CONTEX

A workcamp is an intense experience for everyone involved, and probably most of all for the camp leader. They have the key to a world where everything is possible: empowering a group to do something they’ve never done before, whipping up an afternoon trip with the neighbors or inventing a brand new way of washing dishes – all just because they believe in it.

This freedom to experiment can give wings or become a burden when it comes tied with a century-long history of political and environmental activism, financial constraints, a language barrier or a rainstorm over the campsite. As life-changing as the role can be, it is also full of contradictions: how can you lead a group in where you think is best, while having them decide for themselves? How are you supposed to figure everything out, while you just got here? Why do we even need a camp leader, when most of all we want to organize collectively?

 

YOU WILL BE INTERESTED IF…

  • you have been or wish to be a leader on an international workcamp
  • you are working or wish to be working in relation with campleaders
  • you are working for a structure organizing workcamps
  • you have an interest for workcamps, informal education or leadership in general

what we want a workcamp to do to us, ideally / what a campleader is and for who / interculturality in workcamps / experiences that’ve gone wrong and how not to repeat them / how to create links with the local population and why it’s important / getting over a tiny food budget. . .

 

*THIS IS NOT A MASTERCLASS

A workcamp is like a soup : there as many recipes as there are campleaders. In a context where those soups are loaded with political activism, historic concepts and financial constraints, with an intercultural approach and influenced by your individual take on all of this, our aim is not to tell you how to cut your onions, but rather to share each our unique way to do so.

 

LOCATION

Since 60 years, our association Les Villages des Jeunes has been welcoming a diverse crowd, ranging from international teenagers to social outcasts and through-hikers, in a secluded mountain hamlet in the southern French Alps. The idea since the beginning is to bring various people together, to work towards building the place and society we want to live in.

 

FOOD & BOARD

You will be sleeping in dormitories of 2-4 people. Individual bedrooms will be made available upon request.

We will be taking turns to cook our own food, in teams. Menus will be made in advance, please let us know about specific diets to accommodate for.

All our projects are based on participative practices, including this seminar 🙂 To us, that means that we will call for your knowledge and experiences to enrich the activities and contents, let participants lead workshops as well as take turns in the kitchen and in cleaning duties. More on that in the next steps!

 

CONTACT

let Clotilde know about your interest

dr@villagesdesjeunes.org

+33 4 92 57 26 80

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