Transnational meetings

During this ReTHINK-project, each partner will organise at least 12 international mobilities: international exchanges / visits to the other partners.

Berlin, 2008 October

Since the proposed Polish partner did not get the grant to join the Learning Partnership “Rethink …”, we had to rearrange things.

The Berlin partner was so kind to host us and organized the kick-off meeting.

For the kick-off meeting in Berlin, from Saturday 11.10.2008 until Tuesday 14.10.2008, the three partners sent a staff-member to plan / re-plan the project in order to get a great learning experience.

Berlin, 2010 February

Berlin’ faces & traces 2010

Programme tansnational meeting 10th-13th February 2010 : see the attachment for the programme

All the time: Some of every group are requested to take pictures from Berlin – regarding Plurality and Nation (or: unity, diversity, identity, community, public spirit or/and its opposites …) and seen with own’s eyes.

Welcome to Berlin!

A quick glimpse at the first evening, at Gönüls place :

Thursday started in the cold outdoors, ended warm inside ...

To be continued ...

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Berlin' faces & traces - programme 02 2010.pdf	15.18 KB

Karel’s report on Berlin february 2010

I have waited long, too long maybe. But then again it could be a way to tell something on the events which survive the details. Strangely – for a photographer – these remembered event many times don’t go accompanied by images.

1 First of all there is my project with Vivian. Not so strange maybe, because this is a real collaboration, an engagement, and, I hope, a friendship who will survive the period of the Rethinkit project.

The whole morning talking about what works in what we did, what does not, and what could make it work. So Vivian suggested new changes to images which did not satisfy entirely. She also proposed to introduce a new item in our work: her collection of small portraits from the first part of the 20th century. Because of the tonality which she thinks is very much like the tonality of my Vandyke Browns. We also did the pre-selection of the work we want to expose together, in June in Forssa.

2 I remember our visits to several galleries in different parts of Berlin, which showed an impressive variety in contemporary art.

The biggest surprise though was an unexpected exhibition of Soviet communist ‘realistic’ art: an impressive collection of very big paintings offered to interested (capitalist) buyers. Personally it remembered me of the pavilion of the Soviet Union in Brussels in 1958.

In the Museum of contemporary art (?), we discussed about four or five gigantic images, which at first view looked like photographs but then resulted being meticulous paintings reproducing photographs (with even it small imperfection like dust on the glass negative).

We saw classics of the 20th century in the Hamburger Bahnhof Museum. We found also galleries with ‘gotic-like’ art, immense spaces with a few small works, we visited the 4 stock building with alternative art…

3 I recall Dagmar explaining Berlin history and architecture in the freezing cold but with great enthousiasm. I also recall her inviting us to a roleplay, convincing us (me, in particular) to participate. As Dagmar did, the other Berliners showed equal hospitality and openness.

4 I learned a lot during our visit to the office of the “Verband Ethnischer Oekonomie” where Gönül and her colleague convinced us of the important role immigrants and theirs descendants play in the Berlin economy.

5 I appreciated the friendship of both Finnish and Berlin participants, and the company of my Flemish friends.

6 I even liked the cold, the snow. But maybe it’s more accurate to say that I liked to see Berlin under this heavy cold and with snow changing every cityscape.

Karel

Frank & Berlin

Onze trip naar Berlijn begon met een afgelast vliegtuig en de zoektocht naar een andere manier om er te geraken. Ik stond versteld over het grote prijsverschil dat er is tussen de verschillende transportmodie.

Eens in Berlijn een halve dag te laat bleek dat de HOTPOT nog niet geconsumeerd was en het dus opviel dat we onze ingredienten, die we ter plaats wilden verwerven, niet bij hadden. Het was een hartelijk weerzien van de mensen die we reeds kenden en een schuchtere kennismaking met de rest.

Na een nachmutsje en een dutje waren we klaar voor een vol programma van rondleidingen, bezichtigingen en praatgroepen die interessant zijn maar nogal veel tijd in beslag nemen en door het koude weer kom je ook niet in gesprek met iemand onderweg. De avonden waren des te interessanter waar bij het nuttigen van een drankje een goed gesprek vanzelf kwam.

Ik heb weer nieuwe vrienden gemaakt en geleerd dat we meer op elkaar lijken dan dat er verschil is, dat Europa een smeltkroes van mensen en ideeën is en dat dat onze echte rijkdom is die we moeten koesteren. Als ik mijn enkel niet verstuikt had zou ik nog meer kunst gezien hebben maar dit is ook een rede om nog eens terug te gaan en ik weet dat ik bij vrienden terecht kan.

De terugreis ging zoals gepland.

Tjen Berlin drawings

The story begins ... wait a minute ( or a bit longer ) and you'll discoevr my Rethink Berlin Drawings.

Come back next week, please ...?

Berlin Faces & Traces in pics

Since there was not enough time to show and talk about the photo's you all made in Berlin, we suggest that everyone uploads 3 photo's according to the 'Rethink it - theme'. At a bit of comment - why you choose these ...

You can simply do it by making a new page on your blog or ... just give it a try.

If it doesn't succeed, sent the 3 photo's to herwig.art27@yahoo.com (don't paste them in a word document or pdf or mail ! ) Sent them as a .jpeg and live will be much easier over here ....

Good luck!

Three pictures from my mind taken in Berlin

imagebrowser image Control - words / Kontrolle - Worte /

Controle - woorden / Valvonta sanojen voimalla
MUURI Control - The wall / Kontrolle - die Mauer / Controle - de muur

Valvonta muureja rakentamalla

imagebrowser image Control - fear / Kontrolle - eine Furcht /

Controle - een angst / Valvonta pelon avulla

Forssa, 2008 November

First Forssa meeting 2008.11.26 – 2008.11.29

Arriving on the airport in Helsinki, I felt like landing in a winter postcard, overlooking al this beautiful white wideness. Outside the airport, reality came back: cold, dark grey afternoon, slippery roads.

Fortunately, Eliisa organised a safe trip to Forsa by car. During the trip, we talked about the wideness, the forest, how it used to be and about “change”.

First stop: a bride shining roadhouse, refill for cars and human stomachs.

Second stop: a nice hotel in Forssa … nobody there, but we had received the key. Install, make you feel at home … Appointment at 6 pm for a first “tour” in Forssa.

Walking from the hotel to the educational centre of Forssa Opisto was really like walking in a postcard; snow, white, a river, old buildings, yellow lights, … Almost nobody out there … Where is everyone?

First visit to the Forssa Opisto buildings.

In the educational centre, we did a tour in arts and craft classes. Amazing how many people are ‘learning’ there, in their own chosen way …

And the we met the English language group. I gave the students a short introduction on Belgium.

And than the questions came … interesting, how you try to explain such complicate political and historical issues in a few minutes.

This was the right time to ask for the support pf these students for our EU-project; Eliisa got a list of names of possible ‘translators’ for the next meeting in February 2009.

They were really curious what this all is about … and what’s going to happen then.

Last stop for the day: a restaurant … time to feed the hungry, less the thirsty and talk things over. Enough stuff to think about, back in the hotel room.

( N.B.: very interesting window system. Definitely no Ikea. Typical Finnish? )

Meeting with the elderly people who join the project.

In the morning, there wasn’t any noise at all, as the snow silenced everything.

The nice little “Khafee” on the corner, served tasteful coffee and brilliant sweet cookies. I like the live in a postcard…

At 10 am we are expected at “TYYKIHOVI – Eteláinen Puistokatu” . I wonder how I ‘m going to pronounce this if I have to ask the way …

But, no worries. The ‘snowmap’ Eliisa dwew llast evening, brings me via a beautiful contemporary building ( the swimming pool ) to this ‘Tyykihovi’-place.

People with a lot of live experiences, take place in the meeting room. After a short introduction, everyone tells a resume of her / his live.

Waauw! This is just an introduction … the real “Live story –meeting” in February must be very interesting.

After a box of Belgium Fairtrade chocolates, the questions about Belgium didn’t stop: how big is Belgium, what about the political situation, language troubles, Bruxelles and how was it during WWII … ?

