EVS project description

The European Voluntary Service programme is open to anyone aged 18 to 30 from Europe, the CIS, or the Mediterranean region.
More info on European Voluntary Service: http://www.sosforevs.org

2006-BEFL-49
Friends of the Earth vzw
For Mother Earth

Accreditation: Host organisation
Approval Date: 28/11/2006
Validity Date: 28/11/2009
Project type: Long-term
Location: Gent (Belgium)
Partnership: The host project is open to working with any partner
Theme 1: Environment
Target group 1: Youth and children
Target group 2: Local community

Project environment

For Mother Earth, founded in 1991, is a member of the Friends of the Earth international network- the world's largest grassroots environmental federation. It is a regional environmental organisation, covering Brussels and Flanders, and pays specific attention to the issue of war and peace, human rights, and how these relate to the environment. It uses research, education and awareness raising, lobbying and nonviolent direct action as ways to reach its goals. We are actively developing a network of local groups across Flanders and Brussels, and recruiting new members, to ensure we can become an active and more influential organisation.

We have an office in Gent where around 15-20 volunteers work on campaigns and administrative tasks for the organisation. The team in the office is international, with volunteers from Flanders and other parts of Europe.

The restaurant "Lekker GEC" began life as a project of For Mother Earth, but is now run as a separate non-profit organisation (Sogo Bia O'yond). It also now runs an organ gardening project "Lekker Gecke Spruit"

The restaurant and office of For Mother Earth are located in the Gents Ecologisch Centrum (Gent Ecological Centre). The ecological centre demonstrates the application of energy savings and renewable energies (ie solar, wind, water, heat exchange). This is a unique project within Belgium, and was initiated by For Mother Earth.

Gent is an ancient and very beautiful city, located in the province of East Flanders. It is a student town, with one of Belgium's main universities. The large student population contributes to the lively and varied cultural activities available in the city. It has approximately 250,000 inhabitants, the majority of whom are Dutch speaking. It is located about 30 minutes from Brussels by train.

For Mother Earth has been hosting EVS volunteers for the past 8 years. The experience has been very rewarding for the volunteers, and for the organisation. We have also organised a number of "Youth for Europe" youth exchanges, around the issue of nuclear weapons.

EVS Volunteers will be accommodated in host families, who also have volunteers who work with For Mother Earth or our partner organisations. This gives volunteers an opportunity to get to know the city, as increases the chance of them integrating into the community. Our EVS volunteers are currently hosted in two different houses, both about 20 minutes cycle ride from the Gent Ecological Centre.

Food is provided each day (except Monday) for volunteers in the vegetarian organic restaurant Lekker GEC. Extra pocket money is given to volunteers for them to buy their own food on Monday and for breakfasts.

Tasks

WORKING GROUPS
EVS volunteers will be encouraged to assist a specific campaign, i.e. disarmament, climate and/or nuclear energy. In the future they might increasingly get involved in supporting campaigns of local groups.

In the past, EVS volunteers have worked with either the nuclear disarmament campaign, or the energy campaign. However, there may be a possibility for the volunteer to work with one of the other working groups.

Work will include general campaigning work including research, lobbying, networking, preparation of campaign materials and preparation for, and participation in, demonstrations or nonviolent direct action. The volunteers will receive training in any tasks with which they are not familiar. This training may either be in the form of structured training sessions, or by working on a project with an experienced team member. They will also receive a thorough introduction to each of the issues that they will be working on. This may involve discussion with experienced campaigners in the field (both within For Mother Earth and other NGOs that we work with), or watching videos or research on the internet.

Volunteers will continue to receive support from experienced team members in each of the tasks that they undertake, for as long as it is needed. We try to encourage a cooperative working environment, where each team member can support and be supported.

