Future Capital in Northern Ireland - 2006

The End

2006-09-18T14:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, hear we go... our project ends on the 20th September. Everything is done by now.
Normally the deadline was the 10th of September, but we had some serious technical problems - in fact the shop who should have burnt our DVDs (documentary) had some technical problems and they where not really relieable... but anyway, it worked out ;)

All in all - the project in Northern Ireland was quite an experience. We didn't know, that the separatio between protestants and catholics are still that strong, as even younger people don't want to mix up! I think it's a pitty and if we would have known before, we could have integrated this problems and differences more within our project.

We think, that there's still a lot of work to do... we've spoken to some youth workers, so we're sure their going to help to make young people's thoughts more open minded.
Also the WIMPS project (see weblog entry) is very interresting and a first step to get young people more involved into politics.

Ok, this is our last entry... so good bye :)

If you have any more questions, just post a comment.

Back in Austria

2006-09-04T22:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry, you didn't here from us for a while... On the 31st August we took our flight back and apart from long, long queues at London Stansted, everything went fine...

Our project ends on the 10th of September, but in fact, there are not a lot of things to tell you about. We need to finish our accountancy and to cut all the material we've got for our documentary (film)...
It will be quite busy the next days, as we gave our material to a shop, to put all the stuff on a DVD - so we can work with it properly. We've just got two days to get everything for the documentary in order, because afterwards it also takes time to press all the DVDs and finally send them to all National Agencys of the YOUTH Programme all over Europe.

Anyway, you'll here from us again, even though it may won't be to interresting for you - sorry ;)

Clandeboye

2006-08-29T12:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, we took a bus to Clandeboye Estate (near the city of Bangor) to give a presentation. We already knew, that there are EVS volunteers, but we thought, there would also be other people who wouldn't know about the EU YOUTH Programme.
So finally, there was not a real reason to give a presentation... Anyway, we stayed there for some time and had a chat with the volunteers. It was very informal: they just asked questions about workshops and initiatives of the EU's YOUTH programme.

We experiences, that there's a lack of information, as nobody knows, if Future Capital projects will still exist in the future, as the EU changes the YOUTH Programme in 2007.
I was told, they change it - the volunteers where told, they'll stop it. Unfortunatly, there's no information on this on the internet...

So we'll try to contact some people to find out and as soon as we know more, you'll be able to get the information on our blog!

Michael with Clandeboye Estate's volunteers

To the EVS people: Enjoy your time in NI and the time you spend together,
as your not going to get this time back again ;)

A day out

2006-08-29T12:42:00.002-07:00

On monday we had a day out... apart from the project of course ;)
So we did a trip to Giant's causeway, which is really an amazing thing to see!

We went to:

Carrick-A-Rede roap-bridge
Bushmills distillery
Giant's Causeway

Unfortunatly, the tour wasn't just a bit, but very touristic. They tried to make us buying stuff all the time... Next time we know, it's better to rent a car.

Anyway, it was beautiful - here are some pictures (of about 100 we've been taking):

Carrick-A-Rede: The coast. It was quite windy as you see on the last picture... so it was quite scarry to pass the little rope bridge... wuahahahaaaa ;)

Giant's Causeway: Everybody going to Northern Ireland
- visit that place!!!

Presentation in Portadown

2006-08-25T03:40:00.000-07:00

... but our day wasn't over after the presentation in Banbridge, so we moved on to Portadown to give another one.
Portadown is situated within the county Armagh and has about 30.000 inhabitants. We experienced, that the seperation between protestants and catholics is really strict there. As we passed the main road, we could see both, the protestant and the catholic quarter - people from one quarter wouldn't walk through another one...
We have been speaking to some young people from Portadown about this issue and of course they hope it will change someday. They hope that the seperation will stop, but in fact it seems like that's not possible in the near future. Something needs to be done, but even to start a project bringing both parts together wouldn't work out, as probably nobody would show up, to meet people of the other cultural part.

