Activities 2WARdS-Europe LDC and GC De Zeyp, Ganshoren
In general
Early February 2012, three days long a small group of enthousiast people worked on the preparation of the Grundtvig 2WARdS-Europe application Lily (Zagreb), Piotr (Oleśnica Poland), Gerald (Theys, France), Maria and Ivo (Brussels).
In the weeks before more then 50 associations from all countries in Europe wrote us with the wish to become partner in this project.
We only could choose around 15 of them because the National Grundtvig agencies advised us not to make a too large partnership. The motivation letter they wrote, was an important criteria.
The small group who started the project, was convinced that they had a strong project. They were also convinced that the project could realize a real European added value: the addressed topics and the work with senior citizens in an intergenerational approach, in combination with the professionalism of the partner organizations, will lead to good results.
24 Mobilities
A mobility is a term used by the Grundtvig project administration: one mobility is one person participating for the project to a partnersmeeting abroad.
Three partners choosed for 24 mobilities: Croatia, Poland and De Zeyp, Belgium.
All the others for 12.
24 mobilities means a strong believe to involve at least 16 learners - in this project senior citizens and youngsters - in the international meetings. De Zeyp realised during the project more then 40 mobilites. Four staff members and 22 learners participated in the meetings abroad.
On the local level a lot more people were involved in the project.
Thanks to Bob Renwart, senior citizen and member of the local Fotoclub, more then 20 senior citizens participated in an afternoon session with slights on “war and peace”, prepared by Bob himself.
Around 30 people participated in a trip to Mechelen, to visit the DOSSIN KAZERNE.
250 schoolchildren from three local primary schools worked during 3 months on the topic War and Peace. They builded, guided by Ann and Sara, two artists, a “peace path” with eight small houses.
Annouk and Jokke, two young filmmakers, interviewed several senior citizens and made video films on war memories. The films were showed on the 19th of June 2014 and are on the website of the project
The following interviews were taped: Wies Vandevoorde, Elisabeth Van Vlierden, Willy Zuallaert, Micheline Bachmayer,
Music events
On Wednesday, 19 th of february 2014, the musicgroup Folgazan performed iN De Zeyp with a program on the first World War: “De groote oorlog en de kleine belg” (The big war and the tiny Belgian)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXuH4JLfgbk&feature=youtu.be )
A second concert on the topic was brought by two young classical musians on the 13th of March. Title of the project “Popies”, named to the famous flowers on the Flanders battle fields.
The Peace walking path
In the context of 100 years First World War the artists ‘ collective “Veld en Zand” worked for three months with 250 elementary school children and preschoolers.
Hundreds of tiny homemade drawings of the children led to interesting stories and conversations about war and peace. These were processed with different media and techniques to the path of peace on the Overbekelaan. In eight cabines you’ll find associative war poems, cut up letters and newspapers, individual symbols, cranes and a lot more.
The exhibition opened on the 20th of June 2014 and one week later the participants from all partner organisations can visit it during the last meeting of the project in De Zeyp.
“Finally Liberated” and “EMBRACE”
Two senior citizens, each to them famous on their own way, plaid an important role in the project 2WARdS-Europe in Ganshoren. The Flemish sculptor Koenraad Tinel and the French Speaking lawer Simon Gronowski.
Both lived as young boy the second world war on a very dramatic way: Koenraad as sun of a collaborating father. Also his elder brothers worked together with the German occupier and were guards in the Dossin Kazerne in Mechelen.
Koenraad became artist and tried his whole live to express his war memories in his artistic work, a black page in his live.
Simon was put in prison together with his mother in the Dossin Kazerne. He escaped from a transport to Auschwitz Birkenau because his mother threw him out of the train. His mother didn’t survive Auschwitz.
Koenraad and Simon met each other nearly two years ago. They became close friends and they wrote down their stories in a book ‘Finally liberated’.
On Thursday Donderdag 27 februari 2014, both came to De zeyp and more then 50 persons lissened to their live story.
Koenraad created a sculpture under the titel “EMBRACE”. Aim is to put this sculpture somewhere in Ganshoren as a monument for peace.