ASEA Project

ASSOCIATION TOTIUS MUNDI UNA DOMUS - MESSINA - ITALY

2˚ MEETING ASEA

30 APRIL- 3 MAY 2013

Resumé of working sessions: (Lise Wille Cholewa)

Guy (French partner) informs us that our website is ready, so that we can start using it, 

and he invites us to send pictures and other documents to it.

Resumé of activities in Paris at our first meeting – explains about “repair cafés - instead 

of throwing garbage into the bin - they repair it – and people bring outworn computers and 

televisions to the café in order to have it repaired and recycled  – Since our first meeting 

French television came to make a little documentary film about the repair café. Guy 

explained that the politicians and schools support their work, and volunteers are important 

too. We visited TALAKATAK Association http://talacatak.org/?page_id=37  at our meeting 

in Paris, and the leader of this association, Lionel was participating in our second meeting 

in Messina, bringing recycled instruments along, and telling about the association. He and 

Guy often play on such recycled instruments during our visit . At our meetings we debated 

ways of reducing the CO2 pollutions, and Lionel suggested that we switched off the 

electric light at the meetings. It is an example of how our project is a learning partnership 

–  in this process we debate our contribution to taking care of the environment. Lionel 

had philosophical inputs at the meetings – instead of restrictions it is better with positive 

arguments – maybe it feels better to eat from a porcelain plate than eating from a plastic 

plate. We do things when we love them – when we like them. How can we produce “love

things” – to have a good feeling. And maybe the “concept of art” should be broadened to 

include also the term of consumption. Lionel also emphasized the importance of dialogue 

between people – not just by computers, but the real live contact. But the Cyprus partner 

had the opinion that cyber space is a very valuable tool of communication. Interesting 

issue to debate.  

Marie (Czech partner) told that they have had several activities after the first meeting in 

Paris. At the repair café in Paris they had received a textiles  as a gift, and this material 

material they had recycled into a shopping bag, intending to replace plastic bags when 

shopping. Eva had prepared several models –  easy models in order be be sewed 

without having a lot of experience in sewing. The Czech partner also had prepared a 

powerpoint presentation on Easter traditions, as we had decided at our first meeting to 

create information about our Easter traditions to be shared with our partners at our working 

sessions. They presented this powerpoint at our meetings in Sicily, but we didn't have 

a sharing of traditions as we planned, so this task is still waiting for us. The powerpoint 

showed for instance decorate eggs. The Czech partner brought whips made of branches 

from willow trees. Men whip the woman in order to refresh them as a tradition at Easter ;-)

The Czech partner gave examples of activities of recycling they have in their association:  

woolen pullovers are washed many times in hot water; they become smaller and smaller,

and they create out of this recycled material for instance toys for children. Pure wool is a 

very good material they said, and it is natural. We debated the fact that natural material is 

better than polyester and other synthetic textiles. Interesting issue to debate the different 

materials used for clothing and other textiles in connection with sustainable development.

The Czech partner explained to us what kinds of activities they intend to prepare for our 

meeting in Prague.

They have a house in the mountains near Prague – they invite blind and physical 

handicapped people to participate in training courses  – they have a lot of materials in the 

country house for the purpose of making workshops related to sustainable development. 

They emphasized the importance of nature – staying in nature – taking care of nature by 

for instance not using cars when possible. They chose walk on foot to the meetings in 

Sicily instead of taking a taxi. Again this is an  example of exchanging ideas in our learning 

partnership.  

Dorina (Italian partner) is telling about activities in which schoolchildren are involved– new 

ideas that old people are teaching the children in order that they learn the old handicrafts 

– and bringing children out in nature in order to see the animals – they do not always know 

nature very well – they are invited to see how people lived before – in order to create a 

better future for Sicily. The old ways might inspire the children, and knowing your “roots” 

is very important for your understanding of our lifestyles today  -  to understand that how 

we live today is not the only way of living. The old people is a source of inspiration and 

knowledge too. Maybe they know ways of taking care of the environment that we can 

learn from. – in order to create a better future for  Sicily. The Sicilian partner is also taking 

care of the problem of loneliness. Important people of the associations mentioned in 

the program held speeches – saying that they hoped we would leave Sicily with a good 

feeling, and wishing for strengthening the relationships between our countries. organized 

with the association “Assovolo”

 Antonio, president of the association “Assovolo” told about the language campus they 

create  - old teachers together with children age 11-15 in the mountains, staying for 15 

days learning English in nature.  

Miroula (Cyprus partner) informed us about using solar energy in houses in Cyprus in 

order to cover the need of heating and warm water in the houses.

The income in Cyprus mainly comes from tourism, but finding new forms of industries is 

important. The industries could be for instance recycling garbage and other industries 

helping the environment (he mentions that they do so in Norway) Searching for new 

technologies would create new jobs too. Miroula also mentions biogas energy.

Miroula likes the idea of repair café, and told us about new jobs paid by the town hall in 

Cyprus, and he told about a man who has great success with a real café with local food:  

A friend opened a coffee shop in Cyprus – he serves traditional coffee – home made 

lemonade – home baked cakes – we painted the shop together – more people started to 

come. People would play backgammon – he moved to an old house. He had a yard – cut 

the lemons. He would wake up – cycle – only products produced locally. “We take many 

things for granted”, Miroula said. I think what he meant is, that we have to think about  how 

we live and consume with consciousness?

Lise (Danish partner) explained about the activities in Fredensborg Aftenskole, and  

informed about some of the initiatives taken since our first meeting in Paris: working 

sessions about Paris related to sustainable development issues. For instance we have 

made music workshops playing on the instruments I bought in TALAKATAK association, 

and we were talking about reducing CO2 emission by using  CFLs in Paris.

CO2 emission also was an issue related to springtime and songs about springtime.

Fredensborg is situated in a forest area and anemones are plentiful in springtime. Global 

heating might result in changed flora and fauna – so that springtime as we know it in 

Denmark disappear. Sustainable development is also about awareness that our actions 

effect people's lives and nature far away from us. As an example of this we mentioned 

the polar bears in the polar circle depending on ice for their survival. If they can't hunt the 

seals at the ocean they do not have enough lard for survival at the hibernating period.    

We also have had working sessions about Easter traditions. We were blowing eggs and 

we spoke about Easter traditions of decorating eggs with onion shells, coffee grounds and 

other natural material. We were tasting the omelette and talking about animal welfare. As 

consumers we decide how animals are treated when shopping. Talking about seal skin 

made the partner from Cyprus comment on animal welfare – and I plan to investigate 

this issue in depth after the meeting. I spoke about a concert/debate day at Blindecenter 

Bredegaard – Martin Cholewa and I were performing – springtime songs, etc. Our famous 

Danish poet Hans Christian Andersen has made a poem about a little bird, and this poem 

has been set to music by Gade. I told about Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale “The 

nightingale” - the morale of this fairytale is that the real nightingale is to be chosen – not 

the artificial bird. In our folk traditions and fairytales we find beautiful ethics.

How are we disseminating our Grundtvig project? Without paper!!!! We decided to think 

about the environment when disseminating. This project is not only about recycling  - 

but  also about reducing the amount of material to recycle. We should stress in our 

dissemination the good example of disseminating without paper.

Dates of next meetings?