ICJA Workcamps in Deutschland

AGRI/ENVI/ STUDY
Vols: 08
Age:18-26
Language: English, German & Spanish

Project: Michels Kleinsthof is working towards the utopia of a sustainable, resilient, and grandchild-friendly agriculture becoming reality. More than 50 different crops are grown on one hectare using the “Market Gardening” principle. We are part of the movement “Community based agriculture” (in Germany, this is called “Solidarity Farming — Solidarische Landwirtschaft”). This means members are involved in the work on a weekly basis to bring sustainable food production to the people. School classes are allowed to experience agriculture firsthand and enjoy looking after chicken, sheep and bees. 
There is a great variety of tasks in our diverse garden! Diversity makes us independent of the agricultural industries. It also benefits our fellow creatures of all kinds. 
We deliver a large portion of our products to our 90 Solidarity Farming members, while another part is sold at the market in the picturesque nearby town of Staufen.
However, Michel's micro-farm sees itself not only as a food producer, but also as a place of learning and a nature conservation project! Agriculture is the number one cause of species extinction worldwide and is responsible for 25% of climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions. On one of the most fertile soils in Germany, nestled in a beautiful spot between the Vosges and the Black Forest, the micro-farm sets a counterexample to the monocultures of the rest of the Rhine Valley.

Work:  Your help is needed for various construction projects! Among other things, we are renovating our earth cellar using the light clay construction method. The aim is to create more space for vegetables and achieve better insulation. We would also like to build a small hobbit house in the ground for our team, again using the light clay construction method and natural log technique, to create a cool place for lunch breaks etc. in summer. Another manual labour will be to renovate other facilities on the farm.
In August, every garden is in the fullness of its harvest season! 
Tomatoes sweetened by the sun, courgettes and cucumbers growing at a fast speed and need hard-working hands and hungry mouths. But the weeds don't stop growing either. That's why there will be the opportunity to help out in the daily business of Market gardening like harvesting, weeding, planting seeds and caring of small plants in the nursery all the time! In other words, there would not only be the opportunity to experience the multifaceted gardening at first hand, but also to master manual and physical work in a team. So if you have extra energy, you are more than welcome!

Study part: In our work, we follow the principle of “Market Garden”: Here is what it looks like: on the smallest possible area, as many crops as possible are cultivated without the use of groundwater-damaging fertiliser, only with the help of compost. The most important idea here is recycling, in order to work with as little labour, pesticides and land as possible. Learning gardening skills, the cycle concept and environmental aspects in agriculture are therefore important learning elements during the work camp. Permaculture and biodynamic principles can be experienced here. The care and feeding of chickens and sheep can also be learned in practice. Another important part is building with natural materials. We plan to implement old craft techniques that were used to build houses and infrastructure without modern technology, yet were very energy efficient.

Accommodation and food: Most of the organic seasonal food comes directly from the field to your plate. Everything else that is needed will be purchased. The diet will be predominantly vegetarian. Cooking will take place together in the outdoor kitchen and there will also be the possibility to cook a "classic" dish from your country of origin. Next to the kitchen, there is also a fireplace for sitting together in the evening, so your musical instruments are most welcome! We will also use the clay oven for pizza at least once.
As far as sleeping is concerned, we will either set up a communal tent directly on the field or provide some beds in construction trailers. A small hutch will serve as our shower, a composting toilet is already part of the sanitary facilities in the field.
Please be ready to live in very basic conditions; you will live outdoors most of the time and close to nature. The work can be physically demanding.

Region: Michels Kleinsthof is located between the Black Forest and the Vosges in the border triangle in one of the most beautiful regions of Germany. A nearby quarry pond can be easily reached after work with bicycles provided by the farm and the young, alternative and beautiful student city of Freiburg is also less than 10 minutes away by train. The farm itself is located in a small village called Tunsel, but the entire region is bursting with nature and cultural tourism opportunities. If you are travelling by plane, we would very much appreciate it if you could extend your stay in Central Europe even further, so as not to use climate-damaging mobility just for our project. 

Remarks: Please bring a sleeping bag, swimwear and preferably sturdy shoes for working in the garden. Please note that you will get dirty in the garden, so clothes that can get dirty and are old are recommended.

