“FUTURUM”

Report from working camp 5-16.09.04,

Eastern Crimea

This project was the first experience of co-operation between Orthodox community in Ukraine and international volunteer movement.

It could be considered as a successful despite different natural and cultural challenges, which we faced, like unfavorable weather conditions (totally unexpected at the beginning of September!), bigger than expected group of Ukrainian pilgrims, higher demands for comfort from Western volunteers, and finally newly established project team of NGO members, priests and Orthodox community members, scientists and EVS volunteer. Nevertheless, during the camp we completed practical works, which were really needed and highly appreciated. We received great thanks from senior priests of Inkerman monastery, Mangup and Shuldan cave monasteries, chief epidemiologist of Sevastopol city. A secondary school number 16th of Sevastopol suggested to host our volunteers during similar camp next year. Three new members from local Orthodox community joined volunteer activities of AYA and are very interested to carry on further. This project opened for an idea of experience exchange between Christian community of Ukraine and Poland. Finally, all international participants recognized a high value of the study part.

Participants with different background - Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, atheists showed lot of tolerance and respect towards each other.

I quoted above mentioned words from Olga’s report because there is no need to write something from the beginning if it is already written. Nevertheless, I would like to add few words from myself.

First of all, I have to admit that the project was challenging experience. We wondered how we would handle with leading the group in unknown territory and tough conditions. Fortunately, we received great help from experienced members of Orthodox community. Thanks to them, we didn’t have to bother about wood for campfires, about choosing the most convenient route and many other things which seem to be not important to mention but if you won’t solve the simplest problems connected with accommodation then you will have a REAL problem with a group.

Another challenge was to gather people belonged to different religions, with various philosophies of life and combine that group with somehow homogenous Orthodox community. However, despite our fears, it turned out a successful trial. Volunteers willingly observed Orthodox’s prays and services, especially when it was combined with singing. It was very important that everybody was allowed to participate but there was no pressure to do it.

In my view, such confrontation of various believes and common work are the best ways to build friendly attitude towards others as well as to break stereotypes which existed - as it revealed - among both sides.

But of course, there is always something to improve. In this case, I would change the quantity of participants of the camp and ,what is more important - the proportions between volunteers and members of the community. – Equal rate shouldn’t be exceeded. Each group has different priorities and in case when one group is much more bigger - the other loses its autonomy in decision making and simply follow the rest. Anyway, we shouldn’t forget that without the community, we would never been able to visit some places and we wouldn’t have had such intercultural learning. Without any doubts, their presence was precious.

Last, but not least - the problem with receiving "proper" volunteers. Crimea is a fabulous place, famous for its touristic values. The point is that it would be good if on a workcamp came a motivated volunteer, not a tourist. This year we had such problem, majority of participants choose this camp because it was cheap way of visiting Crimea, no ideology behind it. And such group is much less willing to do anything for others, it is also more demanding. That is why I suggest to stress in the description of the future camp - that we look for volunteers that accept VERY SIMPLE conditions (what else can be provided in mountains?), that the place will be REMOTED and that THERE IS A WORK TO DO there. Maybe it was not right to mention beautiful landscape. It sounded like advertisement that is not needed in this case. Last remark, it have to be written in this brief description, available for all volunteers in the data base, not only in the infosheet which a volunteer receives when he/she has already made his/her mind.

I wait IMPATIENTLY for FUTURUM TWO!!!!!

Marta Guzniczak