Regina Trutneva

I was fortunate to have taken part in the SCI Coordinators of international Workcamps training. Honestly I had only volunteered once before, and missing an opportunity to learn something new is not like me. So I left my job, my country, and was off to Berlin. The seminar itself was held in a wonderful place not far from Kassel, in commune Niderkaufungen from 27th March until 3rd April. We lived in a very cozy guest house during the week. Every day was full of different events and challenges. I have to admit it was easily the best week of my life for many reasons. Necessary and useful knowledge, nice and incredibly kind and smart people, an atmosphere of unreal calm and happiness spread in the air of the commune. Let me focus on the first item.

The seminar focused on very important issues that could be helpful not only while workcamp but also in life. They are concepts of leadership, introduction to working methods for groups, organisational aspects of being a coordinator, peace education and climate justice, the history of SCI. I am as a teacher was impressed by the way of giving us the information. We didn’t have any boring lectures. We had interactive games, unusual tasks, interesting exhibitions, creative work. Our camp coordinators were professionals, kind and superclever people -Liza, Ekaterina, Stefi and Ulla.

I learned so many things at the seminar. Now I know that keys could tell a lot about its owner, I realize that every person has a superpower, I know so many evaluation techniques, so many recipes of tasty vegetarian dishes, I know now what items are crucial if you are lost sea, I know that I like equally to walk with closed eyes being lead by someone as well as I like to be a guide of ‘blindfolded excursion’, I know how to make a Russian doll without a needle, I know how to write a poem in 15 minutes, I know that avoiding stereotypes and ‘a single story’ is very important. Now I know who I am. I am Regina, an SCI volunteer and I am ready to follow its vision: a world of peace, social justice and sustainable development, where all people live together with mutual respect and without recourse to any form of violence to solve conflict. 

I would like to tell a few words about Germany. It was my first visit to this amazing country. Now it will be always associated with ecology, beautiful parks, polite and helpful people. My special greetings to Berlin and its dwellers.

I am grateful to every participant of this seminar (they were girls from Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Serbia), our camp coordinators, commune Niderkaufungen, and Service Civil Organization for a great week and great experience.