European Volunteer Meeting BY AUSTEJA MOCKEVICIUTE

The European JVC volunteer meeting, “Discover strength and unity through diversity” was held in May 2008. JVC volunteers from Ireland, Germany, Great Britain, Slovakia, France and young people from Lithuania gathered in Vilnius (Lithuania) to share their experiences on social inclusion activities carried out in different parts of Europe, working with marginalised people and helping those who come from very diverse backgrounds.

Volunteers could discuss and analyse high unemployment rates, a decrease of equality of opportunity in education and employment in many countries, marginalisation, social exclusion and discrimination for many people who have skills but not opportunities and access to use them and feel fully-fledged members of the society they live in. Jesuit volunteers during the meeting could share examples of their work trying to make poor people’s voice heard and to advocate their interests. Volunteers try to engage more with society and become a bridge between those who are voiceless and those who have got power to make decisions affecting the lives of others. Volunteers shared ideas on how to stimulate people on the margins to engage more in society.

Each group prepared a presentation of social inclusion models used in their country and their placement. Those presentations had one issue in common – people from different backgrounds can be welcomed and accepted by non governmental and charitable organisations better then the formal institutions, which deal more with problems, forgetting about the person and his/her dignity.

The seminar activities brought about an understanding that social inclusion is achieved when all members of society can acknowledge, accept and implement their civil rights and duties, something significantly influenced by equal access to opportunity.

In diverse societies like the UK, France, Germany equal opportunities can be secured by activities based on principles of solidarity striving for successful integration into society through education, personal development and employment. Most people JVC volunteers work with have found it difficult to integrate into society, especially into formal systems, therefore synthesis of non-formal education and social services often is the key to successful integration, mentoring people with low self esteem and supporting them to discover their strength and engage it into positive activities.

The JVC volunteer meeting has broadened the understanding of social inclusion not just in the cities or countries represented but in wider Europe. The meeting was financed by Youth in Action Programme which is operated by the European Commission and aims to inspire a sense of active citizenship, solidarity and tolerance among young Europeans and to involve them in shaping our future.

Austeja Mockeviciute is a volunteer coordinator at JVC and a former volunteer; she comes from the lovely city of Vilnius in Lithuania

Letters from Europe BY JULIA BABOS

Júlia Babos attended the European meeting of Jesuit Volunteer Communities throughout Europe. While she was there she wrote her blog entries in English so her community back home in sunny Manchester could share her impressions. Now she shares them with you…

Letters from the European Meeting – vol 1

27^th May 2008

So, here we are:

• 3 volunteers + 2 staff from JVC Britain,
• 4 (= the whole single community) + 1 from JEV Slovakia,
• 2 + 2 from JVC Ireland (they also only have one community),
• 3 volunteers from JEV Germany including the only Guy (Berlin, Leipzig & Vienna — but as it turned out, there are German JEV groups in Mexico, Brussels, Bosnia, and Romania, as well),
• 5 + 1 from JEV France (Marseille & St Etienne — all volunteers but one who only noticed at the airport that her passport has expired..).

It’s a bit strange that the numbers of the participants don’t at all reflect the size of each programme…

There are some language barriers (for the first time in my life, I am among the betters with my English — no wonder after 8 months of use day and night) but we can overcome it. Strangely for me, those participants who are foreigners in their programme, are usually from a country that also has JVC. For example: a Slovak girl in France, or the other is a Lithuanian in Germany (so she’s at home now). The Slovaks are pretty shy with their English but fortunately their leader is Katka from JVC Birmingham 2005/06.

Today we had some icebreaking & group building, and then the presentations about JVC and the values in our country.

Some bits & bobs that may be interesting:

• The Irish community lives in a worse area than Ancoats. It’s called Ballymun — it’s a towerblock quarter in Dublin. All their placements are there, too.
• The Slovak girls were the most creative by the presentation: they sang a simple song about their days, with two recorders, a guitar, and a piano. They showed pictures and the lyrics. They live in a small village near Bratislava, where some Jesuit institutions are working, as well. And they only work for four days, Friday is a day for reflection and a mass.
• The Germans have three “ordinary” communities, and some abroad but they all meet 4 times during the year. Those abroad send a letter every month in which they explain everything that is going on with them (mostly for the sake of their sponsors). I think this Lithuanian girl is the only foreigner in the whole programme.
• The two French communities meet for a thematic weekend every month (such as community, violence-free conflict resolution, Islam (they meet more Islamic people a day than Christians, they said), and so on. Also, their values are called: service, community, spirituality, and “human formation” (these weekends).

