News from YIP – One year of making sense http://www.yip.se/ News and participant impressions from the International Youth Initiative Program (YIP) in Järna, Sweden. A year for youth 18–25 who want to create positive social change in the world. A year with participants and experienced course leaders from all over the world. en News from YIP – One year of making sense http://www.yip.se/typo3conf/ext/tt_news/ext_icon.gif http://www.yip.se/ 18 16 News and participant impressions from the International Youth Initiative Program (YIP) in Järna, Sweden. A year for youth 18–25 who want to create positive social change in the world. A year with participants and experienced course leaders from all over the world. TYPO3 - get.content.right http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Fri, 03 Sep 2010 05:55:00 -0400 Follow the Participants' Blog http://www.yip.se/index.php?id=195&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=73&cHash=8bee75a323229e1f1a5bd98833ec1bdf The third generation YIP-ies have opened a blog. The first post: "Toilet cleaning = cultural... The third generation YIP-ies have opened a blog. The first post: "Toilet cleaning = cultural...
 Read the blog at yipthethirdgeneration.wordpress.com]]> Participants 2010–2011 General YIP mathias@yip.se Fri, 03 Sep 2010 05:55:00 -0400 12:12 With YIP-ies Present http://www.yip.se/index.php?id=195&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=72&cHash=efb1e476d468126936f3bf15f6778848 2 September 2010, at 1212h, a new cultural initiative is starting at the Culture House. The program... 2 September 2010, at 1212h, a new cultural initiative is starting at the Culture House. The program...
 Originally imagined by Rembert Biemond of Vidarstiftelsen, a Järna based foundation, and developed in cooperation with Peter de Voto of the Culture House, the 12:12 event is a short cultural event followed by lunch in the Culture House. Everything (including transportation to and from the event) is supposed to take place within one hour. Just the time you need to enjoy cultural contemplation. The event will happen once every month, and YIP will make it a part of the schedule to be there. More info at 12-12.se (in Swedish).]]> General YIP Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:52:00 -0400 The Third Stream http://www.yip.se/index.php?id=195&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=71&cHash=414b3aa01c986e9f07f951e59913593a 40 YIP-ies from 18 countries have started their year. The third YIP opening had speeches, songs,... 40 YIP-ies from 18 countries have started their year. The third YIP opening had speeches, songs,...
 The formal part of the opening began Sunday afternoon, at 1600h, in the hall of the Culture House. After introducing themselves, the YIP organizers gave the word to representatives of Vårdinge Folk High School and the Rudolf Steiner Seminar.  Samuel Mirkin (YIP 2009–2010) told about his year at YIP, before the 16 YIP alumni present sang a South African song to the new YIP-ies. The seven alumni from the first YIP year also read a poem together, each person saying a different line. On the way out of the hall, lines formed to allow everyone to shake hands with each other: a tradition kept from the first year's opening. Fika (coffee and cake) was served in the White House and YIP alumni served pizza form YIP's stone oven.

Which 18 countries?

All continents and 18 countries are represented amongst this year's 40 YIP-ies. The countries are:
  • Australia
  • Belgium
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • The Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • South Africa
  • South Korea
  • Sweden
  • United Kingdom
  • USA
]]> General YIP Sun, 22 Aug 2010 14:42:00 -0400 Opening The Third Year http://www.yip.se/index.php?id=195&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=70&cHash=8b7e7662a348689854e31ed595b3808e YIP is turning three! Join us to welcome the new arrivals: Sun. 22 August 2010 at 1600h. YIP is turning three! Join us to welcome the new arrivals: Sun. 22 August 2010 at 1600h.
 The official opening of the 2010–2011 YIP Year kicks off in the Culture House in Ytterjärna at 1600h, followed by fika. Bring your own food and feel free to stay on for a barbecue or pizzas from the oven. See you there!

(Free entry. Alcohol is prohibited.)

]]> General YIP mathias@lilio.com Mon, 16 Aug 2010 03:16:00 -0400 Record Number of Applications http://www.yip.se/index.php?id=195&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=69&cHash=eaeaa52251567d5017606d49a297a635 For the 2010-2011 YIP Year we have received more applications than ever. Sadly, there were not... For the 2010-2011 YIP Year we have received more applications than ever. Sadly, there were not...
 The process of selecting the participants for the 2010–2011 year has been hard. YIP has received more than half-hundred applications for forty places, and pretty much all of them were very good! This means we have had to make some very tough choices, saying no to otherwise good applicants.

