Long-term (more than 6 months) "environmental" projects in France

In February 1993, the Association La Croisée des Regards was given a long lease on the estate of Domain de Mayne/les Icards. La Croisée des Regards made this it's base for carrying out a variety of environmental, social and cultural projects. The association is legally recognized by
the Ministry of Youth and Sports (N°84 475).
Having extensive personal experience in the field of voluntary service, we have developed the hosting of volunteers within the frame of informal education, personal development, peace education and local and sustainable development. Our objective is to offer to the young people an alternative which meets the social and pedagogical needs for our society. Our international project are an opportunity for reflection, action and experimentation of different ways of living, and provide a chance for people to grow personally in a multicultural context. Our hope is that the volunteers will be able to develop in the areas of creativity, initiative and risk taking, responsibility, team work, decision making, communication, adaptability, problem and conflict solving, and their ability to identify objectives and carry them out. We also hope that overall volunteers will develop their consciousness of humanity, allowing them to understand the importance of international projects working on a local level and to participate in them for the construction of peace.

The means we use to accomplish this are...

· Collective life
· Manual work
· Personal follow-up of the volunteers
· Exchanges and reflection
· Development of personal projects
· Trainings organised by Solidarités Jeunesses

La Croisée des Regards is in the hills of Vaucluse. The nearest city is Isle sur Sorgue, however there is no public transportation connecting the city with the hosting centre. Mayne is in a rural area, 4km from the nearest small village. Though very isolated, it is a richly beautiful estate comprised of 130 ha of uncultivated land and 1000m2 of buildings under renovation. There are 3 permanent employees and many volunteers and groups that come to the centre to help out and experience this idyllic area.

Volunteers take part in the local system of exchange and activities. Examples of this work are...

- The hosting of local groups who come to discuss and debate various problems in the region, such as fighting forest fires in Provence.
- Participating in monitoring against forest fires.
- Working with the local environmental association “Colline” to maintain and develop pedestrian footpaths.
- The hosting of international voluntary workcamps. This allows volunteers to have exchanges with foreigners and local youth through work and daily life.
- Volunteers also accompany local youth from urban areas on day trips to the countryside so that they may discover the richness and resources that lie in wait. They teach about the flora and fauna of the area, their implications and their uses.
- Maintaining the local wildlife reserve.
- Continued work toward local fraternal and sustainable development.

· Environment - seed-bedding, installation of the scrub land, wood cutting and gardening.
· Building - Masonry and interior and external renovation work.
· Office - development of its capacity for information.
· Social - working with people toward social reintegration, the hosting of groups coming from social centres and international workcamps.
· Knowledge of others - through intercultural and intergenerational exchanges, group life, collective work, and the follow-up and evaluation of all actions.

Volunteers have the opportunity of choosing one of the above mentioned activities which they would especially like to develop. It should be noted however that volunteers will be expected to participate in all of the work camp activities, as well as the daily tasks such as cooking, cleaning, or shopping. That said, volunteers will have time to develop one or more
personal projects that go along with the themes here during their service. This idea of personal projects was developed because we at Solidarités Jeunesses believe that time spent in voluntary service is a great opportunity to develop personally, as one has the time and energy to focus inward. Personal projects can be a way for the volunteers to do this, though they are not required!

- Creation of an angel sculpture with pieces of old tractors
- Improving skills on a musical instrument
- Creation of a pedagogical table noting the various types of birds present in the forest
- Creation of a vegetable garden

The schedule is set by the volunteers and so can change based on the group. However, it is generally 6 hours per day, indoors in the winter and outdoors during summer. Volunteers work 5 days per week and have 2 days free. Free days are generally on the weekends, though this can change in case of an event. Around 15 vacation days are provided for the term of service.

From June to September, volunteers will help with the organization of international work camps organized in the region.
Voluntary service here is open to all people. The only requirements are that volunteers have a desire and strong motivation to help us achieve our goals, and that they come with a good understanding of the conditions of the camp.

Volunteers staying for a minimum of 6 months will receive a monthly allowance of 100 EUR.

