RELEARN’S PROJECTS
Transformative Education | Action Research | Cross-border Cooperation
OUR PROJECTS IN 2018-2021
Below, you can find a narrative report of our operations in the past years
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First Aid for your Mind: Suderbyn youth workers take training on Mental Health
What to do when the tunnel grows longer and darker? How can we ask for and offer help as a community? Two youth workers and one youth volunteer from Suderbyn ecovillage explored these questions and other topics in a training at Ananda Gaorii in Denmark in October 2023. They learned how to teach simple yoga poses for mental health, how to start a conversation with someone who may be struggling, and how to distinguish between different mental disorders. Some of the workshops were very practical, such as how to recognize and debunk worrying thoughts. The participants have integrated these tools into their daily work, in how they host contemplative spaces and support youth who are struggling with their mental health. We are thankful for this opportunity and how it’s benefited our community and look forward to future collaborations.
Funding: Erasmus+
Z-farm
Join us for two days packed with talks and workshops on vertical farming and permaculture
Sustainable Z-Farming (Dates: 12-13.06).
Participation is free of charge*
Plan for the seminar and more info: here or contact Liva Purmale liva.purmale@bulduri.lv
Organizers: Bulduri Technical school, Latvia & RELEARN Suderbyn Ecovillage, Sweden
Funding: Erasmus+ (Z-Farming)
Period: September 2022-August 2024
Eco-Edu Hubs: This 18-month project will create a small network of youth organisations from different backgrounds and experiences.The aim being for these organisations to work together on developing educational materials, both printed and online, for young people interested in the field of environmental sustainability. The topics are varied, ranging from ecovillages to upcycling and all materials will be disseminated during local campaigns. In the long-term, the aim for this network will be to work on extending its membership and to create more sustainable solutions for environmental education for young people.
Funding: Erasmus+ Period: April 2023 – October 2024
Partners: ARNO (Latvia), Generator (Serbia), Go Green (Macedonia)
Educational Models for Sustainable Development in the Nordic Countries The aim of this collaborative pilot project is to research and develop educational models for sustainable development using the experience of various different educational institutions. One of these being RELEARN Suderbyn who will contribute with praxis and educational approaches from ecovillages. For the future a larger collaboration is planned to further develop the educational models explored.
Funding: Nordiska Ministerrådet Period: June 2022 – January 2023
Partners: NVL:s Nätverk för hållbar utveckling, Bildingsalliansen
Harmony
In 2023 Relearn Suderbyn has been partner in a A 3-phase Training Program for Youth Workers in Ängsbacka Sweden.
Three people from our NGO were sent to the activity: Matteo, Clara, and Leela. The aim of the Harmony project was to integrate a holistic view into individuals, organizations and projects, bringing us closer to a more harmonious way of life.
During the training, we explore and reflect through the connection with the 5 elements and embodiments of arts as well as tools and resources to move from awareness into regenerative action.
Funding: Erasmus+ (Harmony)
Period: May-October 2023
Thanks to this collaboration we also implemented some local action during the summer that reached out to a large group of participants and inspired many to a life more connected with nature and harmony.
Outer Nature = Inner Nature
Between the 11th and the 23rd of April we will offer an ecosomatics and dance workshop.
Ecosomatics is a union of two words; ecology and somatics. Somatics is an umbrella term for interdisciplinary body- and movement-based practices that aim at sensing the inner landscapes of our bodyminds and finding movement from within. In short ecosomatics is a field of ongoing embodied research that takes an ecological perspective to somatics.
In the workshop ecosomatics will be is approached through embodied anatomy and dance improvisation. Embodied anatomy is a practice of landing into our bodyminds using breath, touch and movement. Dance improvisation will be our playground for exploring the similarities in the patterns and functions of the inner nature of our bodies and the outer nature and their dialogical relationship.
