Volunteer in Bosnia!

1110. Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina
The Abrasevic Youth Cultural Center believes that positive change is possible in post-war Mostar, and therefore offers programs and resources to promote social change, and to develop civil society and a cultural scene in the city and region. OKC Abrasevic started in 2003 as a response to the need for an active and safe space which would offer youth (ages 15-35) the possibility for creative expression, cultural education, open-minded social discussion, analysis and critique. Activities include regular cultural events (films, concerts, exhibitions, performances), festivals, discussions, and ongoing reconstruction of the building and grounds. An International Volunteer would be welcome, ideally someone familiar with non-profit cultural management and relevant European/regional contacts (artists and funders)—how to bring concerts, films, performances, etc to the center and find funding to do so—or with knowledge of marketing to help OKC more effectively strategize and market their programming to reach a wider audience. Other needed skills: education and/or experience in the fields of finance/accounting, management, computer technology, cultural activities, fundraising, video, graphic design, IT/web maintenance. Requirements: Good communication and interpersonal skills, willingness to learn the local language, general computer skills, high level of autonomy/independence, flexibility, adaptability, patience, ability to work under stress as well as to enjoy relaxed social atmosphere.

http://www.okcabrasevic.org/

POSITION OPEN STARTING FALL 2010!

L'Arche in focus

Take a look at the relaunched new L'Arche Ireland website: www.larche.ie
(We have Matt at L'Arche Dublin, and Micah and Lucy at L'Arche Belfast.)

There's a 10 minute video on this new relaunched one, and it's a great way to get an impression of what L'Arche communities in Ireland (north & south) are like. There are a lot of scenes from Matt's community's 2 houses, and one brief glimpse of Matt painting walls, I think. Scattered through it are scenes from L'Arche Belfast (where Lucy & Micah have been for 2 months), and toward the end is a moving piece by Belfast's community leader.

Kristin

What I Learned in Nederland

Songs learned...
A friend named Hein, that I met at our local library, challenged me to learn two Dutch songs (first and third below), as a way to improve my language skills. An other friend, Nico, suggested the last song, and then things really got out of hand.



1. Ode aan Maastricht by Benny Neyman.

Srdan Kekanovic, of Music without Borders, suggested that he and I perform this song at our next borrel (cocktail party), with him on the guitar and me singing. This created so much amusement that we were asked to do the "act" again and again.



2. Anna Paulowna by Rob de Nijs.

Then Srdan suggested that he and I perform, as before, this song for our colleague Helga de Goede on her birthday. He knew that Helga had been born and raised in the tiny town of Anna Paulowna in North Holland.


3. Malle Babbe, written by Boudewijn de Groot and Lennaert Nijgh.

The song became a "top ten" hit in 1975, as arranged and sung by Rob de Nijs. Malle Babbe is also a painting by the Dutch Baroque artist Frans Hals, also from Haarlem, created between 1633 and 1635. Research in the Netherlands municipality of Haarlem showed that a real Malle Babbe actually existed. She was included in a list of residents of a work house (Het Dolhuys), which served as a host for the mentally ill. Around 1642, Pieter Hals, a son of Frans Hals, was also in this work house. Hals and this Malle Babbe had probably already met by this time, as she was a known personality in Haarlem, although none other of her biographical details survive.


4. 15 Miljoen Mensen by Fluitsma and Van Tijn, advertiser Frank Pels.

The song was originally designed as a commercial for Postbank NV. The commercial, featuring well known and lesser-known Dutch artists, including Herman Brood and Bettine Vriesekoop, acquired great fame and the song appeared as a single. Eventually, it became a number 1 hit in the Top 40.


Words learned…

I began trying to read Dutch newspaper soon after arriving, just because I found them so interesting and also because you can learn so much more about Dutch culture, especially in a small town like Alkmaar, if you do.


1. Best newspaper: De Telegraaf.


2. Best magazine: Hollands Diep.

TNT Post Mercur Lancering best magazine of the year (2007). Received a complimentary copy of the August 2009 issue featuring film director Pedro Almodóvar during the Provadja's showing of Los Abrazos Rotos. One hundred sixty-five pages, the "thickest" standard size magazine I could find at our local library.



Books read...

I began reading Dutch literature at the beginning of my second year, as a more interesting way to learn Dutch, and "I just had to find out what was in those books." The first and last authors are two well known Dutch writers of the 20th century.



1. Twee vrouwen by Harry Mulisch.

Appeared in 1975 as a daring Dutch novel. It was the chosen book for the Nederland Leest 2008. Nederland Leest is an annual event that takes place in October and November and is organized by the Stichting Collectieve Propaganda van het Nederlandse Boek (CPNB). Nederland Leest first appeared in 2006, and the event is based on an American initiative called "One Book, One City."