Remember that the sunshine could be strong and you should bring suitable headgear and sufficient sun protection. Long-sleeved, thin clothing will also work for this.
The living conditions will be very simple, so please be prepared. Note that it is not recommended to attend if you are allergic to weed.

Terminal: Bad Krozingen, near Freiburg. Nearest airports: Basel, Stuttgart

AGRI/CONS/ENVI/STUD/MANU
Vols: 12
Age: 18-26 
Language: English, German

Project: The "Universitas in Farmhouse" is a place of education for nature, culture, youth work and sustainability. The aim of this project is to demonstrate different ecological cultivation methods. It is a long-standing partner of successful workcamps and a wonderful place to feel at home. Besides the topic of permaculture, the host likes to offer rooms for musicians.

Work: Volunteers are invited to continue the project GARDEN OF ENVIRONMENT – FIELDS for PLAYING AND LEARNING on our gardening land. It will offer different stations where visitors can learn about and experience nature and sustainability … very creative, surprising and funny! Volunteers will support the host in their garden, construction, and landscape design work. There will be physical work, using tools and working with materials like wood, rocks, and soil. You will work outdoors most of the time. Last year, a pond was created with the help of the volunteers! Volunteers who like to exercise can chop firewood. Every year, volunteers are invited to get to know the local permaculture garden and do some gardening there. While looking after the plants, there is the possibility to harvest fruits. Therefore, we are looking for 12 motivated young people who are interested in handicrafts, advanced training, and gardening/landscaping.

Study part: Volunteers will get some insight into the principles of permaculture for example: how to create a productive garden which grows plants and feeds animals in a way that only a minimum input of energy and resources is required to achieve maximum sustainability for the environment. Interesting ecological and cultural projects/information from your country are very welcome.

Leisure time: The afternoons, evenings and weekends are free for personal use: sports, fieldtrips in the region and to Freiberg, swimming. 
On the last Saturday, volunteers will attend a concert in the farmhouse: Musician HANS DIE GEIGE (a really great musician from Berlin will perform his atmospheric music www.rockgeiger.de).If you are talented as well, bring an instrument with you drums and guitars can be provided.
Region: The project will take place in a famous river hill and cultural landscape in the middle of Saxony at the foot of the Erzgebirge (“Ore Mountains”), 35 km from Dresden, 15 km from Freiberg.

Accommodation: The participants are accommodated in the big seminar room. Food will be prepared together in the big kitchen of the seminar house.

Remarks: Please bring a sleeping bag with you and an insulating mat. Gossberg is situated in a remote area; you can enjoy nature and the countryside.

Terminal: Freiberg, near Dresden. Nearest airports: Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig

FEST/ ART / MANU
Vols: 10

Age:18-26
Languages: English, German

Project: "RABRYKA" is a unique space for youth culture and social life, situated in an abandoned factory ground. You can see it as an open space for all kinds of youth and social culture. Currently it offers a wide range of possibilities for kids, youth and adults: it unites different projects in one house, e.g. a youth club, a workshop and makerspace, intercultural or cultural education or urban gardening. There is enough inside and outdoor space for gatherings and sports, sharing things and opinions, playing music and partying together and … much more!
The biggest event organized by the RABRYKA is the FOKUS Festival, in which you will also participate.
The head organisation of the RABRYKA is the “Second Attempt e.V.”, which highly motivates people to develop the civil society of Goerlitz. Everyone is invited to join meetings that focus on the vision of a society, which respects the values of tolerance, equality and cross-cultural empathy. RABRYKA is a fictional word connecting the Polish word for factory – fabryka and the first letter of red. Red are the bricks of the buildings of the former factory. 

Work: Your help is needed to p repare space and facilities for the 19th Fokus Festival. An alternative 2-day festival (21st – 22nd August) with several stages, many workshops, a speakers corner, food and drinks! Please watch one of the aftermovies to get an impression of the Festival. You are invited to work together in international teams, composed of employees of RABRYKA and other volunteers from Goerlitz. During working hours (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) you can create fancy furniture for the visitors, colorful decoration for the stages and the festival area, do some gardening or lead through your own ideas. It is not required that you are experienced, but it is needed that you are interested in doing handcrafted work and that you are really motivated to become part of our preparation team and to support us reliably!
Whether you like crafting, working, gardening, cooking or designing- whatever you like, we’ll find a task for you. It would be great if the group could contribute something special for the Fokus Festival, for example decorating a graffiti wall. During the festival itself volunteers will offer support by filling shifts at the bar, the backstage control or as a runner. For further information of the Festival and the Camp, please visit our Website, Instagram.

