Final video clip from exchange

The exchange has ended some time ago already, but we still had not published one of our final works - the clip.

Here you can see our video clip "The child of nature" , that was made during last days of exchange - music, visual material and idea are all created by participants!

Feel free to spread this clip further!

THE CLIP

Some facts

One day I found an article, that mentioned a new term for me -"The Global South", which basically comprises the nations of Africa, Central and Latin America, and most of Asia. There were also some interesting facts connected to our project, that made me think again.

1.1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water2.4 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation

The average distance that women in Africa and Asia walk to collect water is 6 KM (do you remember the game "Weight of water"??)

In developing countries, 91 children out of 1,000 die before their fifth birthday

Of the 6 billion people in today's world, 1.2 billion live below $1 per day (how much could you by for this amount in sociaety where you live right now?)

The amount of money that the richest 1% of the world's people make each day equals what the poorest 57% make each year

It made me realize, how blessed we should by having all this huge amount of things and food and water in our taps! What do you think?

Energy saving - what about you?

(scan from magazine "Advertising ideas", published in Russia. Author of ads: Alice Belmas)

Today I had to do a homework and I was looking through some advertising magazine and found this really nice ad about saving energy(take a look at it, funny isn't it?:).

We had discussions during exchange about saving water and had possibilities to come up with ways, how not to waste it.

Does anybody of you has effective and creative suggestion on how to save energy(with this I mean mostly - electricity) on daily basis?

Leave your ideas right here:)

Final outcome - POSTCARD!!!

(the final work for postcard)

During last days of exchange a group of participants worked on creating a postcard, that also later will be printed and sent to participating countries and distributed in different places!

One of important things, that has to be done in order to get people familiar with idea of saving resources, is promoting this idea through different channels. Postcard is a nice way how to do that and many people use then not only to write messages to people in other countries(actually not too many do that nowadays...), but the coolest ones are being used as bookmarks and for other creative purposes!

Above you can see the final work, which very soon will be printed, but here are other versions of visual material the postcard group generated:

Campaigning in Riga

This Sunday early afternoon reminded me a bit of my first steps in street campaigning back in 2006. It was the European campaign called EURIZONS that started as well in Riga and I remember myself, how stressed and insecure I was.

This time (maybe because I haven't done it for a long time) I was as well a bit skeptical in the very beginning, but the moment I pushed myself and started talking to people made me realize how much I still enjoy that.

I had two really cool discussions. First one with a young girl from Mexico. We wanted to offer her the bottle of water, but she refused. It was not a reason to go away, I started talking and introducing myself, project and the idea what are we doing now. I explained the reason and we started dialogue. What was interesting here, she was simply scared to take water from unknown source especially that in her country, water is a big issue as well.

Second funny conversation was with policemen. They didn't really understand much in the very beginning but then we found help for translation and we got the promise from them that they will help us to save water:) I am not sure how it is going but I truly believe that with the small steps we can make a big difference.



Aga

Ways of saving water

During our exchange participants had to participate in a workshop to get to know everything about water in participating countries and they also had to come up with their own ways, how to save water daily.

Some of their suggested ideas were actually useful and creative, so take a look - also YOU can contribute and start saving water today!!!

An article prepared by participant Noha Hisham:

Save Water. Save Nations !

What would you do if WATER isn't the same, the next following years?

What would you do if your WATER sources are less and less?

Check out our ideas to save most important means of LIFE.

-Reduce your time of a daily shower, we can survive without a bubble bath and at least turn the tap off while shampooing. Right!!??

-What about using a cup of water while brushing teeth instead of running tap water!?

-Some people use a sensor tap too.

-Plastic bottles can be a good means of saving flushing water. Insert a plastic bottle inside the flush box, it saves more wasted water during flushing.

-Washing cars can also be made by a bucket of water instead of the water hose.

-Rain water. A Natural resource that can be easily saved in buckets to water flowers, wash cars or even cleaning grounds.

-Why not use excess washing water in watering flowers or even cleaning floors??

It's easy and simple, we never miss the water till it's gone !!!

Our exchange:)

Welcome to the blog for the youth exchange "4U2C'' held in Riga, Latvia, from 31st July – 9th August!

Here is how our activities agenda went check it out and enjoy it, don't forget to spread our blog !!!

Sunday : The Tunisian group arrived among the rest and there were some ice-breaking games and we discussed some rules and even fears one may encounter during this exchange, that was before the intercultural night. Where each group exchanged national souvenirs, coins and showed costumes and food.