Saying good bye, was saying see you in February … They gave me some interesting books on Finnish / Suomi traditions and suggestions of what we really have to read to understand …

The Library and the museum.

In the Library we met a very interesting librarian, Pertii Munck. An art loving man with hundred ideas, open to new input, but with a strong commitment to the Finnish / Suomi traditions …

The quick visit to the museum, was like entering some pages of the cartoon book I received at noon… Again a very warm welcome.

Beautiful restored building, with a collection of heritage things with stories to tell. This can be a place to make an exhibition on our project … Old and new coming together for the future.

The world of Niilo Penttilä.

In the afternoon, we met in the house of Niilo Penttilä, who also take part in the ‘Live-story group”.

We can all learn a lot from this man, who is slightly obsessed by the culture of the Indians of North America.

He travelled the world as a sailor, eyes and ears open.

His house a kind of museum of his live, with books, fantastic dairies and a lot of drawings and paintings that he made himself.

Quietly we look and discus in an open and friendly atmosphere and in all modesty Niilo tells part of his stories and vision of live and nature.

The writing group.

In the evening we’re welcome in the writing group of Forssa Opisto. The participants wrote about typical Suomi feeling … what does it mean to be Finnish? ( and how to explain a Belgian ? )

Interesting ladies, self conscious and open minded … with a pride Suomi feeling that I like to discover more. Maybe we can do something together with some artists in Belgium …

Official meetings.

An international meeting isn’t complete without visiting some official buildings and more important, the people who try to make the place more lively.

The Staff meeting in Forssa Opisto was inspiring, but of course a lack of time broke some starting dialogues.

These teachers give the best of themselves, and the learners appreciate that. In February we will meet again, with a bigger group.

Riikimaki.

In the evening, we were expected in Riikimaki, another Finnish city – totally different from Forssa.

I don’t have the postcard feeling anymore, although the streets trough the forests and some small place, where wonderful.

A group of art students have their last meeting today, with a discussion about the art experiment of some of the students and the preparation of their presentation show tomorrow.

A very dynamic group, with different characters.

Thanks for the warm welcome and the enthusiastic reactions. The “Live story group”, assisted by the translators of the English group will surely make a strong experience in February.

Meanwhile, we have enough material to think, discuss and rethink in the Belgium Art 27 project group.

Forssa, 2009 February

Anna : Menschliche Ebenen – Eindrücke einer Begegnung in Forssa

Bericht von Anna Winowska, Teilnehmerin des GRUNDTVIG Projektes im Rahmen einer Erwachsenenbildung der Europäischen Kommission

Finnland, 11.-14.02.2009, meine allererste Begegnung mit diesem, mir unbekannten Land, seiner Geschichte und Kultur.

Ich war Teil eines Reisekollektivs, das am 11.02.09 von Berlin nach Helsinki flog. Dort haben wir, d.h. insgesamt drei Gruppen aus Deutschland, Belgien und Finnland an der Werkstatt zum Thema „Pluralität und Nation“ teilgenommen. Unsere Zielstation war Forssa, eine mittelgroße Stadt im finnischen Inland, unweit Helsinkis, wo sich mehrere Nationalitäten bzw. national-kollektive Identitäten begegneten, und zwar Deutsche (sowohl ehemalige ‚Wessis‘ wie auch ‚Ossis‘, also Bürger der ehemaligen BRD und DDR), in Deutschland lebende Polen sowie Karelier aus Finnland wie auch Flamen und Wallonen aus Belgien.

Man lebt irgendwo in Europa und denkt sich, dass dort, wo man eben lebt, wohnt und arbeitet, auch das absolute Zentrum der Welt sein müsse, und dass es nicht unbedingt mehr kennen zu lernen, zu erforschen und zu wissen gäbe. Ich zumindest empfand es lange Zeit so, und zwar in dem Sinne, dass ich mir nicht recht vorstellen konnte oder wollte, dass es woanders so viel Erfahrenswertes oder sogar Vorbildliches für mich geben könne, denn nur das, was man kennt und mit den eigenen Augen wahrnehmen kann, hält man irgendwie für relevant, wenn nicht für echt. Aber weit gefehlt...

Denn natürlich gibt es andere Lebens- und Gemeinschaftsformen, sogar sehr bereichernde und wertvolle, die noch dazu gar nicht so weit weg sind von dem Ort, an dem man tagein, tagaus lebt, wohnt und arbeitet.

So erging es mir also auf dieser Bildungsreise, als sich mir plötzlich dieses mir zuvor unbekannt Finnland vorstellte! Ein Land, in dem man Bücher, Poesie und Literatur liebt, liest und sehr wertschätzt. Eine Kultur, die die musikalische Entwicklung und Bildung all ihrer Mitglieder für selbstverständlich betrachtet und sie dementsprechend fördert!

Ich konnte bspw. spontan am zweiten Tag unseres Forssa Besuches in einer Musikschule ein kleines Konzert besuchen, zu dem ich und meine Begleitperson, Barbara, von einer Musiklehrerin eingeladen wurden.

Ein paar Schüler spielten von ihnen zuvor vorbereitete Stücke vor. Die Atmosphäre im Konzertraum war herrlich. Man genoss einfach die Musik, konnte sie in einer sehr entspannten Atmosphäre gleichsam hautnah erleben.

Finnland ist unumstritten für seine Saunakultur bekannt. Das ist auch richtig. Die Begegnungen in der Sauna sind in der Tat besonderer Art. Man tritt in eine Gemeinschaft ein, die einen als Gleichen willkommen heißt, man ist sofort entspannt und empfindet eine angenehme Wärme. Was will man mehr!? Doch mir ist aufgefallen, dass die Finnen zudem und überhaupt unglaublich gastfreundlich und herzlich sind. So ist denn meine vorurteilsbehaftete Vorstellung, was ich denn alles von anderen Nationen und Nationalitäten lernen könnte, sehr schnell und gründlich wackelig geworden. Jedoch darf ich anfügen, dass auch wir, die Polen, sehr für unsere Gastfreundlichkeit und -herzlichkeit bekannt sind! Gleichwohl geht es hier um die finnische Kultur und meine Erfahrungen und Erlebnisse in ihrem Land, weshalb ich Vorangegangenes angeführt habe, um anzuzeigen, dass bereits hier eines meiner stereotypen Vorstellungsbilder abgebaut wurde.

Wer und was sind wir eigentlich, was unterscheidet uns, was verbindet uns: Finnen, Polen, Russen, Deutsche, schwedische Finnen oder finnische Schweden, deutsche Polen, deutsche Deutsche? Sind all die vielen Punkte, von denen wir meinen, dass sie uns so unterschiedlich machen, letzten Endes nicht vielleicht nur unsere eigenen Schimären, Hirngespinste?

Das können wir solange nicht erfahren, solange wir nicht auf einer menschlichen Ebene aufeinander stoßen, gestoßen werden.

Zu einer multinationalen Werkstatt, die auf Interaktionen im größeren Umfang basiert, gehören grundsätzlich Begegnungen wie die hier besprochene, gehören das Zusammensein, einander Zuhören und vor allem der Gedankenaustausch. Es muss noch nicht einmal eine gemeinsam gestaltete Schneefigur sein. Es geht m.E. gar nicht so sehr um ein Projekt, das von A bis Z perfekt durchgeführt wird, sondern viel mehr um ein Gefühl von Gemeinschaft, das sich während so einer Werkstatt herstellt und gerade auch mit Meinungs- und Gewöhnungsverschiedenheiten einhergeht und verbunden ist. Umso besser! Erst so ein Aushandeln und Verhandeln von Diskrepanzen zwischen den verschiedenen Gruppen fordert und fördert eine interkulturelle Sensibilität und zwingt, sich kritisch-produktive Gedanken über mich selbst wie auch den anderen, den vormals Fremden zu machen. Fragen stellen sich dann ein, was bin ich eigentlich für und in der Gemeinschaft? Wo gibt es Grenzen? Warum entstehen sie überhaupt? Vielleicht gibt es sie überhaupt nicht! Muss es Gesetze und Grenzen geben? Können wir selbstverantwortlich funktionieren?

