You are not your mind.
You are not your emotions.
You are not your body.
You are the witness, the observer.
The one watching it all.
​
Witness, observe.
​It's all happening for you.


As youth workers, we often choose the path due to our own inner confusion, the wish to help, to heal, to motivate, to convince, to fix others. But the youngsters we work with, they don't need our fixing. What they need is a reminder. Compassion that extends beyond any conditions and boundaries. Love that is fierce in its rightness and perseverance. A reminder to find and stay rooted in their centre.

With this training course, we are not on a mission to fill you up with new stuff, or to give you new methods to try out on your target group, to see what sticks and throw out what doesn't. 
Instead, we are on a mission to enrich and enliven the stuff you already have and use, to fill it with meaning and strength, to awaken the genius leader within you, the powerhouse that you really are.
And it is only from this place that we can stop reacting to our outer circumstances and instead open up to receive the life experience as the gift it truly is.

We are taking what we have and we are turning it into magic.
Becoming the Witness is a training course for youth workers and youth leaders, a mindfulness retreat to reconnect with your natural gifts and abilities, infuse your toolbox with a fresh breath of inspiration and purpose, and play outside of your automatic patterns and reactions.

OUR STORY

How it all came to be

March of 2020. That's when we first came together in Mallorca for a week of retreat, with the intention to connect to the stillness that is at our core, and maintain that connection even at times of rapid movement, stress and activity around us. Last days of our retreat was when Covid blew up, flights got suspended, everyone who managed to get home spent weeks in self-isolation and quarantine. Even though we had been meditating to achieve a perfect inner peace for days, it still took a lot of courage and determination to keep us detached from the outer stimuli and global panic pressing on through social media, local communities and even family members.
Fast forward 2 years, we are back with a newfound perspective on life and unconditional acceptance, surrender and love for our fellow humans, as well as renewed ideas on sustainable, compassionate and uplifting youth work. As we have so clearly seen, we desperately need people in our communities who can keep their cool when things go south. We need bearers of light who instill confidence and trust in themselves and in the perfect unfolding of events. All is well. Nothing has gone wrong. This is us, we are here together and the only way forward is through. As a youth / light worker, you don't need tools, you need that deep-seated belief in the rightness of the world.

STRUCTURE OF THE TRAINING COURSE

International Training  20 - 26 April in Sant Joan, Mallorca, Spain
5 (+2 travel) days programme to pull out from your everyday life, gain a fresh perspective on life and work, turn your secret passions into powerful learning tools, try them out with the local youth, and connect with 23 allies - your peer participants reflecting back to you the excellence of who you are.
Local Action Phase May of 2022 in partner countries
2 follow-up activities to put your newly enhanced skills to action with the target groups you work with back in your home country, using mindfulness tools and practices to help your youngsters navigate through times of change and uncertainty.

PARTICIPANT REQUIREMENTS

  • In your everyday, you are involved with the local youth of your community as a youth worker, educator or volunteer of an NGO.
  • You are committed to improving yourself as a youth worker by fully participating in all of the activities of the training course.
  • You are able to work and communicate in English.
  • You are a resident of one of the partner countries: Latvia, Greece, Italy, Croatia, Estonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Spain (or you can join as an open call participant if you live in a different country).
  • You are over 18 years old.

THE APPROACH

Authenticity and compassion, playfulness and curiosity
The programme of this training course is based on the experiential learning approach, being highly participatory.

We come together as powerful co-creators, at each given moment choosing whatever serves our growth the most. Your individual learning process will take place in a safe space and in a group-supported environment, guided by our facilitators. Our approach is based on the values of compassion, authenticity, playfulness and curiosity.
The attitude we are keeping throughout the project is ''I create my own reality'', which means taking full responsibility for your own experience and what you learn at the training course.