Funding: Erasmus+ (Eco Anxiety Solidarity Project)
Period: April 2023
Eco Anxiety Solidarity Project
Whilst much is being done to create sustainable solutions, attention is still lacking when it comes to addressing inner sustainability. Eco-anxiety thus continues to grow as the social-ecological crisis worsens. This project therefore aims to respond to the absence of spaces, especially for young people, where eco-anxiety can be expressed, explored, and transformed. It also aims to provide some of the necessary spaces and tools of transformation for young people to be able to voice their eco-anxiety, as well as learn to live with it. The project is based on Gotland and is primarily for residents on the island; many of whom are students. Through workshops and seminars we hope to use eco-anxiety as a force of empowerment and assist others in better understanding their eco emotions.
Funding: Erasmus+
Period: July 2022 – July 2023
Z Farming
This project is a collaboration with Bulduri Horticulture School (Jurmala, Latvia) and aims to build awareness and enable youth participation in sustainable zero-acreage farming — aeroponics —, whilst making learning on green innovations more accessible. The idea also being to engage youth and youth workers in the circular bio-based economy with food and water waste prevention and stimulate rural development and urban resilience. This will be done through the creation of a learning manual and several exchanges between the partners.
Funding: Erasmus+
Period: September 2022 – September 2024
Partners: Bulduri Horticulture School, Latvia
Baltic Sea Transparency Cooperation
The Baltic Sea Transparency Cooperation aims to strengthen connections between organisations working for protection of the Baltic Sea. More specifically, environmental violations and corruption causing contamination of the sea from water-treatment facilities and industrial plants. Together with Transparency International Russia and KTÜ Estonia and support from the Swedish Institute (SI), this project aims to create a network to protect our shared and precious Baltic Sea. Through seminars, workshops, and the building of a network, we hope to raise awareness on environmental corruption in the Baltic Sea and explore how to tell stories that reach not only the minds, but also the hearts, of people.
Funding: Swedish Institute
Period: 2021-2022
Partners: Transparency International Russia, KTÜ Estonia
Biogas digestate analysis
This project analyses the digestate and process water from Suderbyn’s biogas digester to assess and adjust the concentration of nutrients. The goal is to be able to efficiently use the biogas’ process water for greenhouse cultivation. Here, plants extract nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other minerals and nutrient salts, allowing the process water to be reused in a closed loop of biogas production. The goal is to produce nutrient-rich water for Suderbyn’s zero acreage farming technology, ZFarming, currently done in 3-5 meter tall aeroponic towers.
Funding: LEADER Gotland
Period: 2021-11-01 – 2022-04-30
Partners: waila.se
OFFGRID
Inter-regional support of the development and dissemination of do-it-yourself technical solutions for off-grid renewable energy production. The project addressed the energy sovereignty of local households, communities and whole regions (such as Gotland). An open-source online manual was created and a book with the same information was printed.
Suderbyn, represented by RELEARN, is one of the experimentation/demonstration sites and provides a few examples of developing such technologies.
RELEARN was responsible for compiling the content from other partners into a manual.
Funding: LEADER (9 municipalities)
Period: 2018 – 2020
Partners: LAGs and local practitioners, from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia + research and education centres from Finland
Community Biogas Moldova
Community Biogas Moldova, a planning phase project, prepared for the introduction and adaptation of small-scale community biogas for rural Moldova. Technical-capacity improvement was achieved in part through 2-week internship for 3 Moldovans in Sweden. A study on the technical, economic and legal feasibility of a pilot digester in Razeni Village. A study report is freely available in English and Romanian. A participatory stakeholder analysis on how receptive community-development change-makers, both professional and voluntary social mobilizers, are to the concept of community biogas resulted in a report in both English and Romanian. A project brochure and community biogas booklet were produced in three languages, and two videos were produced to popularise the concept of community biogas in the country. These results have been publicised in part through media coverage, a public event on community biogas held 3 December 2019 in Chisinau and in part via Facebook and the project’s website. The results of the project will be fed into a future project application for a demonstration phase in which a number of community micro biogas plants would be built in Moldova.