Ist es nicht so, dass die Menschen überall grundsätzlich gleich sind? Weil wir alle im Frieden leben und das Leben genießen wollen? Müssen wir es uns selbst und vor allem im Miteinander des gemeinsamen‚ europäischen Hauses oftmals so schwer machen?

Die Reise nach Finnland hat mir vieles vor Augen geführt, hat mich zu Einsichten gebracht, deren Grundtenor lautet: uns allen scheint die gleiche Sonne und der gleiche Mond…

Barbara : Polyglott und sozial: Impressionen einer Reise nach Finnland

Finnland im Februar – viel zu kalt, sagten mir Freunde, als ich von meiner bevorstehenden Reise erzählte. Und tatsächlich ist, oder war? der Februar der kälteste Monat dort.

Als wir ankamen – Sonne und Schnee. Nicht viel, aber mehr, als bei uns. Die Kälte: trocken und erträglich. Eis auf Straßen und Gehwegen, es schien nicht geräumt worden zu sein, an einigen Stellen war mit Split gestreut. ´Spikereifen sind ein Muss hier´, sagt unser finnischer Cicerone, als ich ihn nach dem metallischen Klang der fahrenden Autos frage.

Inzwischen ist die Sonne weg, trübes Wetter, wie bei uns. In Finnland, hört man, ist die Selbstmordrate enorm hoch, besonders im Winter – auch wenn alle, die man fragt beteuern, es sei gar nicht so dunkel, es liege ja Schnee. Diese fast wörtliche Übereinstimmung klingt wie Beschwörung, rituelle Abwehr und bestätigt nur die Statistik.

Ich lese, die Finnen kämpfen um ein gutes Image in Europa.

Bei meinem ersten Besuch Mitte der 70er Jahre schockierten die grauen Gestalten in den öffentlichen Parks, bettelnd, betrunken – der Alkohol als nationales Trauma nach der Prohibition. Unbezahlbar und doch allgegenwärtig. Das Monopol hatte der Staat.

Das ist auch heute noch so, aber Finnen sind nicht mehr nach dem 3. Schnaps betrunken und singen laut oder spielen leise Klavier. Sie trinken nicht mehr. Oder vielleicht besser: sie tun es nicht mehr öffentlich. Es gibt dünnes Bier mit wenig Alkohol und Hausbier ganz ohne. Das wird offensichtlich akzeptiert. Hochprozentiges oder Edleres findet man in speziellen Läden.

Uns wird bewusst, dass wir in einem polyglotten Land sind: fast jeder spricht 2 oder mehr Fremdsprachen, neben Finnisch und Schwedisch. Man kann sich mit dem Postboten englisch unterhalten oder mit der alten Dame im Heim deutsch. Wie wäre das umgekehrt?

Die Finnen haben eine starke nationale Identität, auch die Finnlandschweden.

Sie sind stolz auf ihre Geschichte; Helsinki ist eine der wenigen europäischen Hauptstädte, die niemals von fremden Mächten besetzt waren; im Winterkrieg 1940/41 hat das kleine Land mit seinen 5 ½ Millionen Einwohnern ein ganzes Jahr standgehalten gegen die riesige Sowjetunion. Dann mussten sie Karelien abtreten, das schmerzt noch heute. Finnland ist stolz auf seine technologischen Erfolge und, berechtigterweise, auf sein Schulsystem. Die Pisa-Studien belegen es.

Uns fallen die vielen Sozialeinrichtungen auf in Forssa – das Schwimmbad mit Altenheim, die Volkshochschule, die Bibliothek. Alles ist großzügig gebaut und wenig besucht, das mag an der Tageszeit gelegen haben.

Zwei Dinge haben mich besonders berührt: die Biografien der Alten, die über zwei Jahre recherchiert wurden. Immer wieder befragt, kamen ihnen immer neue Erinnerungen. Die wurden aufgeschrieben und bebildert und so ´kostbar` gemacht. Den alten Menschen wurde durch Aufmerksamkeit eine Würde verliehen, die schön ist und ihnen sehr gut steht. Sie werden eben nicht nur abgestellt und verwaltet, sondern als Individuen wahrgenommen.

Ähnlich die zweite Beobachtung: es gibt einmal in der Woche einen Tanznachmittag für Senioren. Auf der Bühne drei Herren mit Cowboyhut, die machen die Musik, drunten im großen und kargen Saal die tanzenden Paare. Es mögen 50 gewesen sein oder mehr, es kostet Eintritt, man macht sich schön für diesen Tag. Und man nimmt das sehr ernst. Es erinnert an den wunderbaren französischen Film LE BAL und hat eine sanfte, etwas traurige Schönheit.

Über allem aber steht die finnische Gastfreundschaft! Sie weiss mit einfachen Mitteln eine herzliche Atmosphäre zu schaffen, die dem Gast das Gefühl verschafft, angenommen zu werden. Und das ist sehr viel in diesen kalten Zeiten.

Barbara Plensat

FORSSA 11.2.-14.2.2009

How Finland became Finland and Forssa Forssa

Wednesday 11.2. (arriving to Forssa in the evening) 18-20
Posibility to visit Kalligraphy group in Lankavärjäämö and “Different” artgroup – pictures of Finland
20-21.30 Meeting and eating in Sävel to know each other
Worker`s house

Thursday 12.2. History of Finland through lifestories
9.00-9.30 Greetings fom Berlin and Belgium
9.30-10.00 Welcome - Finnish history in 20 minutes and
introduction TYYKIHOVI and our group.
10-11 Getting to know better - Telling the lifestorys.
11.00-11.30 Collecting what kind of image you got - discussion.
11.30-12.30 Dinner in TYYKIHOVI

14.00-16.00 History of Forssa
16-17 Tea or coffee in the Library
17-20 Visiting groups posibilility to work together with creative writing groups.

Friday 13.2. Forssa today - near nature
Fritime in Forssa / visiting hospital for those who are willing
11 -12 Making your own sovenier in Lankavärjäämö

12 -13 Dinner in City hall

     13.30 -16.30 Out to the nature - meeting around fire in the nature.
   19.00 Jazz in the Church
     21.00 - 24.00 Last meeting in Tyykihovi with Sauna / Student´s union

Saturday 14.2.
     9.10 - Buss to airport

FORSSA in pictures

First meeting with a bigger group ( both berliner`s and belgian group)

The aim was to show how we live and what our past has been - history of Forssa and history of Finland.

First evening in Worker`s house

"We don`t need mercy - we need justice"

imagebrowser image Karel, Tanja, Herwig, Barbara, Sophia, Peter, Anna, Seija and Pertti

Meeting and eating in Sävel

imagebrowser image

Herwig : Forssa revisited

An impression by Herwig :

And there we were, three art27 learners, save and well at the airport in Helsinki. Good timing: 15 minutes waiting on a bus to Forssa. Well organised.

Since we can’t speak Finnish, we tried in English. The bus driver smiled and gave us the right instructions to end up save in Forssa with our luggage.

Bus change: this driver doesn’t understand English, but we understand each other more or less.

Karel takes a lot of photo’s on the way to Forssa.

And after 2 hours were at the bus stop in Forssa. It looked all familiar to me … Eliisa, our host was there to pick us up and to guide us to Hotel Makunta..

18 o’clock – appointment in the Wahren Opisto building for some classes.

20h30 – meeting in the historic music hall / workers centre, with guests and host from Forssa, Berlin and Hasselt. A building with character, just as the people we met. This promises to become a good meeting.

Thursday morning – up to the meeting with the senior citizens and their live stories. Time really goes fast … Forssa is from now on much more than a town in Finland. We learned to know some of it’s citizens, with strong live stories.

After a meal in the Tyykihovi centre, we’re expected in the textile museum: the place were Forssa became the growing textile centre.

