Dear Friends of YIP,
As November comes to an end and the days are getting even shorter, it feels like winter is finally here. Last week the first snow fell and within just one day the green Ytterjärna landscape was transformed into a white winter wonderland. Luckily the snow fell on a Saturday and we could spend the rest of the weekend enjoying the snow, building snowmen, having snowball fights, making snow angels and enjoying the fairytale forest.
As nature moves towards hibernation, we have been exploring our inner landscapes during the first month into the Inner Awareness block. In this newsletter you will find an article by David about the Movement course, Peter shares his reflections on the week about the Personal Initiative, Soma introduces us to the Study of Humankind, Amber reflects on the Biography week and lastly, Lidewey guides us through the course about clay work.
Enjoy the read!
Love,
Dajin and Tessa
In this newsletter you will find:
– Moving in Complexity written by David Adámek
– Personal Initiative & Practice written by Peter Jacobs
– The study of Humankind written by Soma Baker
– An Inquiry into Self: Biography Week written by Amber Lee
– The Art of Sculpture written by Lidewey Huybrechts
– Invitation for the Initiative Forum, Spark to Flame
– YIP15 Internship Fundraising
– Applications for YIP16 are open
Moving in Complexity
– with Justas Kučinskas from Movement Vilnius –
I was both excited and a bit concerned about facing a whole week of Movement. Excited, because we’ve had Movement before and I knew how much fun it is to move my body in creative ways to good music. Concerned, because I knew how taxing Movement can be and therefore I wasn’t sure if I could give it my best for a whole week. But it came very differently.
This week I often came out of the Movement class feeling more energetic than I felt beforehand, even though I had been moving, running, dancing, etc. for three hours, and I wasn’t the only one who felt recharged after moving. It was so much fun to find solutions to the “problems” we faced, like how to move your body while squatting and only being allowed to move one leg, or both, or none. Watching other Yippies finding their solutions was both fun and inspiring because there are so many solutions to the same problem.
In this course our main goal was to get to know our bodies, to be aware of what feels good and what doesn’t and to find out where the pain we feel comes from. “You’re halfway there” Justas Kučinskas, our contributor for the week would tell us, if we came up to him to say that we felt some pain in our body. “It is the task of a lifetime to get to know your individual body structure and to find out what causes pain and what relieves it”, the Movement teacher would continue. The week was so much fun, that many of us are going to continue practicing Movement in our own time.
I took a lot of exercises with me and I hope that I will be able to continue to move in complexity for the rest of the year.
by David Adámek
Personal Initiative & Practice
– with Reinoud Meijer –
YIP is about developing the strength and ability to take personal or collective initiative in the world we live in today. Therefore, part of the curriculum is set up so that Yippies can practice taking initiative in a project of their choosing, which they carry on for the rest of the year. The possibilities are unlimited and allow for a deeper exploration of yourself, what inspires you, struggles you deal with, or any burning questions you may hold within. Nevertheless, it is not just about yourself, but also how you can make a positive impact in the world.
This week was solely focused on helping us choose a personal initiative, through generative interviews, games, art, peer support and an open space for questions. It was also an exciting and rare opportunity to hear more of Reinoud’s stories, tips, working principles, fundraising approaches, and how YIP was born.
As young adults still choosing a pathway in life it is helpful to consider what world it is we are entering, and what needs there are in this world and in ourselves. As Reinoud might say, how can we be “the selfless self”? True to oneself, but still of greater service to the whole. One aspect of the world today is that generally speaking “people know more about less” -Reinoud. Specialization in segmented fields or even subfields of study is the norm, but we forget that we are all part of a whole organism, even different, seemingly unrelated subjects are mutually benefiting. Given we are in a world where specialization is so prominent, how can we use these circumstances in a more holistic way? This is one of many questions I found myself pondering this week.
Another related thought that came up during the week is that when we are speaking of living organisms there is more to the whole than the combination of individual parts. “If your eyes were to see for themselves, you would be blind” -Reinoud. The world is complex and interconnected, but there are also patterns, and the smallest parts often show the whole in its principles (fractals). I think there is potential for us to use these models in our initiatives as well.
This week and all the stories really got me excited about my personal initiative and the support of my fellow classmates has made the tasks involved feel much more approachable.
by Peter Jacobs
The Study of Humankind
– with Marcel de Leuw –
In the week with Marcel de Leuw we explored the study of humankind. We looked at the inner and outer processes each child from age 0-21 goes through, from the lens of anthroposophy.
Marcel showed us two worlds: the nonphysical and physical and how each of us are simultaneously existing in both, whether we are aware or not. He then went on to explain that our essential being-ness is created from the union of these two, forming the soul. A being created from matter (Physical-body), operating from and surrounded by the non physical (Spirit- Geist) an invisible ocean of possibilities/life force. He also explained the three folded human. From our soul there are three capacities from which we experience and express our life: thinking, feeling and willing.