Study and leisure time: Goerlitz is situated at the very east of Germany. After WWII, it was divided and the area in the east of the river Neisse is now the autonomous town Zgorzelec and part of Poland. Volunteers will get a guided tour through Goerlitz and will learn about its eventful history. Moreover, you will learn about the current network of initiatives in the city, which offers a wide range of cultural and social work. In addition, there will be free time for a cycling tour to a lake nearby, bonfire evenings, a party and more.

Accommodation: Volunteers will stay near the youth and cultural center. The group of ICJA volunteers will sleep in a big room with room dividers. There are bathrooms, a shower, and a kitchen. Volunteers will need a sleeping bag. It is planned that volunteers will prepare dinner on their own. Breakfast and lunch will be offered at RABRYKA, and will be vegan.

Remarks: Volunteers who are skilled in handicraft and creative arts will enjoy great atmosphere to express their talents and abilities. Please bring a sleeping bag, a pillow (if needed), work clothes (for warm, cold, and rainy days), a bathing suit, sturdy shoes, and whatever you need for yourself. There is no washing machine at RABRYKA, but a laundromat is 10 minutes away. After registration, we require a self-declaration concerning child and youth protection.
Terminal: Goerlitz train station. Nearest Airports: Dresden, Berlin and Prague.

 

MANU/CONS/SOCI
Vols: 12
Age: 18-26
Languages: English, German

Project: Herford is a small town with a rich historical culture. In the Middle Ages, Herford was an important spiritual and intellectual centre and one of the best-fortified German cities. The cityscape is still characterised by buildings that bear witness to various historical eras. Host of this workcamp is the Protestant Community Center “Haus der Begegnung” - "House of Encounter“. They are very committed to supporting migrant families, their integration into urban society and the appreciation of diversity. The House of Encounter offers people from different backgrounds and cultures a place to meet. The encounter between different generations and cultures will be the central issue of the workcamp.

Work: We will carry out work in the house and garden: an archery range will be created, paths will be improved, and the floor in the house will be renovated. A gardener will assist us with the work in the garden. Volunteers will mostly be doing physical work outdoors.

Study part: We will meet each other and other people: A workshop on conflict de-escalation and civil courage is planned. We will learn about German culture and history in museums – we will visit a zoo and an old castle in Bielefeld. We will meet different generations: the children in the neighbouring kindergarten and older people, who will tell us their stories. 

Leisure activities: There is a large common room with a pool table, kicker table and a cozy sofa corner. We organize a trip to the outdoor pool and have access to a sports field.

Accommodation: Volunteers will sleep in different rooms in the large house. You will need to bring sleeping bag. Showers are available in the neighbouring house.

Remarks: Smoking and drinking alcohol are not permitted in the centre. Please bring workwear and raincoats, a sleeping bag and a bathing suit.

Terminal: Herford Main station, nearest airports: Hanover and Düsseldorf.
 

ART/STUDY/CULT
Vols: 12
Age: 18-26
Languages: English, German
Project: Commemorating as a way towards peace! The Evangelical parish of Datteln is the origin of a Christian Peace Movement, which builds up a European network for international encounters and voluntary service as a contribution to peace. The project is based on a historical event that happened after World War I, during the French occupation of the Ruhr area. On Good Friday in1923, in the Lutherhaus (former parish center), the French lieutenant Étienne Bach and the German official Karl Wille chose reconciliation instead of conflict. Their meeting became the beginning of the movement “Youth Action for Peace (YAP)”. Since then, many volunteers from different countries have learned that reconciliation is possible, even when conflicts seem very difficult to solve.

Work: Each week has a different focus:
Week 1 – Artistic work : Volunteers work on creative art projects around the topic of peace. The artworks will be shown publicly later. In previous camps, volunteers created, colorful peace messages, “benches of encounter”, a “table of peace and reconciliation”, a large mural in a local kindergarten. With the support of the local artist Ulrike Speckmann, volunteers will paint and design together. This year, the artistic inspiration comes from Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. For information about the artist, please visit her site www.toefte.de/ulrike/index.html
Volunteers are invited to express their own dreams and visions for the future on a large cloth, which will later be displayed in the church.

