Photo and quote by Reinoud Mejer
| Dear friends of YIP, |
| We hope this Newsletter finds you well,The second month of YIP has gone by, and the colourful leaves have now nearly all fallen down, as the autumn here in Sweden is in full swing. The Yippies had a well deserved autumn break in the middle of October, and are now back in the busy life that is YIP. Things are starting to get serious, with the travel to India coming closer and closer. There is just over two weeks left until the Yippies leave to go to India for their Outpost, the Team and the Yippies are very excited for this, but for now we’re still here in lovely Ytterjärna, I hope you will enjoy this Newsletter, and get a bit of an insight what YIP 17 is like. Written by David Adámek In this newsletter you will find: – Gardening Week written by Jemima Victory – Art of Hosting written by Linh Nguyen – Beyond Narratives written by Bella Nicolas– Autumn Break written by Matvey Melinkov – Biography Work written by Alysa Monterossa – Alumni Project written by May Wyss |
Gardening Week with Thomas Luthi and Aleksa Domanska
“The connection between earth and sky is a connection of rhythms, and it is never the same
again”
This seemed to be a week of grounding and stabilising. Our previous week’s course, ‘Power,
Privilege and Oppression’, facilitated both eye opening and intense conversations. So as we
transitioned to afternoons spent working outside, gathering each day in a circle to listen to
Aleksa talking about the garden felt like a collective softening. We stood close to the spiral of
plants nourished by the yip years before us, with the painted red house in the distance and the
last of the sunflowers and the yellow turning leaves in the trees.
From Monday to Thursday each morning, we had sessions with Thomas Lüthi, with an
introduction to biodynamic farming. We started off learning about the landscape of the local area
and the glaciers that covered Sweden thousands of years ago, and how over time they gave way
to the life cycles of plants. Thomas talked to us about the connections between minerals, plants,
animals, death, life, feelings, decision making and eventually the impact of humans, when we
started to cultivate and influence nature.
On Tuesday morning we went to Skillebyholm which is where Thomas lives. Thomas took us on
a ‘phenomena’ walk. We looked at the land shaped by the glaciers, and the rocks smoothed and
scarred by them. Thomas talked to us about the meadow and woodland at Skillebyholm, the
work of beavers and the resilience of trees. For me, it was wonderful to be formally introduced to
the landscape that I have felt so grateful to have been getting to know since being at YIP. At the
end of the walk I felt even more appreciative of how nature is a network of homes for so many
beings and creatures and structures and plants, and for a little while in the grand scheme of
things, it can be my home as well.
On Thursday Thomas took us through how to make a biodynamic compost. We learned about
the structure of compost and the preparations that can be used to activate and strengthen life
forces both within it and for when the compost is used in cultivation. It was really enjoyable to
build the compost together as a group. I also liked how Thomas said we could view compost like
a human body, with different organs and parts, but warm and connected and working through its
processes.
Thomas introduced us to several aspects of biodynamic farming. He discussed the resilience of
plant root systems, the role of the zodiac and cows in biodynamics, the importance of nitrogen
and how we can utilise it to support cultivation, and the differences seen between conventional,
organic and biodynamic farming. Something from the week that left a great impression on me
was learning about the life forces that exist in nature, and how a plant can be viewed as the
connection between the earth and the sky, or heaven. So, plants are where life is being created.
Therefore in biodynamic farming, a farm can be viewed as an organism, and it has no floor or
roof, because it is a living process of understanding that the plants we cultivate are so much
more than food that we eat. Thomas presented his teachings to us in a methodical way that
seemed to encourage us to start piecing together our own reality, what we can observe about
nature, the reflections of ourselves we can see in it, and what nature has the possibility of giving
to us.
In the afternoons we worked on preparing the yip garden for the approaching cold. It was also a
time for digesting what we had learnt in the morning and practicing a way of viewing the plants
and soil and insects and snails in the ways that biodynamics calls us to. To view ourselves as
working through our own processes alongside nature, whilst cultivating in a beneficial and
nourishing way. Our work involved turning and breaking the soil in the long beds, weeding,
sowing carrots and garlic seeds, taking down the tomato plants and re-organising our raw
compost.
It was the first week of Autumn and the weather was gentle that week (apart from a rainy Friday
morning), and there was laughter whilst we worked. Throughout the week we all felt a lot of
appreciation for Aleksa and the care that she has for the garden and the care and space for joy
that she gives to those around her. Aleksa’s wonderful fika was something very special that
happened each day – bread and cakes, coconut oil, fermented peaches, chocolate and jams.
Aleksa also showed us lots of different plants, seeds, and berries that she had collected in order
to tell us about their natural properties and benefits. She told us about the happenings of the
stars and planets taking place that week, and the influence this was having on both ourselves
and the garden. This was a time of reflection and transition. We were approaching Michaelmas,
and colder temperatures, and a time for more rest.
Thank you Thomas and Aleksa for your wisdom!
