Transition in Action Summer Camp in Hungary
By rob hopkins 7th April 2015
The Youth Exchange “Transition in Action” under the Erasmus+ Programme will take place from 20st July (arrival day) till 2nd August (departure day) 2015 in Hungary, Kunbábony a village situated 80 km to the South of Budapest in a beautiful rural setting. It looks amazing, and applications need to be in by April 20th, so to find out more information read below, or click here for more information and to book.
Why Transition?
Local communities around the world are searching for new ways of being in the 21st Century; experimenting with new ways of cooperation, sharing wealth more fairly, creating meaningful livelihoods, appreciating the natural world and respecting the limits it imposes on us. These communities are looking for ways to thrive rather than simply survive; climate chaos, economic crisis, resource depletion, precarious employment and unending conflict is not our inevitable inheritance. The Transition Network is a global network bringing together over 1000 such local communities that are actively re-creating themselves in the belief that the future depends on us.
These inspiring community based initiatives are growing around Hungary as well, since the difficult circumstances (high unemployment, social misery, dependence on costly public services) open people’s mind to find alternative solutions for a more healthy, peaceful and secure way of life. Community gardens, farmers’ markets, urban bee-keeping, repair and up-cycle workshops are all offering new forms of collaboration for all kinds of people and their wider communities.
What is Transition in Action?
The Transition in Action Youth Exchange is a “reality camp”, bringing together 30 young people in a ‘rural lab’ setting to support them in creating together their own transition community from the resources around them. From Hungary, Slovenia, Macedonia, Turkey, Romania and Italy, they will gather for 13 days to get to know each other and to explore the ideas of ‘transition’: how nature, communities and sustainable lifestyle are connected and how, by using resources wisely, we can lead sustainable lifestyles.
Through games, debates, excursions, creative workshops, and practical hands-on work, the participants will experience what it means to share ideas and cooperate, and to collaborate to bring alive their own “settlement” with the resources around them. They will be aided by 4 support workers experienced in community organising, facilitating, food growing and natural building crafts. The project is divided into three main parts.
In the first few days we will build our team: core to our work is our ability to being able to bring out the best in ourselves and each other; this will be partly practical, partly games-based exploration of our skills, needs and abilities.
The next phase is the practical work; creating part of the living space for the participants with DIY solar showers, compost-toilets, upgrading materials to make a green house, outdoor community spaces from adobe, Mad-Max like rocket stoves, etc. This creative work will allow us to use and develop organisational and cooperation skills, refine consensus decision-making and facilitation, and explore “heart and soul work” too.
The final 5 days are the most demanding part of the project; the Transition in Action Youth Exchange will merge into the “KÖRFESZT” (Community Organizing Festival). This event will bring another 150 people to Kunbábony, in a celebration of their communities’ experience of self-organizing for food and energy localization, local economic renewal and creative self-organising. The Transition in Action participants will share their experience of creating this essential infrastructure with the KÖRFESZT communities, finding ways to bridge the language gap with pictures, theatre, non-verbal communication and sharing space and meals. Some formal presentation methods will also be used to present the Youth Exchange experience to the wider audience.
There will also be time to visit Budapest Communities in Transition: the Grundkert – a vibrant community garden in the heart of Budapest and Cyclonomia, a down-town cycle cooperative, using bike-based technology to develop low-carbon machinery, influenced by the ideas of “de-growth”.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
- Working language of the Youth Exchange: English.
- Accommodation: in tents (and we will have showers and toilets indoor and outdoor as well.)
- The food will be provided by the local community from local resources and it will be mainly vegetarian. Bread will be made locally, and occasionally by the participants
- There will be physical work during the camp (building structures, working with adobe, wood, etc) which can be demanding sometimes, but we will learn a lot of useful techniques which can be easily implemented in the participants’ home communities.
- If selected, participants will be asked to purchase their own travel insurance for the period of the 13 days. # If you play any instruments, please plan to bring it 😉
PARTICIPANTS SHOULD BE:
→ in the age between 18 and 25 (few exception for up to 30 possible)
→ be interested in the topics related to the youth exchange and ready to prepare activities and workshop materials before coming to Hungary
→ be willing to live simply, sustainably and in a community for 13 days (and hopefully longer)
FINANCIAL INFORMATION:
Accommodation, food and costs of the activities are fully covered by the organizers.
Travel costs are reimbursed up to the following amounts:
Italy,Turkey and Macedonia: 170 eur
Slovenia, Romania: 80 eur
Hungary: 20 eur
VERY IMPORTANT!
Don”t buy your tickets without being selected and officially informed about your possibility of participation! Once you are selected, make sure you choose the cheapest and most sustainable means of transport – this is a key issue of the project! You may buy your tickets arriving up to 3 days before the beginning or 3 days after the end as long as it makes economic sense. Once selected you will receive a document (info pack) with further details. The Transition in Action Youth Exchange is organised by the Védegylet (Protect the Future) and is financed by the European Union Erazmus+ program. The Youth Exchange is organised in conjunction with the Small Communities in Transition” program, which is financed by the Norwegian Civil Fund.
Book your place here.