Fréttir
18.10.2007 : Beauty and the Beast Exhibition by SEEDS at Gallery Tukt
Humans can create beautiful things. But they can also act like beasts. Humans are like the Roman god of gates and doors, Janus, who had two different faces looking in opposite directions.
Even on Iceland - with its mystical landscape covered with glaciers and lava fields - there is no escape from our dark face. Cars drive uselessly around and emit CO2, villagers dig their waste into the earth near the coastline, fishermen throw their empty Tetrapacks and plastic cups into the ocean... But we can fight the beast inside of us and resist pointlessly driving around in our vehicles, try to recycle as much waste as possible, collect garbage that lies on our coastlines. And we all can even be creative while doing so.
Beauty and the Beast was an exhibition that tried to do this. Beside other cultural and environmental tasks, SEEDS’ volunteers cleaned the coastline around Iceland during this summer. Later they used the garbage around them for artistic materials. The exhibition that was placed in Hitt Husid during two weeks in late October tried to inspire visitors and tell how international volunteers contributed to Iceland during this summer.
Vikings made of Viking beer cans, a chicken made of a rubber glove and of a Coke bottle, a Viking ship made from old carton boxes, a theatre stage with actors made out of tetrapacks...And many photos on the wall and in two photoalbums...That was what visitors could see in the exhibitions that SEEDS long term volunteers prepared after their workcamp season ended.
And what else are they doing in during the cold and rainy days in Reykjavík? Beside the daily work in the University Library, there were also some unusual events. A tasty spicy dinner in the Indian Mango restaurant; a competitive bowling evening and a evening trip to the Maríuhellir cave in the Heidmörk national reserve on the outskirts of Reykjavík. And, of course, there were the bittersweet “good bye” nights spent together while the first of our group started to leave back to their home countries...
- lin -
10.10.2007 : Listasýningin “Fríða og Dýrið”. Rusli breytt í list - Gallerí Tukt
Undanfarna 6 mánuði hafa um 300 sjálfboðaliðar frá 31 ólíku landi komið til Íslands til að taka þátt í verkefnum á vegum SEEDS, verkefnin eru allt frá umhverfis- og náttúruverndun til menningarhátíða og íþróttaviðburða. Alls hafa 24 tveggja vikna verkefni verið skipulögð vítt og breitt um landið með aðstoð sveitarfélaganna og íslenskra samtaka.
Laugardaginn 13. október verður einstakt tækifæri til að upplifa alþjóðlegt kvöld sem og sýningu sem er engu lík! Sjálfboðaliðar SEEDS hafa skipulagt og sett upp sýningu á þeim hlutum sem tóku þátt í keppninni”Fríða og Dýrið”, en það var keppni fyrir sjálfboðaliða um alla Evrópu til að sýna endurnýtanlegt rusl sem einnig hefur fegurðargildi í sér.
Listasýningin verður opnuð laugardaginn 13. október kl. 17:00 í Gallerí Tukt í Hinu Húsinu í Pósthússtræti með kynningu á þeim listmunum sem voru skapaðir í vinnubúðum sumarsins. Léttar veitingar verða á boðstólnum og er opnunin opin almenningi.
Listmunirnir munu svo finna nýtt heimili í höfuðstöðvum UNESCO í París. Það sem var eitt sinn almennt rusl verður alþjóðleg list.Verkefnið er partur að UNESCO ”Áratugi fræðslu um sjálfbæra þróun” . Verkefnið er skipulagt af SEEDS sem tekur höndum saman með CCIVS, skipulagsnefndar fyrir alþjóðlega sjálfboðavinnu í UNESCO. (www.unesco.org/ccivs)
Þetta er liður af umhverfisverndun SEEDS þar sem sjálfboðaliðar vinna sjálfir að verndun umhverfisins, kynningu á ólíkum hefðum og menningu á Íslandi og stuðla að friði og umburðarlyndi um allan heim.