Intense Review for an Intense Program

During our application review process every application is read and discussed in-depth. Although there are many criteria, we generally look at the application of each individual to see if YIP seems to be a good fit, and also if the individual will be a good fit for YIP. Because it is a very intense program both academically and socially, it is important that the application reflects a true wish to engage fully in all aspects of the YIP program, including the courses, community life, and one's own ability to take initiative and be self-motivated throughout the year.

Try Again Next Year

It is, of course, positive that so many people want to attend YIP, and we encourage everyone to apply for YIP 2011–2012 when the application comes online in January 2011. Don't be discouraged: The chance of being accepted (granted you have submitted a decent application) is still much higher than 50%. If you have not been accepted on your first attempt, trying again next year displays persistence. It means your wish to attend YIP is strong, and that's another good reason for us to accept you.]]> General YIP mathias@yip.se Fri, 16 Jul 2010 03:39:00 -0400 YIP Dancers on Europe Tour http://www.yip.se/index.php?id=195&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=68&cHash=c01f93e97b3ecf94777b90dc34857e40 Meeting for an hour every day before breakfast, 15 YIP-ies with minimal dancing background have... Meeting for an hour every day before breakfast, 15 YIP-ies with minimal dancing background have...
 Visit the Dancers' Web Site and see the Tour Schedule. What started out as a morning exercise during the YIP Year has ended up as a fully fledged stage show, now set to tour Europe this summer (June/July 2010).  As the only one with background within modern dance, fellow YIP-ie Ediane de Lima (Brazil) has directed the group. The performance is called The World as a Garden, and expresses a story of diversity and culture inspired by the participants' different backgrounds and nationalities, and the experiences at YIP.

The World as a Garden Where You Live?

If you live in Europe and would like the performance to come to where you live – or where your big event takes place – make contact! Find out more]]> General YIP YIP Participants 2009–2010 mathias@yip.se Tue, 22 Jun 2010 04:52:00 -0400 Sense Is On http://www.yip.se/index.php?id=195&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=67&cHash=7a561e1bae68fe520ea66151a000fe9d The YIP participants' conference Sense Festival has begun. Locals and visitors from far away... The YIP participants' conference Sense Festival has begun. Locals and visitors from far away...
 Follow the conference on line at www.sensefestival.se. At Sense Festival every morning begins with singing, and then a 20 minute power talk by someone with insight to bring change to the world: Edgard Gouveia Júnior (social change, Brazil), Kiara Nagel (community development, USA), Reinoud Meijer (YIP organizer and practical dreamer, The Netherlands), and Pieter Ploeg (YIP-ie and networker, The Netherlands). The power talks are all posted at the Sense Festival Web Site.

Making change happen

The festival is organized solely by the YIP Participants. After a year of intense YIP experiences the group has built a close connection with the local Järna community. Inspired by Edgard Gouveia Júnior's Oasis Game – ending in local projects for sustainable development – the Festival devotes the remainder of the morning to the question: What are your dreams for this community? The afternoons have been laid out as an open space, filled with activities put on by the Festival participants. From story telling and music to arts and crafts the space gives an opportunity for different levels of reflection and participation.