The presentation:
There have been about 10-15 young people listening to us, but some of them were quite shy... Thanks to Terry, the youth worker of Portadown YMCA, things got a bit more relaxed for the young people. We know, that sometimes it is hard, if people don't know us - the strangers ;) - and the fact, that we film the presentation/workshop and interviews just doesn't make it easier...

But finally it worked out quite well - some of them are now thinking about participating in an intercultural workshop (Action 1), doing EVS (Action 2) or starting a youth initiative (Action 3). We are sure, Terry is going to support them and to help the young people becoming more active and open-minded!

Many thanks to the young people and Terry - you helped us a lot! :)

Portadown YMCA

Michael waiting to start the workshop: How brilliant is it,
to play computer games using a big screen? ;)

Portadown's youngsters discussing some questions on cultural issues
and on the possibility of an "European identity"

Presentation in Banbridge

2006-08-25T03:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Michael and me went to Bandbridge to do another presentation and some interviews with young people.
Banbridge is a town in County Down, lies on the river Bann and has about 14.700 inhabitants. Terry, who brought us there, told us, that there's nothing to see - "Bandbrigdge's just one road" ;)
Anyway, the youth centre was quite nice and so where the people! Again there are two people interrested in doing European Voluntary Service and probably some, who are interrested in doing an intercultral workshop (Action 1 within the YOUTH programme).

Here are some pictures:

Like in a Western: Michael in front of our project-poster ;)

The youth group of "The Source" in Banbridge
To the young people coming to our presentation: Thank you for welcoming us,
for participating and for the interviews :)

2006-08-25T03:07:00.000-07:00

Finally, I also did an interview for my documentation with Cathe, one of the girls within WIMPS. As my documentation should be about young people's lives and culture here in Northern Ireland, it was really great to get a point of view from somebody involved in a political project...

To WIMPS and Cathy: I wish you lots of luck with your project - rock on ;)

Some of the young people involved in WIMPS

Interview with WIMPS

2006-08-24T01:31:00.000-07:00

Since some days, there is a group of young people staying at our hostel - they're doing a project on politics and youth participation. Their project is called wimps short for "Where is my public service". We think, that's quite a good name ;)

In fact, we wanted to do an interview with them, but finally they did an interview with me. They needed this interview to get the funding - of course I participated, because I know how it is to need this and that for funding money, as we are in the same situation with our project.
So they did an interview with me, because they wanted to know about my voluntary service and stuff. I am glad, I didn't have to listen to the tape afterwards... it's just, that I can't stand it listening to my own voice... so cutting our own video material for our Future Capital project is going to be quite hard for me ;)

Michael and me will have to leave soon, for the two presentations today (Armagh and Portadown)... An Austrian girl found out about my Weblog and my project here in Northern Ireland, she is staying in Portadown for one month and so we are going to meet her today... the world's just so small, yes, yes...

Flight back home

2006-08-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

Don't worry about the titel, we're going to stay here until the end of the project, so 31st August... it's just that, we are kind of a little, little, tiny bit afraid of our flight back, because of the happenings at the airport in London two weaks ago.
In fact, we should be more chilled, because probably, it's saver now, then it ever was... all those security measures!
... but this also affects us. As we came here, we the videocamera and the laptop was our handluggage, but now it's forbidden to take those things into the plain with you.
Michael already wanted to take the ferry and the bus ;)

But now, let's focus on something else:
This week, there are two groups staying up in our hostel and probably we can do presentions for and interviews with both of them! The meeting with one of the groups was kind of arranged and planned, but the other one is just by chance... Anyway, by what we've experienced by now, EU YOUTH projects are mostly linked with coincidence!

On thursday there are going to be two more presentations, one in Armagh and one in Portadown... and we've even got a chauffeur: Terry, our "support person" from Portadown YMCA will pick us up in Belfast and drive us everywhere - how's that!? :)

Ok, that's all for now... Just been writing stuff for university, my back hurts and I can't think streight anymore ;)
Bye for now...