Frekari upplýsingar er að finna á http://www.seedsiceland.org
Exhibition "The beauty & the beast" – Trash turns into artwork!
During the past 6 months, more than 300 international volunteers from 31 different countries came to Iceland to join SEEDS activities and support diverse types of projects, ranging from environmental and nature-protection to cultural, festivals and sports gatherings. Together with local communities and Icelandic associations, a total of 24 projects, lasting for 2 weeks at the time and with sizes between 8 and 28 participants, took place in every corner of the Icelandic map, from Sandgerði and Krísuvík to Kópasker and Raufarhöfn; from the Drangajökull and Hornstrandir areas to Þórsmörk and Sólheimar, from Reykjavík and Viðey to Þórshöfn and the Langanes Peninsula, including more locations as Akranes, the Bláfjöll mountain range, Dalvík, Hafnarfjörður, Patreksfjörður, Suðureyri and Tálknafjörður.
Next Saturday we will see a great evening with a exhibition opening with a difference! Led by SEEDS long term volunteers, we will put on display the entries for “the Beauty and the beast competition”, a contest for groups of volunteers throughout Europe to show that waste can be re-used (and be beautiful).
The artwork produced by the camps will be presented at a reception on Saturday October 13th at 17:00 in the Gallerí Tukt at Hitt Húsið, which will be opened by SEEDS volunteers and members. Snacks and drinks will be served and the reception is open to the public.
The artwork will find a new home at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. What used to be local garbage will become international art -alongside artworks from similar projects. The project is a part of UNESCO's Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (www.unesco.org). The project is organised by SEEDS, which cooperates with CCIVS, the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service at UNESCO (www.unesco.org/ccivs).
Supporting the biggest festivals, cultural and sports gatherings in Iceland as the Reykjavík Arts Festival and the Skjaldborg documentary film festival in Patreksfjörður in May; the Viking Festival in Hafnarfjörður and the International Children's Games in June; the Irish Days in Akranes and the Hiking & Culture Festival in Patreksfjörður in July; the Culture Night, Gay Pride, Marathon, the Nordic REYFI festival in Reykjavík, the Viðey summer festival and the Great Fish Day in Dalvík in in August; and the RIFF – Reykjavík International Film Festival in September and October; show the strong participation, contribution and geographic presence of our volunteers in Iceland during this 2007.
This is part of SEEDS' work through volunteer exchanges to preserve the environment, promote cultural activities in Iceland and create peace and mutual understanding at a global scale.
For more information please visit http://www.seedsiceland.org
08.10.2007 : Gallerí Tukt - SEEDS Exhibition: The beauty & the beast
Reykjavík, October 8. During the past 6 months, more than 300 international volunteers from 31 different countries came to Iceland to join SEEDS activities and support diverse types of projects, ranging from environmental and nature-protection to cultural, festivals and sports gatherings.
Together with local communities and Icelandic associations, a total of 24 projects, lasting for 2 weeks at the time and with sizes between 8 and 28 participants, took place in every corner of the Icelandic map, from Sandgerði and Krísuvík to Kópasker and Raufarhöfn; from the Drangajökull and Hornstrandir areas to Þórsmörk and Sólheimar, from Reykjavík and Viðey to Þórshöfn and the Langanes Peninsula, including more locations as Akranes, the Bláfjöll mountain range, Dalvík, Hafnarfjörður, Patreksfjörður, Suðureyri and Tálknafjörður.
Next Saturday, October 14, we will see a great international evening and a exhibition opening with a difference! Lead by SEEDS long term volunteers, we will put on display the entries for "the Beauty and the Beast" competition, a competition for groups of volunteers throughout Europe to show that waste can be re-used (and be beautiful).
The artwork produced by the camps will be presented at a reception on Saturday October 13th at 17:00 in the Gallerí Tukt at Hitt Húsið, which will be opened by SEEDS volunteers and members. Snacks and drinks will be served and the reception will feature a performance by the international volunteers. The reception is open to the public.
