Mon, 2006/07/17 - 17:25

Greetings All Neighbours and Visitors, Friends,

Thank you for joining or visiting here.

We have three discussion areas at this village and
we have them so we can get lively about the issues.

This discussion area here is for posting about the very specific areas that Garden has suggested as being provided by the centre Garden intends to create:

1. Psychosocial skills empowerment.

2. Literacy developmental programmes.

3. Play, sport and educational support.

Please post any contribution you might have, and just add the specific area in the title if it is specific.

Thank You!

Facilitating this project and all your input,
Rubyana Arendn

Tue, 2006/08/01 - 12:59

Information Message for ALL NEIGHBOURS ;o)

Dear Neighbours,

To give you some information about what is available for us here:

We have a Newsletter

&

We can have Files online.

I sent Newsletter Issue 1 out to all subscribed members-- I hope you received Issue 1 Okay :o) -- If for some reason you have not received this Newsletter and are subscribed--please let me know.

The Newsletter will contain up-to-date information about Garden at any one time as Garden develops it's
=Intent to Create a Center for Garden's Orphans=.

That way it will be easy to catch up for those newly joining at any one time, or for those who need to catch up at any one time.

If you wish to subscribe...
...follow the

-Subscribe to the Garden newsletter-

Link at Garden, Nabuur

And if you would like to
-read the Newsletter online- here at Garden
any time...

-Please follow the same link-,

and you will see links to

-individual archived Newsletters-

there.

Just click and read. ;o)

Also:
Please take note of the

-View resources-

Link
that will appear above each of the Online Discussion areas once a Resource is present for the Discussion Area, where Resources created can be accessed for all to use and see.

If you require anything to be uploaded as a Resource please,

post about this

and

send it to me,

I can upload files, no problem.

Okay—that’s the end of this general information note—for now—

Any questions just ask!

Blessings,
Rubyana
Faciliator at Garden

Wed, 2006/08/02 - 08:17

Dear All,

I will be away for just a few days, please continue to make your own presences known and take this Project on in all your unique ways!

Love and Blessings,
Rubyana,
Faciliator.

Mon, 2006/08/07 - 08:52

Dear Neighbours,

Your Facilitator is Back. Please join in.
Thank you,
Blessings,

Rubyana

Sat, 2006/08/12 - 17:04

Tapori is a worldwide network of children from all backgrounds whose motto is: "We want all children to have the same chances."

All around the world children dream of a world where there’s no more poverty, where each child can live in peace and have friends. They don’t want to wait to be adults to take action.

Tapori shares this dream and supports them in their actions against poverty and exclusion.

http://www.tapori.org/site/IMG/doc/funding_proposal_tapori06.doc

Hello,

We’re sending you a model funding proposal that we hope will be useful to you. Feel free to adapt it as needed, depending on the demands of the institution to which you present it.
“We want all children
to have the same chances!”

Geneva, July 14, 2006

Here are a few ideas of places you could present this document:

• Your city government/mayor,
• Your state/provincial government,
• Foundations focused on children’s programs,
• Corporations,
• Stores that could donate materials (fabric, hardware, etc.)

If possible, we’d love to hear your reactions to this document so we can continue to refine it: ideas or suggestions you find important or useful. This will help us improve it and make it more helpful for others who search for funding.

We wish you the best of luck in undertaking this Tapori campaign.

Sincerely,

Chantal Consolini
Agnès Romazzotti
Ben Feshenfeld
For the international Tapori secretariat in Geneva

TAPORI – ATD Fourth World – Chemin Galiffe, 5 – 1201 Geneva – Switzerland
Email: tapori@bluewin.ch / Website: www.tapori.org

Listen to us and
we’ll change the world together!

Tapori’s International Campaign 2006 - 2007

“Who can change the world without me?”

Julien, child from Haiti

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. Title of the project

2. Background

3. Description

4. Objectives

5. Timing

6. Budget

1. TITLE OF THE PROJECT:

LISTEN TO US AND WE’LL CHANGE THE WORLD TOGETHER!

2. CONTEXT

“You Taporis, you’re champions of happiness.”
Joseph Wresinski, founder, ATD Fourth World Movement

Tapori is a network that fosters communication between children from all different backgrounds. Each child, no matter her home country or culture, has the right to share in the dream of a world in which every child has friends and lives in peace. Even at a young age, children can promote children’s rights through their words and actions. By encouraging them to express their ideas, allowing them to communicate with others, and supporting their daily actions toward peace, Tapori backs their fight against exclusion and poverty.
How is this communication between children possible? Thousands of children between 6 and 13 years old from around 50 countries on five continents are connected through Tapori’s campaigns, newsletter, and mini-books.
The mini-books, for example, are published in French, German, English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch; a limited number are also translated in other languages, including Arab, Hebrew, Italian, Chinese, etc. When kids read these true stories about children living in and fighting against poverty in other countries, they become aware of the similarities that exist between all children. This tears down cultural and language barriers. Children’s rights are universal; Tapori strives to create a newsletter as open and inclusive, which publishes the thoughts of children of many cultures about a more just world.
Alone or with friends, children often write to Tapori to share their ideas, send messages of support to others from all over the world whose stories are told in the newsletter, or share their actions in favor of inclusion. They already build a better world in their neighborhoods, communities, families, or schools. Tapori encourages them to become friends with the children who have the most difficult lives.

