SEEYN_WORKCAMP_HANDBOOK.zip 10 mb

Dear reader,
The Workcamp Handbook – second modified edition is a result of training courses that were held in springs 2001, 2002 and 2003 with the title: Leader Training Seminar – LTS.
Participants were youth leaders and youth workers active in non-governmental organizations, which are involved, in international exchange of volunteers and organization of voluntary workcamps.
In 2001 participants were from South East Europe, from members’ and partners’ organizations of South East European Youth Network (SEEYN) and SAVA working group of Service Civil International (SCI).
First LTS was organized in cooperation of VCZ on behalf of SEEYN and MS, Danish Association for International Relations. The first edition of the Workcamp Handbook was published after that Training Course. The interest for education was increased, and in 2002 and 2003 LTS invited participants from SEE region and from other regions as well. So, in 2003 participants came from Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, Rumania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania and Greece.

Within last few years, more and more workcamps are being organized; more and more youth organizations are involved in sending and hosting volunteers. That’s why, during the Network Assembly in Gjirocastra, Albania, May 2003; SEEYN expressed the need to publish the second edition of the Workcamp Handbook. The handbook is based on experience and materials from this training courses and experience of Volunteers’ Centre Zagreb in international exchange of volunteers.

The main question of this handbook is HOW? HOW to initiate international voluntary project, e.g. workcamp? HOW to prepare and organized it? HOW to recruit volunteers? HOW to lead the workcamp? HOW to deal with organizational matters during the workcamp? HOW to do evaluation and reporting? HOW to be a receiving and sending organization (placement)?

During writing first and second edition of this handbook our main idea was to give chronological overview of all steps during preparation and implementation of the workcamp; to offer some possible solutions and give some tools and ideas that can help project managers and workcamp leaders in their jobs. But each workcamp is unique project and there are no golden rules that fit to each project.
We would like to thank all participants of LTS 2001, 2002 and 2003 because they inspired us to write this handbook. A lot of individuals and institutions supported and helped during publishing this handbook. We thank: MS, SCI – The Youth and Unemployment Working Group for providing materials, SEEYN for supporting and financing the handbook and individuals: Iva Mikac and Siniša Mitrović that were involved in writing and publishing the first edition, Ivana Borošić, Morten Sigsgaard, Pernille Barendtsen, Karen Sorensen, Danilo Brozović, Branka Cicak, and also, we would like to thank to all those who contributed to the publishing of this manual either personally or through their organizations and who were not mentioned by their names in our address.

And a special thank to our colleagues from Volunteers' Centre Zagreb for support, understanding and useful advises.

Enjoy your reading!
Ana Ergović and Lidija Burić