Calendar - March 10

Dear reader,

It's nearly March - named after the Roman God Mars, it was a long time in Ancient Rome considered as the first month of the year, because it's the first month of spring.
Isn't it also the start of a Naturefriends year? The spring is in the air, soon the yellow Narcissus will blossom and also the list of our and your activities is getting longer and longer.
Before starting with full outdoor activities in the summer months, you can enlarge your knowledge and apply for one or both Green Workshops we offer in April and May. And if you want to shape the future of IYNF, it is now time take part in the Networking Conference that also contains the General Assembly and is happening in Austria in April.

We wish you all a great March and hope to see you at one of our activities or meetings!

Warm greetings from Prague!

Enjoy reading!

Vanessa,
Calendar's editor

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IYNF activities

Green Workshops

The green year of IYNF has just started and therefore we would like to present you our two Green Workshops that will take place in the spring of 2010. The "GetGreen Campaigning" Workshop taking place from 20-25 April in Eben am Achensee (Austria) will provide all participants with the possibility to learn and develop environmental campaigning methods on how to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle. The participants will work in international workgroups and set up a campaign themselves that can be used back home! The workgroups are assisted by experienced people in campaigning and youth activities. Only one month later, from 18-23 May 2010, the "Green Games" Workshop will happen close to Berlin in Germany. It is meant for youth leaders, youth workers and youth trainers to learn and develop non formal and experiential education methods connected with environmental themes. During this training the participants will experience an ongoing process of discussion, sharing and experiencing the potential of these methods. Apply until 12 March and get green!

IYNF Networking Conference and General Assembly

22-25 April 2010, Eben am Achensee, Austria

Please pay your attention to the upcoming IYNF meeting called Networking Conference, which takes place in Eben am Achensee, Austria of which the General Assembly will be part of.

If you find yourselves as a part of one (or more) of these peer groups

• representatives of IYNF member organisations
• people from local groups cooperating, or wishing to cooperate on the Networking projects
• IYNF volunteers
• IYNF Presidium and staff

do not hesitate any longer and mark the dates of 22-25 April 2010 in your agenda, book the tickets and get ready to set off for a beautiful surroundings of the Austrian Alps! We will be looking forwards to meeting you there!
Further information and all the necessary documents are available on the website. Please take special attention to the deadlines and do not forget to register yourselves!
In case of any questions concerning your travel plans or any other practicalities do not hesitate to contact Marie – the Meetings Coordinator on marie[at]iynf.org.

Meet the Freak # 6 - Call for Art Group - and Freak Leaders Coordinator

This two weeks long international summer camp uses the method of Amateur Art to give young people the possibility to experience art in a less formal and more creative way. Participants don't need any skills beforehand. In different Art Groups lead by Art Group Leaders they can try out their creativity.
We are now looking for the Art Group Leaders Coordinator and the Freak Leaders Coordinator. Both of this roles are great for people that have already some experience in leading youth groups and that are looking for some challenge in facilitating and coordinating a group of young and artistic people in an international project. Read both calls on our website and become a leading freak!

• Date: 7 - 22 August 2010
• Place: Poland, close to Gdansk
• Application for participants open in March/April
  

IYNF Photo Competition

We invite you all to take part in our photo contest: Don’t store it – share it!”
We want to capture the smiles, great ideas and people that come to our activities. And in order to have the best photos from all of you photographers, we want you to join our photo contest so we have material for our offers, activities, printed texts, website, posters and leaflets. Some information and rules:

• Our photo contest is open to all people who were present at one of the IYNF activities or meetings. Each person can send up to 5 photos which were not modified or improved in any way.
  

• Only the digital pictures will be accepted and they should be in JPG or RAW file with a resolution of (at least) 72 dpi.
  

• You can send us the chosen pictures by post on CD or via e-mail to our office
  

• Deadline: One month after each activity
  

• The results and rewards of the contest will be announced within three months after each activity.

For more information please contact anna(at)iynf.org or visit our website!

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Activities and offers from and for member organisations

NFJOE offers a filmlet contest

The diversity of nature is threatened. Life loses its diversity. What can you do against it? For example a film!
In the course of the international environmental day Austrians Young Naturfriends starts a filmlet contest to deal with biodiversity.
Send your self-shot film that deals with biodiversity. Show the world how diversity or unity looks like, what you mean with environmental protection and what you demand from politicians.
The film should have a length from 3 to 5 minutes and we need some words about yourself as well as your idea. Cool prizes to win: Voucher of 100 Euros for the Sportshotel Dr. Karl Renner in Saalbach Hinterglemm, Rafting-voucher, weekend in a hut at the Neusiedler See, Slackline-Set from AustriaAlpin.
Please send us your film on CD or DVD till 15 June 2010 to Naturfreundejugend Österreich, Stadtplatz 55, 4600 Wels, Austria. For more information contact them via jugend[at]naturfreunde.at.

