Hemispheres

In pictures: Three Years of Human Adventure

Contact — 2012-06-06T15:43:05Z

Between 2009 and 2011, 180 young people participated in 9 sessions of the Hemispheres programme. The Hemispherians were enabled in a reflection on questions relating to development and inter-dependence between the developed and developing world.

Around 100 local events promoting these issues were organised across Europe, allowing young people to put theory and the methods learnt into practice, whilst also supporting projects for social transformation. Most of the participants are now involved in a variety of projects and continue to work to widen solidarity movements. A visual recap of a wonderful journey.

“A project not lacking in ambition”

Contact — 2012-06-06T14:28:27Z

Having been in this position since September 2010, she will deliver for us a review of the Hemispheres training course, for which she was also the coordinator.

Can you tell us about your background before joining Frères des Hommes?

I had a rather varied route. I initially studied Hispanic Language and Civilization, followed by a Masters in Educational Cooperation. This course brought me to the management and evaluation of cultural and pedagogical projects. Afterwards, I was drawn into Popular Education while working for Cemea [1]. I assisted health and education professionals in projects on educational success. It was when I arrived at Frères des Hommes that I discovered international solidarity.

What did you think of Hemispheres when the program was presented to you?

I was immediately attracted to this project that was not lacking in ambition: training youths with such different profiles and backgrounds represented a great challenge. All this in English, too! Also, Hemispheres, was an original program, as it invited the involvement of partners in the Southern hemisphere. It included the work involved in the creation of tools for raising awareness and a dynamic group interested in interculturality and the sharing of experiences.

Hemispheres puts emphasis on the training of youths. What do you think of their growing involvement in international solidarity?

I think that their involvement is a way of expressing their belonging to a socially aware community, but also a desire to be active. The social climate of international solidarity allows them to express their opinions, to share their strong common values around projects supported by activists in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. This is also an opportunity to discover forms of mobilization that they will be able to share in their respective contexts afterwards. It's a really good thing.

Hemispheres is a program of raising awareness on international solidarity, how does one move from raising awareness to mobilization?

Hemispheres has a goal of training youths so that they become activist-mentors themselves, capable of raising awareness for a larger audience. This first step generally leads into mobilization. But, it's a process that demands time and consequent investment. To mobilize oneself, is to take action to obtain a profound change in behaviors.

If you had to summarize these 3 years, which positive points do you remember and what would you change?

Despite the numerous challenges, this program has been a true success. Many participants have created associations since the training, while others have been involved in their respective host organizations [2]. There they have reinvested the skills and knowledge acquired during the course of the training sessions. Several youths have dedicated themselves to international solidarity.

What would I change? Maybe the duration of the training sessions: 3 weeks is long and intense! There would have to be more of an emphasis on regularly following up with the youths after each session. Finally, work would have to be done concerning the definition of tools to assist and help the youths in the implementation of their events on raising awareness.

To conclude, can you describe Hemispheres in 5 words maximum?

Interculturality, training, practical, sharing of experiences.

[1] Training Center for Methods of Active Education

[2] Each youth is recruited by a European association that is a partner of Frères des Hommes

The end of a chapter, but a new book opened!

Contact — 2012-06-06T14:25:44Z

All good things come to an end, and Hemispheres is no exception to the rule. After 3 years of experimenting, the first page has turned, and it concludes over two days of seminars and a day of symposium; a way to come back and discuss the Hemispheres experience.

The objective of the seminar: to review the knowledge and experiences acquired during these years in order to begin the last day with a constructive exchange in the presence of other makers of change in the areas of Youth, Education of Development, and Popular Education. An assessment was drawn, which gave way to envisioning, more concretely, the continuation of this program of training-action.

The most concrete result is the emergence of a multicultural and dynamic community that is thirsty for change. The connections that have been woven during these training sessions between the youths, the Northern partners and the Southern partners have promoted the “implementation of a network” of international scope. Furthermore, the program permitted the development of a solid partnership between Frères des Hommes and the associations of European youth, while reinforcing the existing partnership with the partners in the South.