Day to day work in the disarmament and environmental campaigns involves-

 media and communication, such as press-work for events,

 use of electronic media for information and communication,

 participation in meetings and conferences,

 research for the production of information brochures (published on the internet and in paper version)

 promotion of events, at public meetings or information events, or spreading leaflets or posters

 information stalls at festivals or other events

 organise logistics for events such as peace camp or information event,

 make a scenario for nonviolent direct action, and implement it. This may involve creating visuals and other necessary materials, and finding activists.

 volunteers may also contribute articles for our magazine "Bulletin Voor Moeder Aarde" and the "MagEzine"

There are also a variety of small building and maintenance projects (painting, plastering, carpentry) that need to be done within the ecological centre. This is an excellent introduction to the use of ecological building materials and sustainable lifestyle.

In all of these tasks, we expect the volunteer to use their experience, knowledge, and contacts that they bring with them. This might involve contacting and networking with groups in their home country, translating information into their native language, or initiating campaigns in Belgium based on issues of particular concern in their home country. Recent examples of this have included the building of a network of NGOs around Europe opposed to the US nuclear weapons in their country, and the spreading of information about international anti-war action days to several countries across Europe.

CO-ORDINATION TASKS
As well as this set of common tasks, each volunteer is asked to work on a specific collection of tasks, helping to co-ordinate one of the areas of work of For Mother Earth. The volunteer will be given an introduction to the task from an existing team member. There will always be someone present for support and advice, and the volunteer will not be left with end responsibility for the task. Although this help and support will be available, the volunteer will be expected to work relatively independently on this task, and take initiatives in developing this area of the work. Depending on the interest and the motivation of the volunteer, this task may become the major task that they work on. These coordination tasks provide a perfect framework for the volunteer to develop a personal project, which can support the work of For Mother Earth. Recent examples of this include designing and writing a visitor's guide to the Ecological Centre, building a website for the Abolition 2000 Europe campaign, supporting the Friends of the Earth Europe climate campaign by promoting the "climate deal" action within For Mother Earth.

Information and outreach.
As a campaigning organisation, reaching members of the public is a vital part of our work. This task-packet includes the collection and maintenance of materials necessary for running the information and outreach stall, for use at events such as festivals or demonstrations as well as in Gent city centre. The task also involves identifying possible events to run a stall at, and finding volunteers to staff the stall. As well as spreading information, the stall is also used to sell merchandise, and this task-packet involves ensuring that new merchandising is produced, and prepared to take to events, as well as finding ethical sources of merchandise, and answering requests for merchandising that come into the organisation by email, phone or fax.

Networking
For Mother Earth values cooperation with other organisations, and as such, it plays an active role in many networks at a local, national and international level. It currently hosts the secretariat for the international Boycott Bush network, as well as coordinating the Abolition 2000 Belgium, and Abolition 2000 Europe networks for nuclear disarmament. For Mother Earth plays an active role in the Friends of the Earth International network. The volunteer that works in networking tasks will get involved in this work, which may include searching for new members of the network (possibly in their home country) or consolidating the existing network, by maintaining contact with network members, or stimulating activity within the network.

Action material and activist network
The practical materials that we use in our actions range from street theatre costumes and banners used in demonstrations, to chains used to close down nuclear weapon bases. The action material coordinator is responsible for ensuring that this material is prepared, maintained and available for use, sometimes at short notice. The task-packet includes liasing with activists within For Mother Earth, and other groups, about the most suitable action material to purchase or create, and following this up, either alone, or with the help of other volunteers. The work also involves assisting on building up the activist network of For Mother Earth, by setting up or giving training to other activists in the use of certain action techniques.

Electronic communication and archives
In today's world, an increasing amount of information is in electronic form. A strong email network and an accessible and well structured website are vital to NGOs, especially those working across international borders. The volunteer working on electronic communication will be responsible for assisting promotion of the campaigns and actions of For Mother Earth by ermail, and on the website, as well as promoting the existence of our email lists and the website, by using both virtual and "real" advertising. Working alongside expereinced web-designers and campaigners, the volunteer responsible for the coordination of electronic communication will be able to develop their skills in this area, suggest new content for the website, and implement online campaigning tools.This volunteer will also be responsible for ensuring that all our actions and campaigns are properly archived (photographs, press releases, press clippings).

