Zone de Texte: CCIVS ESD Campaign in Vaunières Zone de Texte: CCIVS ESD campaign initiated! A sheep, a cow and the fight for justice: Young and old volunteers discuss ESD in the SJ delegation at Vaunières, a “lost” village in the French Alps. The French branch of Youth Action for Peace, Solidarités Jeunesses has a regional delegation, based in an abandoned village in the Alps at 1200m above sea level. The village hosts open work camps and longer voluntary projects on a permanent basis, and hosts national and international groups of an extremely diverse background. In the end of August, two afternoons were devoted to the theme of sustainable development. During the first afternoon the volunteers were divided into smaller groups, where they discussed the concept of sustainable development; they were asked what they think it means in general and for them personally. The group of 15 volunteers was very diverse not only as regards their age (8 – 55) and national origin (6 nationalities from Europe, Asia, North America and Africa) but also in terms of experience with volunteering and educational background. The discussions brought up a number of different aspects, questions and perspectives. There was a consensus that sustainable development is more than a mere environmental issue, but that it covers all aspects of life. The discussion about the respect for future generations led to the awareness that respect for the future starts with respect for the present and raised the issue of discrimination and intolerance as an obstacle for a just society. The group established a link between the attitude of discrimination within a given society and the exploitation by the economically advanced countries of the poorer ones. This discussion raised the issue of sustainable lifestyle and consumption choices. One of the young girls present raised the dilemma of having to decide how to spend her limited pocket money for toys, which are based on sustainable principles but more expensive, or for toys, which might have been produced through child labour or whose production has caused worse pollution, but which are much cheaper… The group also dealt with the question whether sustainable development is mainly a challenge for individuals and the people, or rather for states and governments. It became clear that the responsibility lies at all levels and that individual behaviour change is crucial but will remain inefficient if governments and big global players do not change as well. The question was raised how individual behaviour changes can help induce the changes on the governmental and economic level. During the second afternoon, the volunteers gathered in the sun, but this time the aim was not to discuss the complex notion of sustainable development, but to stimulate the collective creativity and to look at the waste around the project site from a new perspective. The volunteers went around in the village to find garbage, and together piled up bottles, metal cans, plastic containers, nails, cables etc. The main result of the creative afternoon was a “garbage imitation” of the sheep Toffi, the village mascot. Also, a cow made of wire, cables, plastic tubes and rope was created. Already a few days before, there had a similar activity was conducted, when the “children of Vaunières” had gathered to create instruments out of waste. With plastic bottles, cans, tins, capsules, stones, sand, an old chair and a lot of imagination, they created maracas, drums and other rhythm and percussion instruments. Overall the two days of reflection and creation were a success. It confirmed the staff of the site in their approach to sustainable living as a holistic notion touching upon all aspects of life and opened the participants to new and surprising perspectives and reflections. Click here to find other pictures. More examples of the campaign will be posted soon. In the beginning of next year the art works and creations will be exhibited at the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris. If you are interested in joining the campaign, send us an email: ccivs@unesco.org.