Hemispheres has also represented an opportunity for several youths from less fortunate communities to be aware of issues that are sometimes too far removed from their daily lives. “Hemispheres was an incredible opportunity for the youths from the Fatima area (Southern part of Dublin), as this area is particularly at a disadvantage. We are trying to reflect on the possibilities to get these youths involved in more international projects,” Kate O'Connell, Fatima Groups United, an Irish partner.

Hemispheres also means the abundance of youthful spirits and therefore, imagination which serves international solidarity. This initiative has been able to meet the needs of a young generation seeking infrastructures and ways that allow them to channel their energy into a worthwhile project, while developing their creativity. “Everything depends on the new generation. I have learned so much from the youths, I've discovered new ideas, new alternatives, and other ways of thinking,” Duarte Barreto, Fedina, an Indian partner.

The closing symposium, held April 14th, opened up a time of sharing about the experiment conducted during the whole program. By ‘experimenting', we mean the creation and the implementation of encounters and exchanges in a public space, in France and in Europe. It is this step that aims to recreate the memory of building up the experience, presented as a result of this day. Much more than a simple evaluation, this document (available upon request by mail) presents itself as a collection of experiences and of practices in the subject of raising awareness on international solidarity.

What is going to happen now? How do we concretize the momentum of this experiment into a sustainable movement? “How do we transform these local events into one collective action? How do we perpetuate this training and this awareness? As a response, we would need ten years not three!” Dianto Bachriadi, KPA (Consortium for Agrarian Reform), an Indonesian partner. What happens next remains open and full of opportunities for the youths, partners and Frères des Hommes, in matters of raising awareness on international solidarity. Hemispheres should remain a collaborative platform between change makers of different horizons and motivated and dedicated youths, with the hope that this consciousness becomes a more global, active mobilization.

“This should be bigger. This should have a bigger impact. This should be a bigger project,” Jonathan Meyers, Irish participant.

Young people with fire in the belly!

Contact — 2012-06-06T14:25:21Z

The international financial and economic crisis has severely affected Ireland. The country was the second European member, after Greece, to have received international financial aid. In these circumstances, young people are the first victims of growing uncertainty and precariousness. But who said financial crises must kill off solidarity? Young Dubliners remain hopeful and are even taking on the challenge of change, as the Irish participants in the Hemispheres programme have demonstrated.

Over a period of three years, Hemispheres has enabled the training of 16 young Dubliners. These inhabitants of Dublin housing estates decided to join their efforts in the form of a festival, Fire in the Belly, which took place last December. The name given to the festival reveals both the event's atmosphere and the mindset of the young organisers, expressing moreover their fiery energy behind a will to get together and stand up for their ideas.

Over three weeks the festival brought together individuals, communities and their representative committees to set up local solidarity projects. The organisers stated one common aim: to make a leader of everyone in the construction of a better future; or, in brief, involvement and commitment. Taking local problems as a starting point, most often originating in the financial crisis, which had a massive impact on poorer communities, the debates were progressively centred on issues close to Hemispheres. To accomplish this movement, different techniques and media were used, from screenings of documentaries to conferences and concerts. Solidarity may take many forms, but incline in any case to international solidarity.

The first Fire in the Belly was a great success, so much so that another may be organised on one or even two occasions this year, making it potentially bi-annual: a huge commitment that will require all the fire that the young Dubliners have in their bellies!

Long-term projects have also been set up by the Citizen-Me! collective, who encourage solidarity and support for the arts for the benefit of communities. The financial crisis has not given way to pessimism here, where young people remain involved and full of energy and hope for change.

Local initiatives, global issues

Contact — 2012-06-06T14:24:12Z

In the Estonian capital Tallinn, a conference was held on 4th February this year entitled Global/Local! Its aim? Promoting local initiatives linked to global problems: education, the environment, globalisation.

