INFO

LIFE AS USE TO BE PACK – YOUTH EXCHANGE IN N°1

August 03 ‐ 12 The multilateral youth exchange will be hosted by the Drustvo za promocijo podezelja, Slovenia, and will last 10 days (travel day excluded). During the exchange, 30 young people from 5 European 2015 countries shall acquire valuable experiences of cooperation, intercultural dialogue and unbound , ‐ creativity. Slovenia During the exchange, young people will exchange good experience in the field of living in the rural area, the experience on how to contribute to the improvement of it and present the situation in their countries. We will try to present and formulate concrete proposals on how the local community

can improve their attitude towards life in the

countryside. Exchange will include activities and themes of awareness of young people about global challenges and consequences of human impact on the environment. We believe that young people are those who can, with their active participation, aid in the improvement of sustainable development and

environmental care.

Dear partners,

Through the following pages, we have summarized some information you need to know about our project LIFE AS USE TO BE. In the info pack N°1 you can find useful information about the exchange, the venue, travel tips, etc.

We are very glad that you have decided to participate in our exchange, and therefore we will strive to offer a warm welcoming to you in Slovenia. If you have further questions, do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

Enjoy exploring the practicalities!

About Slovenia

Slovenia lies in the heart of Europe, where the Alps meet the Mediterranean and the Pannonian Plain meets the Karst. This small green country measures 20,273 km2 in area, and is home to sincere, hospitable people of great diligence. It has an exceptional number of top athletes, and a wealth of cultural creativity. In Slovenia it is not difficult to compare the value of goods and services, as they are priced in one of the world’s major currencies, the euro. www.slovenia.info

About City of Krško

Krško municipality lies in the south‐east part of Slovenia, where the valley widens up into the vast Krško field. The Krka river, flowing from the other side, joins the Sava in the southern edge of the field. Krško is now the central town of Posavje region and the central town of the municipality.

The town itself was set up on both banks of the Sava, the longest Slovenian river. The old town centre has been restored, giving the town the image of a neat administrative centre and a wider regional dimension. The newer part of the town, called Videm, got its more complete picture with the completion of the nuclear power plant (NPP) and the largest paper mill in the country. With the development of entrepreneurial flair, commerce, small businesses, agriculture and tourism, the economic development has been on the rise.

Krško is also a cultural centre of the area, as proven by many cultural institutions in the town: Valvasor Library, Krško Cultural Centre, Capuchin Monastery with its church, Vladimir Štoviček Gallery, Krško Gallery, MenvinPark Hall and the Park of Deserving Citizens hosting among others two of the most important residents, i.e. Adam Bohorič and , who both significantly marked the era of and the obtaining of the first Slovenian books in the 16th century. The cultural life of Krško, both professional and amateurish, is at a very high level.

Very specific features can be found also in the location of the countryside itself and its relief, suitable for the development of agriculture and tourist activities. The labouring hands of the local residents have changed the hills surrounding the Krško basin into fertile vineyards and orchards with mainly apples, pears, peaches, plums and apricots. The established trade mark is "Cviček" wine, an autochthon wine type. This is a light, refreshing pale red wine suitable for all types of food and every occasion. How deeply this area is marked with wine growing is evidenced by two wine‐tourist roads: the southern Podgorjanska road and the northern Bizeljko‐Sremič road.

The variety of the countryside makes the area perfect for rest and relaxation. These include several possibilities of bike‐riding, jogging, trekking or riding on a horse. There are also several sports events, in particular an attractive speedway, horse racing, hand‐ball and basket‐ball matches, and bicycle marathons.

In this picturesque land filled with variety the present interweaves with the heritage of the past centuries. The archaeological excavations in the cave called "Ajdova Jama", include remains going as far back in the past as the Stone Age. The early Iron Age left its mute witnesses in near Krško, while the remains of the former Roman settlement and the river port called Neviodunum can still be seen near . The Middle Ages marked the area with castles and numerous, still well preserved churches in the towns of Krško, , Leskovec and other places.

In this picturesque countryside, stretching from the Gorjanci Hills to Bohor Mountain, the present interweaves with the past. This is the world in a miniature version, which in spite of all events in the past, succeeds in retaining its original authenticity.

ABOUT YE LIFE AS USE TO BE

Title: LIFE AS USE TO BE Date and Venue: 3.8.‐12.8.2015 (3th arrival, 13th departure), Veliki Kamen Participants: Young people from 18 to 30, 6 participants per country (5 + 1 group leader), 5 countries. Priority: Gender balance, young people with fewer opportunities. PROFILE OF GROUP LEADER: A group leader: o is an adult (at least 21 years of age) who ensures effective learning, protection and safety of the group o accompanies the group from point of departure to youth exchange and on return journey o is involved with the partner organization and is willing to represent the organization during youth exchange o has a good command of English language! o is ready to work on the youth exchange preparation by long‐distance communication means, both in the preparatory and follow‐up stages of the activity