The power to make Forssa big, came from the water … The water is still there. The textile industry is gone. Waiting for someone who rediscovers the possibilities of the water power and a sustainable project to reinforce Forssa …

The other museum brings us back to the times before the textile … Always interesting to see how people deal with their past. Becomes Forssa living heritage or will the heritage project Forssa into the future again? Interesting questions, difficult choices to make … The library gives us some time for reflection. Upstairs there’s an art gallery with work of local artists. The way a community treats its art and artists, can tell you a lot about the society. Arts and especially crafts have their place in this city centre.

At 18h Niilo picks us up to visit his home, his books and stories. An interesting man with a strong attitude towards artistic dairies, painting and nature. Next time we surely visit his rock artwork.

Back at the hotel, we have a meeting about the website and the stay in Forssa until now. Everybody is satisfied to be here and to learn about the Forssa way … The website … a difficult thing. Different meanings, different inputs … We decide to create the website www.transnationals.eu

Friday morning, time to discover the commercial site of Forssa, with its Citymarket in the old textile (weaving) factory. It’s all easygoing … and cold outside! Especially the cold wind …

At 11 o’clock wer’e all together in the textile printing workshop to create our own souvenir. The local newspaper “Forssan Lehti” was interested in our project and the way we appreciate Forssa. The article of this interview you’ll find elsewhere ‘see categories). We forgot time … hurry up to the cityhall for a meeting with the cultural responsible ( nice man, interesting points of view) and than a lunch in an all seventies décor.

No time to waste. The bus brings us to “nature” … one of these mystical words Finish people use several times a day. Some interesting Forssa people join us. During the trip we can discuss some ‘unsolved” questions and talk about art and society.

We end up in Torronsuo national park, a real beautiful spot, covered in white snow. The enthusiast guide Tapio tells us everything we wanted to know about this place, and much, much more. Always nice to hear people that really go for it! In meantime others are making a fire; we end up baking sausages above the fire and drinking coffee (and other stuff).

Back to the buss, warm up a little and then a quick visit to the Häme visitor centre.

The documentary they showed us, was a bit to “old fashioned educational” with a strong focus on the things humans do wrong in nature … Would nature be more beautiful without human beings? And for what course?

In my opinion they should focus more on responsibilities and possibilities we al have … Interesting to see!

Back on the bus and up to the hotel. Change clothes and go to church … for a kind of Jazz concert.

It was really worth it! Well done Pertii and colleagues! Thanks for letting us enjoy the music. The cd will make us remember …

20h – back to Tyykihovi for the final meeting with the senior group and the other learners. Delicious food is waiting with the good company of people we met before. Some talks, some final official words and then time for that others Finnish mystery: Sauna.

Doors closed after midnight. Time to say goodbye! See you in cyberspace or in Belgium ?!

Karel : Karel’s Report, Forssa 11 – 13 februari 2009

I was going to Finland for the very first time and it was meant not to be only a tourist trip. we were not going to Helsinki nor to Lapland but to the modest town of Forssa situated more or less in the middle of the triangle Tampere, Turku, Helsinki. It surely was no strategic choice, but it certainly helped to meet the real Finland.

Still, in the beginning you are a tourist, looking with curiosity to the new scenery, feeling a bit uneasy about how you will find your way and how you will communicate with the people who don’t speak English or German.

Some had initiated the project, so there was already a starting point: a reflection on Nations, diversity, plurality in the context of EU. And this was the first meeting of not only the initiators of the project but of groups from the three countries (?) who joined in. Eliisa and her Finnish team welcomed the Berlin group and the 3 of us from Flanders (Belgium).

When we met the people from Berlin we were already installed in Forssa and visiting the Forssan Opisto, talking with teacher and students of the calligraphy course: we were not loosing a moment. But I will not detail the whole program, others will do that elsewhere. I’ll tell what the experience felt like for me personally.

There were a lot of activities, we met a lot of people, and always we had the opportunity to communicate, even if there were a few moments of information on Berlin, on the history of Finland, which was very useful.

Let me speak about the meetings that most impressed me:

1 First of all the morning we passed with the elderly people at Tyykihovi. They presented themselves, then told us their long lives in small groups, with in each one always at least a senior, a foreigner and a person responsible of the translation from Finnish to English. The whole experience – presentation, group talk and having dinner together – was maybe the most ‘heart warming’ experience of this few days. Some of the seniors even came to say us good by on the last evening. At the same time we experienced that language barriers do exist, despite the fact that many of us (even some seniors) speak different languages. In my small group it was refraining so much the conversation that we never had time to get into more personal events in the live of 94 year old Adela. At the same time, I realize that it was not only that, people need simply more time to learn about each other, to open up and tell personal live stories. But language difficulties slowed down communication and sometimes made things too difficult to communicate when talking about complex social realities (e.g. what happened in Karelia at time of their youth). Still the desire to communicate passed through, in my case, when I was talking to Niilo and he explained in his half forgotten English things from his career as a sailor and how he travelled the whole world. The same readiness to communicate I found it unexpectedly when we visited the looms of the Opisto center and was presented to a aged Karelian woman: she immediately started telling about how she had to make a journey of 80 km to flee from her country. Luckily Eliisa was there to translate, but while talking, it was me she was looking in the eyes: ‘You would not want to have lived the things I lived’, she said.

2 The very fist night we met two groups of students of the Forssan Opisto. The first was studying calligraphy in a way that makes it a ‘full’ art (if I may say so), no doubt thanks to their teacher Vivian. The second, the ‘art’ group, Eliisa’s group, was working on ‘Pictures of Finland’. Women of different ages tried to give expression of what Finland means to them. Students were very open trying to explain their vision: land of 4 seasons, of life near to nature, etc. but also events of World War II, Russia (they pronounce ‘russa’). They all tried English and if there was still a language problem, this conversation was very concrete. Anyway, explaining art is maybe useless, except for the communication itself.

3 Friday afternoon we went to one of the beautiful National Parks with another company, the painter Tomas, his wife Rejka and their children, some women en men we met before like Vivian, and still more people. Tapio explained, from the platform that gave us an overview of part of the Park, what the keeping of the Park involves. Afterwards we talked around a fire with this growing Finnish group, so the contacts were already multiplying.

There also was the content of the project of course, Rethink Nations. The first meeting of the extended group, Finnish, Germans, Belgians, had to be the starting point and thus was very vital. We understand now that this was just the beginning, that we will not always agree on everything, but I think now that our conversations, some discussions (on what should be on our website, what had to be its name, etc) showed that everyone was speaking freely, that we managed to explain our fears and to respect each other when there were a few differences of view. A good exercise in democracy and… transparency. I am sure that in this short time we have come to trust each other, which is essential since we will collaborate for still more than a year on this same project.

As a conclusion, personally I am particularly happy to have met as well the direct participants in the project as the people of Forssa: the group of seniors, the students, the teachers, the responsible ones, the enthusiastic keepers of the national park, etc. I think the formula promises more meetings that will not only be carrying information and allow all kind of discussions but also allow real contact from group to group, from person to person, which maybe is the most rewarding thing of all.