“Tapori is peace and friendship everyday.”
Héloïse, a child from France

3. DESCRIPTION

Tapori campaigns bring together children from all over the planet around the same project. By making meaningful art and sharing their creations, they create connections and get out their ideas about what children need to live well together.
These campaigns are based on true stories of children who have difficult lives and get together to fight against poverty and exclusion. Thus children from all backgrounds can get to know other children of the world. This year’s proposal is inspired by the story of Ono and Rene, two children from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their experiences touch on the theme of taking the first step toward the other to get to know him, overcome prejudices, and fight together against exclusion.

The story: Ono must fish during the night to help his family make ends meet. So he goes to sleep watching the other children play during the day. The others don’t understand why he behaves differently from them, call him crazy, and exclude him. One day Rene asks himself why Ono lives as he does and starts to talk to him. They soon become friends. Rene introduces Ono to a group of children to which he belongs and soon Ono becomes a member of the group and can help other children.

The campaign calls for children to make and decorate life-sized silhouettes out of fabric or paper. This campaign was chosen for its interactive aspect: one child must draw his friend’s silhouette and then the two decorate it together. Thus the silhouette is the product of cooperating and working together. The liberty in materials, colors, and styles also encourages children’s creativity.
Next, each child writes a message about what she wants for all children in the world to live well together in the form of a heart that she attaches to her silhouette.

Once the silhouettes are finished, they will travel around the world and make the connection between the diverse groups of children who have made their silhouettes.

4. OBJECTIVES

Tapori hopes that this campaign will make children’s voices heard and make known their solidarity and actions in difficult situations. This is why the silhouettes and messages will be exhibited on October 17, 2006, International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, at the United Nations in Geneva and New York (as well as other important locations).
At the local level these creations will be exhibited in schools, neighborhoods, and during important events.

A more general goal is for children to be able to express themselves and be heard. This helps them realize that their opinions count and that they can be actors of change. It’s important to ensure that all children can participate and express themselves.

The most excluded and poorest children often have a lot to tell others about inclusion and friendship. If we listen to them, they can be a valuable resource and bring an important contribution to their community.
The Tapori campaign can provide the occasion to better get to know the reality of their neighborhood or city and present these to others who aren’t yet familiar with them.

A child’s voice is one of hope and change: through Tapori, it has a chance to be heard.

5. TIMING

(Fill this in according to your specifications and planning)

6. BUDGET

It’s important to make a detailed budget with the estimated costs, even if you change these figures afterward. The budget may include materials as well as organizational costs. Here are a number of areas you may want to consider:

• fabric, markers, decorative material (buttons, sewing material, etc.)
• postage for sending the silhouettes to Geneva or Landover, MD, if you plan to do so (postage and packing materials)
• rental fees for the space where you will exhibit the silhouettes
• creation and printing costs for fliers (containing the children’s messages, photos of the silhouettes, etc.)
• cost of photos of the silhouettes
• etc.

Wed, 2006/09/13 - 12:20

Greetings All Dear Neighburs,

I have been so fortunate to have opportunity for online chat with our Local Representative Mwenya more recently.

We will be having further discussions, to get the ball rolling more on this site.

From this first discussion we have established that Literacy is a definite priority at Garden for the children. It is hoped that we can assist here with literacy projects, and materials, for the creation of a library and attentions to Literacy in Garden.

And what is so great, is many of the initial contributions on this action, here in this area for posting at our site here for Garden, are about Literacy! Isn’t that so great? It is grand! Keep up the good work, Neighbors, come in and post often, with your interest in Literacy. Research the links you or others provide deeper as to practical clues and ways to bring Literacy to Garden.

Of course, we will keep a wide focus of the other areas highlighted for Research at present, but it does look that one of our first practical goals For Garden will be A Literacy Project, for Garden. Keep your ideas coming, on this and all areas here.

I am sure we will all be wanting to be hearing from all of you current Neighbors again soon, and often, and Welcoming Many More Neighbors to join our pleasant community that we have here already!

As Always, The Time is Now,
Blessings,
Rubyana

Wed, 2006/09/13 - 16:07

Greetings All,

Pelle has pointed us to
A Successful project in Imhilen.
( See his post under the social centres Action)

Please go and look at how well they are doing.
Yeah, they are doing great, and doing this here can help Garden so much!