It was organised by the international youth group EstYes, which promotes cultural exchanges between young people, with the help of previous participants in the Hemispheres programme—known as the “Hemispherians”—together with Estonian organisations such as Tagurpidi Lahvka, who increases public awareness of local purchasing; Mondo, who encourages child education; and the creative workspace Ptarmigan. A lesson in consuming organic produce, games around recycling waste and a screening of the film You Deserve to Know were some of the highlights of the day, which was concluded by a debate involving all members.

The projects featured during the event didn't fail to inspire the young people participating. Local, community-based initiatives can lead to a consideration of problems on a global scale, as this event set out to show. Goal achieved!

Art and Cuisine at the Service of Raising Awareness

Contact — 2012-06-06T14:22:43Z

Lithuania has been integrated into the European Union in a dynamic way since 2004 and its youths are not at rest. Numerous Lithuanians have effectively participated in different Hemispheres sessions and have also actively participated locally after their training. It's through art and cuisine that they have attempted to mobilize a larger audience.

From the start, the Hemispheres program has included partners from the Southern hemisphere as well as from the Northern hemisphere, specifically from Europe. In Lithuania, the association KASF (Kaunas Artists' Support Fund) joined the program. Young artists with the most diverse talents gather together in Kaunas, the second largest city in Lithuania, where the center of activity takes place. KASF has marked the cultural life of Kaunas for the last 14 years, notably the organization of an International Textile Biennal, a true space for artistic exchanges. In this specific framework, the association works with artists and artistic organizations from around the world. The participation of young Lithuanians in the program initiated by Frères des Hommes have brought a new dynamic to KASF. Art and culture have combined with international solidarity to increase interactions with the public. So, these past 3 years, flash mobs, street exhibitions, videos, clothing workshops, graffiti, concerts or even photo exhibits, have all come to enrich the repertoire of ways of raising awareness on themes discussed during the training sessions.

Zooming in on the last local event implemented by our Hemispherians

In September 2011, the “Daily Bread” was organized to be presented in the 11th Launa Textile Biennal. What was it about? The grand opening of a new bakery? A religious ceremony? Surely none of these hypotheses. In using bread, the Hemispherians tested a new way of raising awareness.

Despite the different shapes, ingredients and tastes, bread is indeed one of the most consumed foods in the whole world. The central element of any meal, bread connects numerous cultures as distant as they may be from one another. This is the unifying value that Vejune Sudarite, a Hemispheres participant, wanted to celebrate through her event. The program: A workshop on the making of bread, bread tasting on the street set up as a convivial meal open to all in order to enrich discussions on the Northern and Southern hemispheres. One of the most symbolic activities was the cutting of the tablecloth at the end of the meal. Each piece is then sent to partners in the South involved in the Hemispheres program, accompanied by recipes of bread from different countries. With much originality, the “Daily Bread” has attempted to exceed cultural boundaries to show that people form, above anything else, a community of interdependent individuals, no matter where they are.

At the same time, other events, definitely less delicious but as original, were organized in different places and for different audiences. From March 13th to 20th of last year, Ana and Karile, two participants from the October 2011 session, organized an interactive exposition within the University of Kaunas to encourage discussions. What was the purpose? To invite each person to reflect on the uneven distribution and exploitation of natural resources. For the occasion, the exposition “Une seule planète” (One Sole Planet), created by Les Petits Débrouillards and the CRID, made it all the way to Lithuania from France, after having been translated into Lithuanian of course! Their success was displayed not only by rather unusual posters, but also by the opportunity for each individual to express themselves and to see their opinions welcomed and posted in a word carrier activity, which is “a way of enriching interaction with the public” according to Ana and Karile.

Approaching the theme of international solidarity in a fun manner is definitely possible! In Lithuania, this was the lesson learned by former Hemispherians and also the message that they wish to transmit to others.

