SVE do Ângelo na Sérvia

Greetings from Serbia! Im in the second of 9 months of EVS in the city of Vranje and everything is snow white here, it looks really beautiful.

I've been in Serbia before, for two Youth Exchanges and for filming one short documentary. Now I'm back for EVS and it's been great, I've been making lots of videos, which is the main purpose of my project, check them out here.

I'm also working hard to prepare my Cinema Workshops that I'm going to start giving to local participants. I will give two classes every week and my students will learn about all areas of filmmaking, I hope they are excited as I am.

My hosting organization, Generator, made sure my experience here is as rich as possible. I've been visiting all tradicional serbian situations, parties and new cultural events. The food is tasty, my co-workers are great and my work is interesting. So far I can't complain, it's going to be hard going back home after EVS, the adventure is addictive. See you soon on this blog!

Ângelo

Feliz, feliz!

Keep Spinning - Spin´s EVS Project!

Hosting organization: Associação Spin para o Intercâmbio, Formação e Cooperação entre os Povos, Lisbon (2009-PT-28)

Project starts: 1st of June, 2012 

Project lasts: 9 and 6 months

Vacancies: 2 volunteers

Applications deadline: 16th of December 

Application consists of: CV + project-specific motivation letter. Finalists will be contacted for a video-conference interview by 21st of December, 2011
Application sent to: sve.spin@gmail.com

Association Spin is looking for 2 volunteers for a long term EVS project in Lisbon, Portugal. In your application please specify which department you are applying to.

European Programmes and Mobility Department (duration 9 months)

- Preparation of new project proposals on the frames of the Youth in Action Programme, Lifelong Learning Programme and others in the field of youth, training and education
- Coordination of EVS volunteers sending activities, such as assisting in the preparation for departure, travel arrangements
- Support in the organization and implementation of youth exchanges and trainings

- Help in the organization and active participation in information sessions in schools, seminars and conferences in order to promote the YiA programme
- Collaboration with fellow volunteer in Image and Communication Department
- Research and collect information about European opportunities for young people for the elaboration of the monthly newsletter/mailing and update information on the website

Image and Communication Department (duration 6 months)
- Preparation, formatting and mailing of the monthly newsletter
- Maintaining and updating all Spin’s communication channels
- The graphic design of the blog, website, brochures, posters, flyers and promotional materials for the organization and other publications organization using his/her creativity
- Documenting all Spin’s activities and dissemination of information
- General support in the activities of association

Regarding the projects with the local community, both volunteers will be engaged in the organization of cultural and social activities for young people, as well as in the inclusion projects held in the neighborhood. If they wish to, they may also propose their own initiatives and get engaged in the local community of Bairro da Horta Nova.

The volunteers are going to be members of our team and will work in an intercultural environment, both formal and non-formal. The volunteers will be encouraged to be proactive by designing and implement their own initiatives, with the Association's approval, on themes such as citizenship, human rights, intercultural dialogue and others of their interest.

The volunteers will have to share the room with another volunteer/student/young person. Volunteers will use public transportation on daily basis, but housing will be arranged in a convenient location not too far from the office.
The volunteers will receive an allowance for food and transportation and pocket money, which they manage by themselves.

Volunteers are expected to spend 35 hours a week working. Their timetable includes space for language lessons, days off, social activities and development of their own project ideas, etc.

Criteria and volunteer profile

The volunteers are not required to have any particular degree of formal education. We would like to host volunteers with positive attitude, tolerant, flexible, responsible, ready to work and eager to learn about new cultures and lifestyles. They must be over 18. Very important is volunteer’s interest in working with Spin in particular and commitment to the goals of the organization. Knowledge of Portuguese is not required, but is an advantage, especially for volunteer interested in communication department.

Selection procedure

All interested candidates are requested to send a CV and a project-specific Motivation Letter in English or Portuguese to sve.spin@gmail.com with a subject line KEEP SPINNING by 16th of December. Selected candidates will be contacted for scheduling a Skype interview by 21st of December.

If you would like to know Spin better, to see our office and hear about the experiences of our past EVS volunteers you could watch the video created by our board member:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGsuVfZh2E0

Era uma vez uma Palestina não contada...