A group leader is willing and able to: prior to the youth exchange:

 participate in online advance planning visit  organize preparation phase & process for the group  prepare the group to give a short interactive presentation of their country

during the youth exchange:

 lead daily "reflection groups" (0,5h session with 5 young people from different countries) willing to contribute with their ideas and experiences to the success of the exchange  support and help to organizers

Working Conditions: Accommodation, board and programme costs will be financed through the European Commission Erasmus + Programme. Working language: English Organizer: Društvo za promocijo podeželje (Association for promoting the countryside)

Summary: We are living in the times of quick and drastic changes on daily basis. If we want to survive in this kind of environment we have to be innovative and we have to adapt to new realities. In big cities with modern way of life, stressful life situations, fast foods, crowds and other unpleasant situations that are part of our lives, in long terms affect our well‐being, health and our spirit. But how is it to leave in the countryside? The changes reached also the countryside but in there we still have enough of space, fresh air, green forests and beautiful places where we can spend of free time, having walks and feel freedom. In the countryside you can feel connection with the nature and earth, where everyone cultivates its own gardens of fields, where people are more connected among each other, where we still celebrate our habits and traditions and where self‐supply of goods in still valued. It the place, where intergenerational connection is very important as well as learning from each other about our values and traditions. The rural represents a cultural journey to the past, a place where time stands still. It represents the truth which keeps the spirit, the specific and the originality of a culture. It is said that “the village” is the place where people don’t ask time for changes. Our project will take place in a countryside in east south of Slovenia where along with young people from 5 different EU countries, will try to discover the values, the attitudes and the traditional symbols, analysing gaps between the rural and the urban areas, trying to find ways to fine them down. This project is about a stronger connection with nature, with people, with culture. This youth exchange will bring together young people from different parts of Europe and involve them in a rural lifestyle for a few days. We believe that this experimental approach will allow the participants to understand much better about rural lifestyle, the differences and similarities between the city and countryside, the importance and pros/cons of living in rural areas. While showing them a different way of living, this project will raise awareness on the impact (environmental, economical, etc.) of our lifestyles in society. We offer a different point of view to enjoy life differently and to take our time to discover new fields and learn new things, a way of being more creative, resourceful and feel useful and independents.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The main aim of the training is to raise the youth awareness on the importance of sustainable development and allowing them to develop "green" skills alternative eco‐friendly behaviour and rural traditions. This project is developed through:  an environmental, committed and artistic experience  getting to know our traditions and habits  comparison of lifestyle before and today  to understand much better about rural lifestyle  a participation in a multicultural group work  reflections on the issues connected with eco‐friendly and alternative ways  awareness about the importance of changing some habits  a common international tool of communication other than language (through active activities)  development of new social, personal and professional skills  to include 30 young people, focus on participants with fewer opportunities from 5 different countries  to get know each other’s countries, cultures and traditions  to exchange experiences and good practices in order to create a common working plan,  quality criteria and communication tools between the participants  to organise the Final presentation together with the participants.

ACTIVITIES: Main activities The participants from multi‐cultural environments will be involved in various activities such as gardening, farming, creating artistic workshops with natural and recovered materials, hiking, cooking classes with local and seasonal ingredients, crafting and making different items as the use to do it in countryside, participating in traditional games, etc. Participants will be included in different workshops as:  Demonstration of cooperation of farm chores and working with farm animals  Creative workshops using local products/crafting  Lifestyle before and today from perspective of self‐sustaining living  Permaculture and gardening  Cooking workshops‐ getting to know traditional cuisine and ingredients  Workshops of folk instruments and dances  Hiking and research local surroundings  Presentations of traditional games from each country

Moreover, activities will be organized to understand the consumer society and at the same time, promote different alternative ways to live in countryside.

Outcomes and learning points The results of the project will offer a variety of learning, intercultural and self‐development experiences to participants and their awareness of the various alternative lifestyles for more respectful way of life. In addition to sharing efforts to empower young people to acquire new skills and competences in several areas. Furthermore the exchange will aim to empower youth to acquire new knowledge and competences in several fields (eco gardening, handcraft, cooking etc.).

Why it is special for us This project can have an important impact on an active citizenship of young people on the topic of meaning of life on the countryside, meaning of Eco farming/gardening and self‐supply. Moreover it brings a positive and lasting approach through a practical experience which is closed to the interests of the young people involved in a non‐formal learning context. It also promotes the initiative of young people, through self‐commitment in a cooperative intercultural project.

About Location and accommodation

Veliki Kamen

Veliki Kamen is a settlement northeast of Senovo in the Municipality of Krško in eastern Slovenia. The area was traditionally part of . The village has population of 250 people where you can find many small familiy farms.

Venue: Izletniška kmetija Vertovšek – Turistic farm Vertovšek

It sounds idyllic. On the ground, the woods, meadows and fields ... Yes, here is our homestead. Locals say the area as well as Rabbit corner, as it should be here, not so long ago, many rabbits. And today you can notice if you only feel enough with the surrounding nature. We belong to the municipality of Krško and are situated on its far eastern edge, bordering the municipality of Kozje. Partially surrounding with fields, forests and vineyards already falling in Kozjansko Regional Park. Yes, nature around here is really wonderful!

