The desire to learn, the ability to adapt and the enthusiasm to discover the work that communities from different parts of the world are doing for their peoples are the main ingredients of this experience: the new edition of “Come on, participate and tell us” begins on international volunteer program organized each year by the Navarro Youth Institute (INJ) in collaboration with the Directorate of Social Rights, Social Economy and Employment, through the General Directorate of Social Protection and Development Cooperation, with which Ten young people from Navarre will travel to different international cooperation projects in Algeria, Colombia, El Salvador and Mexico.
Before the trip, the selected people participated in a initial training at the headquarters of the Navarro Youth Institute (INJ) which addressed issues such as the legal framework ongoing cooperation volunteeringthe ethical bases of respect for the communities and local cultures with which they will work, the experience of young people participating in previous editions of the program, as well as the communication guidelines for sharing their experience.
“Come on, participate and tell us” Its main objective foster solidarity and cooperation to the development of Navarrese youth through participation in international cooperation projects supported by various Navarrese NGOs. In this way, young people between 20 and 30 years old have the opportunity possibility of traveling to southern countries work for periods of 3 to 12 months on projects dedicated to improving the living conditions of vulnerable communities through solidarity, social justice and sustainable development. The program covers all participation costs.
THE volunteers They join local organizations that work in diverse areas such as the right to health, the promotion of indigenous languages, the protection and care of minors, humanitarian aid, economic autonomy, gender equality and the prevention of violence.
Through these experiences, the selected people They have the opportunity to get involved, learn and become aware of the realities of host communities and develop a greater awareness of global social injustices, and then become agents of social change upon their return.
He transformative nature of this experience motivated Brithanny Vera, a cooperator of the 2023 edition of the program, to decide to extend her volunteer experience in the Sahrawi refugee camp of Tindouf, in collaboration with the Association of Workers and Technicians without Borders (ATTsF). In this way, she will continue the project of digitalizing warehouses to improve traceability and resource planning, in order to distribute humanitarian aid more effectively and efficiently.
Preparations before leaving Navarre
On August 28, the Institute organized at the INJ headquarters a training day with a view to the upcoming integration of volunteers into destination projects, which aimed to provide them with certain essential notions in the field of Volunteer rightsphotographic ethics, respect for communities and their cultures, and how to communicate the experience. The meeting also included a discussion with four young cooperators from the 2023 edition, responsible for explaining relevant aspects of the experience and answering questions from new cooperators.
THE day The event began with the reception of Txema Burgaleta Encina, general director of the INJ, and Consuelo Ijurco Calvo, director of the Section of Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Action of the Government of Navarre. After this opening, Ana Belén Albero, from the Legal Department of the Casa de la Juventud de Pamplona, presented the current legal framework of cooperation volunteering, giving a clear vision of the current regulations that support volunteers.
Later, participants of previous editions They shared their experiences and discussed with the new volunteers the issues that most marked the veterans’ experience, the challenges encountered in daily work and in the relationship with the host community, or even the recommendations before and during the experience.
The day continued with the intervention of Amaia Leránoz Madariaga, from the Navarrese Organization of Aid between Peoples (ONAY), who explained how to recount the experience of cooperation in a responsible way. In the exposure The importance of being aware of the impact, both transformative and harmful, that photographs can have, regardless of good intentions, was discussed. In addition, said that snapshots and videos should be taken and always be published with respect for the values and cultures of the host communities and giving priority to the visibility of the work they do to improve their quality of life.
Finally, Marian Pascual Recalde, educational technician of the ONGD coordinator of Navarre, led a dynamic aimed at personal reflection and adaptation to the destination. Are activities Their goal was to emotionally prepare the young women, helping them better understand the contexts in which they will be immersed and to adapt respectfully to the new realities.
The event ended with a farewell words by Carlos Amatriain Busto, deputy director of the INJ, who thanked the participants for their commitment and wished them every success in their future cooperation experiences.
Participants of the 2024 edition
Ten young volunteers from Navarre will participate in the 2024 edition of cooperation projects in Algeria, Colombia, El Salvador and Mexico, covering areas such as the promotion of indigenous languages, protection of minors, humanitarian aid, economic autonomy, gender equality and violence prevention.
These projects, developed by local entities in collaboration with the Navarrese NGO, include the participation of Leire González Etxenagusia and Camila Roldán Urrego in the training services with the Salesian Missions in Colombia; Nuria Bella Beorlegui and Valeria García Gorricho will promote sexual and reproductive health in El Salvador with the El Salvador Elkartasuna Collective, an entity with which Paula Cabezón Echeverría and Amaia San Martín Beunza will also collaborate in the revitalization of Nahuat/Pipil.
Leyre Pérez Aguerri will work with the Navarra Nuevo Futuro Association (ANNF) on a child development project in San Salvador, while Ana Cía Lapeña and Idoia Molina Oteiza will address violence prevention in Chiapas, Mexico, with the SAREAN Women’s Association in Red. Nerea Sarriguren Martiarena will join the cast of humanitarian aid in Tindouf, Algeria, with the Association of Workers and Technicians Without Borders (ATTsF).
