The Convenient Truth

The project “The Convenient Truth” is enabling the participants to learn more about the positive effects that voluntary work has on the environment. During the one week spent in the idyllic village Žetale, the international youth exchange will encourage the participants to be conscious of the fact that every local environment can be improved by reducing CO2 emissions with the appropriate and innovative approach.

Changes in the micro-environment are the basis of the project with the focus on the changes in each individual. The emphasis of the youth exchange lies in volunteer work encouraging positive changes in the local environment, in long term positively affecting the environment as well as each individual, and in achieving better working conditions with a more progressive environment. With the leader’s help participants will learn more about the possibilities of reducing greenhouse gases with sustainable agriculture, tree planting and other similar measures. Later on, the participants will make souvenirs which will be shared for voluntary contributions on a fair and inform the public of the purpose for the voluntary contributions – the purchase of a solar collector lightening up the touristic information sign in front of a well known and highly visited historical exhibition.

The conversion of solar energy into electric power will be a symbol of how volunteering enables us a greener environment, how selling electric power provides financial aids and how a well-informed town or village can attract many more tourists. The voluntarism, environment care and the solution of unemployment are the main concerns of the project.



TD - Žetale

Participants

Participants age between: 18-25 (exceptions possible for youth leader).


The groups will be consisting of 2 men and 2 women + 1 youth leader per country. We have partners from: Spain-Tenerife, France, the Nederlands, Belgium, Turkey and Slovenia, all together 30 people.

A list of all participants, grouped in countries.

  • Spain-Tenerife: AURI Asoc Univ Relac Intern
    1. David Perdomo
    2. Alba Valle
    3. Irene Munoz
    4. Paula Guedes
    5. Javier Mendoza
    6.  
  • TURKEY: TEKKEKÖY ILÇE MILLI EGITIM MÜDÜRLÜGÜ
    1. MUSTAFA BÜLBÜL
    2. HAZAL CIGERCI
    3. NÜKET ERDEM
    4. HASAN FENSUR ÇINAR
    5. ÇAGATAY ENES PINAR
    6.  
  • The Nederlands: Tripin
    1. Daan De Mink
    2. Talitha Hunnik
    3. Nick Kaptheijns
    4. Mark Bosschaart
    5. Benjamin Beuse
    6.  
  • France: Eurocircle
    1. Nicolas Fredon
    2. Gwendoline Albertini
    3. Samir Akacha
    4. Annabelle Darty
    5. Ludovic Cecillon
    6.  
  • The Belgium: JOETZ
    1. Ibi Vandenkerkhove
    2. Roselynd Werniers
    3. Jane Coppin
    4. Sayuri Kawakami
    5. Teodora Juganaru
    6.  
  • Slovenia: TD Žetale
    1. Alenka Mlakar
    2. Polona Ber
    3. Timotej Skledar
    4. Matic Prevolšek
    5. Lucija Butolen
    6.  

Program »The Convenient Truth«

  • Day 1 – Monday, 8.8.2011


    • Arrival
    • Accommodation
    • Supper
    • Getting to know each other: First day is about accommodation and socializing between participants. Active cooperation will be stimulated during parlour games.

  • Day 2 – Tuesday, 9.8.2011


    • Breakfast
    • Program beginning Introduction and greeting speech presenting the themes and goals of the project. A presentation of the group leaders will follow. Participants will introduce their expectations of the program for a better atmosphere.
    • Workshop 1 “Presentation of Organizations”: Each organisation will present their activities and achievements.
    • Lunch
    • Workshop 2 “Voluntarism meets tourism”: Presentation of the participants’ work week. The main point is volunteers making souvenirs in creative workshops which will be later on sold on a fair; the takings will be donated for the purchase of a solar collector enlightening the tourist information sign in the place.
    • Evaluation – Debate on themes of workshops and group comparison of results for the day.
    • Supper
    • Watching Al Gore’s movie “An Inconvenient truth”

  • Day 3 – Wednesday, 10.8.2011


    • Breakfast
    • Workshop “Ultimate Survivor”: Growing ecological food. We supply the possibilities in the environment for participants; they have to come up with the ideas on how to survive in symbiosis with nature. Groups have to prepare food working with the method DO IT. Living in the nature provides them with the realisation where food comes from, how they have to take care of nature to preserve it, they plant a few trees along the ecological path, and an expert of forestry explains the CO2 usage of a tree. Together with the Society of Rural Women, participants will learn how to bake bread in bread ovens (grinding of grains, kneading of dough and baking) at Vuk’s home, now a museum.
    • National evening 1 (presentation of 3 countries): It is desirable for the presentation not to be only theoretical, but also practical, including typical dances, songs, food and drink, teaching of language …

