28 janeiro 2013

Vídeo do SVE no Nepal

Este vídeo foi realizado pela nossa voluntária SVE Sara Segurado durante a sua experiência no Nepal em 2012.

E tu? Não queres fazer o SVE? :)


25 janeiro 2013

Let´s do it! - selection results

Dear EVS Candidates,

After a long and hard process, we have managed to pre-select the candidates for the "Let´s do it!" EVS project at the Horas de Sonho Cooperative (2013-PT-5) and the Mãos do Mundo Association (2013-PT-3)! We have sent e-mails with further information to the pre-selected candidates today.

Between January 18th and 22nd, we received about 300 applications from enthusiastic candidates coming from all parts of Europe! They were all interested in becoming 1 out of 5 EVS volunteers hosted by Horas de Sonho and by Mãos do Mundo. We had the pleasure of reading some wonderful motivation letters and really impressive CVs and we must say that it was extremely frustrating having to choose just some out of so many worthy people! We would like to congratulate the pre-selected applicants who were contacted by e-mail earlier on today. However, the worth of a successful applicant is increased by the worth of those who didn't make it! We wish all the best to the non accepted applicants and, based on their applications, we are sure that they will not have difficulties finding a great EVS opportunity fulfilling their goals!

Thank you all for your kind interest and don't stop chasing your dreams!
Kindest regards,
Spin´s Staff

20 janeiro 2013

spinLX - selection results

Dear EVS Candidates,

After a long and hard process, we have managed to pre-select the candidates for the "spinLX" EVS project at the Spin Association (2012-PT-21)! We have sent e-mails with further information to the 11 pre-selected candidates today.

It was a real challenge to go through all the 150 applications we received for just the two vacancies we can offer at the moment. During the selection process we came across some great applications and simply great people. Unfortunately we are only able to host two more volunteers. If you have not been pre-selected for our project, please do not worry or resign! We are sure that among all EVS projects in Europe you will find the one meant just for you!

You might also be interested in knowing that we are currently looking for 5 EVS volunteers for our two local partner organizations. For more information, please read the calls: Horas de Sonho and Mãos do Mundo. The deadline for applications is on January, 22nd (this Tuesday!).
Kindest regards,
Spin´s Staff

19 janeiro 2013

EVS vacancy at Horas de Sonho (Lisbon, Portugal)

Associação Spin, acting as the coordinating organization, is currently looking for two volunteers for the February, 1st deadline.

Host: Cooperativa Horas de Sonho (2013-PT-5)
Coordinator: Associação Spin  (2012-PT-21)
Project name: Let´s do it!
Activity start date: 1st June 2013
Activity end date: 31st May 2014
Vacancies: 2
Application deadline: 22nd January 2013
Application consists of: CV and project-specific motivation letter
Application sent to: sve.horassonho@gmail.com

Horas de Sonho” is a social solidarity Cooperative working in the field of children’s attendance. The organization is settled nowadays in Carnide where the administrative office and almost all Departments are based, however, their area of work includes all the Lisbon city. The organization´s mission is to provide support to families especially through children’s social babysitting. The target group are mainly children aged 2-4. You can watch videos (in Portuguese) about Horas de Sonho here and here.

Generally, the volunteers will: 
  • provide information about Horas de Sonhos’s projects to local people and new associates; 
  • search and collect information as well as answer to requests for information through other channels of communication such as website, blog, facebook and others; 
  • collaborate in updating the Association’s website with contents; 
  • give support to daily management and simple administrative procedures of Horas de Sonho’s projects, both indoors and outdoors; 
  • one of the volunteers will help out primarily at the Community Center and the other at the Community Store. 
For more information on the tasks proposed to the volunteers, please have a look at the full call for participants.

