Tandem had been Youth Exchange financed by the Erasmus+, follow-up of Out of Spiral project.
It was focused on young adults (18-30 yo) who are struggling in addiction, or any unhealthy behavioral pattern they would like to change. It involved 35 people – 5 participants + 1 group leader (youth worker) – from 7 countries of the EU – Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Romania, and Spain
Methods
Method that is being actively developed by a consortium of partner – Hopeland (Greece), New Welness Education (Italy), and INspire (Czech Republic).
Mobiles, internet, communication technologies represent one of the easiest escapes from the pain of a moment. Whenever facing unpleasant feelings, fear, boredom, etc., people tend to hide in their phones or computers to run away from anything that is threatening.
When disconnect from ICTs (information and communication technologies like phones, computers, internet, etc.), people are losing one of the most accessible run-away strategies.
Participants had to surrender their ICTs, and gained an unique opportunity – which might be unpleasant from the beginning but starts to be very pleasant and beneficial soon – to face anything that is happening inside of them. They see it and are with it. As there is be no barrier of phones, also creating interpersonal relationships is becoming easier, becuase talking with others and creating meaningful things together is be the main strategy for not to be bored.
We were following principles of Scott Peck, a creator of a community method (see here).
As described by the psychologist M. S. Peck: Communities are created towards a common goal
Creating a physical impact on Malandreni and Hopeland to create a positive mental impact on participants.
They share the following characteristics:
Inclusivity, commitment, and consensus;
Realism;
Contemplation;
Safe space;
Laboratory for personal disarmament;
Graceful (peaceful) fights;
Group of all leaders;
Spirit.
In such a space, people can freely share any pain inside of them. They can approach the trauma deep in them directly and experience support from the others without the need of trying to “fix” them. Simply by listening, being together and sharing the pain, the healing can happen.
Social service is as an important step in healing. It has 2 main benefits.
Firstly,
involvement in physical work creates a space for shutting down the mind and simply feeling what is happening inside of us. Instead of overthinking, people are heading directly to the trauma inside of them.
Secondly,
helping others creates a biochemical reaction in humans and rewards them with pleasant feelings. It is a biological mechanism supporting survival but we tend to forget it in the highly individualistic society. Participants will have a chance to experience its benefits.
Life and death of the community
Participants arrived to meetings point described in infopack. Greek group collected them. Together, they entered the rented bus that took them to the crossroad under the Hopeland from where they continued approx 0.5 km to reach the venue of Hopeland.
Before entering the Hopeland venue, they all took the antigen test to be sure the project is covid-free.
Hopelanders (people living in Hopeland, running the place) organized a guided tour through the Hopeland venue with an explanation of the context, how the place is working, etc. The safety rules were mentioned, with more details and added context. Participants got an awareness on the eco-aspect of Hopeland, and how come it can be self-sustainable.
Participants were invited to offer small games and activities that supported them in getting to know each other and remember each other names. (offer prepared during national meetings in Preparatory phase)
Morning circle: Daily meeting of the community on practicals. Everybody had an opportunitiy to speak about their needs.
Connectivity games: Participants offered small games and activities to each other that supported them in connection and trust. (offer prepared during national meetings in Preparatory phase)
Tandem introduction: Group leaders provided a context for the Tandem project – Youth Exchange, non-formal learning, Gabor Maté’s perspective on addiction and the S. Peck principles of the community. The creation of community started now.
Guardian angel/obstacle in life: Constellation based activity. Participant divided in trios. Participant A choose who of his trio represents Guardian Angel//Obstacle in life. Then, they had a chance to experience a small constellation. After that, they switched roles, and finally reflected upon their learning. This activity was present to support them in discovering what are their challenges in life.
Active listening: Activity in couples. Person A has 3 minutes to share on given question. Person B has 2 minutes to answer what they heard. Peerson A has 1 minute to clarify. Then, they switched couples. This activity supported participants in actively listening each other during the project.
Working places in Hopeland: Hopeland janitor introduced to participants a working opportunities in Hopeland.
Reflection groups: Reflection groups were formed from 1 group leader and 5 participants, with maximum 2 people from the same country. Reflection groups were meeting daily to
1) share any feedback with organizers;
2) support each other emotionally and mentaly;
3) reflect upon anything they have learned during the day through the perspective of Youthpass.
Disconnection: Participants passed their mobiles and computers to safe so they could get disconnected from the online world and become more present in the time and space for each other. The disconnection from the internet and ICT supported the reconnection with each other and their inner core.
Community meeting: Group sharing in the style of Way of Council.
Hike to Maladreni: Participants led by a professional hike instructor went to visit a Maladreni. The process was led as a silent walk with a stops for sharing circlees where participants talk about their struggles in life.