It's a simple thing.
I will ask Mwenya for a Postal Address.
I will also him about any book and topic requests.

Anyone who starts with this, feel free to share
your covering letters, and article of why people
might really like to donate books to Garden.

Thanks Pelle!

Rubyana

Hi Rubyana,

Neighbours of Imhilen, Morocco, have collected hundreds of books for a local library. They will also have some useful links / examples, I guess.

Pelle

Successful project in Imhilen
Hi Pelle, This sounds Great.

And what's more,
it is working really well over in
Imhilen.

All people need to do, is contact people, shops, organisations that have books, or are interested in Africa and invite to donate!

It's a simple recipie and seems to work!

I will post on this in the other actions too!

Thank You!
Rubyana.

Wed, 2006/09/13 - 16:11

How to get Books for a Libray!

Imhilen in Action:Imhilen

Rubyana

Wed, 2006/09/13 - 16:29

I found a paper online:
http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/file_download.php/32f065862b89709d...
that reports clearly on the definition and importance of life skills (UNICEF). I thought it may come in useful when planning.

Wed, 2006/09/13 - 16:48

Hi Ann,

After a quick perusal that seems a real cool document.

Library Action:
Is there a book to go with it? ;o)
One thing that can be done with documents like this,
for our new Library Action coming out now, is to print a document like this and post it to the Delivey Address, and I am sure Mwenya will be providing
a delivery address for books and paper as
soon as he hears about this!

Planning & Life Skills:
Yes, that is so very valid, I'd agree, and I will bring this suggestion up when chatting with Mwenya next.

Life Skills seems to be a very very important area for development in such a tough environment and wanting to reach goals for alternatives!

Hope to be hearing from you regularly Ann!

Thanks!
Rubyana

Wed, 2006/09/13 - 17:33

http://www.booklink.org.uk/

This relates to Ethiopia,
however it is a clean example of clear communication, seems to me.

Take a look, if you have a moment,
Writers.

Blessings,
Rubyana

Sat, 2006/09/23 - 20:04

Greetings All Neighbours,

Some potential practical actions are beginning to form here ( on the Share! Thread)

Currently these look like:

-Literacy: Library and Life Skills Empowerment-

1.
Library Project:

Send Books to Garden. Anyone, you yourself,
people around you, organisations you can approach and motivate to so do.

And we see that sending also:

Pens, Pencils, Exercise Books...,

with any book parcel going out to Garden,
can also be a great help!

Mwenya has shared with his accounts of what is happening at Garden, that Garden is aware and keen to create a centre where these stay IN the centre to be used for learning and play. :o)

Garden may at some point move on to looking at sourcing some computers for the Library too.

2.
- Life skills empowerment-...is as important as any actual resources like books, pencils, or computers. This too seems apparent!

Kawawa and Ann Cowie, Neighbours have both touched on this with great contributions, (Thank You!) and I wish to suggest that this area might be explored further here....in terms of setting a useful direction where Neighbours can assist and give support to Garden Directly in this area.

Blessings,
Rubyana
Facilitator

Mon, 2006/09/25 - 10:05

Actions for a Library Project:

1. Writing Communicative copy to inform
organizations and individuals WHY sending
books to Garden is a great thing to do!

2. Finding organizations and individuals you would
Please share your ideas on these kind of Actions here.

What do you think?
How Do you wish to be Active?

Blessings,
Rubyana Arendn
Facilitator of Your Input at Garden, Nabuur

Mon, 2006/09/25 - 10:09

Question:
What are the practical goals for Garden in terms of Life Skills Empowerment?

Transforming the focus on Life Skills Empowerment into Practical Goals. How to do this?

Good Copy
on this may be a place to start. This can be done, using the contributions made here in posts and looking through the links provided on our research thread on similar centers in Africa.

Copy made from:
1. Posts
2. Links

What are your thoughts?
Please Post.

Rubyana Arendn,
Faciliator of :-x Your Input :-P Here at Garden, Nabuur. :-)

Mon, 2006/10/02 - 17:41

Hi Rubyana, hi neighbours!

I've been missing in action again, as I left town for a couple of weeks and then my last year of university began. It's been a total chaos. However, now that my schedule is more organized, I'd like to help if I can.
Concerning the library project, I've found a few websites that seem interesting to me, but I'd also like to make a contribution, together with a few friends and members of my family. Is that possible? Would that help?Maybe we can get other people to pitch in as well. I don't know how to go about it though.
Where should I send the books and pencils and other materials we collect ?

Please, take a look at the following links. Some of these organizations actually have partnerships with NGOs in Zambia. They might provide Garden with resources.

http://www.booksforafrica.org
http://www.bookaid.org
http://www.crwrc.org/development/esamt/zambia.html
http://www.internationalbookbank.org/

What do you think?

Julie