We are looking for volunteers aged 20-30, open minded, eager to learn about new cultures and lifestyles, as well as to participate in the proposed project activities with the local community. It is not required to have any particular degree of formal education, but to have positive and proactive attitude, show tolerance, flexibility, motivation and enthusiasm. In this project, age and maturity are important due to direct work with children and families in the neighborhood. We encourage applications especially from youngsters who already have some experience in working with children and are willing to know more in depth the work developed with families from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Special remarks (please read carefully):
  • read the full call for participants
  • we only accept complete applications that contain all the required documents
  • the subject of your application e-mail should be "Community Center" or "Community Store" (depending on which one you would prefer to help out at)
  • add the contact details of your Sending Organization to your e-mail
  • we can´t consider applications sent after the deadline
  • send your application to sve.horassonho@gmail.com, applications sent through other communication channels (Facebook, Youthnetworks, etc.) will not be considered
  • due to the high number of candidates, we are only able to contact the short-listed candidates (in order to invite them for a brief Skype interview)
  • all the other candidates will be informed about the selection results by January, 26th through our blog.

EVS vacancy at Mãos do Mundo (Lisbon, Portugal)

Associação Spin, acting as the coordinating organization, is currently looking for three volunteers for the February, 1st deadline.

Host: Associação Mãos do Mundo (2013-PT-3)
Coordinator: Associação Spin  (2012-PT-21)
Project name: Let´s do it!
Activity start date: 1st June 2013
Activity end date: 31st May 2014
Vacancies: 3
Application deadline: 22nd January 2013
Application consists of: CV and project-specific motivation letter
Application sent to: sve.maosdomundo@gmail.com

Mãos do Mundo” (Hands of the World) is a Youth Association dedicated to sociocultural animation and psycho-social support. They are committed to supporting others in building up a network of affection and mutual support that will make it possible to break barriers and face life obstacles. The organization´s main aims are to promote and provide social and cultural animation and psycho-social support for the community of Carnide (a neighborhood of Lisbon).

As Mãos do Mundo has three different target groups and works with several different projects, we have divided the tasks and activities of the volunteers in three different categories, namely:
  1. “1 Gesture… 100 Missions” project
  2. Music project “Children and Juvenile Choir”
  3. Communication and Image of Mãos do Mundo
For the description of the tasks proposed to the volunteers, please read the full call for participants

We are looking for young motivated volunteers aged 18-30, open minded, eager to learn about new cultures and lifestyles, as well as to participate in the project activities in the local community. It is not required to have any particular degree of formal education, but to have positive and proactive attitude, show tolerance, flexibility, motivation and enthusiasm. In this project, the capacity to work in a team will be highly appreciated (both within the hosting organization and with the local partners in Carnide). We encourage applications especially from youngsters who already have some experience in volunteering or in working with children, youngsters and elder people and are, at this moment, available to commit to a long term experience of volunteer work abroad and willing to know more about the work developed in psycho-social animation sector in a special community of Lisbon, Carnide.

Special remarks (please read carefully):
  • read the full call for participants
  • we only accept complete applications that contain all the required documents
  • mention the name of the project in the subject of the e-mail
  • add the contact details of your Sending Organization to your e-mail
  • mention the project category you are applying for in your application
  • we can´t consider applications sent after the deadline
  • send your application to sve.maosdomundo@gmail.com, applications sent through other communication channels (Facebook, Youthnetworks, etc.) will not be considered
  • due to the high number of candidates, we are only able to contact the short-listed candidates (in order to invite them for a brief Skype interview)
  • all the other candidates will be informed about the selection results by January, 26th through our blog.

15 janeiro 2013

Sessão informativa sobre o SVE

Convidamos todos os interessados em fazer o SVE (e os que ainda estão a hesitar!) para participarem numa sessão informativa sobre o Serviço Voluntário Europeu na sede da Spin na próxima terça-feira, 22 de Janeiro, às 15 horas!

Durante a sessão vamos explicar o que é o SVE e quais são os procedimentos até a partida do voluntário. Vamos também responder a todas as perguntas e falar do acompanhamento, da segurança e dos direitos e deveres do voluntário ao longo da implementação do projecto. Os voluntários que a Spin está a acolher agora vão partilhar connosco a sua experiência SVE em Portugal.