This week was presented in a multifaceted/layered light, where Marcel expressed his catering towards the color or feeling of our group’s being-ness each day. There was much space for questions as Marcel urged us to engage in the course and to co-create it with him. What I learned has given me a lot of depth towards experiencing how I am in the world in the inner and outer spheres, as well as some names to give more depth to my life and reason to why I act in certain ways.
by Soma Baker
An Inquiry into Self: Biography Week
– with Annie Meijer –
This week we explored the intricacies of our own biographies as a way to rekindle the connection to our worth within ourselves and each other. Over time, where has this connection been lost? It is believed that Ancient civilisations and cultures lived in a more Spiritual Reality and less in the Physical World and that leads me to wonder when our consciousness became more earth-bound, precise and focused.
How can we live more in balance with both the Physical and the Spiritual? Through examining our biographies, we hoped to discover the inner meaning and depth and diversity of our lives.
Each day, we shared stories of our past, our present and our hopes for our future, in small groups. Prompted by various themes, such as the ages when we might have started to develop our inner ‘I,’ we took into account the different cycles of our lives that might also influence what we shared.
I was deeply stirred by the beauty of what was shared in my group. Powerful words and stories brought moved responses and big feelings. We practiced listening with intention as the Speaker shared, and we all made an effort to hear their story without any personal biases, just to let them simply exist and share as they are. It was an opportunity to meet the participants of YIP in a way where we could see past the exterior of the person that we know well, and catch a glimpse of a few of the moments in their life. Each memory they shared, a piece of the jigsaw puzzle that makes them up into the person who they now are.
Initially, I was intimidated by this week – the idea of sharing pieces of who I am seemed unnerving, but I was soon reassured by the beauty of the group and how I felt incredibly held in my vulnerability.
by Amber Lee
The Art of Sculpture
– with Barbara Schnetzler –
I was very curious about the clay course with Barbara Schnetzler. I had no idea what I could expect and I was looking forward to finding out where the biography work and clay work would come together.
On Monday afternoon, I was rolling a ball of clay in between my hands, not knowing that later in the week we would use it to make a sculpture of a head.
I have worked with clay before, but I forgot how soft and malleable it is. It was so nice to feel the clay again in my hands. When I heard we would make head sculptures, I felt excited and a bit challenged… In twelfth grade of Waldorf school, I also made a head sculpture and I remember being very quickly frustrated by my perfectionism. But this time was different, I felt that I had the time and space to make mistakes and try again.
It’s amazing to see what we can do with our hands and our observations. We all started in the same way, but we ended up with completely different results, everyone’s sculpture with their own character and beauty.
Barbara gave throughout the week different tips to help us to sculpt the eyes, lips, nose, etc. She guided us through the process and helped us observe different aspects of the face by looking at each other’s faces. Watching the others work with so much concentration and devotion was a rich source of inspiration for making my sculpture my own.
I’m grateful for working with Barbara during clay work. She let us express ourselves through the sculptures and guided us through this amazing week.
by Lidewey Huybrechts
— MESSAGES FROM YIP15 —
Internship Fundraising
Hello friends!
It’s the time of year where we begin fundraising for our internships. This year, from March 14th to April 14th, we will be putting our learning into practice by attending internships in India, Nepal, Bulgaria, the US, Senegal, Lithuania, South Africa, Egypt, and Zimbabwe. These organizations and initiatives are practicing societal entrepreneurship in the realms of social, educational, agricultural, and environmental change. We can’t wait to learn from them and participate in their work!
To fund our travels we are fundraising through various projects such as theater performances, concerts, a Christmas festival, art magazines, postcards, sponsored running events, and this GoFundMe page! Any donation, big or small, will help us find our way to our internships. If you can donate or share this page we would be so grateful! Thank you for your support!
With love,
YIP 15
Internship Fundraising – Olive Oil Project
The strong YIP alumni network presented some of us at YIP 15 the opportunity to work with Nil, from YIP 6, and Agusti, an organic olive oil farmer from Spain. The farm is one of the few organic olive farms in the Alcover region and they are working towards a regenerative farming model. Their business model pays fair wages, considers future generations, and works in harmony with the land. They are working to expand their reach into the North of Europe.
They are giving us the opportunity to experience working in an ethical and holistic business, while helping them build a network of conscious consumers who value how their food is produced and how their choices build a better future for all of us. If you or anyone in your area are interested in a year’s supply of cold pressed, organic extra virgin olive oil, you can order a minimum of 150 litres, in 5 litre canisters, for your community. With this purchase not only are you supporting an agricultural and business project which supports a sustainable future, part of the profits go to supporting YIP 15 to go to their internships.
Find more information here. If you have any questions please contact us at [email protected].
— MESSAGE FROM YIP —
We are excited to announce that applications for the 16th edition of YIP (2023-2024) are now open! Thank you to those of you who have been waiting patiently.
For the applications, we have two rounds of intake: if you would like to be considered for the first round, please submit your application by March 15th 2023. We strongly encourage especially those who need a VISA to apply as soon as possible as it can take time to process.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email [email protected]
We look forward to receiving your applications!
Kindly,
YIP Organising Team
In the Next Newsletter you will find:
– Portrait Painting
– Power, Privilege & Oppression
– The Liberated Voice
– The Art of Storytelling