The non-formal methods used in the programme include body movement and dance, mindfulness practices and meditation, Mastermind groups, ritual and ceremony, all of this and much more designed to offer you a possibility to escape your automatic patterns and initiate new responses to the world within and without.

Our get-together will include a full day of visiting the local youth centre, where each of the training participants will deliver a wellness workshop for the local youngsters, using their freshly discovered mindfulness tools. 

ACCOMODATION

Our home

Our home will be S’Om, the headquarters of the Yoga and Practical Philosophy Association located in a beautiful remote area, with the nearest town San Joan at a distance of 3 km.
 
The venue consists of a training room, cuddly common spaces, a library for me-me time, and a garden with a living pool.
We will sleep in bunkbeds in shared rooms.
Bedsheets will be provided.

​We will have our own cook preparing delicious, fully vegan, no sugar meals.

The venue and our whole program has a strict no alcohol and no drugs policy. 
In case of disrespect, you might be asked to leave the program with no chance for reimbursement.
​To support the experience, the WiFi connection will be limited, so feel free to leave your work behind.

TIME FRAME

ARRIVAL
​The arrival to the venue is 20 April and registration will be open from 16:00 till 18:30.
Make sure you arrive by 18:00 latest!
DEPARTURE
​The departure day is 26 April. According to the public transport schedules, the earliest you can be at the airport is 11:00. Plan your travels accordingly.
If you wish to explore Mallorca, you can come/leave 2 days before/after the project dates. All expenses during these days NOT covered by the program.

COSTS

FOR PARTICIPANTS FROM PARTNER COUNTRIES
There is a contribution fee of €70 to be paid upon arrival.
The rest of the expenses are covered by the Erasmus+ program.
​Travel costs will be reimbursed up to €​360 for participants coming from Latvia and Estonia, and up to €275 for participants from Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, Greece, Hungary, Croatia and Romania.  
FOR OPEN CALL PARTICIPANTS
You can still join the training course if you are not from a partner country, or wish to 100% secure your place in the program.
​
The contribution fee for open call participants is €365, that includes all working and living expenses except for travel costs.
​
Detailed conditions of the travel reimbursement and present Covid-19 restrictions will come with the confirmation email.

TESTIMONIALS

Love letters from previous projects

''Thank you for creating this space for us. I feel gratitude of how this project actually impacted me and how important it is to have the right souls next to you. Project that gives strength to grow and trust. On a journey where you can be free and no one judges you of being you.''
Triine Tamm, Estonia
''It was not easy, it was a painful, but great at the end. Allowing me to see myself complete for the first time. To reach the state of loving myself unconditionally inside a group which I call my second family. It was an island of peace and kindness shared in beautiful nature and with delicious food as a cherry on the cake.''
Lada Matyasova, Czech Republic
''I could talk forever about how much Love and Joy was reflected to me by this project and how many significant connections it has made. Just by knowing this, I also know that this project was made from Love and Inspiration, by people who follow the callings of their Hearts.''
Rihards Anins, Latvia

Witness Your Own
​Becoming

THE TEAM

We are here for you

Melania Forte Sureda

Boss Superintendent

Vicky Del Rio

Multi Talented Commander

Rota Marite Strazda

Chief Facilitator

Otto Strazds

Visual Material Manager

PARTNER ORGANISATIONS

We couldn't do it without them

For any questions, please contact the sending organisation of your country:

Bulgaria: SDRUZHENIE YOUTHUB​
Bulgaria: Foundation "Solidarity Works"​
Estonia: Risti-Rästi
Germany: Pinky Promise​
Latvia: ​Mindful Journeys
Hungary: Sabai Tréning Egyesület​
Croatia: Drustvo osoba  s invaliditetom​
Italy: Vagamondo​
Romania: Asociatia Minte Forte
Greece: Roes Cooperativa KOIN.S.EP.
Spain: Asociación Dinámica
This training course has been co-funded by the Erasmus+ Program.
If you would like to find out more about the program, please visit http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus_en