Night out with the EVS-people

2006-08-19T01:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday night I phoned Olga (a Polish ex-volunteer) to meet at night... so I first went to her place and finally we landed at another volunteers' house.
I got really sentimental, when I saw them in their house all together, having dinner and a little party. It was like my EVS-time!
There are 9 volunteers living in two houses close to each other - I thought everybody was just great! We really had a nice evening...

There are 3 French volunteers, 1 girl from Spain, 1 from the Basque Country, 2 Polish girls, 1 from Sweden and 1 from Belgium. Just a brilliant mix :)

Afterwards we went to a concert in a pub close to their flat - here are some pictures:

Living an EVS life ;)

To the EVS-people:
If you want to know about my EVS time, just check my EVS Weblog. I did it in German, but anyway... you can also just have a look at the pictures :)

... found them!

2006-08-18T07:55:00.000-07:00

Some days ago an ex-EVS volunteer wrote me an e-mail to meet up sometime in Belfast. So I got her phone number now and tonight we're going to meet for a pint of Guinness with some other EVS volunteers!
Excitement, excitement ;)

Off the Streets - Londonderry

2006-08-17T13:13:00.001-07:00

Arrival in Londonderry

Today I have given a presentation to some young people in Londonderry. My first impression of the city was, that it is really beautiful! Again: It is a pitty, that Michael still had fever, but next time it's going to work out to go together.

Some infos:
Londonderry is the 3rd biggest city of Northern Ireland with about 110.000 inhabitants. People holding on to England (which mostly are protestant) usualy say Londonderry, while people with irish roots (which mostly are catholic) call the city Derry. I don't know how to call it, so I just use the name written on the signs ;)
In the 1960s and 1970s Londonderry became concerned of the troubles - like the happenings on Bloody Sunday.

Gate of the city wall, which is 1,5 km long

After I had a short look at the city, I made my way to the youth centre of Off the Streets. At the picture bellow, you can see where I finally arrived. I was just asking myself, where the **** I have landed.
But finally, with some help of the locals I found the place I was heading at...

The people there have been great. The young people have been very interrested and I am always very, very, very, very, very happy about that ;) One girl wants to do a youth initiative and another one wants to do EVS...
The atmosphere was really relaxed, it was more then a little chat, than a presentation... All in all it was a good experience there and I also liked it, that the young people where quite open-minded.

Youth Woker Alison and my two interview partners
To Alison: Thanks for all the help organising the presentation!

That's Fergal, the youth worker I have been in
contact with to get the presentation there...
To Fergal: Thanks for all the advices concerning Irish Pubs in Austria ;)

Springboard Opportunities

2006-08-17T12:51:00.000-07:00

As Michael is still ill, he couldn't come with me to Springboard Opportunities - an organisation working in the voluntary and community sector. It was a pitty, because the place is just great. There are lots of young people working really hard and organising lots of programmes. The person I met is Brian, who told me lots about the organisation. Next week they start a project, which lasts for 12 weeks - so there are people from Northern Ireland and Dublin staying in our hostel next week. The perfect opportunity for Michael and me, to give a presentation, to talk to them and just to meet new people and get new experiences. Brian also gave me some more information about voluntary organisations in Belfast... so you'll surely read more about those organisations, as soon as we have been there!

That's Brian, who works at Springboard Opportunities...
Bye the way: Thanks again! :)

Presentation in Carrickfergus

2006-08-16T01:30:00.000-07:00

The haven of Carrickfergus

Carrickfergus YMCA

The missing cameraman: Michael ;)

Yesterday morning. Terribul! After I have been ill, it's Michael's turn now. As he had high fever, he couldn't come with me to the presentation in Carrickfergus.
It was really a pitty, because it was the first presentation in a city at the sea...