The artwork will find a new home at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. What used to be local garbage will become international art -alongside artworks from similar projects.
The project is a part of UNESCO's Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (www.unesco.org). The project is organised by SEEDS (www.seedsiceland.org), which cooperates with CCIVS, the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service at UNESCO
(www.unesco.org/ccivs).
Supporting the biggest festivals, cultural and sports gatherings in Iceland as the Reykjavík Arts Festival and the Skjaldborg documentary film festival in Patreksfjörður in May; the Viking Festival in Hafnarfjörður and the International Children's Games in June; the Irish Days in Akranes and the Hiking & Culture Festival in Patreksfjörður in July; the Culture Night, Gay Pride, Marathon, the Nordic REYFI festival in Reykjavík, the Viðey summer festival and the Great Fish Day in Dalvík in August; and the RIFF - Reykjavík International Film Festival in September and October; shows the strong participation, contribution and geographic presence of our volunteers in Iceland during this 2007.
This is part of SEEDS' work through volunteer exchanges to preserve the environment, promote cultural activities in Iceland and create peace and mutual understanding at a global scale.
01.10.2007 : SEEDS at the RIFF - Reykjavík International Film Festival
Attempting a work camp at the Reykjavik International Film Festival for the first time in SEEDS history is showing to be quite a success. Our group is 28 strong from many various countries including Australia, Austria, Colombia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Portugal, South Korea, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and United States.
We are spending our two weeks assisting the eight permanent staff members of RIFF with whatever tasks may come our way.
Although RIFF is a young film festival, in only its fourth year running, its growth has been exponential since its founding year of 2004. This year, over 80 films from five continents will cover the screens of four cinema venues throughout the eleven-day festival.
As SEEDS volunteers, we have had the opportunity to work as well as play here in beautiful Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. Our daily tasks include ticket sales, concession sales, running various errands for the festival, and working at the information center. We are all friendly faces at RIFF, helping audiences with whatever they may need.
The work has not gotten in the way of our free time here in Reykjavik. We have time throughout the days and evenings to explore the city’s many museums, galleries, cafes and renowned nightlife. Not to mention viewing as many films as humanly possible on each given day.
It has been a wonderful experience so far for all of the volunteers. SEEDS has been kind enough to provide us with a wonderful hostel, daily meals, free festival passes, bus passes and group outings. Friends, as well as memories, are in the making and we are all looking forward to a wonderful second week here in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Lindsey Borgerson - US
07.09.2007 : SEEDS 22. Suðureyri í Tálknafirði - Like in the old days!!
It was one of the most adventurous of this years´ SEEDS workcamps. Thirteen volunteers went to reconstruct an old former whaling station in Suðureyri near Bíldudalur and Tálknafjörður, villages located in the remote Icelandic Western fjords. A small museum should be placed there in future. The story of a station, that was founded in 1892 by Norwegians and was later closed to protect the stock in 1915 – a rare example of sustainable whaling in modern times. Even in current discussions about the future of commercial whaling the Icelandic government points out that its policies were always sustainable – in huge contrast to the histories of many anti-whaling countries.
Few hundred whales were caught every year and brought to Suðureyri; everything from the giant mammal was used – skin and bones for meal to feed animals, meat for export, fat for oil in lamps. Almost nothing was thrown away as trash. Icelanders used to hunt whales in a smaller scale for centuries before, but the Norwegians brought bigger ships and skills to catch whales also for export. Only two other stations like Suðureyri were located in the Western fjords.
After its reopening in 1935 the factory finally closed its doors in 1939 because of the trade limitations after the beginning of World War II.
