European Volunteer Service (EVS)

Around one year ago I was newly arrived at Padova, on the northeastern part of Italy, a 40 minute ride from Venezia. I was going to spend nine months in that universitary city due to the European Volunteer Service (EVS).

EVS was created by the European Union under the programme Youth In Action. It’ directed to young people aged 15-30. Short-term and long-term programs are available in a broad and varied areas ranging from Events Organization to Human Resources. The program is mainly directed to projects within Europe, but may also be extended to countries like Uruguay, Brasil, Peru, just to name some.

Benefits like health insurance, round-trip for and to your home, accomodation, pocket money, training before, during and after the program are available to the volunteer. And last but not least, a mentor to support you facing the new adventure.

There are also other reasons behind the choice to do a SVE, and they do vary substantially from volunteer to volunteer: some want to clear their minds before deciding what better to study at the university; others want to try different areas to work in or a shift on their careers; to work in an NGO; to have an experience abroad and learn or improve a different language or set of skills; and the list goes on.

So, you may ask who to contact in your country or region in order to ask for more information and to candidate to a given program. These are called the sending and host organizations, which organize all that is needed for a good developing of the volunteering. Sometimes positions are advertised on newspapers and on the organizations sites.  Click here to learn more about it.

Differently than other programs, no fees are required from you. The EVS is totally free and where money is asked – to pay for trip, for example – it shall be returned to you.

My reasons to do a EVS were mainly connected to learn and develop new skills and to expand my comfort zone. Altough I lived before in Italy, I felt nervous and anxious before getting there. My mind was full of doubts of wheter was that a good decision. Despite that I dived into a new adventure and got at the end of that great experience stronger than before.

Do you dare?

Sul Sousa

“It’s like saving sex for old-age”

It’s with great pleasure that I have before my eyes a book that has changed a lot of old ideas I had about success. I’ve already read it twice in the last two years and I have the feeling I’ll read it again. Yes, it’s that greaaat. It’s one of my Bibles.
How do you see success? Is it defined on your own terms or it depends on an external definition? What is a meaningful life according to your values? Are you leading a life that suits your innermost feelings of what’s right for you or you just go with the societal flow?
Success Built To Last: Creating A Life That Matters was written by Jerry Porras, Stewart Emery and Mark Thompson based on the results of their activity and interviews to a lot of persons that have reached and maintained a long-lasting success.
Behind a success built to last there’s essentially an alignment of three crucial elements: Meaning, Thought and Action. Know and follow your passions and what is meaningful for you, support it with according toughts (and resilience) and act based on that.
Do what really matters now! Waiting to do what you love for later: “it’s like saving sex for old-age”, says Warren Buffet.

Sul Sousa

Intentional Communities (IC)

While studying sociology at the University, I had this urge to know more about the hippy movement.

After a few readings, greater understanding of the subject and distress for the life I was leading, I felt I had to make my move and experiment a different lifestyle. 2006 was the year when my life took a radical change, after I went to Spain to live in one Intentional Community (IC), in Ibiza, the first place where I’ve experienced a lifestyle closer to what the Green movement stands for.

The reasons behind the foundation of an IC (city or rural) may be linked to different reasons and there are very different kinds of IC. That’s what you’re going to discover on IC.org

Sul Sousa 

E-bookworm?

Are you a modern bookworm? 

Can't live without reading a good e-book?

Would you like to meet another people like you?

Scribd.com is the place for you!!! In here you can download a lot of good material, books, magazines, papers, any other kind of documents.

Do you have your own material to upload? Welcome to the club!!

"Oh captain, my captain!" 

Sul Sousa

Idealist

I want to present you Idealist or Idealistas.

It is an interactive site where people and organizations can exchange resources and ideas.

You can find jobs, volunteer opportunities, internships, programs, events and campaigns from all over the world.

If you're searching for a particular job, for example, you can receive email alerts everytime a match is posted, so you don't have to visit the site everyday in order to search for opportunities.

Enjoy it. 

Sul Sousa

A seed in my hand

I’ve got a seed in my hand.

You’ve got a seed in your hand.

Seriously!

What will you do with it?

I’ll post my findings about what I think are good ideas and projects to make this a better world.

Thanks for your time reading this. 

Sul Sousa