SEEYN Work camps

International voluntary summer camps are unique type of voluntary work, which offers positive and practical ways of gathering young people from different countries with different culture background so that they can work and live together on projects, which make contribution to local community and voluntary organizations. Beside that its help in improving of toleration and multicultural understanding and breaking down the prejudices and stereotypes amongst young people.
SEEYN focused its efforts around this type of activity because it offers great potentials for fulfilling the goals of the network. By connecting youth from all around the world and giving them particular duties that directly improve some of the social conditions, work camps are excellent practice for future decision makers. People tend to like this approach, and SEEYN work camps have been very successful.
Through summer camp work, many useful tasks have been accomplished and, even more important, many young people from different SEE countries got in touch. These personal bonds have an impact on overall development of the region, for people who know each other well will be able to combat prejudice more effectively. In a post–conflict region, such as South Eastern Europe, this benefit may be crucial to establish well structured and coordinated youth network, able to target significant issues. For this reason, work camps will remain one of the most valuable methods for SEEYN to work on further understanding among young people in the region.
SEEYN is supporting its members to organize work camps in their countries through promotion, education and financial support. SEEYN presents its members’ work camps on Alliance Technical Meeting every year. Training seminar for future work camp leaders is organized by Volunteers’ Centre Zagreb every year on island Veli Losinj since 2000 and some of SEEYN work camp leader participated on MS LTS organized in Denmark.
SEEYN published two edition of “Workcamp Handbook” – practical guide how to organize work camp from idea to implementation (possible to download in section “publications”!). SEEYN also provides financial support for work camps, work camp promotion in every country of the region and travel of regional volunteers.

What is a work camp?

An international work camp is a unique form of volunteer work that offers positive and practical ways of gathering people from different countries and different cultures. The volunteers live and work together on a project contributing to the local community and volunteer organization.

How it started?

The first work camp took place in France 1920 when volunteers from former enemy countries rebuilt a village near Verdun, France. With this they showed that, in that era of militarism and nationalism, working together and international understanding is possible. In the international work camp, this idea lives in the motto 'Deeds and Words'. These initiatives try to contribute to disarmament and international understanding, to social justice, to equality of relations between North and South and to create an environment worth living in. The camps are organized on the initiative of the local community or an NGO when a need or a problem arises that can be solved in such a way.

The aims of the work camp.

In short, work camps help promoting tolerance, understanding, removing prejudices and stereotypes. The camps are created to support and encourage local initiatives that will continue after the camp has been held.

So, the aims of the work camps are:
• Promotion of international and cultural understanding among people from different countries and cultures.
• Creating setting for life and work in a group
• Creating mutual goals and gaining experience through work
• Direct help to a local community or a non-governmental organization

Volunteering in a work camp represents a unique experience for the young people. Besides gaining new skills and an important work experience, they become aware of the importance of work as such and the feeling of usefulness it brings. The volunteer work (and the experience of the mutual voluntary work in a camp) also strengthens the consciousness of the importance society has, which directly encourages the volunteer to get more involved in her/ his own society once she/he has returned from the work camp.
Volunteering in an international group can contribute to peace and better understanding among people from different cultures. Many projects, communities or groups can use the presence and work of an international group.
We believe that people in our community should be given opportunities to express their solidarity with others in a practical way. In our experience practical work can be a good way to break the ice, and it is a way young people can discover or develop their talents and skills, as well as experience the good side of “cost-free work” (from which you certainly can profit).

The life in a work camp

Work camps consist of a group of (usually young, usually international) volunteers working together on a project in a period of 2 t 4 weeks, e.g. building a children's adventure playground, painting a youth club, building a school in a village, renovating etc. this collective living and working experience brings about an awareness of people of various backgrounds, a contact with the local populace, and a feeling of concrete solidarity. Work camps educate not only the participants, but also the local population, with whom the project is organized and who will continue the work started by the volunteers. Board and lodging are usually provided, but in most cases neither pocket money nor salaries are. Travel expenses to and from the work camps and normally covered by the volunteers themselves, who also have to pay an inscription fee to their sending organization. If the volunteers have to obtain a visa for the country where she/he is going to be a volunteer, these costs should taking care a volunteer by her/himself.

Who can participate?

International work camps are open to people of 18 years and above. In general, they do not require any particular skills (though there are sometimes selection criteria for artistic camps or work with children, disadvantaged, refugees, older and people with disabilities). The emphasis is on participation in a project in spirit of international cooperation, in which each person works to his or her own capacity. There are small percent of teenage camps, which gathers young volunteers between 16 and 18 years old. These teenage camps are very rare and organized in Germany, France and Italy mostly. Some of these cams usually have the participation fee from 50 to 300 EUR, because these volunteers are taking care by experienced and educated camp leaders.

Where?

Most of the work camps are realized in period from May to October. They are organized all over the world, mostly in Europe followed by North America, Australia, Asia and Africa.

Types of the work camps

The types of the work carried out in international work camps are very different. Generally the work should be of benefit to the local people living in the place where the work camp is situated. I.e. the work should be of public interest and not in an interest of some private company, corporation or an individual.
The work should be interesting and not too hard so that it can give an opportunity to learn something new to all participants. It should be something really necessary to be done, and in the best case something that a group can finish, so they can leave behind something prettier, cleaner, greener...

Examples of the work camps:
- Environmental: work camps have been used to plant trees, erect fences, clean river beds, plant vegetation to prevent wind erosion, maintain footpaths and trails, work on organic farms, etc.
- Cultural heritage: historical monument, archaeological sites and local traditions have been restored and maintained through preservation, architectural, reconstruction, excavation, cleaning and repairing, maintenance, or maybe organizing/participating in festival.
- Social work: examples of this work include caring for elderly people, organizing leisure activities for handicapped people, running play schemes for deprived children, etc. Work with people with disabilities. Work in refugee camps by providing friendship, solidarity, training for children and adults, and by improving the condition of the camps themselves.
- Rural development, construction and renovation: work with local people to build schools, clinics and roads; lay on village water supplies; plant trees and help with the harvest. Emergencies caused by natural and man-made disasters are on the increase. Work camps can sometimes be useful in the aftermath of a disaster helping to rebuild homes and rehabilitate the affected population.
- Solidarity: work camps can send a message from young people in one part of the world to support those who are suffering from oppression, hunger or civil war in another. Such camps may involve collecting and refurnishing tools or equipment which will then be sent to a country which needs them, or organizing an educational campaign to influence public opinion e.g. in favour of disarmament, international or racial harmony.

How to apply?
Volunteers are normally recruited through a volunteer association in their own country which then arranges the placement through a partner organization in the receiving country.

You can find SEEYN organizations in your country that can help you to participate on work camps.