Karel Van Gerven

Peter : Interkulturelle Kontakte: Belgien - Deutschland - Finnland

Ein Treffen vom 11. bis 14. 02.2009 in Forssa (Südfinnland)
Per Flug waren wir am 11. Februar gegen 12.00 Uhr auf dem Airport von Helsinki
gelandet.
Schon die Fahrt in die City eröffnete mir die offene und weite Landschaft (wie sie mir von früheren Aufenthalten vertraut war).
In Helsinki konnten wir (dank der Bereitschaft.eines Freundes) die wichtigsten
Sehenswürdigkeiten der Stadt kennen lernen.
Besonders hat mich (wieder) die "Felsenkirche" im Innenraum beeindruckt. Die
Verbindung des rohen Gesteins der Felswände mit der lichten weitgespannten Kuppel schafft für mich eine Atmosphäre von Stille und Sammlung, die mich während der ganzen
Reise begleitet hat. Sie steht symptomatisch und symbolisch für die Verbindung von Natur und Kultur, geprägt von dem Engagement und der Offenheit der Menschen, wie wir sie während der Tage erlebt haben.
Zwei sehr verschiedene Eindrücke möchte ich beschreiben:
An jenem Abend, an dem wir zusammen saßen und über eine mögliche Formulierung für den Internetauftritt nachgedacht haben, erlebte ich bei aller Verschiedenheit der Standpunkte quer durch die Länder schließlich doch eine gemeinsam getragene Einigung.
W\r kamen uns be\ den Gesprächen über den Sachpunkt emot\ünat näher und konnten also meines Erachtens einen guten Diskurs miteinander führen.
Wir sind sowohl individuell ganz unterschiedlich gewesen, als auch bestimmt von unserer jeweiligen Nationalität. Und trotzdem entstand in den wenigen Tagen unter uns allen, einschließlich·der uns begegnenden Finnen ein ganz herzliches menschliches Verhältnis.
Als zweiten besonderen Eindruck möchte ich das Zusammensein mit den Senioren hervor heben:
Wir kamen also am ersten Vormittag in jener Senioren-Einrichtung zusammen, die
zugleich eine Art Volkshochschule darstellte. Überall an den Wänden waren Lebensläufe der dort Wohnenden angebracht, mit Fotos der jeweiligen Person, mit Lebensläufen, wie ich verstanden habe, jeweils allein (vielleicht unter Mithilfe einer dort angesteUten Lehrkraft) in großer Eigenständigkeit gestaltet und unterzeichnet mit großzügigem Namenszug.
In Kleingruppen haben wir über ein bis zwei solcher Lebensläufe mit deren Verfassern gesprochen. Trotz der Sprachhürden haben wir uns verständigen können und auch damit einen direkten Zugang zu den Senioren gefunden.
Ich bin dabei, zu überlegen, wie ich solche Anregung hier als ein Beispiel für Motivationen im Alter in bestimmten Senioren-Einrichtungen weitergeben kann. Ein Austausch solcher Art, auch auf Gegenseitigkeit könnte zu Länder übergreifenden tmpuJsen führen.
So verstehe ich auch unser ganzes Projekt.
Ohne den Einsatz von Eliisa, unserer finnischen Ansprech-Partnerin, gemeinsam mit einigen engagierten Frauen sind für mich die Tage in Forssa und Umgebung undenkbar.
Peter Bickhardt

Tjen : impressions on Finland & Forssa

There we were
You and me
STUPID ME
glad you where there
We were? There
Marijka, ....
and all the others
kindly reaching for better,
Intention good hope for ever.
The question is what did we had with time beeing there?
What wass Finland telling us?
Live stories.
There we where our selves
Habitutes
Winterleggs?
Good Ritme?
7 Foreigners
Knowing Zero about Finland language
3 Dimensions
3 Mistakes
3 Times love
Idea, Klimat, Interesse,
There we were in Finland
7 Fouringers
Knowing zero ahbout Finnish language
Me glad welcome without other reason then welcome
there, older, warmer, ever,

Into near future
We will meet again
There will be no difference I hope
with first meeting
Lets get open the gate

Forssa, 2010 June

Yes, we are in the newspaper !

"Retime it" workshop in Forssa museo 17.6.2010

The project sub theme in forssa was "ReTIME it!"

The first transnational group meeting started in Tyykihovi, were the Forssa participants told us their lifestories.

The last transnational meeting was also in Forssa ... back and forward in time.

All the 13 lifestories - collected by Tanja Härmä were in the exhibition in Forssa museo waiting for "retiming".

Personal clocks were made in a workgroup, under supervision of Mari :

Vivian supervised the creation of our project clock :

Tjen and Pertti, Aleksanteri and Werneri worked a bit outside:

And in the evening, the exhibition opened ... :

And here they are, all the different clocks of the participants who "Retimed it!".

Look & read ... and comment :

Program in Forssa

”Retime it”

16.6.

Wellcome to FORSSA!

Open house in Juhlamäki (Mari and Pertti Munck`s home)

17.6.

9.00 Guided tour (walking) to marketplace - Visiting Vivian`s and Karel`s exhibition.

10-13 Retiming workshop in Kehräämö in Forssa Museo (”Lifestories of the group of Tyykihovi” are there.)-working with each own clock -working with the clock of our own project or the clock of Europe or the whole world in order to understand this moment by investigating the past.( There will be all kind of material available, but you might take with you some photos or some things you might want to use.)

13-14 Lunch

14-17 Working continues untill The grand opening at 17( which means also the Market will open on Kehräämö.)Participating market.

20-21 Dinner in Sävel (Restaurant in near Maakunta)

18.6.

10-12 What next? Rethinking how shall we keep our website alive.

12-13 Lunch in Tyykihovi

13-14 Meeting Tyykihovi`s group – taking pictures and looking at the pictures.

15.30 Transportation to Tammela by buss From Maakunta

17.00 Arriving to Summercottage in Tammela to have finnish MIDSUMMER party.

(Making some magical things which will clean your body and soul called ”vihta” in finnish.)

19.00 (Sauna and swimming). Fireplace and fun.

Evaluation and dissemination of our project.

Ending midnigt – back to Maakunta.

19.6. Belgian group leaving home – the berliners stay.

Forssa history, walking around - Trip the nature and countryside.

Visiting Tervalampi - the place for children summertheater.

Sauna at Juhlamäki.

Finland again ... by Tjen

Finland again,

maar het was haast midzomer nu en ik was ditmaal reeds een weinig vertrouwd met de mensen die ik er zou ontmoeten,

De extra tijd die we voor onszelf(zeven Belgen) hadden genomen verbleven we in Helsinki waar me o.a. het Kiasma museum bezochten. Er liep de hedendaagse tentoonstelling Conmmon things a part of the Swedish Finnish Cultural Foundation's 50 th Anniversary project.
welk perfect paste in ons project Rethink Nations

De hoofdstad, Helsinki, lag er verrassend rustig bij alsof de meeste van haar inwoners op verlof vertrokken waren naar het platte land...

Common things, ja, die hadden we ondertussen al een beetje opgebouwd met mensen uit Berlijn en Sforssa.
3 groepen uit 3landen met individuën uit Turkije, Polen, Estland, Japan, Nigeria, Duitsland, Finland, België
samen praten, discuteren, dingen gaan bekijken, logeren, dingen creëren, eten, samen zijn...

Hoe zou het nu zijn?

Sforssa again,

Wat een ontvangst weer....

Ten huize Perrti en Mari was het zalig toeven...
lekkere hapjes en drankjes, prachtige beeldentuin, hartelijke gesprekken, lachen en gieren, serieus zijn,
een beetje thuiskomen

Met ons allen bezochten we een stenen monument van Niilo in een nabij gelegen bos
Het was geïnspireerd op de levensboom van de indianen.
Niïlo bracht er de groet naar alle windstreken.

Van hieruit ging het gezelschap uit elkaar;
Leena, Karel, Herwig en ikzelf gingen verder met de auto naar Niïlo's buitenverblijf
Het was gelegen aan een plaatselijk meer en we vertelden er onze eigen levensverhalen tot laat in de avond, of was het al ochtend ondertussen?
Raar maar het wordt hier rond deze tijd van het jaar nooit donker, echt een magisch realistisch sfeertje.

In sforssa, in het volkskunde museum, zouden we allen samen een tentoonstelling ''Retime it'' in elkaar steken zij aan zij met
de levensverhalen van de ouderen uit Tyykihovi.
Ik had het genoegen dit tehuis in februari 2009 al eens bezocht te hebben en zoals later wou blijken zou ook dit tweede bezoek aan dit tehuis
het hoogtepunt worden van mijn reis. De hele opzet rond verzorging, ruimte en rust samen met de levensverhalen (prachtig gebundeld en verzameld door Tanya) benaderden voor mij haast naadloos de thematiek rond Rethink it. Dit was een tehuis vol met waardige geschiedenis en de harmonie die er heerste beviel me zeer
(later hield hier natuurlijk ook Martin zijn rede die veel van ons erg zou bevallen en misschien speelde hier ook het overlijden van mijn moeder tussen deze twee bezoeken door)

Andere hoogtepunten waren de vernieuwde persoonlijke contacten.