The word carrier in Senegal

Contact — 2012-06-06T14:21:13Z

In February 2011, three French participants in the Hemispheres programme attended the Dakar World Social Forum. Their objective? Share a new form of debate with Africans in a highly public workshop: the word carrier. The event took place at Cheikh Anta Diop University, where hundreds of students participated and expressed their opinions.

For a context of international exchange—the World Social Forum—the Hemispherians chose to question young Africans on their aspirations and what inspires them on a personal and collective level. This was the thinking behind the word carrier. So as to encourage the re-appropriation of public spaces by people, for people, a space was created at the entrance to Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar. This space, made to be accessible to all, invited those willing to give their answer, anonymously, to the question: What is your utopia?

By asking this question, the hopes, expectations and also the concerns of a youth often excluded from debate were brought out. The day's result was over 20 metres of paper used up. Many students asked said that they felt left out of the World Social Forum, in spite of its 70,000 participants. In their view, the issues that most concerned them were not greatly visible. This workshop thus allowed them to express themselves and participate in the debate.

The overall success was however mitigated by the lack of women participants, too conscious of being pointed out. This led to a second word carrier organised the following day around the question: In what ways do women contribute to change? Another success, but this time with even greater impact. The question launched a debate on cultural practices, including polygamy, male ‘dominance' and submissiveness.

The participants from Frères des Hommes did not return to France empty-handed—in Toulouse they shared their Senegalese experience with people in the street, who were asked the same questions as the students of Dakar. And with the conviction that building bridges between people across the globe can be strong stuff!

Welcome to the Hemispheres association!

Contact — 2012-06-06T14:20:25Z

Hemispheres is not only the name of the training action coordinated by Frères des Hommes. It is also the name of an Italian association, created in February 2011 by Donato, Jessica and Ilaria – Italian participants in the 6th session of the programme –in collaboration with other Italian and European friends. For them, it is a way of maintaining and transmitting their commitment.

Encouraged to become active citizens by Frères des Hommes, these young people have chosen to develop international solidarity, development education, consciousness-raising and social cohesion. Inspired by the Hemispheres programme, the aim of the association is to highlight interactions and North/South interdependencies. The members are convinced that only these interactions can abolish the barriers, and social and economic disparities.

Based in Rome, the association already has connections with Brussels, Naples, Verona, and Genoa. Local actions have been organised in each of these cities since February. These are local events based on the integration of minorities and better social cohesion. To this end, inter-cultural meetings have increased, which has contributed to the abolition of prejudices and to better mutual understanding.

Among the many events, there was a discussion on the perception of poverty, which was held in Naples last September. Naples is an extremely controversial city; in the Northern hemisphere, yet more closely resembling cities in the South, through its marked inequalities. A public debate, an exhibition of photos, and a concert, were held at an historic church in the city centre.

The association gathered signatures and community support to confront local policies which are sometimes hostile to foreigners. Projects and dynamism are in abundance for this young association, which has grown from the programme run by Frères des Hommes.

A training-action programme for international solidarity

Contact — 2012-06-06T14:19:30Z

Training-action », « consciousness-raising », « international solidarity »; these are words that appear simple, but are actually complex. How to raise awareness of problems that are not part of our daily lives? What tools do we use? Can we create new ones? Hemispheres was conceived as a project of experimentation and innovation in the matter of tools and strategies for consciousness-raising.

The aim of the programme is simple: to raise consciousness of international solidarity in young Europeans, so they can in turn play a role in consciousness-raising. To do this, the programme is divided into two parts: training, by the transmission of content and familiarisation with the teaching tools, and action, by the organisation of a local event.

The process begins with an introduction to the theme of the session, a theme linked to civic democracy, sustainable agriculture and community economics. It is at this stage that two Southern partners intervene, as well as various members of Northern civil society. The intersection of experiences from North and South enriches the transmission of knowledge, thus facilitating the participants' assimilation of the subject. It also encourages a confrontation between young Europeans and people in the field, generating extremely rewarding debates.