  • Day 4 – Thursday, 11.8.2011


    • Breakfast
    • Trip to Ljubljana 1: Influence of Schengen border on life of people next to it. Where does Europe start?
    • CITY RALLY – Group work (nationally mixed groups) and taking pictures participants will get to know Ljubljana and its cultural and religious sites in nationally mixed groups with different assignments. To accomplish the task, participants will have to work together, encouraging ingenuity, communication in the group, personal motivation, and participation, leading to bigger group integration. Participants will have to ask the inhabitants for help, helping them to include into the environment.
    • Evaluation: Before dinner, the participants will comment on the daily events
    • Supper

  • Day 5 – Friday, 12.8.2011


    • Breakfast
    • Workshop 1: Member of the European Parliament Milan Zver, PhD. working in the committee for culture and education will present the vision of future youth’s situation in the EU. Public event with discussion
    • lunch
    • Workshop 2: European citizenship, discussion among participants.
    • National evening 2 (presentation of 2 countries): Traditional food, dance, language, etc.

  • Day 6 – Saturday, 13. 8. 2011


    • Breakfast
    • Workshop 1: The influence of sports on life. With a sports’ instructor we will discuss the importance of sport for healthy life. The guest is one of the successful local athletes and he will share his story of a young person succeeding in sports.
    • Lunch
    • “Games without frontiers” in the Sports’ Park Rim: Participants will play sport games in the park. Competing in nationally mixed groups, the participants can realize they can bond through games in spite of language differences. A symbolic prize will be given to the winners among the participants playing a variety of games without frontiers.
    • Evaluation: Exchange of opinions and debate on the daily workshops.
    • National evening (Slovenia): Participants will taste some typical Slovenian food and wines, followed by a national evening with a folklore dance group who will teach the participants the traditional dance “polka”.

  • Day 7 – Sunday, 14. 8. 2011


    • Breakfast
    • Whole day workshop “Voluntarism meets tourism”:Volunteers make souvenirs (flowers from crepe paper), which will be offered on the fair the following day in exchange of voluntary donations. The donation collected is aimed and will be used for the purchase of a sun collector. This workshop presents a good example of volunteering which implies practical knowledge of how to contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions, self-efficiency of local environment as well as independence from energy sources.
    • Lunch
    • Finishing the workshop, preparation of visual material and audio visualisation for the fair.
    • Supper

  • Day 8 – Monday, 15 8. 2011


    • Breakfast
    • Fair on Ptujska Gora: On the national holiday, 15th August (The Assumption of Mary) will be a traditional pilgrimage to Ptujska Gora. On this day the basilica is highly visited. On the day of the pilgrimage the participants will sell the souvenirs, made on the workshop the previous day, in exchange of voluntary contributions and will inform the public about the purpose of the donation.
    • Lunch
    • Workshop “Planning the future”: Further activities and the presentation of the program Youth in Action. How to prepare a good project?
    • Workshop “Stereotypes and human rights”: : Participants will share their stereotypes before coming to the youth exchange and which of them proved to be wrong. In connection to human rights, the participants will play games through which they will get to know the basic human rights of each individual.
    • Supper
    • Farewell evening

  • Day 9 – Thuesday, 16. 8. 2010


    • Breakfast
    • Installation of the solar collector: Concluding public event of the exchange. The main point is to present the one-week exchange at the local museum Vuk’s home next to the tourist information sign. The youth will see an exemplary case of voluntarism for a better tomorrow; a solar collector contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions. The workshop Voluntarism meets tourism concludes as a public event presenting the one-week exchange.
    • Lunch
    • Goodbye

Conditions

Participants of the project will be reimbursed 70% of their travel expenses. Organizers will provide accommodation and food (3 meals) during the whole period of the project.

Travel reimbursement

(Very important! Read carefully!)

Participants of the project will be reimbursed 70% of their travel expenses after presenting all required originals of their travel documents.

The travel expenses will be reimbursed on presentation of the relevant receipts. Only the participants, who attend the entire youth exchange, can be reimbursed. Notice that there is some maximum travel cost for each person foreseen and participants must consult with the organisers (td.zetale@gmail.com) before buying the tickets.

    Only If all documentation is presented properly (see below), the payment will be done.
  • Your travel expenses will be reimbursed only upon presentation of documentary evidence of the sum actually paid: original invoice or/and a copy of credit card slip. We will do a photocopy of the tickets you still will need to return and will keep the originals of ones you have already used

  • Electronic tickets will only be reimbursed on receipt proof of payment (invoice, paper of booking/purchase printed from internet, copy of credit card-slip showing the transfer of the money for the ticket, payment confirmation from internet) and on presentation of the boarding pass for the outward journey.

  • Note, that the booking paper alone is not enough to prove your travel expenses. You should present as well a bill, a slip of payment or print-out from your bank account to confirm the sum paid for your ticket

  • Keep all travel documents you get during your trip: boarding passes, bills, slips, tickets etc.!

  • Taxi fares will not be reimbursed

You should aim to arrive to venue of the youth exchange during the day on the 8th of August and depart on the 16th of August after breakfast.



THERE IS NO additional INSURANCE PROVIDED BY THE ORGANISERS!