2. Spitzen by Thomas Rosenboom.

The 2004 Boekenweekgeschenk: A well-known Dutch or Flemish writer is asked to write a book, usually a novella, called the Boekenweekgeschenk (book week gift). The Boekenweekgeschenk is given by book shops upon the purchase of books in the Dutch language or when someone becomes a member of a library.


3. Oeroeg by Hella S. Haasse, classic Dutch literature written in 1948 and the chosen book for the Nederland Leest 2009.



Movies seen...

In two years I have seen 23 films at our local "film house" Provadja. Many of these films had won recent awards at the Cannes Film Festival and were of French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Belgian, and other origins. They were sub-titled in Dutch, except for the Dutch films that had no sub-titles. This posed quite a challenge for a person that knew only English, but after learning a little Dutch I dove right in. As a side note, I know the girlfriend of the “Program Director” for the Provadje, with whom I discuss these films with frequently to see whether of not “I got it.”



1. De laatste dagen van Emma Blank (2009).

Directed by Alex van Warmerdam. With Alex van Warmerdam, Gene Bervoets, Annet Malherbe. A woman living in a large country home drives her servants to mutiny.



2. Los abrazos rotos (2009).

Directed by Pedro Almodóvar. With Penélope Cruz, Lluís Homar, Blanca Portillo. Harry Caine, a blind writer, reaches this moment in time when he has to heal.



3. Micmacs à tire-larigot (2009).

Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. A man and his friends come up with an intricate and original plan to destroy two big weapons manufacturers.



What else did I learn in Nederland...



Ice skating, on hockey and the more difficult touring skates. "Fietsen!" Dutch bicycling is an art of its own, the posture is so important for style and watching out for the other twenty or so bicycles coming at you from all directions is a must.


Tot ziens,

Stan

Visiting Volunteers in N.Ireland and Ireland

Singing at Quaker Cottage in Belfast.

"After schools" in a Belfast community center.

Savoring produce in Kilcranny House's polytunnel.

Hard at work with the Holywell Consultancy in Londonderry.

And an evening at the L'Arche community in Dublin.

New Volunteers in Europe

Maybe I should be posting photos of new BVSers who pass through Geneva en route to their new projects. Aha.. Okay, so here are the first five volunteers here this year -- already more than the total for 2009!

Here's Cheryl who headed for Kilcranny House in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, in January:

And then Kendra arrived in February; she's in Hamburg with the German office of the Peace Brigades International:

And just last week, Pam (Quaker Cottage) and Lucy and Micah (L'Arche Belfast) stopped by en route to Northern Ireland:

Volunteering in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia

Here are our openings in the Balkans for late summer and fall. You can find more information on the BVS website.


1110. Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina

The Abrasevic Youth Cultural Center believes that positive change is possible in post-war Mostar, and therefore offers programs and resources to promote social change, and to develop civil society and a cultural scene in the city and region. OKC Abrasevic started in 2003 as a response to the need for an active and safe space which would offer youth (ages 15-35) the possibility for creative expression, cultural education, open-minded social discussion, analysis and critique. Activities include regular cultural events (films, concerts, exhibitions, performances), festivals, discussions, and ongoing reconstruction of the building and grounds. An International Volunteer would be welcome, ideally someone familiar with non-profit cultural management and relevant European/regional contacts (artists and funders)—how bring concerts, films, performances, etc to the center and find funding to do so—or with knowledge of marketing to help OKC more effectively strategize and market their programming to reach a wider audience. Other needed skills: education and/or experience in the fields of finance/accounting, management, computer technology, cultural activities, fundraising, video, graphic design, IT/web maintenance. Requirements: Good communication and interpersonal skills, willingness to learn the local language, general computer skills, high level of autonomy/independence, flexibility, adaptability, patience, ability to work under stress as well as to enjoy relaxed social atmosphere.
http://www.okcabrasevic.org/