A sessão é gratuita e aberta a todos (inclusive os familiares e amigos das pessoas interessadas em fazer o SVE). Para te inscreveres, basta enviares um email para sve.spin@gmail.com! A participação na sessão não implica a tua candidatura ao SVE.

Até breve!

13 janeiro 2013

InterGenerations - actividade de constituição de parcerias em Lecce, Itália

Estão abertas as inscrições para a actividade de constituição de parcerias no domínio da solidariedade intergeracional "InterGenerations". O encontro terá lugar de 13 a 20 de Março em Lecce na Itália. Os países participantes da "InterGenerations" serão: Chipre, Estónia, Grécia, Hungria, Itália, Polónia, Portugal, Roménia, Suécia e Turquia.

As actividades de constituição de parcerias são eventos organizados com vista a permitir aos participantes encontrarem parceiros para cooperação transnacional e/ou para o desenvolvimento de projectos. A constituição de parcerias reúne potenciais parceiros e facilita o desenvolvimento de novos projectos em torno de um dado tema e/ou de uma Acção do Programa Juventude em Acção.

Os participantes devem:
- trabalhar com jovens e/ou idosos (ou ser líderes juvenis),
- estar interessados em desenvolver projectos sob o tema,
- ter a capacidade de comunicar em inglês.

Todas as despesas (incl. alojamento, alimentação, actividades) estão cobertas, excepto 30% da viagem.

Prazo-limite de candidatura: 5 de Fevereiro de 2013

Para mais informações e inscrições, contactar: 217145520, 914519264, intercambios@a-spin.pt.

11 janeiro 2013

Leonardo da Vinci Internship in Turkey

A Marta passou 3 meses em Kayseri na Turquia a fazer um estágio Leonardo da Vinci. Leiam aqui o artigo que escreveu sobre a sua experiência para um jornal local! Podem também ler a brochura informativa!

My name is Marta. Strange name, you may think?! Yes, it is not Turkish, I am from Portugal. Through project ‘Fast Forward’, hosted by the Portuguese Spin Association for the Exchange, Training and Cooperation among Peoples in Leonardo da Vinci Action from European Union Lifelong Learning Programme, I was the lucky chosen to do an internship at Kayseri Youth Center Association for three months.

So what do I do? As a sociologist and a social and youth work enthusiastic, I work on local and European projects related with youngsters. I was even luckier to have not one but three workplaces: Talas Youth Center, Kayseri Youth Center and Kayseri Youth and Sport Directorship. This allows me to get to know better this beautiful city, its different transportation systems (and all that is included, from getting lost to observing people), the city dynamics and how it is organized. Professionally, this enables me to understand more about the diverse phases of the full process related to youth and sport development and its activities. I could also verify that there is more than one way of working and managing tasks in the similar activity with different resources and distinct people that share the same cultural background. And of course, more people to know – absolutely marvelous people that are always ready and willing to share a lovely word, tasty food and the traditional Turkish tea with me – and fascinating personal and professional stories to discover!

Every time I can, I encourage youngsters from different ages to speak with me and improve their English (and also give some support with their homework), since it is our only way to communicate with each other – did I mention before how bad is my Turkish?! Usually they are very nice, curious and interested in me and my culture but also very motivated and active in showing me Turkish culture. It is a truly enjoyable and reciprocal learning, for both – I hope.

Besides the daily-life at the different workplaces, I would like to highlight three special and occasional moments of this professional adventure. In October, I was part of, as staff and as participant, the International Youth Exchange ‘Culture Occurs in Kitchen’ with other young people from Romania, Slovakia, Spain and of course Turkey. In November, I was part of the organization team and the project facilitator of an International Youth Exchange called ‘European Toy’ with youngsters from Bulgaria, Poland and Turkey. The big visible project for the month of December was a local one called ‘World has a Meeting at Talas
: International Intercultural Exchange’ – one afternoon dedicated to the exchange between the cultures present in Kayseri.
We invited all foreigner residents to share their culture with us alongside Turkish people and culture! 15 countries accepted our challenge and we all understood, one more time, the advantages and the challenges related with cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue.