A experiência em Palestina de duas voluntárias Spin:

No próximo dia 13 de Dezembro, na livraria Ler Devagar, às 21h00, vamos partilhar algo que sabemos que deve ser ouvido. Histórias que trouxemos de uma intensa experiência de voluntariado num campo de refugiados na Palestina.

Através de uma sessão de storytelling e partilha de fotografias, pretendemos sensibilizar as pessoas para o que vimos na Palestina e em Israel e não vemos nos nossos órgãos de comunicação social. Mas como sensibilizar não chega, daremos às pessoas possibilidades de reagir através da assinatura de cartas e petições. Agradecemos a vossa presença e divulgação.

mirthful beginning

 

It has passed some time now that I live with an idea about the city of Lisboa. Or better

yet, the idea of me living in this city.  We have ideas about every possible thing that exists in this world and is part of our knowledge, no matter if we actually perceived directly it or not, but we like to dwell only in few of them, the ones whose objects we would care to last indeterminately long because of the imaginary esthetics of space and behavior that take place in that ideas. In this way, time loses its power and space is no longer relevant, for we can, at any given moment, move in and move out of these imaginary cities without (tres)passing any borders or waiting to be allowed in. But for me, not all that constitutes this idea was created by mere imagination and intuition. Some parts of the map were inspired by actual person's telling from this city that I have met elsewhere.  The first of the months that passed, where I was becoming the city's dweller was a continuous approval or denial of preexisting idealizations.  As one dear friend will say, Lisbon becomes a city of memories built on the grounds of the ruins of personal desires and dreams.  It still gives birth to me, his stranger, and for this I find it to be a shelter, an escape towards something, not from something. For now I walk through the city's streets as an unknown silent shadow and busy folk speeding to the next bulletin points of an agenda with their eyes focused on the next step of their feet don't notice me until I pronounce a word in their language and only than is the mystery revealed: he is probably just another tourist. Well, it is true when Karl Krauss says that we exist through our language, but I refuse to exist as a tourist in a city I would rather call home. Tourists take pictures of themselves in front of monuments, squares and other attractions that, besides what they stand for and witness, do good for the economy of the country, and they run with their maps and guides to the next highlighted destination so to share it on social and tourist networks and give publicity advices which hotel is... and what restaurant is...what club... etc, etc. I rarely take photos, but the ones I do, are of our houses we live in that give life to the city, and of people I randomly encounter. I wonder the streets and often get lost so to remember how lost I actually am. I travel to places that are always new so to forget my inconstancy. Is it really some kind of tautological emotional nomadism? Is only our place of birth our home? In this temporary incertitude I'm fortunate to live, work and be surrounded by persons that help me see the city with many eyes and create an impression that is exclusively mine , for it is only through persons that we know and remember a place, a city, and we perceive it as a person as well. For now we remain strangers and the thrill is still on. Will I be able to call it home after the walls of intimacy are crushed, or it will remain just another nice place I've been to?  And than again, as my dear friend, I too, often ask myself, how many places of birth should a person have, so to escape death or the memories of the cities in which he lost someone?

Nenad

My first two months as Spin´s volunteer

I'm Salvatore, from Italy and I just finished my first two months of Evs here in the Spin. These days have been very interesting for me.

I already had an experience in Lisbon, in 2006 when I came here for Erasmus for six months in the Universidade Nova. I loved this city, met lot of nice people so I decided to come back for the European Voluntary Service, to have a full view of the reality of this city. It is really very different kind of thing from as an Erasmus experience, but it is much better.

What I would like to do is to try to learn more about Portuguese language and culture, and growing up with my competences. This first days were full of new things, I still have to be accustomed at all of it but it is a good challenge for me. Working in the Spin office, preparing “Documenting Words” youth exchange, and the photographic exposition of the “Voluntas” youth exchange have been the main activities in these first days at Spin.

I also began my music lessons to the primary school of the neighbourhood of Horta Nova where the association is, witch gave me also the possibility to use my competences in music teaching, my job in Italy. This is for now my experience at Spin. I still have lot of time to know better and work more in this association, and I will for sure write soon more about it on this blog.

