interaction in border villages in the Kopanice region. It was located in a typical village of the border region, close to Slovakia, 15 km from Uhersky Brod. It is surrounded by hills with meadows and orchards,
beautiful flower fields and clean, deep forests. The region is famous for its typical "slivovica brandy".
The group was mowing and clearing meadows and clearing a stream. Volunteers met with people from the municipality. They visited handicrafts-makers, worked with clay and rode bicycles. Their accommodations were in a house belonging to the village, which had basic equipment. The group did cooking from common resources provided by the local sponsor.
MODRA : June 19 - July 7, 2000; 10 volunteers The camp was situated in a traditional wine village in southern Moravia, near the town of Velehrad, 6 km from Uherske Hradiste.
Volunteers worked on a construction of a childrens playground, on reconstructing a roman wooden church and on building a look-out tower. The group met representatives from the local municipality and experts in revitalisation of villages and landscape. There was overall good interaction with local people. Volunteers accommodated in a village school and were provided basic equipment. The group did cooking from common resources provided by the local sponsor.
SUCHOV: July 13 - 26, 2000; 16 volunteers
The camp was situated in a traditional agricultural village and a wine region in
southern Moravia (15 km from Veseli nad Moravou), near the border with Slovakia.
The group did some work in the field of archaeology under the leadership of an
expert. They found some remainders of damaged walls and pieces of old (15th century)
ceramics and bones. They met representatives of the local municipality, they
visited Hornacke celebrations, an open air museum and another exhibition.
Accommodations were in a village school and included basic equipment. The group did cooking from common resources provided by the local sponsor.
VYSKOVEC: July 4 - 18, 2000; 12 volunteers
The camp was specialized in traditional life style in a new light of eco-agrotourism of the Kopanice region. It was located in a typical village of the border region, close to Slovakia, 20 km from Uhersky Brod. It is surrounded by hills with meadows and orchards, beautiful flower fields and clean, deep forests. The region is famous for its typical "slivovica brandy".
The group managed to mow a large overgrown meadow and an orchard belonging to the traditional farm, they also burned the grass. They did not meet an expert in landscape protection due to his illness, however, they got to know local flora of White Carpathians quite well.
Volunteers met representatives from the municipality, local farmers, specialists in eco-turism in villages and in landscape protection and also with handcraft-makers of traditional products. They also met participants of the "Lopenik workcamp" The group visited a carver and an artist who specialised in blue printing. They visited a folk festival in Stary Hrozenkov and a manufacture of cut glass in Lopenik.
Volunteers' accommodations were in a traditional village house without showers and electricity. The group cooked together from common resources provided by the local sponsor.
end final report.