Ik was erg blij Anna(in wiens familie ik logeerde in Berlijn) terug te ontmoetten en hierdoor gelegenheid kreeg Günül en Dagmar beter te leren kennen.
Ook met Vivian en Tanya had ik deze keer diepere aangename gesprekken alsook met Leena en Ollie.

Het besef dat ik er ter plaatse een nieuw beeld kon maken gaf me een dosis extra (gezonde) stress.

Mijn personal clock zat veilig opgeborgen in mijn bagage. Ik was er klaar voor.

Wat me net als de eerste keer in sforssa opviel was enerzijds de relaxte sfeer die hier in de lucht hing en anderzijds die grote
bedrijvigheid om het ieder naar zijn zin te laten hebben.

Neen, er zijn echt wel slechtere plaatsen denkbaar dan dit Sforssa!!!
Hier spreekt het hart bij het verstand en heeft de natuur ruimte.

Met zijn allen wandelend naar het marktplein onder deskundige begeleiding van Perrti;
Het weer was zalig en we waren benieuwd naar de lopende tentoonstelling van gezamenlijk werk van Karel en Vivian.
De tentoonstelling was schitterend en de leegstaande kiosk had een nieuwe bestemming gekregen.
Het was een kleurrijke markt waar Alexander zoon van Reika en Thomas met maturiteit onder wisselend publiek knap viool speelde.
Hij zou me later samen met Tanya s zoon. nog eens aangenaam verrassen met hun uitleg omtrent hun beider klok van Retime it

Zij aan zij met de levensverhalen van Tyykihovi werden al onze klokken in het plaatselijk heemkundig museum tentoongesteld.
zij aan zij kwamen we van elkaar weer iets meer te weten tijdens de voorstelling ervan.
Mijn houten beeld plaatste ik bij het levensverhaal van Hannu, een mooie Finse man wiens levensverhaal ik persoonlijk aanhoorde in 2009.
en die me sterk deed denken aan een nonkel van me.
Tot mijn aangename verrassing was Hannu er op het afscheidsfeest (een vervroegd midzomer feest) ook bij.

Ik geloof dat dit Midzomer afscheidsfeestje het typisch Finse helemaal naar boven liet komen ondanks het spijtige voorval met de sauna.
De muziek, zang en dans ....
zelfs de typische Finse midzomergeesten waren er present!!!!

Het was een diep bij blijvende afsluiter van een heel intense kennismaking gedurende anderhalf jaar.

Een beetje zoals een Triologie waarvan je de eerste twee delen met ontzettend veel plezier gelezen hebt
maar waarvan het derde deel nog gedrukt moet worden.

Graag wil ik hiermede nog Elisa Sophia en Herwig erg veel danken voor de prachtige organisatie van heel dit gebeuren
en hartelijk dag zeggen aan Peter, Seija, Païva, Peter Bickhardt, en al die anderen die ik bij naam vergat.

tjen

Karel and Vivian in Forssan Torikahvila

imagebrowser image

Program in Forssa

”Retime it”

16.6.

Wellcome to FORSSA!

Open house in Juhlamäki (Mari and Pertti Munck`s home)

17.6.

9.00 Guided tour (walking) to marketplace - Visiting Vivian`s and Karel`s exhibition.

13-14 Lunch

14-17 Working continues untill The grand opening at 17( which means also the Market will open on Kehräämö.)Participating market.

20-21 Dinner in Sävel (Restaurant in near Maakunta)

18.6.

10-12 What next? Rethinking how shall we keep our website alive.

Evaluation and dissemination of our project.

12-13 Lunch in Tyykihovi

13-14 Meeting Tyykihovi`s group – taking pictures and looking at the pictures.

Transportation to Tammela

17.00 Arriving to Summercottage in Tammela to have finnish MIDSUMMER party.

(Making some magical things which will clean your body and soul called ”vihta” in finnish.)

19.00 Sauna and swimming. Fireplace and fun.

Ending midnigt – back to Maakunta.

19.6. Leaving home – except those who stay.

Hasselt & Heusden-Zolder, 2009 May

Rethink it! EU-learningpartnership : exchange program 29-30.05.2009

Thursday 28.05.2009

Arrival of the German & Finnish company by train in Hasselt at …

Informal meeting in Hasselt and have something to eat and drink.

Friday 29.05.2009

08h35 Walk to Hasselt railway station

08h55 Train leaves for Bokrijk

First to arrive in Bokrijk: Anna and Geert, waiting for the others to come ...

09h05 Arrival at Bokrijk - Walk to the Domain Bokrijk

Meeting with coffee - Welcome & Short introduction

10h15 Open air Museum Bokrijk : Flanders in the 19^th and 20^th century (1958)

12h30 Meeting with a light meal and coffee … Getting to know each other better

14h00 Short introduction about Belgium, Flanders, Limburg …

Discussion about nations, past and future & Exchange

Short introduction on Finland / Suomi

16h30 Going back to the Hasselt by cars: leisure time

19h00 Welcome in the House of Diversity in Hasselt

Dinner and meeting with ( New ) Belgians with different roots … and

afterwards discussion about nations, Europe and diversity

23h30 Goodbye & good night!

Saturday 30.05.2009

08h50 Bus leaves for Heusden-Zolder – Ex coalmine area

09h31 Arrival at Zolderse Voort - ex coalmine area

Walk through the area & some history about migration in the region

Visit at the ‘Kringwinkel’ : search for “European stuff” in 2nd hand store.

10h30 Walk towards the Cultural Centre

11h00 Fairtrade brunch and opening exhibition “Jungle Europe” at Circo

Paradiso Festival

13h00 Meeting – work in progress … : about sustainable development and the choices for a global world of diversity.

15h00 Tjen makes an ice sculpture and links Forssa to Heusden-Zolder

16h00 Leisurely visiting the Circo Paradiso Festival

18h00 Final meeting of this exchange program in Belgium – informal talks

Afterwards leisure time at the festival …

20h00 Circus Ronaldo plays ‘Circences’ – theater and circus mix

23h00 Back to the Hasselt …

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Belgium, in May and November 2009

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Ei auta vaikka ajatten uudestaan / Tanja Härmä

Ajatus: Suomalaisena Euroopassa on jäänyt niin irralliseksi, että siitä on helppo irrottautua kokonaan. Voisin muuttaa Brysseliin, en suklaata myymään, vaan unohtua jonnekin historian jalkoihin, kuten täällä Suomessakin. Olla ikään kuin jo edes ennen kunnon keski-ikää historiallinen jäänne, joka on syntynyt pullamössösukupolveen lamojen ja taantumien heiluteltavaksi. En koe mitään poikkeavaa esim. ranskalaisten tai kreikkalaisten samanikäisten kanssa, ainoastaan me Suomessa emme ole saaneet tarpeeksi kuumaa verta huutaaksemme, ei siihen yksi härmäläinen riitä, vähän karjalaisella piikillä varustettuna.

Mitä helvettiä se suomalaisuus sitten on? Kaiken keskellä? Ylitän päivittäin Tuonelan joen sitä miettiessäni. Näky on kaunis, mutta sisältä tuntuu pahalta. Mitä on Eurooppa? Sitä en lähde enempää tutkimaan. Samanlainen suuremmassa mittakaavassa. Graalin malja on jossakin, koodit hukassa. Suomalainen puhuu smooltookkia, on se niin tärkeää, näyttää aadeehoodeelta ja hullulta. Jos on taiteilija, voi laittaa sen piikkiin. Kaiken. Suomessakin. Toisinaan on parempi olla hiljaa, niin näyttää viisaammalta. Varmaan joku suomalainen ajatus, jota en ole ymmärtänyt.

Myös Hasseltissa autossa voi istua hiljaa kuten Suomessa, tarkkailla sivusta kuten Suomessa, olla eksyksissä kuten Suomessa. Täällä on vielä enemmän metsää mihin eksyä. Jotkut ovat joskus osanneet keplotella itsensä sieltä pellolle ja akateemiseen sivistykseen.

