Archive file

VIP No. 2, October 5, 1993

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Volunteers Information Pakrac

Adress:
  International volunteers working camp
  Pedagoska Skola
  4355 Pakrac, Croatia
Fax & Phone:
  00385 46 84 007 (Mark "Volunteers camp")

a) Situation Report
-------------------

The situation is still tense but calm. Because the UN security council
puts off the decision about the UNPROFOR-mandate from one day to the
next, nobody knows if and how long UNPROFOR will stay. So both sides
are
playing their power-game and provoke incidents. Even the students in
the school next to the local UN-post are used for that. They have to
fortify their school with sandbags, more to impress the blue-helmets
then to protect themselves.
The most people here believe, that UNPROFOR has to leave the country
soon because all the newspapers wrote about that. We think that they
will stay at least for the next weeks. A session of the security
council will be today and we hope that they will agree on a final,
positive decision.


b) Volunteers Activities
------------------------

1. Reconstruction & Support:

- Collecting Wood
Because winter comes soon, the secondary school had to refill its
stock of wood for heating. The volunteers helped to collect the
freigth for about 15 trucks of wood.

- Reconstruction
As usual, the volunteers worked with the local work groups on
different places in and around Pakrac.

- Preparation of our new house
Because the weather starts to be more and more wet, we painted the
window-frames to protect them. The floor in the kitchen is now OK,
and we started to clean this room and the dining-room. The next
important thing will be to get at least 8 to 10 bunk beds for the
sleeping rooms.

2. Social Activities:

- Seminar for nonviolent conflict resolution
On 30th September to 2nd October, a seminar for teachers and other
Pakrac people involved in working with young people was held. It was
adventurous for local people to attend the seminar as both the content
and the workshop style were totally new to Pakrac. The seminar was
very participative and introduced nonviolent communication; Looked at
cooperative and competitive ways of learning; Used interactive games
to develop a positive self image; Showed how to facilitate exercises;
Groups that develop self confidence, creativity, understanding and
enthusiasm. The participants said that they felt it had been very
valuable and enjoyable.
Many of the staff of UNOV, the peace centre in Zagreb and foreign
volunteers cooperated with local people and schools to make the
seminar happen.

- English lessons
Our english lessons are still very beloved. Beginner courses are every
Monday and every Thursday. Conversation courses for the advanced
people
are on Tuesdays and on Fridays. Because our famous teachers from
Scotland
have left today, Gauthier (Belgium) and Mat (New volunteer from
England, also
specalist for Bunk beds) are now in charge for the lessons.

- Games with the children
To continue with our games for the children we need a room because
the days are getting very short and cold. We need also some games for
playing inside.

3. Volunteers radio:

As every week on Thursday the volunteers have their own program
from 17 o`clock till 18 o`clock on radio Daruvar. The last program
was used to introduce new volunteers and to to interview some "old"
volunteers about their being here and their impressions from Pakrac.

4. Ideas, Plans and Projects:

- Fashion show
The fashion show will be definitly next Saturday the 9th of October in
the cafe-bar Papiga in Pakrac. Two male volunteers will also be models
for
the show together with Ana. Some of the volunteers will take part at
the program like playing guitar and singing. Ana has already an offer
for the organization of another fashion-show for a local boutique.
(Good luck, crazy Croatian !)

- Computer course
We will start a computer course once per week, where the people
can learn the basics for text-editing and layout. At the moment
we are looking for computer equipment because ther is still a lack of
hard- and software in the school.

- Children`s playground
We just got the first materials to rebuild the children`s playground,
so we can start this week.


c) Letters and Donations we got
-------------------------------

Thanks to Nick, Leire, Douglas and Roland for their letters, messages
and
drawings.


d) List of Needs
----------------

- Games for playing inside with children
- Water color & brushes
- English teaching books
- Language teaching games
- Balls
- Badminton Games
- Tools to repair bikes
- Replacement parts for the bikes
- More bikes
- Insulation material for the attic in the new house
- Washing machine
- Bunk beds
- Towels
- Knifes, forks & spoons
- MS-DOS Computer for our office

Money donations are always welcome !


             "Home is, where my beer is !"

          The Pakrac volunteers, 5.10.1993