Youth Exchange

20th August to 1th September 2025
ZEGG Ecovillage, Germany

A special training for young people dedicated to becoming agents of positive change in the world. Are you committed to co-create a life-affirming culture based on trust, authenticity and love?

The Youth IN Change training offers you a wide range of powerful tools that support you on your quest.

Table of contents

1. General Information
2. The Training
3. Who is it for
4. What are we offering
5. When
6. The Venue
7. Cost
8. Food & Accomodation
9. Registration
10. Facilitators

GENERAL INFORMATION

“Youth IN change: yes we (c)are” is a project of “Yes to Sustainability”, an international network aiming at bringing together young people from different regions of Europe by organizing Youth Exchanges and training in various ecovillages and rural projects.

The program is mostly based on the Youth Exchange “Youth on Earth: yes we ( c )are”, which got to its fifth edition in 2023 and has not received Erasmus+ funds in 2024, despite the great success of each of the previous editions.

THE TRAINING

Youth IN Change “Yes we (c) are” is a training course addressed to people between 20 and 35 years old who wish to immerse themselves in the life of an ecovillage, learn sustainable living practices, and develop as positive change-makers.

Participants will engage in morning activities with the ZEGG community, such as gardening and kitchen support, and spend afternoons learning tools concerning self-development, group dynamics and sustainable living. The training focuses on inner work, self-exploration, sustainable interpersonal relationships (emotional process work, communication skills, exploring conditioning, authentic relationships) and facilitation skills to better hold collaborative spaces and lead community initiatives.

Moreover, the training course is recognised as “Forum basic course”, the first part of ZEGG Forum facilitator training program.

We want to invite for human diversity and open mindedness to be present in the training.

WHO IS IT FOR?

• Individuals willing to work on self-development and relationships.
• professional, or aspiring such, in the field of facilitation, education, group leaderships, community, activism and so on…
• People interested in ecovillages lifestyle.
• Small groups willing to live and work as a community.
• Change-makers who are committed to driving social and environmental transformation.

Individuals interested in becoming ZEGG Forum facilitators.

WHAT ARE WE OFFERING?

The contents of the training could be modified in progress according to the group’s needs and interests.

CONTENTS

Inner Work

• Engage in emotional process work and self-transformation.
• Embrace vulnerability and grow from the power of its disclosure .
• Gain a better understanding of our own and others’ emotions.

Communication and Relationship

• Learn and practice the ZEGG Forum technique.
• Learn to communicate your feelings, needs, desires and boundaries.
• Use healthy practices to give and receive feedback.
• Question conventional habits in relationships and learn to safely explore alternatives.

Social Awareness and Collective Healing

• Raise awareness about social conditioning.
• Address and heal collective trauma through group processes.
• Learn about ranks, power structure and political issues within groups.

Ecovillage lifestyle

• Learn about sustainable practices in community living settings.
• Experience group dynamics emerging within the group and work with them.
• Foster authentic relationships and co-create a space of trust, authenticity, love, and mutual support.

Support ZEGG community with garden, Terra Preta and kitchen experiences, working together with ZEGG members (4 hours/day in the mornings, for 8 days out of 11)

THE TOOLS

• ZEGG Forum
• Possibility Management
• Worldwork
• Playfight
• Deep Ecology
• Deep Listening
• Process Work
• Loop of Understanding (Daniel auf der Mauer)
• Wheel of Consent
• Feeling Compass
• Nature Walk
• Breath Work
• Social Permaculture
• Bodywork
• Group facilitation skills
• Conflict transformation
• Power, Rank & Privileges

WHEN

From 28th of August to 9th of September 2024

• Arrival: 28th of August, between 15:00 - 18:00
• Departure: 9th of September, in the morning

THE VENUE

ZEGG is one of the oldest ecovillages in Germany, founded in the nineties, where 110 people are living in close partnership and cooperation with the land around them and with its beings. The ZEGG is an intentional community and seminar center and sees itself as a research project exploring socially and ecologically sustainable ways of living. A particular focus is the field of human relationships, communication and the issues of love and sexuality. Their ecological work is guided by the principles of permaculture. A reason to live in a community is to get into contact with other people and most importantly with ourselves.