Mutta kaiken sen oppineisuuden ja piiripienipyörii –keskellä on unohtunut kysyä, mitä on suomalaisuus. Mitä me täällä olemme? Miksi emme voisi olla sellaisia kuin olemme? Miksi meidän ei pidä muuttua? Vai onko se niin yksinkertaisen selvää, että en sitä huomaa. Niin lähellä, että en näe mitään. Jääköön viisaammat sitä miettimään. Sillä me ulkopuolelta katselleet emme ymmärrä kaikkia kriteerejä, miten politiikka pyörii, mikä onkaan se toiminta-ajatus ja mitä ollaan tekemässä, miksi ja ketkä ja millä perusteella?

Palataan alkuun: Kaikki on niin irrallista, että on helppo irrottautua kokonaan. Heiluttaa Euroopalle ja palata metsämökkiin. Sillä metsämökin ikkunasta näkee, että jänö juoksee ja sillä ei ole epäilystäkään miksi, ei uudelleenajatteluntarvetta.

(Ja sitten vielä pullakahvit keitettiin…) näin irrallisena ajatuksena

Intisar: Eindrücke von dem Austausch in Belgien, Mai 2009

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Seija Mattson reflects : On aika ajatella asia uudestaan, kun vielä voi.

Sain keväällä 2009 hienon tilaisuuden matkustaa Belgiaan. Uudelleen ajatteleva ryhmä matkusti etsimään eurooppalaisuutta. Minulle Belgia oli aiemmin tunnettu Brysselistä, pitsistä ja suklaasta. Oikeastaan muuta en tiennyt. Toki Belgian sijainti Euroopan kartalla oli selvillä,

suurin piirtein. Jo koulussa maantiedon tunneilla opiskeltiin maat ja niiden pääkaupungit sekä asukasluvut ulkoa.

Brysselissä vastaan tuli historiallista havinaa; upeita, vanhoja rakennuksia. Kaduilla oli kävellyt ennen meitä monenlaisia ihmisiä. Meillä Suomessa rakennukset ovat vaatimattomampia kuin esimerkiksi Keski- ja Etelä-Euroopan pääkaupungeissa. Brysselin kaupunginmuseossa huomasin, että Manneken Pis on hyvin tärkeä patsas. Itse patsas olikin yllättävän pienikokoinen, vain 60 senttimetriä korkea. Sen kerrotaan olevan brysseliläinen henkisen vapauden symboli.

Eurooppalaisuus, mistä sitä löytyy? Brysselissä suklaapuodin tyttö viittaili Skandinavian suuntaan. Mistä löytyy Ranskan vallankumouksen sanoma: vapaus, veljeys ja tasa-arvo sekä niiden peräänkuuluttamat oikeudet? Ehkä keskitietä kulkeminen on toteutunut parhaiten Skandinaviassa. Vai johtuuko tämä näkemykseni siitä, että katselen maailmaa suomalaisin sinivalkoisin silmin?
Ehkä.

Millaisena me näemme maailman riippuu pitkälle saamastamme kasvatuksesta.
Koulutus on tärkeä tapa kehittää itseään. Katsominen suomalaisin silmin ei lainkaan tarkoita sitä, että en olisi kiinnostunut muiden ihmisten maailmasta ja heidän elämästään, päinvastoin.

Jo aikoinaan eri maiden tutkijoiden yhteistyönä maailman ja maailmankaikkeuden ymmärtäminen avartui. Taide ja tiede ovat parhaat ihmisten yhdistäjät. Uskonto ja politiikka aiheuttavat herkästi
erimielisyyksiä.

Me olemme eurooppalaisia ja meistä jokainen tuo eurooppalaisuutta tähän yhteisöön. Eurooppalaisuus on meissä itsessä omalla tavallamme. Meillä on kuitenkin yhteinen, ihanasti lämmittävä aurinko, romanttisia hetkiä antava kuu ja mahtava tähtitaivas. Nauttikaamme niistä yhdessä.

Näin ajatteli Seija Mattsson

Heusden-Zolder, November 2009

This transnational meeting was held in November in Heusden-Zolder, but not in the same places as in May.

Arrival on Wednesday 2009.11.04 (in Hasselt again)

Worktime : Thursday 2009.11.05 & Friday 2009.11.06

Free or back home on Saturday 2009.11.07

In November the annual exhibition "Artikel27" took place in buildings / on places offered by the inhabitans of the community. See what we get ...?

Our exchange will be in these places, so we can auestion the exhibition and participate in some artistic workshops guided by the Belgian participants of Rethink it!

Maybe Vivian (Forssa - You know her ...) can also contribute?

More soon!

Some thoughts after the Heusden- Zolder meeting

It is widely agreed upon that art functions as a bridge between different times and cultures. It is a common language reaching beyond all frontiers it encounters. Besides skillful technical realizations and knowledge of materials art conveys feelings and expresses ideas. It is a vehicle for shared experiences and relating to people with varying customs and diverse viewpoints in life.

It was a wonderful experience to take part in the Charles Robert Darwin inspired exhibition titled as “On the Origin of Humanity” in Belgium. Darwin as the jubilee of the year functioned as a great source of inspiration both for the exhibition and for the ReThink meetings. The possibilities offered for linking and discussion with people from such different cultural backgrounds made the events so fascinating.

For the exhibition I tried together with a photographer Karel (to whom I was introduced to at a ReThink meeting in Forssa) to combine photographic images with calligraphy, this done as a joint effort being something new for both of us. The collaboration formed to be achallenge solved to a great extend with intuition.

To start with we had to map out the technical possibilities, then adjust individual working methods in order to balance our contributions. Due to the distance the working process found its instructions and idea sharing squeezed into the format of emails. This again lead to a rather slow tempo and a range of diverging interpretations. The exhibition, organized by Artikel 27, was the first place where the fruits of our labor were at view in their final form. In the future we hope to continue our experiments and find different ways to approach the matter. Perhaps join other exhibitions.

Producing works for a large group show is usually a job done in solitude. One may see the final result of what has been created only when the work has been placed among others and entered a dialog with them. Until that moment you feel as if it’s the final form constantly fleets and shifts. In Belgium the moment of seeing the work in midst of its companions was a very positive feeling. "On the Origin of Humanity" was a large and high quality compilation presenting a wide range of contemporary artistic aproaches. I was proud to be to be contributing to it.

The day of visiting the exhibition was continued with workshops that functioned as a good follow-up and were a nice form of being and creating together. New experiments with colors and collaboration took place, much in the same way like we had worked together with Karel.

What makes these get-togethers so enjoyable is not only the time and place but in particular the network, that has presented them to us. Through these people that host us we become aware of different issues and values of importance together with different ways to organize, think and act. Events like this, concrete inter-cultural co-operations, are the best places to think things over again.

Vivian Majevski

A short report on the 2 days meeting by Herwig

Please, come back later

Frank's impression in images

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Heusden November 2009; a report by a few pictures by Karel

Hopefully people will allow a photographer to give his impressions by pictures of the meeting in November, and, of course, some comments.

Rethinkit is, halfway its realization, a several things, which I would like to illustrate.

Download the document, please .....