Written by Jemima Victory
The Art of Hosting and Harvesting Conversations that Matter
| I am grateful to have this moment to reflect on the week. Many feelings and questions are alive. I may not be able to put into words all the principles and theories of the week, but what stood out to me were touching moments when I saw myself in others’ stories and expressions. It could be the power of connection, or maybe it’s the universal emotions we share as humans? |
| What’s alive in me?Alive needWe have a need to express ourselves in different ways, and speaking to express ourselves is one of them. Upon every movement, every circle, every space, we sit or stand around to share our stories and the reason behind them. The mind can deceive the reality as it constantly stays active with thoughts and questions. Speaking out loud helps to filter the essence of what I am feeling, the essence of what I am learning, the essence of the point I want to get across. |
| Alive interestHolding space for meaningful conversations, as always! I am happy just to be there and create that little space for people to share their voice and be heard. I love doing prep work involving designing and crafting materials to hold space. The process of prepping is an art; to think through the purpose of the activity and how we want to design the components of it. I would love to design the Open Space Technology for our Initiative Forum. Harvesting: to capture collective memory. Memory could entail learnings, energy, key essences, gratitude. The harvest could come from the host, a few people or everyone. The way of harvesting is unlimited to forms such as artistic, poetic, musical, movement, wordy, etc as long as it is digestible to others. Harvest allows lessons and learning moments to be heard and seen. It reinforces reflection on the past on a deeper level so that it can be passed on tomorrow. The design of harvest is a design choice:What can we harvest in this moment, in this group?What form of harvest serves the group well?How can we capture what happen concisely and creatively?How much do we want the group to participate and bring their learning?The host is advised to look at available materials, and notes of the day to consider possibilities of using them purposefully. |
| Alive pride I am proud to see our capacity as a collective. I got to see different styles, personalities and creativity in creating art and putting it into practice. Everyone added a color in how they showed up over the week. As a whole, we made the week full of colors and tastes. Moving forward, I am confident that we will become more supportive and open to practise the ‘Fourfold Path’ (host self, be hosted, host others, co-create) at YIP. Alive questionsI wonder as a host, how could I respond properly to complex ideas and opinions, so as to guide the conversations. Especially in the week of Privilege, Power and Oppression. This boils down to my English capacity as well. I often hold this anxiety about not being competent in a certain body of knowledge in order to respond to others. It’s okay to say I don’t know or we could explore together, or ask anyone in the circle to help. At the same time, I want to also be resourceful to questions and concerns. I should ask this question to the AoH team and YIP OTs. My Question:What can I do to practice Hosting at YIP? Questions I received from my Yippie friend that I want to carry with me*** What does hosting mean to me? Do I feel that hosting is a big part of my life?What kind of change do I want to experience? Do I want to host myself or others? What is my role at YIP?How does being hosted or hosting make me feel?What difference can I make?*** The week brought me back to my first time speaking in front others, feeling heard, being allowed to take my time to think, feeling brave in tears. That feeling came alive again, affirming my belief that holding space for free expression is the right approach to education. A space being held well is so powerful to me. I feel seen and valued whether I speak or not, just be. Now I am so curious to know how the Art of Hosting community is doing in Vietnam, my home country. I look forward to finding possibilities to create spaces of freedom of expression and learning, spaces of care for self and the world. The week brought me back to places and experiences I had with facilitation before, feelings of hesitation, fear, anxiety, excitement, enthusiasm and belonging. These feelings remain abundant and will arrive whenever I am in this space. I will continue seeking new learnings and practising to be a conscious person, bringing meanings, questions, love and joy to the world. Written by Linh Nguyen |
Beyond Narratives: War & Conflict
| In this week’s course Beyond Conflict we were hosted by Christianne Aikins and Nikolas Bieleit-Medicus. We dove into analyzing conflicts that occurred in the world, learning different terminologies associated with the events, their key themes, and the circumstances that led to what they currently are today. In doing so, we also paid attention to the conflicts that arose within us and the ways we may deal with it. Personally, the topic of language in media and how to analyze it is something that has always fascinated me. It was interesting to see the way narratives could be made with a simple “us vs them” way of speech, using our fears to induce a caring nature within us and make us empathize or rise against a certain group. And to be able to see how even warm feelings of compassion and solidarity could be used in order for us to choose a side in a narrative. It was made apparent that our emotions were being manipulated to demand a reaction. Today, we see on the news so many conflicting narratives, and so it is challenging to pick a side or know if we are on the “right cause”. What I liked about this course was that we were shown ways to be able to look at the whole scope of things with an impartial lens, and to get to the root of what matters. I think it was also quite important that whilst there is so much conflict out in the world, we were given tools on how to address the conflicts within us to be able to work in compassion and harmony in communication with others. That was quite impactful to me because it is my opinion that when we are able to communicate with one another with respect and dignity, we open up a whole new world of discovery and possibilities; creating bridges instead of walls. . Written by Bella Nicolas |
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Autumn Break