It is almost over, less than one week to go but like I always say, so far so good! I am very grateful for everyone that I met so far for facilitating this big challenge that is to get to know this peculiar culture and way of living that is so different from the Portuguese – and my personal one.
Marta Correia

10 janeiro 2013

EVS vacancy at Spin

Associação Spin is now looking for two volunteers for the next project period.

Hosting Organization: Associação Spin, Lisbon (2012-PT-21)
Project name: spinLX
Activity start date: 1st June 2013
Activity end date:  28 February 2014
Vacancies: 2
Application deadline: 16th January 2013
Application consists of: CV and project-specific motivation letter
Application sent to: evs.spin@gmail.com

Activities proposed to the volunteers:

The volunteers will participate in the activities of the European Programmes and Mobility Department by collaborating in:

- preparation of new project proposals on the frames of the Youth in Action Programme, Lifelong Learning Programme and others in the field of youth, training and education.
- coordination of EVS sending activities, such as assisting in the preparation for departure, travel arrangements
- organization and implementation of youth exchanges and trainings.
- organization and active participation in information sessions in schools, seminars and conferences in order to promote the YiA programme.
- Research and collect information about European opportunities for young people for the elaboration of the monthly newsletter/mailing and update information on the website.

The volunteers will participate in the activities of the Image and Communication Department by collaborating in:

- preparation, formatting and mailing of the monthly newsletter
- maintaining and updating all Spin’s communication channels
- the graphic design of the blog, website, brochures, posters, flyers and promotional materials for the organization and other publications organization using his/her creativity
- documenting all Spin’s activities and dissemination of information; general support in the activities of association

Special remarks:
-we only accept complete applications that contain all the required documents
-mention the name of the project in the subject of the e-mail
-send your application to evs.spin@gmail.com, applications sent through other
communication channels will not be considered
-mention the department you are applying for in your application
-applications sent after the deadline will not be considered

If you are interested, please read the full call here.

08 janeiro 2013

SVE em Lisboa - vídeo

O ex-voluntário SVE da Junta de Freguesia de Carnide (projecto coordenado pela Spin) criou um vídeo sobre os seus 8 meses em Lisboa.

O vídeo do Gilles está a participar num concurso! Vejam aqui e votem! Nós adorámos! :)

Aqui fica uma pequena descrição do video:

Avril 2012, je débarque à Lisbonne. Non pas comme touriste, mais pour y passer huit mois pour découvrir la seule capitale européenne qui a mis en place le budget participatif. Je découvre une ville bouillonnante, chargée d'histoires que le public français connaît très peu. Je découvre aussi ses habitants, ses festivals, sa cuisine, sa langue. Cette carte postale est aussi l'occasion d'expliquer à mes proches pourquoi je décide de m'y installer, leur donner envie grâce à cet abécédaire de 26 lettres de me rendre visite. Et vous, vous arrivez quand?

07 janeiro 2013

EVS do Cristóvão em Roterdão

1 Março a 20 Agosto de 2012, mais que provavelmente a melhor experiência que vivenciei até hoje. 

O EVS é muito mais que uma experiência, é viver uma conjuntura de situações que nos marcam de tal maneira que aprendemos bastante durante esse tempo, independentemente de boas ou más experiências.

Falando na primeira pessoa posso afirmar que na minha vida existe o antes e depois do EVS, gostaria de afirmar que não existiram momentos menos positivos mas esses mesmos fazem parte da experiência, mas esses momentos são apenas umas gotas numa piscina cheia de bons momentos, momentos dos quais infelizmente não se vão voltar a repetir, mas fica a felicidade por ter acontecido.

Eu tive a oportunidade de fazer o meu EVS em Roterdão, numa organização que promovia e colaborava com organizações de zonas desfavorecidas da cidade, mais concretamente no bairro de Feyenoord, basicamente umas das zonas mais pobres e perigosas da Holanda, pelo menos é o que dizem as estatísticas. Na prática apesar das diferenças culturais que encontrei porque maioritariamente das pessoas do bairro eram muçulmanas, senti-me em casa integrado pela comunidade.