Monday: Monday was the most sporting day, groups were divided and played some outdoor games. The Story of Stuff was a video showed to us on how we lose or consume stuff and how governments should watch out for this issue.

Tuesday: Recycling workshops were tackled that day, we played a cardboard game of brainstorming some ideas for photos of recycled stuff and another game of getting blindfolded and try to find your own way while listening to certain signs. Another workshop was called the 'Siesta Workshop', it was held by the Spanish group, a game on the means of taking a nap in Spain.

Wednesday: Water, the most important source of life was discussed. Every group explained the water situation in its country. Besides, playing some water games to show how much water each individual uses daily. In the evening we checked the Bunker and we had another game ; the Banana game, on means of the transportation and production of bananas or any other goods worldwide.

Thursday:preparation for final products first the paintings about problems in our countries common problems and then division for groups and working in groups already Preparing for the final products and paintings for our problems in each country was just held, a video was also created before the talent show. Members of the Spanish and Egyptian team won this workshop.

Friday: Visiting one of the oldest paper factories on the way from the countryside to Riga was a totally new experience for everyone. We all encountered the steps of making paper.

Saturday : The City Game; fun and knowledge at the same time. Roaming around Riga to discover new places without any help , but only by asking pedestrians in the streets.

Sunday: Participants were grouped into 3 groups; The Social Ad Group, The video Edit and The Street Campaign group. Then all participants went out in the streets to advertise for the main slogan ( Saving Water= A Better Life). Face painted participants with slogans about water distributed bottled water with the sign of 4U2C. Maintaining a conversation with everybody in the streets and telling them about the cause.

We finally achieved it !!!

Save our Environment. Save it for your Children

Written by: Noha Hisham

After exchange

Exchange has finished already few days ago and everybody is safe at their homes. It is time to reflect upon experienced emotions and event, all gained knowledge and friends. (All of participants - you are welcome to share your emotions and impressions over here!)

Just a little more patience - very very soon you will be able to see the very great final works of participants - the video clip, visual material for postcard and report on street campaign as well!!!

Finally - Jordanian team!!

Here are participants from Jordan!

Travel is more than the seeing of sights...

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”

I really like this quote because it shows what is the most important in traveling. Somehow for me seeing the nice buildings, what I have seen plenty of times on photos and taking a pictures with them is not enough. I expect much more - to feel the place, to experience something new, to live the life as it goes.

When I come back home after the travel I talk about people I met in the part and who invited me over the luch, friend of mine who had vegetarian dog, the colours and smells that I didn't know or how unexpectadly hot weather is in Latvia. Traveling can be excited and awsome, and way more interesting then just seeing the sights. But to experience it we have to opened for something new and let go the flow.

Let yourself to be challanged, don't be afriad of new things, don't judge things and people, before you really get to know them.

we are waiting for you in Latvia in less then two weeks:)
get ready!

Preparatory visit

SO what did we talk about and what did we do during these three days?!?

The most important thing - we got idea of what you, participants, expect and built a program according to your previous experience and expectations!

We promise, you will not miss out sightseeing and socializing with people, but there will be time for work too. We also promise, this will not be sitting in a classroom all day and listening to smart things and looking at Powerpoint presentations only!

We are young and represent the non-formal education, so you will learn playing games, exchanging experiences with people from other cultures and reflecting on things among yourselves...

We really hope this will be the time of your lives (because we really tried to make this exchange unforgettable:) and you will be thrilled by amount of people you'll become friends of and of amount of things you'll experience here!!!

So see you in almost two weeks and here you can see some photos from our meeting here in Latvia, get to know leaders of other groups:)

What can I do?

We have published a small section of ways, how to save resources in your daily life!

It is simple and would take as much as getting used to some certain action and that's it!

Take a look here - the EASY GREEN TIPS SECTION

(if you have any suggestions for other ways of saving resources, just feel free to write them in comments!!!)

Just remember - there are a number of ways to save anything, and they all start with you!!!

After preparatory visit

Here you have a very small video made during APV in Latvia

Latvian participants

Here is the Latvian team! Ieva, Laura, Mārtiņš, Māris, Pauls, Kristaps!

Egyptian participants

This is Egyptian team!

Polish participants

Here are all Polish participants!

Spanish participants

Here you can see Spanish delegation!

Tunesian participants

Here you can see pictures of Tunesian participants in this project - group leader Mounir, Maha, Hana, Marwan, Hosni.