Gent Ecological Centre
The Gents Ecologisch Centrum (GEC) openned in 1999, as a demonstration centre for ecological building techniques, and as a place to develop environmental and social initiatives within the city. It currently houses both the office of For Mother Earth and the organic vegan restaurant "Lekker GEC", as well as the offices of other environmental organisations. The volunteer working on this coordination task will play an active role in further developing the ecological centre by ensuring that visitors to the centre can obtain the information about the building and the projects it houses. They will also help to develop these projects, in cooperation with the organisations in the building and the board of directors of the centre.

ORGANIC RESTAURANT LEKKER GEC
Lekker GEC is an organic, vegan, restaurant in the Gent Ecological Centre. The organic status of the restaurant means that all the products used are guaranteed organic, and have been produced without the use of pesticides, chemical preservatives, colourings, polishes, or other additives… There is a strict control on this two times every year. As a vegan restaurant, we do not use any animal products. There is no meat, fish, cheese, eggs, butter, honey, etc. in the meals although there is cheese for spaghetti and milk for coffee if the customers wish.

The restaurant was originally launched as a project of For Mother Earth to promote organic food and sustainable energy solutions as well as having a wide collection of Belgian and international magazines in the information corner of the saloon. Today, the restaurant is run by a separate non-profit organisation Sogo Bia O'Yond (For Mother Earth in the Shoshone language).

The restaurant has a strong social function, which means that as well as working with volunteers, we also offer work and support to people who are socially disadvantaged. There are a large number of people working with us who come from psychiatric institutions or drug rehabilitation centres, as well as people who are working as an alternative to a prison sentence, or are being guided in their reintegration into the labour market by either the city's social services ("article 60"), or the social security fund. In practice, this means that the EVS volunteers will come into contact with a very diverse group of people with a range of nationalities, characters, beliefs and ages.

As well as the restaurant, where volunteers can work in the kitchen, the saloon or in administration tasks, Sogo Bia has also started an organic gardening project: Lekker Gecke Spruit. The garden, about 2 kilometers from the Gent Ecological Centre, grows vegetables and edible flowers for use in the restaurant. We plan to expand this project, to allow local schools to visit the garden, for example. A third project is a cooperation with Green Energy Creations, an exhibition space for ecological products, which also has a filling stations for cars that run on plant oil.

EVS volunteers are asked to work in total 16 hours per week in the restaurant or the gardening project. This amount will be reduced if they are taking a language course.

The EVS volunteers will always have somebody to teach them, and guide their work, and to give personal support (a cook, or someone experienced in the gardening project). In addition the EVS volunteers have their own support person appointed by the council of the restaurant. The person responsible for EVS volunteers is available for the volunteers to turn to, if they have problems in the restaurant or gardening project.

TYPICAL WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Monday (typically used for team meetings, and training, as well as the regular EVS evaluation sessions with mentors):
10:00 to 13:00: Training, for example in consensus decision making techniques or work in the office
(OR: 9:00 to 12:00: Language course)
13:00 to 14:00: Lunch
14:00 to 15:30: Weekly team meeting (alternating between a focus on office management or campaign-related issues), decision making meeting for the office team
15:30 to 17:00: Short information session on a current news event, or a practical project working group meeting

Tuesday
Arrive at the office between 9:00 and 10:00, check email and answer personal mail
10:00 to 10:30: short meeting with coach, to ensure the volunteer has enough information and support.
10:30 to 14:00: work on one or more of the tasks outline above, for example answering requests for merchandising that have been received by fax, email, post.
(OR: 9:00 to 12:00: Language course)
14:00 to 15:00: lunch, in the organic restaurant
15:00 to 17:00: work on one or more of the tasks outline above, for example preparing a selection of information to take to a stall at a demonstration.