Centre de Beaumotte was founded in 1979 and is a non-formal educational association. It is the regional delegation of Solidarités Jeunesses in the Franche-Comté region. The aim of our centre is to support people who have fewer opportunities and to encourage them to take responsibility for their own lives.

One of the most important things we do at the Centre is to simply participate in the everyday exchange that occurs when people from different social and cultural backgrounds live together. There are about 20 people who live and work at the Centre, and 10 more who come to work during the day. The Centre hosts teenagers and adults who are facing social and professional problems, and who often have difficulties functioning in society and perhaps do not have support from their families. They live at the Centre from 6 months to one year.

The exchange between the volunteers and those living at the Centre is extremely important, and together we focus our efforts to realise specific projects around the Centre and in neighbouring villages. The residents also participate in seminars covering subjects such as alcohol and drug addictions, help with employment or other life skills. Volunteers are welcome to participate in these if they would like, for example by giving a presentation about their country.

Throughout the year we also organise different social and cultural events, such as concerts, theatrical productions, workshops, and the like.

This project requires no specific knowledge or skills. You do not have to be able to speak French but it is important to be aware that not everybody living here can speak English. There is the opportunity to have French lessons while you are here.

We work approximately 7 hours per day, sometimes we are based in the house, other times we work outside. The outdoors work can be...

- Renovation of the Centre (masonry, carpentry, etc.)
- Preservation of the grounds
- Renovation of the local heritage (fountains, ancient wash-houses, etc.)
- Environmental projects (preservation of the river, gardening, etc.)

After breakfast we all clean the house for 30 minutes. The work day ends around 4.30 pm and we have a morning break and an hour for lunch. Each day 2 or 3 of us work in the kitchen and prepare the meals for the day. Residents and volunteers work together on these tasks.

Volunteers and residents live together in one part of the house. Our house is very big! The staff and their family live in another section of the house but we all eat and socialise together. It is important for volunteers to take part in the communal life and to try and get to know the residents because we live together as one group. The volunteers share their bedrooms with residents and usually with another volunteer; there maybe 2 or 3 people in one bedroom. The rooms are mixed gender so male and female share the same room.

As stated above, the daily intercultural exchange is a great way to achieve some of the goals of the project. The lives of both the volunteers and the residents are enriched as they confront their similarities and differences, and this produces some very powerful moments.

As can be imagined, it can be difficult to get things running smoothly when you are living with 25 other people. To make things easier and more comfortable for everyone, there are a few rules that must be respected at the Centre. The first is that, with the exception of organised special occasions, no alcohol is allowed at the Centre. This is out of respect for residents who have had alcohol problems in the past. Also mobile phones are forbidden in the house. Volunteers are allowed to bring their phones but they will be kept in the office. You can use your phone when you need to but we just ask that you don't use it in the house. There is also a fixed phone that is available to the volunteers (you will need a phone card) and internet is also provided, so you can stay connected with family and friends. The final rule is that we expect all those who live at the Centre to respect night time quiet hours.

Once a week everybody from the house (and those who come here to work but do not live here) participate in a meeting where we discuss how we feel about our week and plan for the week ahead. There is also a separate meeting every 2 weeks just for the volunteers and here we discuss anything they would like to raise. There is a person here who is responsible for the welfare of the volunteers (Paola) and she also has responsibility regarding the work that volunteers do here.

Centre de Beaumotte has been hosting Medium and Long Term Volunteers for the past 30 years, and each of them have left their mark. At any given time the Centre hosts 8 international volunteers. As a volunteer you will have the opportunity to live a unique life experience, to develop your own projects, to learn French and discover the culture here, and to be a positive influence in the lives of those at the Centre. You will work at times with local youths on projects in the surrounding areas. During your time here you will also have the opportunity to lead one or two of Solidarités Jeunesses' international workcamps and to participate in events such as training seminars and general assemblies.

Why do we host international volunteers?

- To provide an intercultural exchange and dimension to all of our projects.
- To enrich the learning process of the residents by mixing different people.
- To stimulate local development by working in collaboration with the community and local associations.
- To give young French people the opportunity to be confronted with new ideas and cultures, and to allow the same for the volunteers.