1646. Prijedor, Bosnia-Herzegovina

Bread of Life, a Christian humanitarian association founded by Protestant churches in Serbia, with an office in northwest Bosnia-Herzegovina since 1996, originally provided food and material aid for the needs of refugees, displaced, and marginalized persons, and is now developing programs to promote income-generation, long-term employment and self-sustainability of its beneficiaries. Some of these programs include a trial project of interest-free loans and other support to dairy farmers; an employment project of loans and support to young people involved in agriculture and crafts in a rural area; low-cost English and computer courses at an education center; annual distribution of Christmas presents to the area schoolchildren; and capacity building of the organization. Bread of Life seeks a co-worker/assistant for income-generation projects. Duties include assisting the director and program manager with writing and implementing income-generating projects, assistance with fund-raising for new projects, contact with new/existing donor organizations, and assistance with creation/development of new/existing capacities of the organization. Requirements preferred: experience in the NGO sector in a developing country or Eastern Europe; ability to adjust easily to new environments and cultures; expertise in fields of economics or agriculture. Willingness to learn the local language.
http://www.breadoflifesite.com/


1101.3 Sesvete/Zagreb, Croatia

RAND (Regional Address for Nonviolent Action) is a small organization which promotes nonviolence as a lifestyle and a way of relating, through training courses and networking. RAND considers nonviolence an important tool of resistance to passive acceptance of inequity in communities as well as to military and violent conflicts. RAND tries to weave together spirituality, societal involvement, and continuous learning. An International Volunteer is invited to join our work especially for the areas of website development, public relations support and press work, creating promotional and information materials, as well as with fundraising development. The volunteer can also accompany us to our trainings in the various Balkan countries and can take part in the informal aspects of the gatherings, possibly to interview the participants. Requirements: Experience or training in areas of website development, public relations work and/or fundraising development. Motivation to promote nonviolence; knowledge about topics such as structural violence and nonviolent resistance and willingness to share; roots in a peace church and willingness to share history and theological background with us; interest in interfaith dialogue, knowledge of Croatian language or willingness to learn quickly; knowledge of German language would be very helpful. Flexibility and adaptability to cultural differences and irregular working hours.
http://www.rand.hr/



We have a new placement in Sarajevo not yet listed on the BVS website – and have a candidate for it already!

1102.1 Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Small Steps and MCC, two organizations in Sarajevo, would like to share a Volunteer. The Association for Dialogue in Family and Society SMALL STEPS promotes peace and non-violence at all levels of society, is committed to gender equality and an interfaith vision of peace based on the history of diverse religious traditions and position of women in society in Bosnia-Herzegovina. SMALL STEPS works on raising awareness of women in peacebuilding activities, developing interfaith dialogue, gender equality, and promoting nonviolent actions through trainings, seminars, round tables, and publishing books. The volunteer consultant for project proposals would help analyze and consult about lists of possible donors and sponsors, writing proposals, contacting donors, and writing reports. Requirements: education in field of peacebuilding; experience in writing project proposals desired but not required if volunteer is willing to learn. Priorities for the Mennonite Central Committee office for Southeast Europe are peace (interreligious bridgebuilding, trauma healing, peacebuilding), community development and social service (empowering local institutions for long term services), and relief (focus on vulnerable populations). The special projects assistant volunteer would first focus on language learning, then assist with office computer work and research for projects related to trauma healing, interfaith bridgebuilding, the NGO Council, and other English editing as needed. Other activities might include occasional trips or accompanying visitors, support for MCC partner organizations, and learning about peacebuilding methodologies. Requirements: strong leadership and managing skills, good computer and internet skills, interest in networking with other organizations and individuals. Requirements for both: college degree, maturity, flexibility, communication and organizational skills, strong motivation to learn Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian language.
www.seeurope.mcc.org, www.malikoraci.com.ba

transitioning...

So I hadn't really planned to write something here this... morning (or afternoon I guess now), but as I was doing some inbox clean-up, I spotted an email from KFlor regarding this lovely blog.   I first felt a spark of curiousity to check out the latest and then a yearning to contribute my own thoughts (I hope this is acceptable from a BVS alum). 

I have been home for 3 weeks now.  It has been a strange thing.  Initially it was just strange arriving - I hadn't really been mentally preparing myself for home and the U.S.  Instead I had been focusing on leaving Sarajevo, saying goodbye and not hello.  Additionally, I had the opportunity to travel with my family a bit - this also occupied a lot of mental space.  And a lot of physical energy, which I apparently didn't actually have- I ended up getting sick twice over a timeframe of less than 2 weeks.  So it was with very little mental, physical or emotional energy that I arrived in Dulles airport on the evening of November 18th.  Maybe homecoming should be a joyous experience, but instead what I really felt was not much of anything. 

That isn't meant to be a depressing statement - it just was what it was.  And I had warned enough ahead of time about "reverse culture shock" and not getting too jazzed about home that the general numbness wasn't bothersome.  It may have been more of a defense mechanism.  I was too tired to properly deal with the myriad of emotions such a massive transition entailed, and so my brain kept them all at bay for awhile.  I was more than ok with that. 