Please, purchase a private insurance or get the free of charge formulary E-111 from your national social security that covers medical costs around EU member states.

Arrivals

Please, book the tickets as soon as possible (do not forget to consult us about the price before buying your tickets) and inform us about your travel schedule. We will pick you up at the railway station (or bus station) of Maribor. Maribor is going to be our meeting point on 8th of August 2011. We will provide for you the transport to Žetale from Maribor.

Contacts

For any question or more information don’t hesitate to contact us! 


		Location (google maps): Žetale, Slovenia	
		

		Yours faithfully,
		Project coordinator 
		Roman Medved
		

		Phone: +38631 240 846 (Roman Medved)
               +38641 331 168 (Tomaž Gajser)
		
	   
		E-mail: td.zetale@gmail.com

Organizers

Roman Medved EVENT COORDINATOR
Marko Kojc MAIN ORGANIZER
Tomaž Gajser MAIN ORGANIZER
Darko Medved MAIN ORGANIZER
Nina Jazbec MAIN ORGANIZER
Mirjana Kidrič MAIN ORGANIZER
Vanja Vukalič ASSISTANT ORGANIZER
Rok Vodusek ASSISTANT ORGANIZER

Event location

Youth exchange is going to take part in Žetale, it is a village in region Haloze. You can see more details about region here:

www.haloze-zagorje.eu/gallery?id=000006628

www.td-zetale.net

You can reach Maribor in several ways.

By air:

Maribor is best served by Graz International airport (Austria), 40 km Northwest of the city. Airlines flying from/to there: Austrian Airlines, Ryan Air, InterSky, WelcomeAir, RheinAir, Lufthansa and others.


Tranfer from Graz airport to Maribor is the best by train (5-7 trains per day).

There are additional air services via Ljubljana Jože Pucnik Airport (Brnik), 100 km west of Maribor:

  • Aerodrom Ljubljana
  • Zg. Brnik 130a
  • 4210 Brnik
  • tel.: ++386 4 206 19 81
  • fax: ++386 4 202 12 20
  • e-mail: info@lju-airport.si

Airlines: Adria Airways, WizzAir, easyJet, Malev, Austrian Airlines, Turkish airlines, JAT Airways, CSA Czech Airlines, Air France, Finnair, Brussels Airlines


There are frequent bus connections between Ljubljana Airport and the City of Ljubljana. The journey time is approximately 45 minutes. Tickets are purchased on the bus.

Check also other close airports as Klagenfurt (Austria) 90 km north of Maribor and Zagreb (Croatia) 100 km Southeast of Maribor. There is also possible to fly to Vienna (4h by train from Maribor). We recomend Graz, Ljubljana and Zagreb

By train:

Maribor may also be reached by train from major European cities through bordering countries (Italy, Austria, Hungary, ...)

  • Berlin - München - Salzburg - Beljak - Ljubljana - Zagreb (Eurocity Mimara)
  • Wien - Graz - Maribor (Emona)
  • Geneve - Venezia - Ljubljana - Zagreb (Simplon exspres)
  • Budapest - Ljubljana - Venezia (Drava)
  • Maribor - Zidani most – Zagreb

Slovenian rail

Railway station Maribor - information tel.: +386-2-292 21 64; or +386-2-292 21 60

Call centre from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. tel.: +386-1-291 33 32 or e-mail: potnik.info@slo-zeleznice.si

Timetables with prices for train routes in Slovenia can be found here:

www.slo-zeleznice.si/en/


Some special international railway links:

www.slo-zeleznice.si/en/international_transport/international_links/

Very good site for european railway routes:

reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

By Bus:

Maribor is directly connected with towns in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Croatia and Italy. More information you can find in Maribor bus station.

There are some international bus lines going through Maribor:

  • LJUBLJANA - BEOGRAD - LJUBLJANA
  • LJUTOMER - ORMOŽ - MARIBOR - MUNCHEN
  • ORMOŽ - MARIBOR - MUNCHEN - STUTTGART
  • MARIBOR - SARAJEVO - NEUM
  • MARIBOR - WIEN
  • MARIBOR - TUZLA

Prices: www.veolia-transport.si


Information for bus traffic:

  • Brdnikova 44
  • 1000 Ljubljana
  • Phone: +386-1-24 45 640

Sponsors


Jus Ervin s.p. Skledar Venčeslav s.p. Izletniška kmetija Bedenik
AVTOPREVOZNIŠTVO VEN ZAVAROVALNO ZASTOPANJE SPREJEM ZAKLJUČENE DRUŽBE
Dobrina 25, 2287 Žetale Kočice 69 B, 2287 Žetale Žetale 24, 2287 Žetale
tel: 02 769 15 31 tel: 02 771 08 86 tel: 02 769 22 41

Friderik Žerak s.p. Katica Strmšek s.p.
SOFFY CAFFE BAR ŽETALE
Celjska cesta 31 A, 3252 Rogatec Žetale 6, 2287 Žetale
tel: 031 656 733 tel: 02 7646301