The Centre is located in a small, rural village where there is not much social activity. This, however, does not mean the volunteers will be either lonely or bored! At any given time there are around 30 people in the Centre, with many more passing through.

Franche-Comté is a beautiful region well known for its wines, sausages and cheese. The Centre is situated on the edge of a river in the village of Beaumotte (pop. 380), in the countryside of the Haute-Saône region. The nearest large towns are Vesoul (25 km) and Besançon (30 km), though the small town of Rioz rests just 12 km away. Trips into town are organised every week based on the activity schedule. A large garden surrounds our building, and we have an activity room we call “Le Bateau”. In here we arrange cultural activities with the young residents of the Centre, and also organise events that the locals can come and participate in.

It is not possible to start the volunteering period during the month of November 2010.

Volunteers staying for at least 6 months, receive 100 Euros per month and have 15 days holiday per year.

The association Village des Jeunes, the regional delegation of Solidarités Jeunesse in Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur, is an non-formal education association recognized by the French Ministry of Youth and Sports. Through its actions, the Villages des Jeunes aims to promote...

- The voluntary participation of everyone, especially the youth and the underprivileged, in local, national and international life.
- Local development that keep in mind individuals, the environment and cultural heritage.
- Communication between people from different countries and different generations.
- The concrete construction of Peace.

Toward this aim, the association organises short and long term international programmes, integration actions, trainings, international solidarity actions, and manages three hosting structures in rural environments, including the farm called Le Faï. Le Faï is an old farm, located 3 km from the village of Saix (80 inhabitants), in a rural area with a declining population.

Collaborating closely with the SIVU (Dedicated Inter Community Union) of the villages of Saix and of Saint Auban d'Oze and the local authorities, the association promotes actions in the above areas that foster activities in the following areas...

By transforming the farm into a hosting centre and international meeting place, through youth projects in nearby villages to promote local projects, and through social utility actions such as rehabilitation courses for the long-term unemployed, retreats for adults and adolescents, hosting of families, groups and disabled persons.

The geographic situation of the farm, at the foot of a natural circus, led to an acoustic project unique in its kind, using speakers to transform the cliffs into a genuine natural organ. Here we hold many cultural gatherings, and we also help to organize events in the surrounding region.

Located in a sensitive natural area, the different installations of the farm are also didactic tools. They can make the public aware of the protection of Nature (sorting the garbage, dry toilets, reflection over renewable energies).

Throughout the year, the farm is managed by two permanent staff members and a team of volunteers (4 persons including two EVS) who help implementing the project. The association also includes 15 administrators and about thirty volunteers who come to help in the organisation of the different activities on a regular basis.

Permanent staff, volunteers, administrators and hosted public are all responsible for the daily life in the camp, and to ensure that the rules are respected. This means that everybody takes part in the maintenance, cleaning and cooking. Volunteers who wish may also attend Board meetings.

The association Les Villages des Jeunes aims at welcoming different types of people, especially the young and the underprivileged. As the association evolves, the continued presence of volunteers of all nationalities, along with the presence of French people from different social backgrounds has become essential to the association. It ensures an intercultural exchange which is the foundation of our association, and represents an important lever for our local development actions.

The objectives which lead us to welcome Long Term Volunteers are the following...

- Enriching our actions and starting new ones;
- Promoting peace by confronting different ideas;
- Proposing a real intercultural exchange to the hosted public;
- Fighting deep-rooted prejudice in the local population, through actions developed externally;
- Giving the hosted volunteers the opportunity not only to give but also to be on the receiving end of exchange as they meet the local population.

This category describes the ongoing work that occurs at the farm. It is the area in which education takes place, and where people can exchange through work. It concerns environmental projects (cleaning rivers, clearing brushwood), cultural heritage projects (working on a old Chalaisienne Abbey), restoring and improving projects of buildings in villages or in the farm. In agreement with the paid staff, the volunteers who want may become pedagogic activity leaders on these projects.

Le Faï farm has space to welcome groups, families and individuals who are on holidays and/or desire to participate in projects. The volunteers will be encouraged to participate in leading these activities (cooking, organising cultural nights, games, hikes in the mountains).