| After seven beautiful but very intense weeks, all of the Yippies had an autumn break. A break which was really needed. The week before the break, a certain energy was born. I heard people talk about where to go, what to do, and how to be. On one hand, we had people going to other countries like Bobby (U.S.) and Yuanheng (Taiwan) going to Turkey, and on the other hand, we had people like Linh (Vietnam) and Aisling (U.K.) staying in Tallevana.I had the chance to invite Minseob to Germany.Our trip started on 12.10, Saturday, at 7:30 in the morning. At 16:40, we arrived in Baden-Baden, and one hour later, we were already at the home table with my family. I had a great experience when I went to Yakutsk, where an old friend of my father gifted us his days to show his life (the context he was living in). I wanted to do the same for Minseob. It started with eating “Borsch,” a traditional Russian soup, seeing the Cathedral of Strasbourg, visiting Europapark, and trying the German culture. By German culture, I mean beer. The experience I wanted to show Minseob showed me how important it is to look back at things you did in your past to understand how you perceive them now. Everything I did with Minseob was in some way also new for me.After coming back on 19.10, exactly one week later, I could only observe happy faces at the Youth Initiative Program and a shiny yellow color in nature. I think the idea of the autumn break was successful. A lot of people had the possibility to calm down and get ready for a new adventure in the Biography Week. Text by Matvey Melinkov |
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Biography Work
This week was the dawn of a beginning and understanding of looking into myself in ways
I haven’t had the chance to before. Working with Biography, brought to us by Annie, Leo, Mary,
and Rebecca, has opened up our perspective on searching for renewed meaning, a path towards
social renewal, and allowing us to develop new capacities within us to navigate our own self
freedoms and responsibility. I’ve had a lot of takeaways and learnings from each session this
week and I’ve been able to sit with and really wonder in my thoughts. My feelings were
expanded through my curiosity, and my curiosity grew for and from these new perspectives ive
gained. Here are some of the many takeaways and reflections that I gained from the biography
week.
● Equanimity in feeling is having composure in difficulty. We practiced this while sharing
our stories with each other in our biography sessions.
● What’s possible when we unconditionally, positively regard someone.
● We’re not stationary beings, we shift in time.
● Allowing ourselves to acknowledge, understand, and accept the relationships we build
with ourselves out of each age in life.
● Wonder at the breadth of human experience.
● Can we allow the whole being to be revealed? Can we allow ourselves to be seen? By
myself, by others and by the world, to be seen, whole and true. What is alive in myself I
can find in the world; what is true in the world I can find in myself.
We took each day this week to look into some aspects of ourselves, to paint a better
picture of who we are. We were given the opportunity to enable and allow ourselves to observe
our lives and experiences. To understand and see our inner child, our relationships, and our
challenges, struggles and conflicts. Recognising and stepping into poignant moments of
initiative, decision, courage and change. When we recognise patterns in our past, how in many
ways we have faced what we face before us now. This allows us the understanding, growth and
expansion that develops within our capacity.
written by Alysa Monterossa
Alumni Project: Classroom Alive
It has been 5 years since the last Classroom Alive journey and during the YIP 15 Years Gathering last year, a spark started spreading, finally bringing together 9 exited Yippies.
We started our journey this July in Poland, crossing through the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and ending in Romania. 9 weeks of hiking, traveling by bus, local trains and hitchhiking. With our heavy backpacks, two guitars and many questions we ventured over mountains, through forests, along rivers and past rural villages. Encountering heavy thunderstorms and scorching heat, bee stings and ticks and angry dogs. So many friendly strangers who offered their help, gifting us homemade cheese and liquor, learning to communicate with not only words to overcome the language barriers.
For one week we ended up staying and working at an organic farm in Olomouc in the Czech Republic, located around an old fort. By chance we had met the siblings who run the farm on a market, they invited us and we became friends with them, staying connected and visiting them even after Classroom Alive.
With the expectation of taking time to study during our journey, we are met with the reality of different needs in the group, challenged by getting sick on mountaintops and constantly needing to plan the logistics of water, food, route and camp spots for nine people. Finding a rhythm in the chaos, we never knew where we would end up by the end of the day and could only rely on one thing, that our plans will need to adjust again to the ever changing circumstances.
Sleeping in a different place every night, some of our most memorable spots where beside a castle ruin, in a monastery making friends with the monks, on a mountaintop next to a holy spring and in a village festival tent. Some nights we wouldn´t get so lucky and had to camp on a slanted path or in the shadow of an abandoned bunker.
During our time together we had open mics, a graphic novel evolved, poems and songs written, videos filmed and life changing decisions made.
We close our time together as the first leaves start changing colour and drift to the ground. All the expectations and study goals we had in the beginning had slowly stripped away, uncovering what lies beneath. That in the simple act of being and listening, we find an abundance inside and surrounding us.
A few creations from our time together we want to share with you:
If you caught the spark and would like to start a new Classroom Alive journey, gather a group of people and start planning! If you don’t know how to start, read our group manual and for more questions you can contact:
May Wyss: may.wyss@posteo.de
Manik Esche: manikesche@gmail.com
Warm greetings from Luna, Ellie, Sève, Kenzie, Karen, Peter, Jannis, Katie and May
Written by May Wyss
Photo by May Wyss
| In the next newsletter you will find: |
| -Moving in complexity -Portrait painting -Initiative Forum Days and Transition to Outpost -Travel to India -Introduction to CESCI |
| Newsletter made by Naomi Richards and David Adámek |