Visit in Malandreni: Participants visited Malandreni, and got a guided tour by our contact in major office. She introduced the history of the place, fo the region, and explained the needs of the village, and opportunities for the participants.
Core beliefs: A process supporting participants in discovering what are their core beliefs about each other.
Community meeting: Group sharing in the style of Way of Council.
Working groups: In cooperation with Hopeland staff, participants divided into working groups and started to work both in Hopeland and Maladreni.
Reflection group: Participants reflected upon their learning from the day through the perspective of Youth Pass.
Community meeting: Group sharing in the style of Way of Council.
Working group: Working groups continued their work in Hopeland and Maladreni.
Preparation of interculturall event: Participants started to prepare the intercultural event that is to happen in Maladreni viillage.
Community meeting: Group sharing in the style of Way of Council.
Working for intercultural event: As planning was done the previous days, participants were working on activites that are to happen during the intercultural event in Maladreni.
Cooking for intercultural event: Participants were preparing national dishes to present during the intercultural event in Malandreni.
Intercultural event: Participants organized the intercultural event in Malandreni. They shared their national food, traditional songs and dances, and mingled with locals, while informing them about the world of Erasmus+.
Free morning: Free morning to reflect upon the successes of intercultural event.
Sharing: Participants shared their take aways from the event and from its preparation.
Silent walk: Participants had 1 hour of silent walk to reflect uupon their patterns in life and how they reflected so far during the Youth Exchange.
Reflection group: Participants reflected upon their learning from the day through the perspective of Youth Pass, with an extra focus on a question “what do I need to change in my life”
Connectivity: Activity facilitated by a Czech participants, offfered in order to support the community in a better cooperation.
Community meeting: Participants met to make a reality check on a status of a community, on the work that still needs to be done, and on the opporrtunities that are presented, and togethe,r they did the planning of following days.
Working group: Participants were continuing in their work in Hopeland and Malandreni.
Reflection group: Participants reflected upon their learning from the day through the perspective of Youth Pass.
Open Sharing: Participants had been invited to night sharing on their llife traumas.
Community meeting: Group sharing in the style of Way of Council.
Working group: Participants had been invited to night sharing on their llife traumas.
Workshops: Participants were offering workshops to each other: discussion on spirituality, trust exercises, and non-violent communication.
Open sharing: Participants had been invited to night sharing on their llife traumas.
Trip to Napflio: Participants organized for themselves a trip to Napflio to get even more in touch with Greek culture.
Night ritual: Participants had a chance to go through a small symbolic ritual where they burned out what they don’t want from the past, and focus on what they want for their future..
Reconnection: Participants received their phones back. They all shared what disconnection had brought to them.
Death of community: Closing of community method.
Follow up: Participants had brainstormed on the Earthship and contributed to the creation of the following project.
Closing of reflection groups: Final meeting of reflection groups. Closing and reviewing of the Youth Passes. Saying thank you.
E+ and Hopeland opportunities: Hopeland staff shared on what opportuities they are offering to the youth and what other opoportunities from E+ exists.
Planting the tree: Participants together planted a tree to compenssate for CO2 emission they created while travelling to Greece.
Closing of the social service method (Cleaning ): Cleaning of the whole Hopeland and preparing for departure.
Conclusion
Community method as present by Scott Peck is truly magnificent tool, yet very demanding for participants as well.
What we can observe is that participants are able to reach the phase of Emptiness, but they are staying there only shortly, and they are quickly moving back to Chaos, and below to Pseudo-community. Why? Because Pseudo-community is a pleasant state, a space for funsies, laughter, and jokes.
We deem community method as Peck presented not fully suitable for Youth Exchanges. The approach need to be adjusted
Results of the method are amazing. Participants are reporting more insights, inter- and intra-connections, and general satisfaction.
Yet, there is a challenge: among the group, there is usually a few who are very resistant towards giving upon their phones, despite being informed about it in advance.
For usage of this method, it is crucial to be sure participants understand in advance appropriately they will have to say goodbye to their phones. We also recommend to set-up a “phone room” – secluded place where participants can come and use phones if they need to deal about important things (i.e. connecting to work, etc.).
Community method as present by Scott Peck is truly magnificent tool, yet very demanding for participants as well.
What we can observe is that participants are able to reach the phase of Emptiness, but they are staying there only shortly, and they are quickly moving back to Chaos, and below to Pseudo-community. Why? Because Pseudo-community is a pleasant state, a space for funsies, laughter, and jokes.
We deem community method as Peck presented not fully suitable for Youth Exchanges. The approach need to be adjusted by omitting the “group of all leaders” principle. Facilitator needs tot take much more active role, providing space for actively mirroring what participants are doing, and explaining the consequences.
Social service has amazing results.
Not only participants were eager to work. Through conversations among each other, they gained a lot of insights.
Finally, they were reporting a sense of accomplishment, and meaning, that is very important for their development.