We strongly encourage volunteers to join our team in organizing cultural activities which take place in the farm or in the nearby villages. Examples could be music festivals, farmers markets, parties around a traditional baker's oven, shows, etc.

Personal projects are seen as a way to reflect, discover and of personal enrichment for the volunteers, and to this end, after an initial period of settling in, the volunteer will have the chance to carry out one or more individual or collective projects that go along with the goals of the overall project.

French lessons can be arranged according to interest.

To take part in this project, volunteers must:
- have a genuine interest in the proposed activities;
- be willing to live in a group for several months;
- be aware that Le Faï is located on a mountain in a very isolated place.

100 EUR of pocket money per month is given to volunteers staying for at least 6 months.

Vaunières Village is a national and international meeting centre. The goal of our project is to bring together people from different social and cultural backgrounds. Every year, international volunteers, families, disabled people, youth with social problems and tourists come to participate in the restoration of the village, to take a holiday, or to organize a specific project (plays, seminars, etc.). Our project is situated in a very rural area in the Alps at the level of 1200m. For international volunteers, this Open Workcamp is an original way of discovering our social project.

In order to make the most of your stay, we encourage at least three month's service.

This year, we will continue the work on the water course and the pedestrian paths in the surroundings of the village. We
will also restore the housetop of one of the building in the village; You will take part in collective life, in the intercultural
and musical evening gatherings and in local festivals taking place in the villages roundabout.

indoors

40km to Gap, 90 km to Grenoble.

Lus La Croix Haute

The “Faï” is a farm that has been converted into a national and
international meeting centre. The goal of our project is to bring together people from different social and cultural backgrounds. Every year international volunteers, families, disabled people, youth with social problems, and tourists come to participate in the restoration of the farm, to take a holiday, or to organize a specific project (plays, seminars, etc.). The participation of international volunteers in our project is a unique chance for all of the residents to discover new cultures, and helps to promote volunteering. For the volunteers, the Faï open workcamp is an original way of discovering our social project.

In order to make the most of your stay, we encourage at least a 3 months service.

Our project is situated in a very rural area in the Alps. The closest village is 20 min away by foot. Although there are no shops there and only 80 inhabitants, the people here are very dynamic and friendly.

This year, we will start the creation of a toilet block, continue the creation of the open air cultural centre, and do environmental and carpentry work. You will take part in collective life, in the intercultural and musical evening gatherings and in the local festivals taking place in surrounding villages.

indoors

Veynes Dévoluy

South of France, 30 km from Gap, 200 km from Marseille.

Being an Association of Youth and Popular Education, "La Maison des Bateleurs" is the regional delegation in Poitou-Charentes of the National French Volunteering Movement "Solidarités Jeunesses".

It aims to promote Peace by organising voluntary work and intercultural encounters. One of our main values is the appreciation of each individual in a group, so one can develop oneself while respecting and being considerate of one's fellow being. It is our wish to build a collective project, in order to demonstrate that we can live together, every participant being provided with a different cultural background, and use our potential in a constructive way. The association believes in values of tolerance and respect, being against every form of exclusion and discrimination. All actions of the association aim to facilitate the meeting of people with diverse horizons, in order to provide them with the opportunity to contribute to the construction of an open society, where all generations, cultures and nations can live in peace.

The « Maison des Bateleurs » is situated in the Haute-Saintonge, in the municipality of Montendre, a town with 3200 inhabitants. Montendre organises differents activities which imply the hosting of young Europeans for already 10 years. Montendre is strongly implicated in the work of the different associations located in the town and is interested in the international dynamics of the "Maison des Bateleurs".

In a rural environment, the most important branch of economic activity is the production of two traditional alcoholic drinks, "Pineau" and "Cognac". Furthermore, Eco Tourism developed recently, due to the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean (70 km). Being relatively hilly, the scenery is enjoyable and wooded by stone pines. The inhabitants of the region are mostly farmers, but the development shows that many employees working in Bordeaux, the 6th largest city of France, are settled in this region.

To get to Montendre is quite easy, by car, bus or train. Bordeaux, Angoulême, and Saintes are at the same distance, about 60 km, whereas the sea port La Rochelle is at a distance of 140 km.