Full-on – introspective – poetic

At Sense Festival evenings bring together the personal meetings of the Night Café with great musical experiences. Each evening a host of bands from near and far play up. The music spans from introspective low-key folk to poetic hip-hop and full-on rock and reggae.]]> General YIP YIP Participants 2009–2010 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 03:08:00 -0400 Why Brazil? http://www.yip.se/index.php?id=195&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=66&cHash=ca932a926874dca2a12937be167b18be Some less obvious reasons for why I find myself here, in the Amazon, of all places, and what... Some less obvious reasons for why I find myself here, in the Amazon, of all places, and what...
 I would like to welcome you into my thoughts and walk you through some less obvious reasons for why I find myself here, in the Amazon of all places and what possible role I may be able to play in place in such need… This Brazil trip has taken me to many places. We have encountered fascinating individuals doing some of the most important work the Amazon can offer, we have experienced wonderful and heart warming scenery, as well as the stark and complex reminders of destruction, deforestation and political bias. We have visited indigenous NGO’s, rubber tapping organizations, WWF branches, Agroforestry initiatives and family farms. We have met local environmentalists, lecturers, young people, teachers, communities, indigenous tribe members and local Acreano’s, but for me it kept begging the question: “So What?” I am truly gaining a valuable experience: a more comprehensive understanding, but where is the benefit or the long term positive impact that I always dreamed my internship could possess. As I read and hear of my YIP friends building sustainable schools, or going through the first steps in envisioning a much needed community centre, these questions come to the surface, so I would like to share with you my exploration of some possible answers that are beginning to touch on satisfaction… What I see in this region is a State of much polarity. There is the one side that is striving for progress and economic development as fast as possible and another one living with the values of prevention, conservation and protection. But where can I and my positive impact align with such a place? Many things brought me here, on a personal level, it was a book, a Blog and a jog. While in my hometown of Totnes over Christmas break, I stumbled into The Exchange, a cosy little store near the top of the high street, full of old records, books, instruments and collectables and various other trinkets.  I have always liked its scattered and inviting layout and on passing, as always, found my feet dragging me in. On browsing the shelves of books my eye traced back to Murder in the Rain Forest by Alex Shoumatoff, a book describing the life and times of Chico Mendes- a local environmental hero of Acre. I read the first chapter- its always how I choose whether a book would be of interest, moments later I was at the counter with money in hand. Whether it was destiny, serendipity, karma, coincidence or just pure chance that four months later I ended up in the very region described in the book, I am unsure of, as well as visiting the very place that Chico grew up in and meeting his relatives- but one thing is for certain; it happened and it helped bring me here. The other force that played such an influential role in my arrival in such bio-diverse climes, is a Blog. After deciding on Acre for our internship, I came across a Blog of an American named Lou Gold. Now 74 years old, he has been living here for the last five years. Originally from Oregon, he spent most of his life as an environmental activist, a storyteller protecting forests and moved here to protect “the most important one of all and tell the stories the world needed to hear”. Such insight resonated in me and to now I have met him, spoken with him and dreamed with him. The third and final magnet that drew me over the Atlantic was a thirty-minute run in Sweden. I used to run a lot. I liked it, it gave me space to think, reconnect and feel my body, so as all the stress of organizing this trip mounted, I closed my computer, put down my pen and ran. I realized then, whilst breathing again, that my personal place in this internship would be to experience and listen and then to share and tell. Something far greater than personal choice brought me here, so maybe something greater than personal pleasure can emerge and I think for now I need to help spread the stories that exist here, in a region in global need. I feel that can be my place, but is that enough impact? If through that Oasis finds a place in whatever form, or if through that just maybe someone is inspired to consider his or her future actions, then who knows all I can do is place my piece of the puzzle. The Amazon still has time, but it is now on our watch. How would you like to treat it? A phrase I have coined (I think) since being here and one I would like to leave you with is this: "The Choices We Make Today, Will Echo In The Amazon Tomorrow" More photographs from the Amazon Matthew Pike's Blog]]> General YIP YIP Participants 2009–2010 Fri, 21 May 2010 03:19:00 -0400 International Internship Presentations http://www.yip.se/index.php?id=195&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=65&cHash=4374cb559dd8a6bcb18b45f4cd991381 Come hear about the the work this year’s YIP Participants did and about the places where they spent... Come hear about the the work this year’s YIP Participants did and about the places where they spent...
 For one month in April, the YIP-ies worked with International Projects and Orgranizations all around the world: Nepal, India, Kenya, South Africa, Namibia, Brazil, Guatemala, Peru, Russia, and Europe.
RSS Vitahuset in Ytterjärna
4 May kl. 1900h RSS Vitahuset in Ytterjärna
5 May kl. 1400h Gula Villan in Järna
11 May 1930h
SEK 80 (SEK 40 students and pensioners) ]]> General YIP YIP Participants 2009–2010 Mon, 03 May 2010 06:51:00 -0400 "Wow… I can't believe it has happened" http://www.yip.se/index.php?id=195&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=64&cHash=3770ae18e7eec49e66151435eb706ef6 YIP-ies in Kenya: "We have (...) produced the most amazing Playground for the children of Mina... YIP-ies in Kenya: "We have (...) produced the most amazing Playground for the children of Mina...
 The four YIP participants, Anna (Belgium), Dominique (New Zealand), Ana (Brazil) and Phoebe (Australia) have blogged about their internship Playground for Change. They travelled to Mina Academy, started by YIP alumna Sabrina Jung and Kenyan Jacob Ogweno in 2006. Read the Playground for Change Blog Visit the Mina Academy Web Site <media 496>Download the Mina Academy Newsletter</media> for January–April 2010, featuring Playground for Change.]]> General YIP YIP Participants 2009–2010 Thu, 29 Apr 2010 03:13:00 -0400