Jón, our great local contact, told us the stories about the station and he prepared one more special Icelandic experience – sheep head for dinner. Not only that we had the chance to find a half-head on our plate, we could also prepare the meal for ourselves. A difficult enterprise for some stomachs of „city-people“, as we also had to cut the skulls into two halves and clean the brains just with our fingers. But in the end a special dinner was ready and the brave among us could try to eat it the Icelandic way – including the tongue and the eyes...
„Like in the old days“, was the topic of the workcamp. And yes – we could fish our own food and lived without electricity and shower for a few days. But still there was a car to bring fresh food from the shop or to take us to the hut tub or swimming pool, so we didn´t give up the luxuries of the „new days“.
The Viking gods unfortunately didn´t answer Jón's calls for better weather, so we had to leave the cold, windy and rainy station to live in the comfortable rooms in Bíldudalur during the second week of our camp. Also not all the planned work could be finished because of the weather conditions... But that is Iceland where September can be already a very demanding and cold time of year in a place where only Greenland and ice wait behind the cold sea.
For more information, please download the document or visit http://www.bildudalur.is
29.08.2007 : SEEDS 18. Viðey: Saga, Náttúra & List
A group of 16 volunteers from Italy, Spain, Japan, Poland, Germany, France, Hungary, United States and The Netherlands have successfully ended the second SEEDS work-camp on the island of Viðey this year.
The group worked as a team from the beginning and a lot of work was done and achieved. On Viðey they painted tables, cleaned the coastline, helped with the Viðey festival, built down the Blind Pavillion (an artwork by Olafur Eliasson that needed to be moved to a different location) and last but not least a huge Viking ship was build out of the trash of the work-camp in the frame of the "Beauty and the Beast" contest organised by SEEDS in Iceland and coordinated by UNESCO at global level.
Led by the group’s Environmental Messenger, Lara Marx and the help of the leader Letizia Bottoli, they are one of SEEDS groups of volunteers creating additional entries for the competition for groups of volunteers throughout Europe to show that waste can be re-used (and be beautiful).
The artwork will find a new home at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. What used to be local garbage will become international art - alongside artworks from similar projects.
The project is a part of UNESCO’s Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (www.unesco.org). The project is organised by SEEDS (www.seedsiceland.org), which cooperates with CCIVS, the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service at UNESCO (www.unesco.org/ccivs). This is part of SEEDS' work to use volunteer exchanges to preserve the environment and create peace and mutual understanding.
Besides the work on Viðey, the volunteers assisted in the Reykjavík Marathon and the Cultural night because the other work-camp of SEEDS in the city could use some extra hands. At the end, for two days they helped preparing a festival in Sandgerði.
For more details:
On the island of Viðey go to http://www.visitreykjavik.is/displayer.asp?cat_id=402
On the campaign "Beauty and the Beast" visit http://www.unesco.org/ccivs/New-SiteCCSVI/CcivsOther/esd/ESD2007.htm
On Sandgerði, go to http://www.sandgerdi.is
On the Reykjavík Marathon, visit http://www.marathon.is
The work of our volunteers in these places:
http://mbl.is/mm/gagnasafn/grein.html?radnr=1150600
http://245.is/displayer.asp?page=44&Article_ID=622&NWS=NWS&ap=NewsDetail.asp&p=ASP\~Pg44.asp
http://245.is/displayer.asp?page=44&Article_ID=614&NWS=NWS&ap=NewsDetail.asp&p=ASP\~Pg44.asp
16.08.2007 : 85 Volunteers all over the country!
SEEDS Iceland has at the moment 85 active volunteers all around the Icelandic map in Dalvík, Reykjavík, Sólheimar and Viðey!
All these 85 volunteers are staying at different locations for 2 weeks at the time, supporting a diverse type of activities, as at the Fiskidagurinn Mikli í Dalvíkurbyggð - Great Fish Day in Dalvík(20 volunteers), the 3 biggest events in Iceland, the Gay Pride, Marathon and Culture night in Reykjavík - Reykjavík: Hinsegin Dagar, Menningarnótt & Maraþon- (17 volunteers), in the eco-village of Sólheimar -vistvænt byggðarhverfi- (16 volunteers), on the island of Viðey (16 volunteers) and at the Nordic & Scandinavian festival REYFI '07 (16 volunteers).