Week 2 – Social and outdoor work; Volunteers help renovate and beautify the outdoor area of the social center „Ev. Johanneswerk“, which supports adults with mental disabilities. The work includes gardening and simple renovation tasks. Friendly contact with the residents is welcome and encouraged.

Study part: Volunteers explore how “peace“ can be expressed through art.Local history is used as an example of how an international peace movement began.
Members of the parish are happy when volunteers interact with different social groups, especially children and elderly people.

Leisure time: Excursions to local places of interest, like crossing 4 channels and other sites.

Region: The town of Datteln has approx. 35 000 inhabitants and is situated on the edge of the mining region in the north of the Ruhr area. Four waterways for shipping traffic are crossing in Datteln. The river Lippe and Münster region are nearby. Next bigger towns are Recklinghausen, Dortmund and a very nice and famous student town Münster.

Accommodation: The participants will be accommodated in the modern community center of Datteln „Etienne-Bach-Haus“. Please bring with you a sleeping bag. Camp beds and pillows will be provided.

Remarks: Volunteers with interest in creative arts and social work are very welcome. After confirmation of placement in this camp, you will have to sign a self-commitment statement in terms of legal protection for children and vulnerable people. Please bring a sleeping bag.

Terminal: Castrop-Rauxel, (near Dortmund train station) Next airport: Duesseldorf International (80 km).

RENO/ ENVI/ STUDY
Vols: 12
Age: 18-26

Languages: English, German

Project: Bedheim castle was first mentioned in the year 1169 and was destroyed and reconstructed several times in its long history. During the last 30 years, the castle has become a sociocultural center for this remote region. Currently, it offers meeting places for social and cultural initiatives. With historical rooms, the garden café, various types of gardens and its location surrounded by beautiful nature, it is a perfect place to meet with friends, enjoy a good piece of cake, or spend holidays. There are small concerts and exhibitions now and then and one flee market taking place. You also can play table tennis and football.
Since 1992, the association has been organizing workcamps. Volunteers enjoy spending their time meeting and work together with the inhabitants. An organic garden, and an architect's office are the basis for the existence of the residents. If you like a simple analogue life with a basic standard, this is the right place for you  Last but not least: a nice cat named Rudie is waiting to be petted by the volunteers!
The aim of this project is to create an atmosphere where people with or without disabilities may come, live and work together without any prejudice against handicap, nationality, or religion.

Work: Volunteers are invited to help with the care and maintenance of this social centre and its various areas. There is work outside and inside: The meadow orchard must be cleared of bushes and, depending on the weather, apples can be collected and processed into apple juice. The work in the organic vegetable garden also depends on the weather, usually the volunteers help with the harvest of fruit and vegetables. In the castle itself, there is painting and cleaning work to be done to maintain the building. Encounters with kids and people of the region are foreseen. Overall, there is a wide variety of tasks - something for everyone!

Study: We may learn more about the natural beauty of the environment. We can make excursions to places of cultural and historical interest (e.g. Weimar, the city of Goethe and the former concentration camp Buchenwald). We can have discussions and lectures about German history, society, culture and politics (the German East-West border was only 9 km away from Bedheim). 
There will be the possibility to meet pupils of a local primary school. Please prepare yourself for an exchange about the culture and living conditions in your countries.

Accommodation: Bedheim castle offers simple group accommodation in the “Remise” – former coach house. Beds will be provided, no sleeping bag needed. Meals will be prepared by the group (less meat but a lot of very good vegetables and fruits from the nursery). Warm water is provided by a solar collector and electricity. Please note: Rooms are heated with one big wood-burning stove. It can be chilly for people, who are used to central heating.

Region: Bedheim castle is located in the west of Thuringia, close to the Bavarian border. The nearest bigger town is Coburg (28 km away). Bedheim is surrounded by the extraordinarily beautiful Franconian landscape. Usually weather is fine, but it can be rainy and quite cold in autmn. 

Remarks: Some basic knowledge of German or English is recommended. Please bring rain and working clothes, slippers,and warm pullovers with you. You can also bring pictures or special food items from your country. Rubber boots and additional working clothes will be provided.

Terminal: Bedheim is 8 km from the train station of Hildburghausen and 15 km from the train station of Bad Rodach. Nearest airports: Leipzig, Frankfurt/Main, Nuremberg.