Probably we are the only ones with internet at home.

Now there is an optional mass, and after that there will be social in the sauna. I think I’ll finish it for now.

2nd Letter: The Sky Above Vilnius

28^th May 2008

The sky above Vilnius is about half blue and half cloudy (mostly with white clouds). It was a beautiful day again, nevertheless because we had a bit less work to do (or at least a bit less to do with words).

After a nice musical morning prayer (the Slovak girls are really musical!) we got on a bus, then on a trolleybus, and went to the social centre of the Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis parish. They work with children and youngsters mostly considered as being “at risk”, as well as people with learning disabilities, and also families, parents, mothers, pregnant women etc. It’s a not very spacious but nice colourfully painted place, you’ll find pictures later, probably. The church is especially worth having a look at…

What I found interesting & really nice was maybe two things. First, they will have 4 EVS volunteers soon (once they had a Muslim guy who worked with the learning disabled people where there is lots of spirituality going on, and he really enjoyed it). And second, they do recycle, which is something none of my (UK) placements can be bothered with…

The city itself, as far as I’ve seen it (from one suburb to another) is pretty much like any other “Eastern Block” cities (suburbs): smaller and bigger blocks of flats are standing one by one. But there is quite a lot of green around, even a forest! Almost everything was old around but the people seemingly all take care of their appearance. No one in jogging suit or pyjamas on the streets.

In the afternoon we had the presentations about social inclusion & our workplaces but now a French girl is waiting for the computer (meanwhile chatting a bit in Spanish with Diana ) so I’d better take my leave [does anyone say this since the time of Jane Austen?]. I’ll try to go on tomorrow.

3rd and Probably Last Letter about Miscellaneous Stuff

30^th May 2008

Now I should write about two whole days which will be surely beyond my capacity so I apologise in advance for not going into any details.

Yesterday at 11 we got on a bus, and travelled to Trakai, the historic capital of Lithuania. It’s a beautiful town quite close to Vilnius, with a castle on a lake (actually, more lakes, I think), some reminiscences of the historical minorities in Lithuania (the Karaites and the Tartars), and flourishing green surroundings everywhere.

We had kibinai for lunch, a Karaite dish, similar to a cornish pasty (filled with mutton and onion).

After that we came back to Vilnius, and had a long walk in the Old Town. We’ve seen lots of churches in various conditions, and heard interesting legends and stories from our nice guide. I think for me the most interesting was the (former) Jewish Quarter and the baroque Orthodox church with a strikingly grass-green iconostaz (turned into that from the former altar).

The dinner was in a popular traditional restaurant where there is a snake kept under the stairs (I am not sure whether this is a part of the local traditions). Marie, Tanja and me all ate cepelinai with different sauces; it’s really nice and really filling.

After dinner (at around 8.30, I guess) we met the Baltic Jesuit provincial, who is a very nice guy. He greeted us as maybe the pioneers towards a Lithuanian JVC, and later on even joined us for the (presumed) folk dancing evening.

But unfortunately we went to another venue where there was no dancing but a great Norwegian group playing (mostly) the langeleik. It was absolutely perfect sleeping-music, so I soon found myself almost asleep… luckily, the others, too, so we hired a taxi, and headed home.

Today we had a nice (also singing) morning prayer (this time led by the French girls), then a game about living and working with people of different social and cultural backgrounds. Later in the morning we were given a little story from The Velveteen Rabbit, and some reflection questions on our JVC/JEV experiences. The sharing was in small groups from at least two different countries — we were just four with Tanja and two French JVC girls (one of them from Germany), so we could have a pretty good conversation with enough time for everyone. I found it inspiring.

Now it is free time after lunch, and because we’ll have half a day more for the city tomorrow, I stayed at the hotel. Silence is golden, all around…

Letter from Hungary – 4 Months Later

9^th October 2008

What stayed with me from the meeting…? First of all, probably, faces. Faces of fellow volunteers (who are now all at home or somewhere else and I don’t know anything about them – maybe I should write them…?), pieces of dialogs, both of funny and thoughtful ones. Then that incredibly blue sky (don’t forget, I arrived from and went back to Manchester!), the sunshine, the grass. And Vilnius, this little-great city. I must go back at some time or another.

Júlia Babos was a volunteer in Manchester 2007-8. When she wasnt flying to Vilnius she was volunteering in the Booth Centre and Manchester Prison Visitors Centre.

If you would like to see the brightly painted centre Julia mentions and some more of Vilnius, take a look at Flickr for the photos Marie took