So finally I packed the videocamera and the laptop, put on a raincoat and went alone. I think Carrickfergus is a great place, very beautiful... but not yesterday ;) It has been raining all the time, but there's nothing to wonder about as we all know "there's not much glamour about the English weather". Oh dear ;)

Doing the presentation was easier then I had expected. The young people are really interrested in the YOUTH Programme and so they participated quite a lot - I was really surprised!
I also did presentations during my EVS in Cornwall and people often weren't even listening to what we wanted to tell them. This time we planned it a bit different: to motivate them for more active participation and to involve the young people into conversation from the beginning on.

The young people from Carrickfergus gave me some inside of their points of view:
In general they like to live in Northern Ireland, but most of them told me, that everything is about the troubles. They said, everybody still speaks about them and if they meet somebody, their always asked at first about the troubles of NI.
For a better Future they want more say about the politics in NI, they would like to stop the "seperation" between protestants and catholics and they also welcomed my presentation of the YOUTH Programme, as they just want more possibilities for their freetime - to make new experiences and to go abroad.

It was an interresting experience I had yesterday, to talk so closely to the young people in NI about their points of view and their visions. But to tell you more it would take me hours... and my back is hurting already ;)

So bye for now... Til next time.

2006-08-14T01:04:00.000-07:00

A mural near Cathedral Quarter in Belfast.
It expresses historical and political backgrounds of "The Troubles".

Hey there...
Sorry again, you didn't hear from us over the weekend, but we were hindered as I was ill this weekend and I still don't feel to well at the moment.

But I suppose I can't be ill any longer, as we've got lots to do. Today we are going to meet with a youth worker from Belfast to arrange a date for a presentation. We couldn't decide it on the phone, so we agreed to meet for a cup of coffee first to talk everything through ;)

One girl, who is doing EVS here in Belfast wrote me an e-mail, she wants to meet up with us - I am sure it is going to be nice. This girl is living together with other volunteers. So finally, we found out, where they hide :) It would be really interresting for our documentation (film) too, as they are the ones, who still have to decide, if they want to do Futur Capital or not.
Also I am sure, that they can tell us a lot of things about their experiences of Northern Ireland, its people and its culture!

Just a bar in Belfast ;)

Search for EVS volunteers

2006-08-10T06:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I have been to the YOUTH Council of Belfast to get in contact with EVS volunteers living in Belfast.
Unforunately, they couldn't tell me more about volunteers staying in the city - but I got another adress of a woman, who organises the hosting of the EVS volunteers here. So hopefully, we are goint to meet those people next week!

In fact I would have had another presentation/workshop at a youth centre this week, but it was postponed. So I got most of the presentations (nearly all) in the last two weeks. It will be quite a lot of things to do, but that's what we wanted :)

I got appointments next monday, tuesday, thursday and friday - so there will be a lot more to tell about on this weblog!

So... bye for now!

some pictures

2006-08-08T06:49:00.000-07:00

That's the view out of our room...

English food ;)

Omagh (7.8.06)

2006-08-08T06:39:00.000-07:00

Today we've been to Omagh, which is about 2 hours busdrive from Belfast. We met with the youth officer of WELB (Western Education and Library Board). They do quite a lot of projects for young people - we've been quite amazed. The youth centre of Omagh has 600(!) members - I think in our city in Austria (which isn't much smaller than Omagh) there aren't even 60 members.
We've been doing an interview with him for our documentary, but it would take tooooo long to explain all the details and we also don't want to bore you by writing down each word we spoke.

But we shortly want to mention one project young people organised - working with Action1 of the EU's YOUTH programme. It was a project on drug abuse - young people used the money granted from the EU to finance a needle exchange programme for heroin addicts and to train other people to do active work against drug abuse.
Hats off!

The town

In Omagh, there has been the worst incident concerning "the troubles", a car bomb which killed 31 people. This is the memorial stone.

Exploring Belfast

2006-08-08T06:29:00.000-07:00

Althoug we are in Belfast since one week nearly and altough we know most places, i think it's hard to completly get used to the city. Just when we experienced, that everybody is quite friendly here, it showed up that there's also another side: when we went into a pub yesterday to get some food Michael was called by the bartender a "fu**er" when he wanted to order. Still we don't know why - does he look irish? ;)
Or is there a general dislike against tourists in some places?