Salvatore

EVS in Carnide, Lisbon

Associação Spin, acting as the coordinating organization, is currently looking for four volunteers for the October, 16th deadline. The hosting institution, Junta de Freguesia de Carnide, is the local administrative unit of the Carnide area in Lisbon. Here are all the information needed:

   

Project “EUR@CTION IN CARNIDE II”

Hosting Organization: Junta de Freguesia de Carnide – (2011-PT-5)

Coordinating Organization: Associação Spin, Lisbon (2009-PT-28)

Project EVS service dates: March – November 2012

Project lasts: 9 months

Vacancies: 4 volunteers

Application deadline: 16th October 2011!

Application consists of: CV + project-specific motivation letter. In some cases there may be a video-conference interview.

Application sent to: evsjunta.spin@gmail.com

The hosting institution, Junta de Freguesia de Carnide, is the local administrative unit of the Carnide area in Lisbon. The volunteers are going to work mainly in three of the Junta's departments and their tasks will depend on the department they are assigned to:

SENIOR ACADEMY (1 volunteer)

· Cooperate with Senior Academy's volunteers and Coordinators
· Support the cultural and recreational activities promoted in the Academy, such as language and dance classes
· Promote and implement cultural and recreational workshops for the seniors (ex: language teaching workshop, dance, handicrafts..)
· Participate and support the Organization of Senior's Arraial (Popular party);
· Support to organization and implementation of cultural visits;
· Participate in Elder's summer colonies;
In particular the volunteer will be involved in the planning and programming of activities developed in the Senior Academy and participate in them, by providing support to the Coordinators and volunteers and also through the preparation of own workshop initiatives with the Elders. The volunteer will also collaborate in the organization of cultural visits and recreational activities outdoors for the Seniors as well as provide support for the logistics and company to the Seniors.

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT (2 volunteers)

· Cooperate with the Education Coordinating Team
· Cooperate with the Trainers
· Facilitate and promote activities for children and school community
· Elaborate and implement new projects in the area of education
In particular, the volunteer will give support to families, children and youngsters in activities related to curricular improvement. They will also participate in organization of the children’s popular marches, the “Expressions Fair” event and the summer animations. The volunteer will be present in all of the educational projects developed during their stay.

CULTURE DEPARTMENT (1 volunteer)

· Cooperate with the Culture Coordinating Team
· Participate in organization of cultural events and activities for the local community
· Cooperate with formal and informal groups in the area of culture
· Elaborate and implement of new projects in the area of culture
In specific, the volunteer will help with the regular cultural events (exhibitions, debates, book launches and presentations, theater plays, concerts, etc.) in several spaces of the Junta de Freguesia, namely the Culture Center of Carnide, bandstand and parish historical center, Espaço Bento Martins and Carnide’s Arts Market. They will also support the organization of Carnide’s popular marches and celebrations and implement cultural activities in the several neighborhoods of the Carnide area.
Regardless of the department/project, the volunteers will also have the chance to participate in activities with senior/elder citizens. This voluntary work will be done in cooperation with the Senior Academy of the Junta de Freguesia de Carnide and may include accompanying cultural visits and organizing events.

One typical day of the volunteers may be:

11:00 – 13:00: General work in one of the three departments (Senior Academy, Education or Culture)

13:00 – 14:00: Lunch

14:00 – 17:30: Specific support to the Coordinating team of the chosen area (Youth, Education or Culture), developing and implementing the volunteers' own initiatives

19:00 – 20:30: Portuguese Language class

Concerning the stay of the EVS volunteers, the coordinating organization, Associação Spin, will provide the lodging in a flat as close to the workplace as possible. The volunteer might have to share the room with another volunteer/student/young person. A monthly allowance will be provided by the coordinating organization to cover food expenses and local public transportations, including also the pocket money.

Volunteers are expected to spend 30-35 hours a week working. Their daily timetable includes time for language lessons, lunch, social activities and development of their own project ideas, etc. They are entitled to two days off for every month of their voluntary work. At the end of their EVS, the volunteers will receive a Youthpass certificate.

Who are we looking for?

Volunteers aged 18-30 years, open minded, eager to learn about new cultures and lifestyles, as well as to participate in the proposed project activities with the local community. It is not required to have any particular degree of formal education, but to have positive and proactive attitude, show tolerance, flexibility, motivation and enthusiasm.