SEEDS Iceland is very glad being the choice of Icelandic communities and also of the capital of Iceland, Reykjavík, when it comes to international volunteers.
For more details, please visit the following sites:
http://www.reykjavik.is/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-757/521_read-7901/
http://www.dalvik.is/frettir/nr/1697/
http://mbl.is/mm/gagnasafn/grein.html?radnr=1150600
This summer SEEDS has 25 projects located all around Iceland and more than 300 volunteers from 32 different countries participate.
SEEDS Iceland also provides opportunities for Icelandic volunteers to support diverse types of projects in more than 70 countries all around the globe.
13.08.2007 : Weekend at Skaftafell with AUS & UST
Sjálfboðaliðar og starfsfólk frá Umhverfisstofnun, SEEDS og AUS komu saman í Þjóðgarðinum Skaftafelli um helgina til þess að ræða saman og kynnast betur starfi hvers annars á sviði sjálfboðaliðaþjónustu.
Aðilar frá samtökunum ræddu ýmis mál tengd móttöku sjálfboðaliða, svo sem þróun sjálfboðaliðaþjónustunnar á Íslandi, frekari samvinna milli Umhverfisstofnunar, SEEDS og AUS, leiðir til þess að viðurkenna þátttöku í sjálfboðastarfi og möguleikar á útgáfu á efni tengdu sjálfboðavinnu.
Samtökin vilja með samstarfinu leggja áherslu á gæðamál sjálfboðaþjónustunnar og vilja vekja athygli á mikilvægi þess að þau samtök sem taka á móti sjálfboðaliðum vinni eftir ákveðnum grunnreglum og uppfylli þær kröfur sem settar eru. Með frekara upplýsinga- þekkingarmiðlun stefna samtökin á að auka gæði sjálfboðaliðaverkefna og almennri móttöku sjálfboðaliða á Íslandi.
Þátttakendur gengu um svæðið og fræddust um það starf sem sjálfboðaliðar Umhverfisstofnunar vinna að í Skaftafelli. Einnig lærðu þátttakendur um aðstæður þeirra sjálfboðaliða sem dvelja í Skaftafelli sem og þá uppbyggingu sem þar hefur átt sér stað á síðastliðnum árum.
Samtökin ákváðu í vor stilla saman strengi sína nýta sér þekkingu og kunnáttu hvers annars með þeim tilgangi að styrkja starfssvið hvers og eins. Þá komu saman um 50 manns á Farfuglaheimilinu í Laugardal á viðburði sem markaði upphaf samstarfs þessara aðila.
Weekend at Skaftafell with AUS & UST
Volunteers and staff from Umhverfisstofnun UST, SEEDS and AUS came together in the National Park Skaftafell last weekend to discuss and get to know each other’s work better in relation to voluntary service.
Members from the organisations discussed various issues regarding hosting volunteers, such as development of voluntary service in Iceland, joint organisation or coordination of events as seminars, ways to work towards the recognition of voluntary work in Iceland and possible production of material and publications on our field of work.
With the cooperation they want to emphasize on quality standards for the voluntary service and to highlight the importance of working according to certain standards and fulfill a set criteria. With further information- and knowledge sharing they aim to raise the quality of their volunteer projects and the overall of the hosting of volunteers in Iceland.
Participants hiked around the area and learnt about the work the volunteers of Umhverfisstofnun have been doing in Skaftafell, the general situation of volunteers there and furthermore about the great development in the park during the last years.
Last spring these organisations decided to harmonize their work and benefit from the knowledge and skills of each other in order to strengthen each partner. Around 50 people met in the City Hostel in Laugardalur in an event that marked the beginning of the cooperation of those partners.
