Join hands, move together, change the world

At the Village, respect is the standard of all interactions.  There are plenty of differences- differences in religion, language, economic background and culture.  The glue is - each person knows that  the future requires cooperation, that we must develop the ability to listen and accept different points of view, that courageous action is possible, and a sense of humor always helps. At GYV, your voice is heard and your perspective is appreciated.  Most importantly you really experience how one person can positively affect a community.  You will develop lifelong perspectives and friends.  Alumni circle the globe and help each other out. Join a GLOBAL Network.

Other Posts:

Letter from the Founder

Dani – a cook with a mission

Dani, a head cook on the Legacy food service team, has a great outlook on life.   Her motto is “Saving the World One Bite at a Time”.  At GYV she loves to create delicious vegetarian meals for breakfast and lunch.  All the food is fresh!  She makes home baked bread which is amazing.  If you are used to eating meat once or twice a day, you hardly miss it. Dani is also a remarkable woman. She spent the last 3½ years as a cook on a reproduction of the Amistad.  They sailed the triangular slave route, traveling from, New Haven, Ct., Nova Scotia, Falmouth, Liverpool, Bristol, London, Libson, Canary Island, Freetown, Sierra Leone, Cape Verde, Barbados, St. Croix, Charleston, SC, returning to New Haven, CT.  The crew educated people about the Amistad experience and the slave trade.  Did you know that a letter written by a 12 year old convinced John Adams to defend the Africans aboard the Amistad in front of the US Supreme Court in 1841?  This was the first civil rights case to be tried in the US and 7 of the 9 judges were slave owners.

Artist Badly Bitten by the Travel Bug

Name: Rebecca Maynard

Nationality: Australian

GYV Staff during: Camp counselor – 1994 and Workshop Instructor 1999 (Crossing Cultures Through the Arts)

Education: BA & MA in Fine Arts, University of South Wales, Sydney Australia, Graduate Diploma in Visual Arts Education, University of Wollongong Australia

Most Interesting Country Visited: I think I have to say Indonesia. With 17,500 islands across the archipelago it’s a place that could have you exploring for the rest of your life (and never finish). Each island has a unique culture, which makes it so interesting. I lived in Jakarta for 5 years so I was really fortunate to get to explore quite a lot. From the worlds most populated island of Java, with its amazing volcanoes, sacred Buddhist, Hindu and Moslem sites, remote national parks with endangered animals – its just amazing. Bali is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Flores has water so thick with fish and strange Komodo dragons and ancient tribal culture. Trekking in Papua makes you feel like you have gone back in time. And Sumatra has the thickest rainforest I have ever seen where you can sit and watch orangutans at play. The greatest aspect of Indonesia though is its people. They are the kindest, most humble and lovely people – I’ll always go back.

Favorite GYV Memory:
Anything and everything that opened your eyes to the world! Working at the GYV was a very profound experience in that it forced you to question stereotypes and prejudices and was ultimately a unique personal learning experience. Hearing people’s stories, sharing cultures, walking the ‘hill’, camping under the stars, being creative, relying on each other, making lifelong friendships, being silly and just having fun – this is how I remember my time there under those huge beautiful trees.

Biography:
I grew up and studied in Australia. My mum, an outback country girl, taught my sister and I cool things like how to catch chickens and ride horses. My Dad, and Englishman who traveled the world for 20 years as a sailor, told us magical stories of adventures in far away lands. From the minute I finished my formal education at university, I was itching to set off on my own adventurous journey. GYV was my first stop. Since leaving GYV back in 1994 I was badly bitten by the travel bug and have continued to explore the world ever since.

Originally trained as an artist, I set up a gallery in London, where I exhibited my own work as well as the work of other emerging artists. During this time I also coordinated the volunteer program for Amnesty International in the UK and worked for other non-governmental organizations. Later, a trip to visit my sister in Taipei inspired me to become an art teacher in international schools. My last teaching position was in Jakarta, Indonesia, which is where I met my husband, Nor Azman Hamid. We now live in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. I have returned to making art and have just completed a series of work, which will be exhibited in galleries in Dubai and Singapore. My artwork is about my travels through life – my physical migration between lands and cultures, and my intellectual and spiritual journey.

Tips for Starting an Organic Garden

Tom Taylor has been the master gardener at GYV for the past 20 years. He often invites GYV youth to join him in the gardens for community service and is a featured guest speaker in the Green Your World Workshop.  Right now we have lettuce, arugula, parsley, and green onions ready to eat.  If you’ve been trying to eat more organic foods, both to decrease the amount of pesticides you and your family consume, and to help protect the environment from overloading with toxic chemicals, you know it can be expensive. Here are some tips on starting your own garden.   Luckily, there’s a way to grow your own delicious, fresh produce, while having fun and learning at the same time: organic gardening!

Go to http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/organic-gardening-tips-460309  to get some tips on starting an organic garden.