As minhas actividades maioritariamente consistiam em fazer actividades para crianças em escolas, associações locais etc. Como maior obstáculo foi o idioma local, as crianças como é de esperar não falavam muito inglês e o holandês diga-se não é uma língua fácil de comunicar, mas foram barreiras que foram ultrapassadas com o tempo, conhecendo e ganhando o respeito daquelas crianças. 

Mesmo com estas barreiras foi possível desenvolver um trabalho positivo, era óptimo quando estava na rua e via as crianças do bairro e virem a correr cumprimentar-me, eu não fazia nada de mais apenas promovia jogos desportivos entre eles nas escolas, ou workshops de jardinagem, esse tipo de actividades era o suficiente para eles verem que alguém se preocupava com eles, e seguramente alguns deles no futuro irão se lembrar que um dia houve um jovem de Portugal que jogava futebol com eles e por um período curto fez parte da sua educação. O Pior de tudo é quando temos conhecimento de situações em que crianças são maltratadas ou vemos a léguas que sentem falta de apoio paternal dos pais, mas ai não podemos fazer nada, não podemos resolver o problema mas tentar passar por cima e apenas pensar em ser parte da solução.  

Em suma quero agradecer à SPIN e Lava Legato por me terem proporcionado fazer este EVS na minha vida, e para terminar sinto imensa pena de não ser possível realizar mais que um EVS.
Cristóvão Maciel, 20 Novembro, 2012 

04 janeiro 2013

e-Voluntariado no infoSPIN

Queres fazer voluntariado sem sair de casa? Achas que o mundo está cheio de oportunidades que precisam de ser divulgadas? Então não demores a entrar em contacto connosco! Procuram-se colaboradores voluntários para o nosso blog infoSPIN!

As tarefas propostas aos voluntários:
- procurar oportunidades para serem divulgadas no blog http://infospin.a-spin.pt;
- traduzir (de inglês e várias outras línguas) e/ou redigir informação sobre as oportunidades;
- publicar as oportunidades no blog.

Seria bom que os voluntários tivessem um bom conhecimento de Inglês e um conhecimento básico de HTML (e/ou um bom conhecimento de blogspot.com), mas estes conhecimentos não são indispensáveis. O mais importante é a motivação!

A Associação Spin oferece um certificado de participação (ou uma carta de referência) aos seus voluntários.

Mais informação: infospin@a-spin.pt

02 janeiro 2013

SVE na Letónia - projecto já aprovado!

Temos uma vaga aberta num projecto SVE já aprovado em Alūksne, na Letónia!

A estadia é de 9 meses; o projecto começará já a 1 de Fevereiro e decorrerá até ao fim de Outubro de 2013. A entidade de acolhimento é o Centro Infantil e Juvenil de Alūksne. As informações gerais acerca do projecto encontram-se na sua página na base de dados do SVE.

Podem candidatar-se jovens dos 18 aos 30 anos de idade.

Abaixo segue uma descrição mais detalhada das actividades propostas ao voluntário:

The volunteer will be integrated in ACYC team but he/she has to be able to work independently. The activities the volunteer will be involved in: 
  • co-working on activities and events created by ACYC (Games Days for children and young people very month, Youth day in spring, exhibitions, training courses for youth, camps for children and young people etc.)
  • organizing free time activities for young people " participation in rural activities in Aluksne and Ape district 
  • organizing at least 2 national evenings where presenting his/her country and it`s culture 
  • depending on his/her skills creating and leading his own regular workshops 
  • promoting "Youth in Action", his/her personal project, EVS and the essence of voluntary work in general
There is also a possibility to assist teachers in interest (hobby) education groups. All the activities will be shaped for the particular volunteer.

Alūksne no inverno

Se estiveres interessado/a, envia o teu CV e Carta de Motivação em inglês para sve.spin@gmail.com até 7 de Janeiro.