TERMS

• Age: Participants must be between 20 and 35 years old.
• Language: Basic English is required for participation.

Nationality: Open to individuals from all around the world.

COST

Inclusivity has always been a foundational value in our projects, which usually are funded by Erasmus+ . Therefore we want to make this training accessible as much as possible for everyone.

The ZEGG community has generously offered us a significantly reduced price for accommodation and food, helping us to make this event more affordable.
In return, participants will support the community by collaborating in the garden and in the kitchen during the mornings.

Accommodation and Food for the 11 days: 210 €

Besides, we will ask the participants to offer a conscious contribution as a fee for the course. This money will support our work as facilitators and organizers and will ensure the project's continuity, so more young people have the opportunity to learn skills that we consider essential to be agents of change. At the end of the course, we will make our finances transparent and help you navigate through your donation.

However, conscious contribution is not mandatory and everyone can decide how much to offer, according to their financial means and their appreciation of the experience. Moreover, the idea is to foster mutual support through conscious contribution: those with more financial resources can, through this system, help others to participate.

For the conscious contribution, we propose a sliding scale between 200 and 800 €.

Please consider that 650€ represents the standard price for such a course.

On top of that, we also launched a crowdfunding campaign to collect money among the people of our network who are aware of the value of our work. We appeal especially to those who have participated in the previous editions of this program and wish to give back some of the value they got from this experience, by allowing other people to benefit from it.

You can make a donation on gofundme platform

We ask the participants to pay a deposit once they receive confirmation they have been selected for the training to confirm their intention to take part in the project.

If, for any reason, the project will be canceled, the deposit will be fully returned.

FOOD & ACCOMODATION

Food

The ZEGG kitchen team is providing us with some delicious and organic vegetarian/ vegan food 3 times per day. If you have special diet needs, please write it down in the application form.

ZEGG is a drug free place. We ask you to respect it.

Accomodation

The accommodation will be simple, but pleasant: in private tents, or in a common bedroom.
If possible, please bring your own tent, as we dont have space for all in the common bedroom!
If you cannot bring your own tent, please let us know.

Please bring your sleeping bag with you. Mattresses and sheets are provided! Pillows and covers & towels can be rented for 8 €.

During the day we will be outside or in the San Diego room, the community room for our group

REGISTRATION

To apply for the training, please fill out this form. Your registration will be confirmed after completing the form.

Deadline: 28/07/2024

Contact:

Ena:

FACILITATORS

Ena Rivière Feder: Ena is a Group Facilitator trained by IIFACE, ZEGG Forum facilitator since 2018 and Somatic Experiencing Therapist. She has also been trained for 3 years in Process Work. Ena has lived in the ZEGG community for the past 7 years and facilitates & coordinates ZEGG Forum facilitation trainings. She is also a yoga and dance teacher. Her approach to dance aims to expand movement possibilities through increased body awareness. She follows the same approach in individual and group facilitation: gaining awareness of processes and patterns to transcend and transform them.

Davide Scotti: Davide is a group facilitator, philosophical practitioner and history and philosophy teacher in high school. He has been supporting the work of activist groups and he is now exploring the alternative universe of Ecovillages. In his work with groups , he aims at integrating harmoniously the inner work on emotions and the cognitive work on rationality.

Kamil Groot: Kamil is a chef in an intentional community in France, where he utilizes various personal and group tools for growth and improvement. He incorporates Playfight to foster connections and positive changes, and leads Alchemical Breathwork influenced by IFS for emotional healing. Kamil employs Processwork for conflict resolution and restorative methods for better listening and understanding. He is aiming to build a more aware, peaceful, and resilient community.

Luis Álvarez: is a Group Facilitator trained by IIFACE in Spain and is finishing the Forum ZEGG facilitation training. He works at the ZEGG Garden and leads the Terra Preta soil regenerative system. He is facilitating training about Permaculture, Terra Preta, Indigenous Regenerative Ecosystems and Decoloniality, Systems of Oppression and Hospicing Modernity.