During 2009, the association decided to orientate its key activity towards environmental and ecological projects, in order to gain a reputation of a location of alternative and experimental living in terms of sustainability.
In fact the association supports a considerate style of living, in respect of Nature (consumption, water and energy saving, conscious food, waste separation, etc).

All year long Maison des Bateleurs hosts Long Term Volunteers (LTV), a minimum of four or five simultaneously, so as to assure the continuity of our activities and the cultural mixture of our group. The group consists of French, European and international volunteers from other continents.

Volunteers contribute to the collective life of the house (cooking, washing up, cleaning) but also work on practical activities to learn manual tasks such as masonry and, last but not the least, French language. They should be motivated to take responsibility in the functioning of Maison des Bateleurs, and to carry out creative and artistic activities.

Furthermore, volunteers have the possibility to develop a personal project. It is therefore important that they know, or learn, to evaluate and appreciate their interests, their goals, their limits and also the means to achieve their personal objectives in the end. This approach is linked with the philosophy of the association: by developing an active citizenship and a distinct sense of responsibility it aims at the concrete construction of Peace.

The activities organised with and by the volunteers are generally linked with manual work, arts (painting, theatre) and activities of local development in partnership with local associations and people of all ages.

The majority of the organised activities take place in Maison des Bateleurs, but some also take place in Montendre or neighbouring villages, or in other regional delegations of Solidarités Jeunesses.

Here is an example of a typical week at Maison des Bateleurs, from Monday to Friday:
07h30-08h00 - Breakfast
08h00-08h30 - Collective cleaning
08h30-10h30 - Work
10h30-10h45 - Break
10h45-13h00 - Work
13h00-14h00 - Lunch
14h30-17h30 - Leisure time or cultural activities
19h30-20h00 - Dinner

Saturdays and Sundays will be devoted to the discovery of the region and French culture.

In a general manner, working times are during the morning. They consist in the house's maintenance (carpentry, masonry, joinery) or environmental projects (medicinal and aromatic plants, vegetable gardening, etc). This year, volunteers will work on the construction of dry toilets, a greenhouse, a little wind wheel, and a filtration system which cleans water.

Furthermore, an international voluntary workcamp is organized with the objective of turning the scene of an ancient refugee camp in the town of Montendre into a convivial place with a monument, and of developing an exhibition on the history of the place. Another workcamp will work on the renovation of the walls of the Castle of Montendre.
The afternoon is devoted to artistic, musical, linguistic or social activities according to the proposals of the inhabitants of Maison des Bateleurs and of its partners and visitors.

Another branch of the association's work is the hosting of groups, for example, the European Week (a week of meetings between young Europeans, which deals with current topics), social worker trainings and groups of young people in difficulties which need special monitoring and support (social centres, reinforced educational centres, etc).

Moreover we are actively involved in the local development through activities in partnership with the associative network of Montendre. Each inhabitant is asked to work with other associations and local institutions. Maison des Bateleurs also participates regularly in artistic and cultural events like for example the city's Carnival.

During Spring and in the Summer, the association organizes about 15 voluntary workcamps with international volunteers all over the region. These workcamps take place in periods of 3 weeks and mostly in a rural environment. They range from renovation of local heritage (old wells, ancient bread ovens, ancient fortifications, etc ); the valorization of cultural heritage (events such as reports or exhibitions around historical and cultural themes), environmental projects (renovating the banks of a river or building a nature trail) or artistic cultural events (e.g. organisation of a festival).

One of the basic interests of the workcamps is to weave social links between the participating foreigners provided with completely different cultures and the people living in a rural context with few or no contact with the ‘outside' world. For the volunteers hosted by our association, it is also an opportunity to become project coordinators during one of these international summer workcamps.

Voluntary service is an experience for everyone. Our only wishes to new arriving volunteers are that they are strongly motivated with a will to help us in our projects, and a recognition and support of our values and the acceptance of the hosting conditions.

During their period of stay, volunteers are granted two days of vacation per month, and more if it is really needed and on a decision taken by common agreement.