Anyway, the conflict between Protestants and Catholics is always present. You should watch out which places you go to and which words you chose. It's not that dangerous at it may sound, but on our first evening in Belfast we were told never to say "sláinte" to somebody in the pub, because protestants dislike it. Just say "cheers" and you're fine. Or "prost", it seems that most of the people like Austria...

2006-08-04T04:55:00.000-07:00

Already friday... how's that possible?

Yesterday we finally found out, that the European Bank system isn't that easy to get along with. All our money for Future Capital was transfered to Terry's bank here in Belfast... In Austria I was told, that it wouldn't cost anything to transfer this money onto my account - but finally it would cost £ 25!!! Come on, we are poor students ;)

So finally we'll have to take all this money in cash, nice... ;)

On monday we are going to Omagh, which is about one and a half hours from Belfast. We are meeting the youth officer of Omagh - no, no we're not giving a presentation this time. People have just been very interessted, so I agreed to come and do an interview for my documentation.

More news are going to follow, but I've got just 2 minutes left (internet cafe)...

From tomorrow on, it'll be possible to put pictures on the blog, so please we're begging you, we're on our knees(!): please be patient :)

Arriving in belfast

2006-08-03T06:57:00.000-07:00

... after some near death experiences with Ryanair and Easyjet (tiny aircrafts and heavy wind is not the perfect combination) we finally arrived at Belfast International Airport.

Terry, the guy from Portadown YMCA, picked us up and told us alot of interresting stuff about "the troubles" and how people celebrate their religion the Northern Irish way ;)

In the evening we decided to get in touch with the locals... and what's the best way to do this? Yeah, the pub! After some pints we talked to some business people about living in Belfast and about our project. They have been really interrested and gave us some hints about where to go etc.

Today we are walking around the city to find a supermarket and everything else we need to survive this month. Right now we spotted an internet cafe (because our hostel, the farset, was advertising internet access at their website, but actually that didn't turn out to be true...). Anyway, we try to hold this blog updatet, pictures will follow soon!

Cityhopping in NI

2006-07-30T03:47:00.000-07:00

Excitement. No, that's not right... EXCITEMENT!!! The day after tomorrow we are going to take our flight from Salzburg/Austria to Belfast/Northern Ireland.

To give you a short overview - these are the places, my Future Capital is going to lead us to:

Armagh
Belfast
Londonderry
Ballymena
Omagh
Portadown
Carrickfergus
Barna

The countdown's running...

2006-07-22T01:24:00.000-07:00

... just 10 days left and we are going to be in NI! I can't believe it!

This week we have booked our hostel and I can tell you that it wasn't that easy, than I thought.

A friend of mine told me, that I shouldn't bother about booking a room in a hostel, because in NI everything is easy ;) So I waited until everybody replied, to tell me, if I could make a presentation at their place.
Finally I found out, that the place most far away, where I had to go was Omagh and that it is just about one hour from Belfast. So I decided not to book different hostels for the different places, but just one in Belfast - that was difficult enough! Finally I found a real good one, thanks to Terry - my support person in Northern Ireland. To Terry: Your the best ;)
So I will be staying in Farset International Hostel now, which seems to us, to be the perfect place to stay.

Now everything seems so close, I already imagined, how we would be walking through the streets of Belfast... :)

Looking forward to my project...

2006-07-08T10:58:00.000-07:00

Excitement, excitement!
23 days until I am going to Northern Ireland!

I already had quite a lot of work to do. I've been calling a lot of youth centres the last weeks, to arrange some presentations for my project.
But finally, there have been really supportive people and so I got 7 presentations by now, which is perfect.
I am very happy, because now I don't have to worry anymore, if I will get enough presentations - it was nearly cracking my nerves, when I have been calling 10 centres in a row and they all told me, that they were closed.
So I can breath now :)

Also I want to present you my project partner Michael, who is going to help me doing my project.