And now, over these last couple weeks all of the emotions are coming to the surface- sometimes 1 or 2 at a time, but other times in an overwhelming torrent.  This can be frustrating when you feel like you can't talk to old friends and family about your experiences of the last two years- or you can talk to them, but they'll never really get it.  About a week ago while out with 2 friends, one of them actually turned to the other and said, "Sometimes do you just have no idea what Tory is talking about?"  She said it as a joke, but it felt like salt in an open wound. 

Cultural... adjustment, shall we say, has been another issue- and one which is all the more irritating because its a quintessential element of the warnings one receives regarding "culture shock."  Everyone experiences it and everyone is warned about it.  Ok great, so I knew I had it coming, can it just be over now please?  I don't feel like going through this awkward adjustment phase. Plus, it's not like I'm returning from a village in the middle of no where, or a culture that was so vastly different from our own (it was a European city after all), but maybe that's what makes it harder.  There aren't glaring differences, but the little ones which seem like they shouldn't matter so much start to grate and to add up.  I know having to drive everywhere is a common complaint of those returning to U.S. suburbia from overseas.  Yep, it's wearing on me.  All the holiday hullabaloo - also a standard complaint and also one I am experiencing.  Particularly returning from a place which was predominantly Muslim and post-communist.  They didn't really do the whole consumer-driven holiday ostentation thing. 

Another thing that is irking me, not because it is different but because I somehow feel implicated when the idiocy is being perpetrated in my own country- mainstream media and the subject matter they choose to devote air time to.  Again- this isn't really a difference because Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian news coverage is not particularly good.  It is generally blatantly biased and includes absolute rubbish.  But at least its a variety of rubbish. If you've had the opportunity to check the pop culture pulse of the U.S. lately you'll probably be hearing about one thing- and only one thing.  Tiger Woods.  He cheated on his wife.  She beat him with a golf club.  CNN, Fox News (ugh I know - but that's all they have on at the Y, I don't choose to watch it!),  Twitter,  SNL and pretty much every person around the proverbial water cooler are all talking about it.  Ok that's nice, but who really cares?  This does not constitute news!  Can we go back to Health Care reform?  Copenhagen?  (Ok no, I don't expect there to be Tweets or SNL skits regarding these things... but the news at least?) 

What I guess then bothers me about all this is the reactions of those around me.  Because they actually do seem to care about Tiger Woods' personal life and woes.  Or at least they care enough to talk about it in general conversation- and enough to create large numbers jokes about it (I think this is where my beef with twitter and SNL comes in).  Humor is something which is culturally specific and which reflects a lot about a society.  The subject matter of the latest jokes is often linked to recent headline news.  So here I am, back in the USA surrounded by jokes about a professional golfer cheating on his wife.  Hmmm let's see- what are some recent events in Bosnia which became the stuff of jokes?  Ones which come to mind are the Russians turning off the gas last year and the caputure of war criminal Radovan Karadzic in July '08.  Slightly weightier subject matter.  Humor in Bosnia and other post-conflict countries is often of a blacker variety and acts as a defence mechanism.  Its on the morbid side- one is left not know whether it is really appropriate to laugh, but in the end it has its appeal.  Being able to laugh about something which might otherwise induce tears reflects a certain resiliency. 

Ok, I'll try to stop here before I go off into fits of Yugo-nostalgia... but the difference in sense of humor has definitely been on my mind.  And it's really not a bad thing that in the U.S. we have the luxury of joking about trivial items.  It's a good thing not to have to laugh at death- death is not something most Americans (myself very much included) have had to consider as a part of daily life.  And so everything we do can have a certain lightness to it - the jokes we tell, the news we watch, the plans we make, the relationships we form.  I could feel that certain carefree spririt whenever westerners came to visit Sarajevo - it was something I wanted to be near to, it felt familiar and safe.  But over time I absorbed more of the Balkan spirit - which not only comes from experiences of the past, but the lack of hope many feel about the future, and a general sense of poverty.  Not such positive things.  But it did affect the way people lived in the immediate present - again there were good and bad sides to this.  But what I liked, and what I now miss, was the approach to relationships.  Somehow it felt more candid - the bullshit had been thrown out. 

After writing that, I realize there are about a bjillion disclaimers and exceptions I should be noting.  Clearly everything isn't warm and fuzzy.  But this is how I would sum up the overall... feeling... compared to the vibes I experience here in the U.S.  And I've still got a lot of vibes and emotions to sort through - it has only been 3 weeks.  But this is where I stand thus far- transitioning.  Post-BVS Europe. 


~Torella