The associative project of Maison Des Bateleurs gives volunteers the opportunity to learn to exchange and share their culture, to learn new skills and to live in collectivity. It is a way to understand democracy.

100 EUR of pocket money per month is given to volunteers staying for at least 6 months.

SOLIDARITES JEUNESSES LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON

The house in located in the centre of the village of Beauvoisin (pop. 3000), 15 km from Nîmes and 40 km from Montpellier. A bus runs between Beauvoisin and Nîmes 3 times per day. The Mediterranean Sea is just 35 km away, and the surrounding areas are very rich and diverse, offering visitors the chance to see the plains of Camargue, the mountains of Cevennes, vineyards, olive groves, natural reserves and local monuments.

The house is currently being renovated. It has 12 rooms, a large garage, an office, 5 bedrooms, 2 showers, 2 toilets, a kitchen, a dining room and a living room.

The group of Long Term Volunteers is made up of 8 individuals who begin their projects mid-September and finish at the end of August each year. They work on renovation site around 30 hours per week. They learn French, participate in cultural activities, and use their talents to enhance the project.

LTVs are lodged in the village house, and they manage their daily life amongst themselves (cooking, cleaning, budget, activities, etc.), with the help of the permanent staff and the elected officials of the association which live in the vicinity.

Volunteers are here...

- To give another point of view of the world to those working towards integration.
- To bring a dynamic of animation in and with the village (intervention in schools, participation in local events, organization of theme based intercultural evenings, etc.)
- To discover the area, in all its aspects (cultural, touristic, gastronmic, etc.)
- To live autonomously and responsibly in a serene environment;
- To invest themselves in the project, and to enrich it.

The Association organizes between 15 and 20 voluntary workcamps per season, from May to December. A workcamp brings together ten young international volunteers over a period of 3 weeks who work together to complete a project. Work is generally 30 hours per week, and is aimed at local development. The volunteers organize everything with the help of a leader, including daily needs of the group, meetings and exchanges with the locals, and outings to discover the area.

A place in each short term workcamp is reserved to host disadvantaged international volunteers. These volunteers are not labelled in the project, and participate in the same way as everyone else. Great care is taken at the regional, national and international levels to insure the volunteer has a good experience. The same is true in the area of long term volunteers, the difference being that as an LTV these volunteers are hosted for up to 3 months.

The association is looking for a place to build a hosting centre that respects a sustainable development (construction or renovation with ecological materials, renewable energies, low consumption building) and to develop activities of hosting, training courses and reflections around environmental education and education for peace.

100 EUR of pocket money per month is given to volunteers staying for at least 6 months.

Created in 2003, the Association CITRUS, represents the project of Solidarités Jeunesses in the Midi-Pyrénées region. Solidarités Jeunesses consists of seven local associations in rural areas with their own structures of hosting and animation. Solidarités Jeunesses organises international workcamps, activities of inclusion, trainings, actions of international solidarity, awareness-raising activities on citizenship, voluntary service, international mobility, etc.

- supporting local projects within municipalities and/or within associations through the mobilisation of young volunteers, particularly by organising international voluntary workcamps;
- encouraging animation in the local development of the region through working in co-operation with regional and local authorities, with structures of animation and education (associations, schools etc.);
- encouraging everyone to participate in the local life and in actions in favour of an active and responsible citizenship;
- contributing to the sustainable development of the region through awareness-raising activities in the protection of the environment;
- mobilizing and accompaning persons who are socially and professionally excluded.

The main activities of Association CITRUS are the organisation of workcamps with international volunteers, the organisation of workshops raising awareness on the environment, and the promotion of volunteering.

The workcamp consists of a group of around fifteen young people involved in the realisation of a concrete work of public interest. The implemented works concerns three domains...

- Restoration of heritage (renovation of ancient wash houses, reconstruction of dry stone walls, etc).
- Transmission of the cultural heritage (working on the memory of sites or historic events, participation in the organization of cultural festivals, etc).
- Exploration of the natural heritage (landscaping of municipal gardens, hiking trails, etc).

The hosting of young international volunteers in small rural areas allows the facilitation of local dynamics, by suggesting everyone can be involved in collective actions.