Wednesday:
9:00 to 13:00: Arrive in the office to hold the office "permanence"
14:00 to 15:00: lunch, in the organic restaurant
15:00 to 17:00: work on one or more of the tasks outline above, for example investigating the possibility of obtaining fair trade, ecological products to promote on the information and outreach stall.

Thursday:
16:00 to 22:30: Working in the kitchen, assisting the cook: there is always a cook supervising the work in the kitchen and guiding volunteers. Volunteers work is wide-spread consisting for example: cutting, pealing and cleaning vegetables and other ingredients of day plate; designing and preparing salads; preparing snacks and dessert dishes; baking pies; washing dishes and laundry, keeping things clean in the kitchen and cellar…

Friday:
14:00 to 18:00: work in the kitchen (as above)
(OR: 9:00 to 12:00: Language course)
18:00 to 21:00: work in the saloon. In the saloon a volunteer is assisting the waiter who is responsible for the current shift. The volunteer gets support all the time and there is time for efficient learning. Work in the saloon consist of taking and bringing orders of drinks and food, keeping the saloon tidy and various other tasks a waiter can have: especially creating an enjoyable atmosphere in the restaurant. It is possible later on when the skills develop for a volunteer to work as saloon responsible and start guide other people of the work in the saloon. In this position the volunteer gets more responsibility -and responsibilities. The volunteers working in the saloon are also responsible for answering questions from customers about sustainable living issues, and if this is not possible redirect people to other sources of information. This might not be possible in the beginning of the project as you have to be able to speak Dutch to serve the customers properly.

WORKING HOURS
The volunteer works 36 hours per week in the project. Normally, this is 20 hours for FME and 16 hours in the restaurant and garden. If volunteers follow a language course, this will compensated by reducing the amount of hours worked in each part of the project. For example, a volunteer who follows a language course for 8 hours each week may work 16 hours on the campaigns, 12 hours in the kitchen, and 8 hours on the language course (making a total of 36 hours).

We aim to enable volunteers to take 2 full days off each week. However, there are times when this can be difficult. This aspect of a volunteer's timetable should be discussed each week with the coach. Once a month this should be a real weekend (Friday evening-Sunday evening).

To allow good coaching and support, we encourage volunteers to fix at least 12 of the 20 hours that they work with For Mother Earth in the same weekly schedule. The weekly team meeting, on Monday afternoon 14.00-16.00, is included in this. The other 10 hours are planned in agreement with the coach during the weekly talks. There are four different shifts during the day: 9-13h; 13-17h; 17-20h and 20h-22h.

We try to avoid night work in the office in order to respect the rest of the neighbours, although, it can happen when it is necessary for a certain action or campaign. Changes to this schedule can be made in consultation with the coach.

Extra hours worked can be compensated by taking time off. This should be discussed in advance with the coach and mentor. The volunteer will call to the office and/ or the coach about absences, coming later to the office, illness, unexpected changes before their shift starts.

Volunteers have the right to have 2 days off per EVS month in addition to public holidays. The timing of these holidays should be discussed with their coach and mentor.

Note: during the festival "Gentse Feesten" (normally the 3rd week of July) volunteers will be expected to work full time in the stall that is run by For Mother Earth and the restaurant, in the city centre. Volunteers will be able to take 2 days off in the week following the Gentse Feesten.

TARGET GROUP
We are particularly keen to receive applications from people with a background in campaigning on the issues that we work on, and members of our partner organisations (especially Friends of the Earth groups, and active members of Abolition 2000).

SPECIAL NEEDS
Volunteers receive food each day (except Monday) in the restaurant "Lekker GEC". The project is, therefore, particularly suitable for volunteers who enjoy eating vegetarian/vegan and organic food.

Our office is located on the 4th floor of a building with no lift access. As such, the project may be unsuitable for some volunteers with limited mobility.