Funding:
Swedish Agency for Regional and Economic Growth
Period: 2019
Partners: GENESCOTEC, Global Ecovillage Network of Europe, EcoVisio NGO
We Are
This project focused on non-discrimination, human rights and freedom of expression in Russia through artistic expression of alternative movements. Working together with educators, human rights and environmental activists, authors and professionals in animation, music, poetry, and acting, and with marginalised/vulnerable groups, we strengthened the voices of the discriminated (human and non-human) voices and thus encouraged positive change within the wider society. Through creating a strong, diverse community, we enhanced theactivist capacity of pro-change artists in Russia.
Website: www.we-art-lab.org/en
Funding: Swedish Institute
Period: July 2018 – Dec 2019
// Second round: 2020-2021
Klimat
Research and raising awareness of climate change among young people of Northern European regions.
Research of the ecosystems and local communities in connection to climate change through expeditions.
Creation of educational centres and demonstration sites in the Northern regions
Funding: EuropeAid by European Commission
Partners: Russia: Centre for Independent Social Research, Arctic Federal University, St Petersburg State University
Green Skills
1-year learning programme combining practical skills, social competences, administrative and project management skills as well as meta-competences related to personal development
Green Skills
Funding: European Solidarity Corps,- previously Erasmus+
Period: 2010-current
Partners: Youth organisations all around Europe and in the neighbouring countries
Closed Loop Baltic
Development of the prototype of Closed Loop energy and food production for rural households in sensitive areas of the Baltic Sea in order to reduce nutrients inflow in the Baltic Sea and the same time develop local food and biogas production in cold climate.
Website: http://www.suderbyn.se/closed-loop.html
Funding: Baltic Sea Conservation Foundation + private donation
Period: 2016 – March 2019
Partners: Luke (Finnish Natural Resource Institute)
Green Skills
1-month EVS project with a focus on renewable energy and personal development.
“Contributing to the evolution of a new paradigm where technologies and social practices are regenerative for the ecosystem and for human beings.”
Website: www.renewability.confetti.events
Funding: Erasmus+
Period: Aug 2018 – Dec 2018
Partners: Russia: SFERA; Ukraine: Unit; Italy: Xena
Growing Leaders Growing Change
Rising environmental awareness, developing understanding of climate change and waste problem, and empowering young activist for local actions, as well as broaden their horizons and encouraging them to continue educational or activist path, and by providing competences and international experience, to give an opportunity of a better position in the employment market.
Funding: Erasmus+
Period: 2017 – August 2018
Partners: Georgian Youth for Europe + Youth centres in Germany and Latvia
Carpool Pre-Study
A pre-study to identify the potential of starting an environmentally-friendly carpool or carsharing on Gotland. Defining its market, IT and legal aspects.
Website: www.suderbyn.se/carsharing
Funding: LEADER Gute
Period: May 2018 – ongoing
Partners:
Biogas Heating
Development and installation of a community-scale heating system based on biogas produced locally from the organic waste. The development of the heating system is bound to the Closed Loop System and finalising of the biogas digester system.
Website: http://www.suderbyn.se/biogasheatingsystem.html
Funding: LEADER Gute
Period: May 2018 – December 2019
Bridgedale Trainings
A training for trainers: strengthening the capacity of youth workers to work with experimental and joyful learning methods, such as plays and workshops, for encouraging youth and adults into Sustainable Development in ecological, social, economic and cultural aspects.
Funding: Erasmus+
Period: Oct-Nov 2018
Partners: Sieben Linden (Germany, host). Youth organisations from Slovenia, Italy, Russia, UK, Spain, Germany
Carpool Pre-Study
A week-long Eco-building Courses for exchanging natural building techniques between local practitioners (2 courses were hosted in Suderbyn).
Funding: Nordplus
Period: Jul 2017 – Jul 2018
Partners: Latvia: Society for Smiltene and Latvia (LV), Lithuania: Eco-Community Network, Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education
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