Grace Cunningham (AFS Australia student in Reconquista 2008/09) having mates with the Sydney Opera House in the background. AFS in Reconquista E-mail: [email protected]1544-4471 Number 2, February 2011 Digital News ‘All men are made of the same clay, but not with the same mould’. Mexican Proverb AFS Reconquista Local Chapter Connecting lives, Sharing Cultures
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Grace Cunningham (AFS Australia student in Reconquista 2008/09) having mates with the Sydney Opera House in the background.
‘All men are made of the same clay, but not with the same mould’.
Mexican Proverb
AFS Reconquista Local Chapter
Connecting lives, Sharing Cultures
Page 2
Colonia Valdense, UruguayFrom February, 3 to 6
I° Volunteer Camp of the AFS Southern Cone Region.
AFS Southern Cone Region is the formal occasional melting of AFS Argentina & Uruguay, AFS Brazil, AFS Bolivia, AFS Chile and AFS Paraguay, with the objective of strengthening regional bonds, maximizing the work as a network and forming/training volunteers from the region regarding contents, thus achieving a better quality programme AFS offers around the world.
With this goal in mind and oriented by AFS Southern Cone Region, the 1° Volunteer Camp of the AFS Southern Cone Region: FORMIVATE was born. It was suggested by volunteers to generate a common place where they could gather, be trained and be motivated to face the new challenges the organisation faces everyday. This was a Camp for Active Volunteers and for all those people who feel identified with the AFS Mission, and who wanted to grow and motivate themselves at the same time.
During the camp, and surrounded by a friendly atmosphere, the participants had the chance to attend different training sessions and cohesive, integrating and fun activities, adapted to the group dynamics and diversity that our organization has (age, gender, origin, experience, knowledge, skills, interests, etc.).
A total of 50 participants from the Southern Cone Region and 2 special guests from Mexico attended the meeting.
A group of 8 volunteers were in charge of the 16 training sessions. They trained their fellow volunteers in: Intercultural Communication, Intercultural Learning, Leadership, Government and Intercultural Conflict Management, among other topics.
Connecting lives, Sharing Cultures
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Host Familiy OrientationOn Friday, 11th February 2011, the Host Family Orientation took place. It was
for those families who will be receiving an AFS child in February. 27th .
They are: the Moschen-Vogel family, the Rambaldo-Amarillafamily, and the Fenoglio-Morzán family.The Orientation AFS provides the families with helps them to live the experience. Theory about Intercultural Learning is given, as well as practical tips, the AFS rules, and direct counselling of how to react with an AFS child or sibling who is a teenager from another culture. In the Orientation, the families clarify their doubts and common concerns. AFS gives them theoretical and practical ideas of how to live the experience the are starting. The concepts of Culture, Cultural Differences, the Experience Cycle, Intercultural Communication, Ethnocentrism and Ethnorelativism were first introduced. The family
was also warned about the role the student has in the host School, within the family and the community.
The Orientation is also aimed to help the different families get to know each other, as well as meeting the AFS volunteers who will be working with them hand in hand and as a team. Our intention as volunteers is to help the young student to adapt to our culture at the same time the family adapts to the new family member and integrates him/her.
In this sense, AFS assigns one volunteer per family/student to be a guide and counsellor during the whole experience.
Connecting lives, Sharing Cultures
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On February, 18th AFS Reconquista Local Chapter Volunteers gathered for the first time in the year to plan in this
formal meeting the actions for 2011.
The new Strategic Plan for the 2011 local and
national activities were revised. Dates, objectives
and the responsible people to accomplish them
were agreed.
New projects and initiatives were discussed. All of
them with the aim of helping Host Families,
Students and Host Schools to profit from the
Intercultural Experience they are all living.
After the formal meeting, the volunteers had a
friendly dinner. After all, we are just friends who
share our lives and dreams, as well as the AFS
Mission and the organisation we work for! AFS Reconquista Volunteers,