‘I’d like to put the making of this zine into context. I’ve been an immigrant since I was a child, having been forcibly displaced from my home country because of a conflict that’s spanned enough generations and seen enough violence that our people’s diaspora is larger than the total population of some European nation-states that have existed for centuries.
I am no longer that child, but as I fully embody the choices that I have made in the early years of my adulthood, the things that I have come to accept and embrace about myself, my background, my identity and my trauma, that child’s curiosity and wish to go home has resurfaced…”
To check more stories download our new zine ‘NECESSITY NECESSITY’, a report on queer diaspora and trans* voices.
We, EYFA, would like to start by introducing ourselves and our work for those who still don’t know us. EYFA developed from a tour that was initiated by a Swedish/German group in 1986 to save the old-growth forests in Europe: then named European Youth Forest Action. From these beginnings, EYFA has developed into a network of individuals, grassroots organisations and collectives working to transform local and international communities in their approach to environmental and social, political and economic positions.
EYFA provides a platform and practical support for new radical ideas to grow into their full potential.
The international office located in Berlin coordinates EYFA’s activities through administrative and communication functions and being the network’s contact point for sharing local information.
EYFA focuses particularly on intersectional youth-initiated activities and projects. EYFA projects are mainly for young people, giving them the opportunity to act and encouraging them to participate actively on local and international levels.
The time for another Network Meeting is soon approaching us once again. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the Network meeting did not take place in 2020 and neither in 2021. This year we are back and we would like to, just like in 2019, have our meeting in a bigger event, where we can have the chance to meet other people / groups who are working on campaigns and initiatives that might be new, exciting and/or inspirational to us!
In 2019 we have joined theKlimaCamp in Rheinland. This year’s chosen event is ‘Women waving future’, an international conference that will take place in Berlin. The conference will bring together women activists from different corners of the world, based in Europe and beyond and will be a space for sharing experiences, stories of resistance, struggle and passion. Via intersectional lenses we will be able to understand better the different challenges women face and it’s inter-connection with multiple struggles, such as: gender, class, race, health, education, displacement / forced migration, motherhood, war, ecology / climate justice. Applying an multi-generational approach, we would like to make a direct link to current struggles around the globe and it’s impact in young women and girls. Let’s learn together how to fortify our support networks, learning from elders and super women that are at the forefront of global social change.
When: November 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th (arrival on the 4th) Where: Technische Universität, Berlin, Germany (5th – 06th) New Yorck im Bethanien, Berlin, Germany (7th – 08th)
Aims:
Team building
Expanding network
Share our believes and main focus and the intersections of our fights / community building approaches
Collaborations and how could we work together
Who is coming?
We would really like it for new people to come to this years meeting and for this we want to reserve at least 8 spots for new members/new comers.
Food for Thought
Building an international network is an ongoing task. We do our best to keep in touch and be open for new people. We write and write and write (newsletter, reports, emails, notes) and sometimes we meet. The network meeting is one of the few occasions to see each other in person, that is why if you feel like engaging in the network, reflecting on our current work (to make it better), being/joining the orga group, spreading your ideas or initiating something, or you are simply wondering what is the network, – you should come.
Most of the invitations here are reaching out to groups rather than individuals, in the hope that it will help us meet the meeting aims, and that it could simplify the invitation process. We offer 1 to 3 places per group and we want to reserve 8 spots for new people. We want to acknowledge that sometimes people’s commitments go beyond one group, and therefore some individuals may be invited through more than one group. At the same time, we are inviting a handful of persons who may not subscribe to a group active in the network but who have put their heart and soul into it lately.
There is a rough plan for the program’s content, thinking that maybe this meeting is a good opportunity for you to talk about something with others, share your skills or fears (yes, this world is scary). Or you see there is something missing in the aims above? Write us. If you have any suggestions for the program, would like to add something to it, etc, please write us with your ideas. The more input the better to make this meeting fruitful for all of us.
Important: if you need a visa to come to Germany please let us know ASAP, so we can help you with the invitation and finances.
Expressions of interest to be sent to 2022@eyfa.orgas soon as possible, till the 10th of October. Questions, suggestions are welcome any time.
Please note, that the network meeting is only one element of the long and beautiful process of keeping the network strong, there are other ways to be active within it and we try them all. Do not be sad if you cannot come, there will plenty of opportunities to join us again.
Looking forward to hearing from you! EYFA Office
Confirmation deadline: October 10th How much: The Network Meeting is free of charge. Eyfa will provide the accommodation in a hostel / hotel and in shared rooms at our Berlin based member’s home. Food will be provided. If you need support covering your travel expenses please contact us!!!
Democracy Education for Ecology and Participation – Training
The DEEP-T project aims to explore in a collective way the roots of the ecological and climate crisis, and how to deal with them for a just and sustainable future. You will have the opportunity to discover relevant topics such as the EU Green Deal, degrowth and zero waste. Moreover, you will engage with practical activities such as permaculture or art production as tools for social change. Once acquired, the theoretical and practical tools, you will use them for the creation of new ideas and projects. The week-long program will be intense, no doubt, but don’t despair, we will have time to get to know each other and enjoy ourselves.
The conceptual frameworks that will guide this learning experience are “social ecology” and “ecological literacy”. Social ecology is all about redesigning the interaction between humans, environments and the living world in a just, sustainable and imaginative way. Ecological literacy is fundamental to make sense of the economic, political and ecological processes as interconnected.