In the frame of the activities, a collective garden with social and educational uses was set up in the municipality of Septfonds, where the association CITRUS has been since 2008. This garden, situated in the heart of a village with 1800 inhabitants, is equipped to receive different kinds of people who come there to learn, try or exchange about gardening. This place allows a raising awareness of the natural heritage, trough running workshops which aim to promote a respectful attitude towards the environment (compost, toilet sandbanks, recovery of rain water, etc.) The garden is also a place of permanent exchange for the inhabitants and it is the centre of social links between the generations (children, young people, old people.)

Finally, Association CITRUS participates regularly in forums and information days in the region, especially for youth (in Secondary schools, universities, festivals, etc.) in order to promote European and international voluntary service, and workcamps.

To mobilise the local population, the association also regularly organises cultural events suxh as concerts, dancing evenings, thematic meetings, workshops of discovery, etc. During the year, the association would like to develop these type of events (around subjects such as Citizenship, Europe, Sustainable development, etc.) with the cooperation of the volunteers.

Since its creation, Association CITRUS has hosted approximately 400 volunteers on international workcamps, and bring together about forty members today. Around ten active members regularly take part in the association's activities (organisation of events, follow-up and participation in workcamps, meetings, forums). These volunteers have diverse backgrounds. This mix of different people creates a rich and interesting dynamic.

Currently, the team of permanent employees consists of the following...
- a Regional Delegate, who is responsible for the structure, organisation and co-ordination of the international workcamps and collaboration with the national association Solidarites Jeunesses;
- a responsible for the Collective Garden and the association's activities (animation of the workshops, collaboration with local partners);
- a person in charge of the project "Hosting of Long Term Volunteers and communication" (monitoring and further follow-up of the volunteers, collaboration with regional partners);

Association CITRUS works regularly with international and French volunteers within the framework of short term workcamps, people who are in the process of reintegration, composed groups, and inhabitants of the municipalities of all generations.

Situated around Quercy, the calcareous trays shape the landscape, which consists of numerous beech and oak, groves and rivers (Gorges de l'Aveyron). The local architectural heritage is characterised by typical medieval buildings (les Bastides) and the utilisation of natural materials, such as stones and soil. The diversified landscape and many natural and historical places characterise the region, where agriculture and eco-tourism are the main activities. Hence, the possibilities for the young population concerning work and cultural activities are often seasonal (basically in summer). The presence of young volunteers and the existence of projects allows the proposal of activities during the whole year, represents an important stake for the local dynamics.

Hosting for the project is in Laguépie, a small village with 730 inhabitants, in the region "Pays Midi-Quercy", situated in a rural and isolated area, about one hundred kilometres north-eastern of Toulouse. This territory of Occitan traditions is covered by an associative network, which organises social and cultural activities, in an environment marked by weak economic activities and an ageing population. Laguépie is at 35 minutes by car from Septfonds (head office of Association Citrus), and it is about thirty kilometres from the towns of Albi (50,000 inhabitants), Gaillac (12,000 inhabitants), and Villefranche-de-Rouergue (12,000 inhabitants), and also about 70 km from the city of Montauban (55,000 inhabitants).

Association CITRUS wishes to welcome a group of international volunteers during the whole year in a common living place, in order to facilitate the meeting and the multiplicity of exchanges. The volunteers will be accommodated in collective housing, in a big house in the centre of the village, which is provided by the municipality. All the hosted people participate in the tasks of daily life and are requested to respect the collectively established rules of life - schedules, sharing out daily tasks, etc - everything that concerns the intercultural exchange.
Association CITRUS makes a commitment to facilitate communication for the volunteers by assuring a regular and free access to Internet, also by opening a telephone line in order to receive calls at the hosting place, and by looking out for possibilities of transportation according to needs (bicycles, minibus, public transport possibilities by bus in the local area, and train station in Laguépie : one hour by train from Toulouse).

Volunteers will work 30 to 35 hours per week and take their holidays in consultation with the team, according to the season and needs of the association. Two half days per week are given to the conception and realisation of a personal project and language support. By participating in workshops and meetings organised by the association, volunteers are actively involved in the associative life, contribute to the general organization of the implemented activities, and can propose their own ideas.