For the moment there's not much more to say, but finally, when my Future Capital in Northern Ireland starts, I am sure, there will be a lot to write about. At least I hope so ;)

Bye for now! Silvia & Michael

That's us - the Future Capital Team.

Hello everybody, welcome to my Blog!

2006-06-08T23:05:00.000-07:00

If you don't already know, what Future Capital is about, here's a short explanation: Future Capital is an individual project by the European YOUTH Programme - it is financed by the European Commission.

Young people between 18 and 25 have the possibility to do an European Voluntary Service (which is also part of the EU's YOUTH Programme) - short EVS.
I did my EVS in Cornwall last year and I have been there for 9 months, doing social work within a community and I have also been working in the office of my hosting organisation called "Point Europa".

After you have passed your EVS, you can think of your own project. It should be beneficial (if possible), creative and linked to Europe. That is called FUTURE CAPITAL. You have to apply for Future Capital at the National Agency of the YOUTH Programme. I applied in the UK, because the project I am going to do in Northern Ireland is linked with my EVS in Cornwall/England.

At the moment I am still in Austria... my Future Capital (financed by the European Commission) is going to start in August. So I am going to be in Northern Ireland for the whole month of August - together with my project partner Michael.

What's the project about?

My project is called "Open Up" and it includes:

A film

I want to do interviews with young people in Northern Ireland. I would like to do a questionnaire about how young people feel about their identity, about the YOUTH programme, about their opinion about travelling and exploring foreign cultures, what they think about their country/their culture and about Europe, etc. - I want to work against prejudices. I want to take a video camera with me, to film the interviews, all the aspects I found out about the culture in Northern Ireland and the youngsters points of view concerning their culture, integration, the EU youth programme, etc. My intent is to travel inside Northern Ireland, to find out differences between young people’s opinions – or even, to find out, if there are any big differences, or not.

A workshop

I want to visit different organisations in Northern Ireland, to do workshops for young people. This workshop contains presentation of the European YOUTH programme. I already did this kind of work in England (to travel around Cornwall and visit youth centres; to inform young people about the possibilities of the YOUTH programme) and at the moment I am working in a group (in Austria) who does the same kind of work. This group is called Young Team Europe (www.yte.at). It's really good to tell the youth that there is a chance for them, to go out and explore Europe and it’s culture. I also want to bring this in connection with the film. Furthermore, I would like to use this workshop for group discussions within the topic “differences and commonnesses between/within Northern Ireland/Europe”.

A diary/weblog

Also I would like to do a kind of diary, to do a documentation about the results I got and about the life there. A report – also with pictures. People are also able to read more about my experiences in Northern Ireland. This means, that the diary contains – next to the results I will be receiving from the interviews and my experiences - the aspect of a former EVS volunteer doing Future Capital. This should also motivate other young people to do EVS, or to make use of their Future Capital. I would like to do this diary by using a weblog, so everybody is able to have access to it. This means, that people can go on the internet and look up what I wrote there. I will do it in English, so people all over Europe, who are interested, are able to understand.

As my project is quite comprehensive it is perfect to work together with a project partner, to achieve an even better result. During I am leading the workshop and discussing with the young people, the project partner will support by filming what is happening and following everything. It is the same with the interviews. While I can concentrate on talking and interacting with the people, he will do the filming. As we both have a good knowledge about computers, he is a perfect help – we can both bring our creativity into the documentation (film) by cutting and adding sounds and subtitles. So he will also be involved in the creative part and will support me. For doing my weblog it will also be good to have some experiences from another person.

If you have got more questions (like: Why did you want to do this kind of work? Why in Northern Ireland? etc.) please just post a comment.

Till next time :) Silvia

This project has been carried out with the  support of the European Community.

The content of this project does not  necessarily reflect the position of the European Community or the NAG, nor does  it involve any responsibility on their part.