We thank once again our hosts for the great weekend we spent with them! Many thanks Clémence, Eli, Gemma, Chas, Jim and Vaclav!!
To see some pictures of the weekend, please visit our galleries section, at "2007" and "Other activities"
08.08.2007 : SEEDS 17. Reykjavík: Hinsegin Dagar, Menningarnótt & Maraþon
As last year, a group of international volunteers from SEEDS, SEE beyonD borderS, are in the city supporting the 3 biggest festivals in Iceland, the Gay Pride, the Marathon and the Culture Night.
This year the group is formed by 17 individuals from 9 different countries Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain and the UK. They will stay in the Icelandic capital for 2 weeks and will support the organisation of these 3 huge events; additionally they will volunteer for the public and green areas department of the city.
SEEDS in Iceland organises international voluntary service projects on environment, nature and outdoors related issues. Some of them are directly related to festivals, artistic, cultural or sports gatherings.
This summer SEEDS has 25 projects located in every corner of the Icelandic map and more than 300 volunteers from 32 different countries participate. SEEDS Iceland also provides opportunities for Icelandic volunteers to support diverse types of projects in more than 70 countries all around the globe.
For more information:
On the Gay Pride, visit http://www.gaypride.is/
On the Culture Night, go to http://www.menningarnott.is/
On the Reykjavíkur Marathon, see http://www.marathon.is
SEEDS Sjálfboðaliðar í Reykjavík
Alþjóðlegir sjálfboðaliðar frá SEEDS, SEE beyonD borders, eru nú staddir í Reykjavík til að aðstoða við þrjár stærstu hátíðar landsins, Hinsegin Daga, Reykjavíkur Maraþon og Menningarnótt.
Hópurinn saman stendur af 17 þátttakendum frá 9 mismunandi löndum, Tékklandi, Finnlandi, Frakklandi, Þýskalandi, Ítalíu, Slóveníu, Kóreu, Spáni og Bretlandi. Þátttakendurnir munu dvelja í Reykjavík í tvær vikur og aðstoða við framkvæmd hátíðanna en einnig leggja þau framkvæmdasviði Reykjavíkurborgar lið með vinnu á almenningssvæðum borgarinnar.
SEEDS eru íslensk sjálfboðaliðasamtök sem skipuleggja alþjóðlega sjálfboðaþjónustu á umhverfis-, náttúru- og menningartengdum þáttum sem sumir hverjir tengjast beint hátíðum, menningarviðburðum eða íþróttasamkomum.
Í sumar hefur SEEDS hefur skipulagt 25 verkefni um allt Ísland þar sem meira en 300 sjálfboðaliðar hafa tekið þátt frá 32 mismunandi löndum. SEEDS gefur einnig íslenskum sjálfboðaliðum tækifæri til að taka þátt í alls kyns verkefnum í um 70 mismunandi löndum.
Frekari upplýsingar má finna á:
03.08.2007 : SEEDS 11. Fiskidagurinn Mikli í Dalvíkurbyggð - Fish Festival
SEEDS group of volunteers comes for the second year in a row to Dalvík to support the Great Fish Day and a diverse types of tasks before and after the festival in town.
This year we have a group of 20 volunteers from 9 different countries: France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Portugal, South Korea, Spain and the US.
We are very glad the organisers of the festival and the district of Dalvíkurbyggð have decided to host SEEDS volunteers once again and we wish all of them a great work together during the next 2 weeks!
We thank our hosts for the great welcome and good care you surely will take of our volunteers!
For more informtion:
On the Great Fish Day, go to http://www.fiskidagur.muna.is/
On the Dalvíkurbyggð district go to: http://www.dalvik.is
For a descriptive report on the 14 workcamps (group projects) we had last year in Iceland, where we hosted more than 160 volunteers from 25 different countries, go to
http://www.seedsiceland.org/archive/annual-report-work-camp-volunteer-2006.pdf
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