Human Rights Traveller workcamp was organised in framework of Youth Transcending New Frontiers project (www.ytnf.org). Responsible for preparation and coordination of the camp was ‘human rights’ project management team. Preparation coordination had been done mostly via internet, also two working meetings were organised. During these meetings program and preparation materials for camp were discussed more concretely.

Aim of the camp to work out a methodology of human rights trainings preparation and conducting, also designing of workshops on human rights topics. In continuation of workcamp volunteers had an opportunity to create workshop on chosen human rights topic and then held it in international volunteer workcamps organised by SVIT-Ukraine.

Human Rights Traveller took place from 3 to 20 of August on the territory of Donetsk and Kharkiv region and consisted of three parts. First part of the camp had been held in Kharkiv region. During this part volunteers discussed key questions on human rights, chose topics of interest and composed drafts of workshops. Afterwards our camp joined volunteers, who were working in Kleban Byk Landscape Park in Donetsk region. There, during two days, workshops were conducted and evaluated with participants. Then, according to impressions of participants and trainers, workshops were improved. Final version was presented in two other volunteer workcamps. Rest of time volunteers of Human Rights Traveller devoted to preparation of brochure with camp and workshops description and tips for conducting such a kind of workcamp.

Camp participants came from Sweden, Netherlands, Moldova and Ukraine. Also volunteers from Croatia were expected, but they faced unexpected problems and didn’t manage to come. All the participants felt like gaining experience in organising activities on human rights topics. Especially important it was for volunteers from Moldova, as they are involved in YTNF project, and they can use this experience for organising successful activities and workshops designing.

Topics of workshops are “Rights of Minorities” and “Women Rights and Gay Rights”, they have approximate duration of 1-1,5 hour, optimal size of group is 8-10 person. This information was get empirically, as during workcamp content of workshop changed, and number of participants varied from 5 to 15 people. Working language of workshops is English.

Inside Human Rights Traveller group atmosphere was quiet. Nearly half of  camp duration we spent moving from one place to another and had to adapt ourselves to different conditions and meet new people from volunteer camps, so it was rather complicated for serious conflict to appear. 

Accommodation was quite good – except couple of days spent in tents in Kleban Byk, we has at our disposal all modern conveniences, and we lived in private house (during second part of camp we lived in private church with personal priest).

While travelling from place to place we tended to use railway. For Ukraine it is the most comfortable+convenient, but for future I would recommend to take care about tickets and trip coordination in advance. Also for more efficient work  it is good to have strong theoretical support. It should be taken in attention for conducting HRT work camp next year.