Landscape of the Year: The Slovak Karst - Aggtelek Karst

Every two years, a European cross-border region of high ecological value is designated “Landscape of the Year” by Naturefriends International (NFI) with the aim of drawing public attention to the landscape in question and of promoting the sustainable development of the region concerned. The Landscape of the Year 2010/11 – Slovak Karst – Aggtelek Karst – is situated at the northern Hungarian and southern Slovak border. The area is one of the largest Karst areas in Central Europe and is part of the southern limestone foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. This geographically homogeneous region boasts more than 1200 caves and an enchanting landscape. You are cordially invited to the official opening, as part of a three-day Naturefriends Festival, in Aggtelek (Hungary), from 21-24 May 2010. For more information contact anita.pinter[at]nf-int.org.

[berg:frei 2010] Break out against the Mainstream

The German Young Naturefriends offer a great weekend camp: Being in nature, spending days full of workshops, sports, theatre, acrobatics, cooking and trying out these things yourself. The best is that nothing is structured and fixed. With a lot of space the participants can make out of the weekend what they want.
Important facts:

• For young people between 16 and 23
• Thursday 3 June until Sunday 6 June 2010 on a campsite in Schwerte, Germany.
• Costs for sleeping in a tent and full catering: 49 EUR (for Naturefriends), 59 EUR (Not-yet-Naturefriends).
• Individual travel
• Registration until 15 April 2010
• Informationen at: Julia Fehlisch, Naturfreundejugend Deutschlands, Tel.: +49/2228/941513, e-mail: julia.fehlisch[at]naturfreundejugend.de
  

ATB International Alpine Training for youngsters (16-25) in 2010

ATB - Belgium Naturefriends invites you to one whole week of camping amidst towering mountains, of sleeping in huts above vast glaciers, getting a through-out initiation in high-alpine techniques such as glacier-walking, orienteering, scrambling on high rocks and touch the clouds at almost 4000 m ! Go climb that mountain! Apply now!
Dates:10-18 July 2010
Place: Les Ecrins(French Alps), Base-camp (tents): Ailefroide (F)
Participants must:

• be between 16 and 25 years old
• be a member of one of the IYNF MOs
• love the outdoors and be in good physical condition
• like international encounters and speak good English
• lack of vertigo and have basic skills in rock-climbing (no alpine experience required)
• pay participation fee (´full board´) according to IYNF standards (Belgians pay 500 Euro, others pay less - or more - according to IYNF scales)
  

For more information + application please contact directly Wilfried Meulenbergs (wilfried.meulenbergs[at]nfi.at)

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IYNF News

New IYNF Partner - CAT from Poland

The Polish organisation CAT (Centre for Creative Activity) is the latest expansion in the network of partner organisations of IYNF. CAT has a strong link to the active fields of IYNF by promoting international outdoor activities and cultural activities such as workshops, courses and concerts. CAT is a welcome addition next to our member organisation PTTK to get in contact with Polish youth. It is also host organisation of Meet the Freak 2010 and involved in the teencamp Cultural Fusion from our Dutch member NivonJong. We are looking forward to a good and fruitful cooperation in our Network and are happy to get to know the polish youth involved in CAT.

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News from member organisations

Reiseproviant – an intercultural cookbook for groups

The German Young Naturefriends started their "cooking career" with their homepage Reiseproviant.info. But because you usually don't have a laptop with internet connection on every camp side, they decided to publish a cookbook with more than 100 recipes from all over the world. Following, this is what is needed nowadays when youth groups are getting more and more multicultural. Besides traditional recipes you can also find many new, exotic and tasty recipes that every youth group will like and surprise. So far it is unfortunately only available in German. For more information and ordering please contact info[at]naturfreundejugend.de .

NFI-Support for Youth from Senegal

The International Naturefriends (NFI) started last year an initiative to support the local development of the region Casamance in the South of Senegal. Since this region suffers for many years from violent conflicts between rebels, the youth is migrating more and more to the north of the country. In order to prevent this migration and to empower the local economy, NFI prepared a formation for young members of the Naturefriends of Senegal: Using the local natural resources and for the production of juice, jam and soap. So far the project was a big success and at the moment the locals are working on the establishment of a factory to ensure a stable future and use of the just gained knowledge for the youth of Casamance.