The programme will be divided in 4 phases: 1) discovering: the activities under this group focus on understanding key concepts such as the various crisis, the EU Green deal, getting to know each other and the place where we’ll live. 2) engaging: this phase is all about experiencing; be it through visiting of the local grassroots projects, or the collective elaboration of the learned concepts.
3) transforming: it’s about taking acquired tools and connections and using them to create something, in our case new projects to further our ecological and social values. 4) evaluation: means activities to critically assess what worked, what didn’t, dealing with conflict. To understand better how these phases will take concrete form in the project, take a look at the draft program of the seminar. Draft program
This project wants to be welcoming and inclusive for everyone, for this reason, we adopted the safer space policy, which simply is about the behaviours that we want and don’t want during the project. That we highly invite you to read it.
This youth exchange project aims to open a space where the youth empower and educate each other. Doing so, helps to build a stronger EU citizenry and voices critical engagement with the EU Green Deal and its objectives. The week will be co-organized Democrazia e Ambiente – Udine (Italy), Ataec – Glocal Associative Network of Artists & Community/Climate Actions (Spain), Kollektiv N11 e.V (Germany), The Southern Lights (Greece), Zero Waste Zalec, Civilna iniciativa (Slovenia), Zelena Tranzicija (Serbia).
Practical Information
Participants have to be residents in one of the following countries: Italy, Germany, Spain, Greece, Serbia and Slovenia. Age Limit: 18-30yrs old Dates: Thursday 5 – Friday 13 May 2022 Location: Udine, Italy The participants of the project will receive a Youthpass at the end of the activity. This project covers the accommodation and 3 meals per day. Traveling will be reimbursed for traveling by land travel and greener means of transportation whenever possible (for more information please contact the reference contact of your country, see below). The selected applicants will be invited to choose their voluntary solidarity contribution fee, according to their financial possibilities. Bigger contributions will support the participation of applicants with fewer means. The chosen solidarity fee will not be a selection criterion. Each participant should check the travel requirements and the COVID regulation in the hosting country (Italy). Selection form In order to apply please fill out the application form at the following links, by your country of residency. Resident in Italy Resident in Greece Resident in Germany Resident in Serbia Resident in Slovenia Resident in Spain
We are happy to announce that we are gonna be part of 2 info events where we can talk a bit more about this year’s projects and introduce our publication Autonomous Passage. The events are to happen simultaneously in both Leipzig and Geneva with local youth initiatives. The info sessions are a continuation of topics discussed on our youth gathering and also a chance to present our publication to all of you.
Due to the ongoing pandemic the events have reduced in-person participation, write us for registration. But heeey we are also gonna be streaming it live!
(Dis?)Ability: An Online Course Fostering Accessibility in Youth Grassroots Groups
Introduction
What?
(Dis?)Ability is an online course that explores ways to increase accessibility in activism and event organising. The course is divided in 5 lessons that tackle topics such as accessibility, inclusivity, disability justice, privilege and oppression in youth activist movements. It also aims to create a space to reflect about self-organized events and spaces in terms of access and inclusivity. These lessons will provide tools to challenge existing barriers in these spaces and to incentivise a move towards dismantling them.
We are delighted to announce that the Ella Baker School will be joined by Alicia Garza, co- founder of Black Lives Matter on September 9th 2021, 7pm BST over Zoom.
Alicia’s book titled The Purpose of Power will be published in paperback in the UK and the Ella Baker School will be in conversation with her discussing key themes in the book. Following on with Q&A.
EYFA is looking for collaborators in 2021. We hope to explore how multiple forms of inequalities affect socially marginalized groups with the aim of understanding and practicing accessibility that moves us closer to justice. Our overarching workplan for 2021 focuses on the intersection between disability and racial justice, within which we are planning to open room for critical thoughts e exchanges, host an international youth exchange, create a publication and develop an online course.
We are looking for people/groups to get involved in the organizational process of these activities, in particular we are looking for:
disability justice individuals/groups who are open to sharing their knowledge and experiences in the disability rights movement
content contributors (disability and racial justice writers/vloggers/activists/educators, etc for the publication & online course)
designers (web and graphic designers for publication & online course)
facilitators for (hopefully in-person) training
project conceptualization
organizing team to help in planning logistics
The idea of this collaborative magazine is to create a guide on how we can better organize ourselves / events / networks and daily life in a way that is more inclusive and accessible to all. The final work will be distributed among grassroots groups/projects & basically any individual interested in creating spaces that are safer and accessible!
Any input, feedback or proposals you may have is very welcomed. Please share this general info with your trusted comrades who might be interested . Further, if you have any suggestions for groups or organizations that we should contact to collaborate with on this workplan, share your tips with us!
In the newly adjusted ESC online format, volunteers have put together a participatory virtual program for the time until we can meet again.
Join us this coming Friday as we share and discuss the kinds of care practices we are creating and shaping in and for our communities during these difficult times. Based on the context where systemic violence continously affects the ways in which we exist, we imagine a society that actively builds and maintains alternative structures of care. We would love to hear about the methods of care work you have organized in your respective communities and exchange ideas on ways we can support each other in sustainable ways.
The past year was a challenging year where we needed to reconsider and reshape the way we do and organize projects. In this spirit, we wanted to find a way to continue to support young volunteers as we have in the past with our ESC program. In light of the times, we decided to start our volunteering program for 2020/21 online with 3 young people from Ukraine and Belarus. This is a new experience for us, as we have never hosted an online volunteering service and we hope that it can still be as beneficial to our volunteers. Check our website for the info about great online activities run by our volunteers and who knows, maybe one day we will meet in person again?