Touristic FARM The total area of our estate is approximately 6 hectares. We focused on breeding sheep, but also other pets. Pigs, chickens, rooster, ducks, geese, dog, cat, etc. Every so often we come to the yard to visit another pheasant, in the woods behind the house and the surrounding pastures are grazed by deer. 

About sleeping

Have you ever slept on fresh hay? Not yet?! So you do not know how they sometimes slept our grandmothers and grandfathers, when they did not know the soft beds, warm blankets and electricity. Once upon a time, when it was outside enough warm, they slept in the hayloft or barn. In this project we wish to experience sleeping in a haystack, so we will need for the project under the hayrack prepared imitation of sleep in the hayloft. We'll dormitory on hay cubes, which will be placed padding, which will enable better sleep. Under a hayrack (wooden house outdoors), which is primarily aimed at catering various closed groups, we arranged a "room of hay." We will also partition "wall" ‐ a barrier that will allow some privacy groups of participants (6‐10 participants of exchange). Also, the barrier will be made of hay.

Example of showers Homemade bread prepared in special bread oven.

About food

During the exchange we will experience true traditional Slovenian countryside cosuine that means organic and healthy food which closely connected with the concept of "home‐grown. Touristic farm has its own fields and gardens of food so most of the food will be homemade and homemade prepared.

Some Traditional Slovene dishes Kranjska klobasa (Carniolan sausage) is the best known Slovenian speciality. The earliest known mention of a sausage referred to as "kranjska klobasa" dates back to 1896. Prekmurska gibanica (Prekmurje layered cake) is a moist dessert consisting of layers of poppy seed, cottage cheese, walnut and apple filling. It is protected under the Traditional Speciality Guaranteed designation and can only be sold under its name when prepared according to the traditional recipe. Kraški pršut (Kras prosciutto) is dry‐cured pork leg. It goes particularly well with a glass of Kras Teran, a red wine grown in the Kras region and well known for its healing properties. The prosciutto labelled as Protected Geographical Indication is a top quality product made on the basis of the centuries‐long tradition of salting meat and drying it in bora, a fierce cold northeasterly wind blowing across Kras. Štruklji is a traditional Slovenian boiled or baked dough roll with a variety of different sweet or savoury filling options, served either as a main or side dish. The best known are tarragon, cottage cheese, walnut, apple and poppy seed štruklji. Potica, a yeast‐dough cake with a variety of filling options, is the most typical Slovenian dessert. The best known of over 80 varieties are tarragon, walnut, crackling and poppy seed poticas. Žganci is a traditional Slovenian peasant dish made from flour and served as a stand‐alone or side dish.

About Travelling to Krško Krško is located 100 km from , 100 km from Maribor and 40 km from (Croatia). The city is situated at the highway Ljubljana – Zagreb and at the main railway connection Zagreb – Ljubljana, at the same time there Krško is well connected to bigger Slovenian and European cities.

The Krško railway station is located at the vzhodnem part of the city and is conveniently accessible by bus. There is a regular train connection to Ljubljana, Maribor, and Zagreb (Croatia). Veliki Kamen is only 15 minutes away from the international railway station Krško, from where you can depart for Italy, Hungary, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Germany, Switzerland, etc.

From airports you have great connection with Gopti company – shuttle bus. (goopti.com). Your arrival destination should be Brežice or Krško, from there we will pick you by cars. For any additional help regarding traveling, please let us know. Important: Before booking the plane tickets, please consult with us. And please keep all the tickets.

Budget for traveling per country: Italy: 170,00€ France: 170,00€ Spain: 170,00€ Cyper: 170,00€

While the Airport Jože Pučnik is located 130 km from Krško, the airport Zagreb/Plešo (Croatia) is only 45 km away, airport Graz (Austria) 200km, Vienna (Austria) 390 km.

Cheap airlines companies in nearest airports: Ljubljana – Easy Jet, Vueling ‐ summer only; Zagreb – Easy Jet, Germanwings, Wizz Air; Graz – FlyNiki, RyanAir, AirBerlin. For further questions and info needed, please feel free to contact me.

IMPORTANT: WHAT YOU NEED TO BRING WITH YOU: ‐ Sleeping bag ‐ Towels ‐ Personal hygiene equipment ‐ Sport clothes and shoes ‐ Clothes to work in the garden ‐ that can get dirty  ‐ Some warm clothes ‐ Personal documents ‐ European health insurance! ‐ You are welcome to bring musical instrument, if possible, to make some nice moments in the evenings  If you have any question, please do not hesitate to ask!

Be in touch!

Contact: Karl Vertovšek&Nataša Kalin Veliki Kamen 42, SI‐8282 Koprivnica, Krško , Slovenia Slovenia Email: [email protected]