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Workcamp Kosovo (Arbeitstitel)
Start date: Aug 1, 2015, End date: Nov 30, 2015 PROJECT  FINISHED 

More than 16 years after the end of the Kosovo War the economical situation of many people in Kosovo is still precarious , they suffer from unemployment, poverty and deficient health care. Without aid organisation many of them could hardly survive. Moreover the country struggles with political instability, corruption, ethnic tensions and mass exodus of the population. The Kosovan aid organisation "Duart Plotë Mëshirë" (DPM) provides social and and familiar assistance, health care and students promotion in Peja/Kosovo. Since 2012 the social-cultural association GeyserHaus e.V. (GH) in Lipsia/Germany has supported the work of DPM e.g. by fundraising or the organisation of youth projects. The main goal of "Hands for Kosovo" was to develop and strengthen the cooperation between DPM in Peja/Kosovo and the GH. It offered 15 young people from each country the opportunity to encounter and get to know each other, in the sense of a promotion of an intercultural and European consciousness. The participants had been encouraged, to connect each other and commit themselves as multipliers for non-profit-purposes. Non-formal education enables them to learn in a group and develop social and creative competences. Working in groups with participative elements offered opportunities to train democratic decision-making processes, experience self-efficasy and encourage self initiative. The youth exchange took place in September 2015 in Rugova-Valley near Peja in Kosovo. Adolescents and student at the age of 15 until 30 years worked together for the purposes of DPM and gathered experience and knowledge in the fields of Permaculture, LandArt and Peace/reconciliation. Permaculture as a way to find a sustainable and responsible use of natural and personal ressources is first of all an important measure of improving general living conditions of the people who are attended by the organisation of Duart Plote Meshire. This includes the cultivation of agricultural mini projects as well as architecture and technical solutions for everyday life. Improving living conditions for all of the habitants of Kosovo seems to be a basis of a piece process between the different ethnical groups in Kosovo. Land Art is an art form that uses natural materials such as soil, rock, branches etc. for interventions at chosen places that turn the landscape itself into a piece of art. Doing this, the artist takes notice of traces of history and recent changes caused by both nature and human influence. The workshop held by an experienced artist has sharpened the perception of the participants to their environment and to the changes and interventions that have been done to it. Moreover it showed how to create something positive out of simple things. Peace and reconciliation was already present in the fields of Permaculture and Land Art. The participants learned about Kosovo and Germany and gain insights into past and current conflicts. Moreover the workshop inspired them to develop ideas for a peaceful living-together in Europe. Participants from Germany do have a personal interest in the project’s subjects. As students of arts and media education, social work, history and political science, they have also a professional approach to the project’s goals. Participants from Kosovo have a personal interest to join the project for various reasons: it offers possiblities to meet young people from another country. The project offers help and knowledge in problems of everyday life as well as a first move to the field of art. The Kosovan attendees partly studied Business Administration and Englisch, arts and architecture. Because some of the adolescents of the psycho-social programme at the DPM were included, the Kosovan group was heterogeneous with young people of different ages and gender with different ethnic and social origin as well as different educational levels. As the project progressed prejudices and ressentiments have been reduced. The collective working and experiencing have opened their minds and have connected them tot he point that language barriers and different origins had been forgotten. The initially heterogeneous group have become a community and friendships have developed. Therefor the German participants are looking forward to meeting their Kosovan friends again in summer 2016 in Lipsia/Germany.
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