At the same time, the use of collaborative teaching tools enhances understanding of each subject raised at the session. These different aids facilitate learning by a sharing of knowledge, and by the active participation of the youths. Thus, methods such as gleaned debate or moving debate enhance the debate by proposing a collective performance. The use of games enables an understanding, through a systemic approach, of North/South interdependencies (« sweet game », « The rope game », etc.).

New tools for awareness-raising were also created as part of the Hemispheres project. In particular, the game « Element-terre, my dear Watson » based on the problems of land access and the inequalities of farming, and the game « The apple game » based on the relation between farming and our eating habits.

To raise consciousness in a non-captive public, one tool in particular stood out: the Word Carrier, which enables direct intervention with the general public, who are unused to this form of exchange. For the participants, it was an opportunity to directly experiment with awareness-raising on international solidarity. These different teaching tools constitute a practical toolkit (available to all); a solid base upon which the participants can build to create their local event.

After the training session comes the last step, which consists of putting into practice the skills and knowledge acquired in the three weeks. The local event is the highlight of the programme, as it enables the participant to test himself in his own context.

To learn more about the teaching and collaborative tools used in this training session, go to the Hemispheres site.

Hemispheres: 3 years already…

Contact — 2012-06-06T14:18:34Z

The Hemispheres project in figures: 3 years of work, 9 training sessions, 12 partner organisations, 180 participants. This ambitious action-training programme enabled young European people to implement more than 100 local events. Above all, it's an adventure that's just beginning.

Birth

The project began in 2008, at Frères des Hommes headquarters in Paris. Faced with certain challenges inherent to the issue of international solidarity, Frères des Hommes wondered how to raise awareness of the subject and encourage greater commitment, with the involvement of its Southern partners. The Director and Heads of projects and communications got together to find solutions. They discussed the following themes: youth, awareness, training, practice, experience…, and came up with the Hemispheres project. In several months, they had contacted partners, designed the programme, and set up the project.

Gestation

For the Southern partners, Frères des Hommes chose Peru, Brazil, Senegal, Congo, India and Indonesia. Six associations shared their expertise in the areas of peasant farming, social and community economics and citizen democracy. The European partners were youth associations from Spain, Ireland, Estonia, Lithuania and Italy. The Hemispheres project inversed the role usually given to Southern partners : by training young Europeans, they are no longer on the receiving end, but are the ones who give. The first meeting with all partners took place at the beginning of 2009, and the outlines of the project were drawn up.

First steps...

Paris, 5 April 2009. The long-awaited day arrived, when the first training session was officially launched. The 20 participants were curious and motivated. The first session was entitled: “When corn feeds cars, not man” and “When food becomes a consumer item like any other”. The participants were first informed on the subject, then received training on various awareness-raising tools such as the Word Carrier, and different games based on a systematic approach, such as the ‘Impertinent meal' or the ‘Chairs game'. The session ended with participants implementing the skills they had acquired, by organising local events in their own home towns.

...to maturity

8 other sessions followed, during which the Hemispheres project evolved. Various issues have been tackled: working conditions, migrations, integration through economic activity, or the question of gender. The participants are a diverse group, some from working-class backgrounds, students, university teachers, professionals (social workers etc); all between 18 and 35 years old. Initiatives have been taken: the creation of a network of former Hemispheres participants, maintaining ties between participants, setting up collective events, etc. As time goes by, the partners have taken control of the project, have a better understanding of the stakes, and enrich the programme.

3 years already

Between 2009 and 2011, 180 youths took part in the training sessions. They held discussions on the issues of development, and on North/South interdependencies. By setting up local awareness events in Europe, and by encouraging social transformation through these events, they put into practice the skills and methods they have learned. Today, most of them are involved in various projects of solidarity, and continue to mobilise. For Frères des Hommes, we have achieved our initial aim with this project: to innovate, on a European level, in forms of mobilisation and citizen expression in favour of fair and sustainable development. Now we must keep the dynamic created by this project alive; discussions are currently underway as to how we can achieve this.