The hosted volunteers are welcomed in the heart of our structure and will participate in two sectors which are part of our activities - workcamps and local animation.

1. Workcamp:
Participating in workcamps will be the main activity of the volunteers. This includes renewing and reconstructing the place - an old farm and its buildings, which is called "La Mayounelle", in order to create a centre of hosting and intercultural meeting, as well as the restoration of the small buildings in the surrounding municipalities. The work is undertaken in a team, and managed under the responsibility of a qualified leader.
The association endeavours to transmit the traditional manual know-how, which is the link between the generations. The methods of construction and restoration are realised within the objective of using local materials and the traditional techniques (dry stones, cherts etc.). The environmental quality is another important aspect of the project, which Association CITRUS wishes to promote by choosing ecological elements. An example would be the landscaping and the maintenance of green areas or a kitchen garden are part of the activities program. It can also mean the installation of tools to reduce energy consumption (solar showers, baker's oven, etc.) or the use of ecological materials for construction.
Long term volunteers may become pedagogical leaders of workcamps during the summer in other villages of the region, under the support of the team of employees. Every year, a collective training of one week is organised by Solidarités Jeunesses to enable them to acquire the necessary skills to function as workcamp leader. They can also invest themselves in the preparation of workcamps (pre-negotiation meetings, logistic support, establishment of tools, selection of the location etc.)

2. Local animation:
The volunteers will participate regularly in activities of local animation, in cultural events or in activities with educational character in partnership with the municipalities, institutions and the local associations. The association supports for example the local schools to set up workshops regarding the environment, within the framework of the project of the collective garden. During the international workcamps, discovery workshops with cultural or linguistic themes are organised. In these activities, international volunteers bring an intercultural dimension, which is highly appreciated by teachers and public schools.
Substantive work has begun to build relationships with people, municipalities, associations and other structures to facilitate the installation of new projects. The hosted volunteers will be encouraged to imagine and realise activities of local animation, which engage the intercultural dialogue.

3. Intercultural dimension:
The aim of our work is to build a social Europe in terms of peace, respect and tolerance. Therefore we encourage meetings and exchanges of others who have different social, cultural, and geographical backgrounds. Volunteers might be asked to work with people with fewer opportunities, within the role of providing an international and cultural exchange. For example adults who are in situations of reintegration may be present on the workcamps. The meeting and the achievement of a common work, with the involvement of both, international volunteers as well as disadvantaged or less mobile persons, is an excellent way to achieve this aim.
Our fields of action relate to cultural, social and environmental issues and for which we encourage citizen participation. Our actions intend to promote solidarity, tolerance, openness and multiculturalism.

Long Term volunteers will be an integral part of the association's team. Each week they will participate to the meetings and the preparation of activities. The association's members will facilitate the integration of volunteers in the local community by offering to participate in a multitude of activities and meetings.
To encourage the initiative and independence of long term volunteers, lessons in French will be given once a week by the permanent staff and by volunteers members of the association. In fact, dialogues with storekeepers, inhabitants and partners are often in French, and are the best way to learn this language.

After getting to know the actions which are conducted by the association, volunteers will develop one or more personal projects, which can be individual or collective, insofar as it will be in line with the project of the association. Volunteers will be encouraged to imagine and organise actions which involve the local environment - depending on their interests and how they want to contribute to the project. Examples for possible actions are the organisation of debate evenings, an art exhibition, the construction of a solar oven, offering dance workshops, etc.

Volunteers will be monitored by a tutor, responsible for welcoming volunteers, whose role is to facilitate their integration, promote adoption of their own project, and assist them in achieving personal project(s). If necessary, other members of the association may provide support.

We expect that the volunteer has a good understanding of the global project, and that he or she wants to be part of the group dynamics of the collective life. We consider volunteering as an act of exchange between a volunteer, who offers his or her time, work, and energy for the benefit of a project of common interest and a host community that offers the volunteer a field of learning, testing and personal development. We ask that volunteers are motivated, open minded and ready to make concessions in order to work as a team and live with other people that may be very different from them.

100 EUR of pocket money per month is given to volunteers staying for at least 6 months.