Come journey & learn along the Danube!
“Dear Doris, maybe you are interested in our project …”, Mails like the one from Helene are not always getting into my mailbox. If so, then I should pay attention to them, that´s what I have learned in the past.
Hello, here I am! After some days in Werfenweng, I threw my backpack into the corner. No time for unpacking or leaving it at home – I came directly from the train. And here they were. 20 pairs of eyes, nineteen of them unknown to me. So, that´s how a group of “enthusiastic people” look like, “who want to initiate sustainable development in the Danube area” and who invited me to their first meeting in Vienna.
The mutual staring did not last long, neither the silence. Immediately, they started to talk again, sharing ideas – there is a lot to do. Maybe too much. Unfortunately, I missed the introduction of this group of interested people and “usual suspects” of the alternative scene in Vienna. But bit by bit, the puzzle stones put themselves together: Helene and currently 4 – 5 more people want to journey along the whole Danube region from the Black forest to the Black sea between March and October 2013. Walking, riding a bike, and even by boat – or to put it differently: 14 countries and 3.000 kilometers in 6 months. And everyone, who wants is invited to join – for a couple of days, weeks or maybe even months. (Me, me, me!!!!)
But it´s not only about being on the road and getting to know each other. The group around the German Johannes, who – with his ThinkCamp nonprofit co-operative - is playing a major part, wants to foster bottom up projects and initiatives to deliver sustainable development in many areas. It´s a learning journey, with the goal to network and benefit from each other.
They handed out a leaflet. Words were lashing down on me: Clouds, forums, triz, streams and many more. What?! At the moment, they are building an online-platform, a cloud to share and learn from each other, to connect and discuss with interested people and experts in the field. Moreover, they want to regularly blog from their journey. Another plan is not only to connect virtually, but also physically: At each stop of the trip – from Zurich to the Ukraine – a conference will take place. A meeting, a festival, a connection, a forum for about 200 – 300 people, to present their sustainable projects, to exchange know-how and to link ideas.
“During this learning journey through 14 countries we share our ideas, brains, heart, soul and energy with other like-minded people.” (folder of the project)
3th of April Augsburg, 19th of April Regensburg, 9th of May Melk. Dates and locations for the conferences are determined till Budapest. In Vienna, the meeting will take place on the 24th and 25th of May in Seestadt Aspern. Great, there could not be a better place for a sustainable meeting like that than the biggest city development project of Vienna, where the community of contrasts – of young and old, rich and poor,.. – is already a reality! Date, location – check. But not the program: Due to the location, the meeting in Vienna is going to focus on sustainable living. What else? To create more content, that´s one of the challenges – of US, this colorful crowd. Me included!
Furthermore, that´s the challenge for all the other stops along the “Danube journey”: Every region has its own regional team responsible for the meetings. Luckily, they don´t have to invent something new everywhere. For example, there are talks with the SLAMA Festivals in Croatia, to join this sustainable festival for “creative consciousness” and establish a forum there. It´s a “coincidence”, that Helene and the others will be in Croatia exactly around the time of the SLAMA Festival.
The project needs “coincidences” like this – as well as interested, encouraged and curious people, who want to join the journey, participate at the meet ups, work in the regional team, blog during the walk itself, know sustainable initiatives along the way or “just” want to spread the word. So, come and be part of the journey!
Everyone who is interested, get in touch at the platform or join the group.