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Heusden November 2009.doc	1.11 MB

Impressions from Belgium by Pertti Munck

009804 RETHINKING IT

This headline is printed in prochure of Wahren academy. http://www.transnationals.eu I had already earlier learned about this era of RE-thinking when I met Belgian ”Art 27” artists as well as German ”Arbeit un Leben” artists here in Forssa. Of them, Herwig and Thien visited our home and saw some parts of Finnish REthink thinking, namely old pictures, and especially statues. After that it was our turn to pack our bags in Forssa and head to Brussel. Four of us, namely Eliisa, Vivian, Mari, and I took a ride with a white and blue airplane and with open minds, and flew to the heart of the European administration to figure out what and what kind of work ans life are today when spiced with art. Our ecpectations for the journey were high but but we got even more. Here are some clips from my diary on that journey:

”Hanging at the airport. Same uselessness every lazy second. Being on the line to be in the next line. Breaking by thoughts. Not to swallow them but to re-arranging them. After the wheels leave the ground the clock started to click a new time and mind started to seak a new place somewhere under the clouds. ”

To exit the Brussel airport felt like free falling from 11 000 metres. I fel directly towards the traffic chaos and at the same time cars windows shadowed of humidity. I could not stop anymore. I managed to make a small clear spot on the windshield and the only thing I saw was thousands of red backlights in flight. There were flashing bright light in mirrors and between the gaps of the luggages in the backseat. It felt like the lights penetrated from the backbox and to the gaps between the luggages. In one second every thought had stopped. I could hear some noise that sounded like good advices. I had passed the panic zone. I was just as calm as the dried sweat under my arms. Rethink it. My inner voice told me to think it again. I tried to catch any of my reasonable thoughts. I ws grasping air and trying to fall slower. If you just let it fall you are gone by the time you stop. In falling you have to keep on moving by not stopping on thinking. In the traffick you have to fall with other people and with the same rules. Half f the people in Brussel were on their way somewhere and the other half was on their way back from somewhere. I’m sure somebody knew from where and to where. I did not know neither of them. Somehw I managed to re-position the wings of my thoughts and started to fall into the new direction. I sensed that this move of my thoughts clarified our journey towards the salvation. In the darkness, all four of us made it with mental bruises only, and made it to Hasselt only two ours later than plannes. After the nightmares in the early morning hours it was supposed to get easier. However, the ring road of Hasselt twisted around my consciousness like rings of the Saturnus. Hasselt was staying at the place but I was circling around it, as I had been told to do, in cycles if fifteen minutes. However, us being late soon was forgotten in warm wellcoming. Friedship deepened in our hearts. We were there and present.

After we first found each others as individuals we were able to continue our journey as pairs towards being Europeans, and towards the multidiciplinarity of nationalities. Soon in threes, fours, towrds the greater internationality. In groups of six and seven, together with other similar groups we came up with new questions instead of trying to give our wise answers to the questions nobody had even asked. We were faced with the right questions. Next questions will be created in Berlin.

009804 RETHINKING IT

Otsikkoisesti lukee Wahren-opiston esitteessä. http://www.transnationals.eu Olin jo aiemmin tutustunut tähän uudelleen arvioinnin aikaan tapaamalla belgialaisia ”Art 27” taiteilijoita ja saksalaisia ”Arbeit un Leben” ryhmäläisiä Forssassa. Taitelijat Herwig ja Thien käväisivät meillä kotonakin tutustumassa vanhoihin suomalaisiin kuviin, erityisesti veistoksiin, jotka ovat osia ikiaikaista suomalaista REthink IT ajatusmaailmaa. Oli vuorostaan hetki pakata forssalainen nelikko Eliisa, Vivian, Mari ja minä Brysseliä kohti nousevaan sinivalkoiseen koneeseen ja lentää Euroopan hallinnolliseen ytimeen pohtimaan avoimin mielin, mitä ja millaista on työ ja elämä taiteella maustettuna tänään. Matkasta piti tuleman huikaiseva, mutta se ylitti toiveet, jopa tavoitteet. Otteita matkapäiväkirjasta, sen ensi sivuilta:

Lentokenttänotkuntaa. Samaa turhuutta jokainen laiska minuutti. Jonotusta seuraavaan jonoon. Katkoin ajatuksiani. En nielläkseni, vaan saadakseni ne uuteen järjestykseen. Pyörien irrottua kiitoradasta kello lähti käymään uutta aikaa ja mieli etsimään uutta paikkaa jossain tuolla pilvien alla.

Ajo ulos Brysselin lentoasemalta tuntui hypyltä suoraan 11.000:sta metristä vapaaseen pudotukseen. Putosin suoraan kohti liikennekaaosta auton ikkunoiden vetäessä samalla sumppuisen kosteiksi. Enää ei voinut pysähtyä. Sain etulasiin pienen läikän, josta näin vain tuhansia pakenevia punaisia takavaloja. Taakse pakattujen matkalaukkujen raoista ja peileistä vilahteli kirkkaita valoja. Valot tuntuivat tunkeutuvan takaluukusta sisään matkalaukkujen joukkoon. Hetkessä jokainen ajatus oli pysähtynyt. Kuulin ympäriltäni huminaa, joka kuulosti hyviltä neuvoilta. Olin ohittanut paniikkipisteen. Olin rauhallinen kuin kuivunut hiki kainaloissani. Rethink it. Sisäinen ääni käski ajatella uusiksi. Yritin ottaa kiinni järkevistä ajatuksista. Haroin ilmaa ja päätin hidastaa putoamisvauhtia. Jos vain annat pudota, olet mennyttä heti pysähdyksen tullessa. Putoamisessa on liikettä jatkettava katkeamattomalla ajatuksella loppumattomuudesta. Liikenteessä on pudottava muiden joukossa yhteisillä säännöillä. Puoli Brysseliä oli menossa jonnekin, toinen puoli palaamassa jostakin. Joku varmaan tietää mistä ja minne. Minä en tiennyt kumpaakaan. Sain kuitenkin ajatusteni siivet uuteen asentoon ja putoamiseni uuteen suuntaan. Vaistosin ajatusten liikahduksien selkeyttävän matkaa kohti pelastusta. Selvisimme pimeässä koko nelikko pelkillä henkisillä mustelmilla vain tuntia suunniteltua myöhemmin Hasseltiin. Aamuyön jälki-väristys-painajaisten jälkeen kaiken piti olla heräämisen jälkeen helpompaa. Hasseltin tiestön sisäinen kehä, ring, kiertyi tajuntaani Saturnuksen renkaan tavoin. Hasselt pysyi paikallaan ja minä kiersin saamieni ohjeiden mukaan ympyrää neljännestunnin sykleissä. Myöhästymiset saavuttivat kuitenkin pian kohteliaisuuden rajat. Ystävyys syveni sydämissä. Olimme paikalla ja läsnä.

Löydettyämme toisiamme yksilöinä aloitimme ensin kaksikkoina matkamme kohti eurooppalaisuutta, kansallisuuksien moninaisuutta. Kohta kolmisin, nelisin kohti suurempaa kansainvälisyyttä. Kuuden, seitsemän hengen ryhmissä yhdessä toisten samankaltaisten ryhmien kanssa saimme aikaan uusia kysymyksiä sen sijaan, että antaisimme omia viisaita vastauksiamme kysymyksiin, joita kukaan oikeasti ei ole edes tehnyt. Olimme oikeiden kysymysten äärellä. Seuraavat kysymykset luodaan Berliinissä.

Look, I'm painting

Martin learned us how to express ourselves in paint / colours ...

Concentration ... everyone painted it's own painting : colours for everyone !

Afterwards, we painted with 2 on 1 painting : colaboration across cultural borders ?!

And here are some results ...

Mieke shows us our multitudes

Nations and plurality. November 2009 transnationals meeting.

Through the eyes of nature we are but one species, even though we come in many colors and have a multitude of different social and winterizing habits. That, which we perceive as universal and unifying, are all characteristics of us as a species. That, which we perceive as universal and dividing us, are our big ideas. What is essential about ideas (eg. the idea of ’nation’, ‘plurality’, ’capitalism’, ‘morality’ etcet.) and the way, over time, they have shaped our reality? We have allowed mere ideas to form rigid realities from which we can hardly escape. Realities so big that they need many generations and sometimes centuries to evolve. Quite similar to the slow evolution we see in our human gene pool.

Yet a new idea can be conceived within a fraction of a second. I’ll draw a parallel with epi-genetics here, where changes on our genetic level due to environmental influence translate to impressive physical differences after only one generation. It strikes me as odd that nature is capable of such smooth flexibility where we as a species, remain notoriously slow at adapting our realities to new ideas. Is it scale that works against us there?

At our meeting, scale wasn’t a problem. In my humble opinion it was how reality had shaped our ideas, which chained our feet to the ground.

Report on the visit to the Antwerp Palace of Justice November 5, 2009

In Forssa we were pleased to hear the life stories of elderly people. In Antwerp we reflected on the situation of children.

On Thursday afternoon, November 5, 2009, we left in three cars -on account of a railway strike- to visit the Antwerp Palace of Justice, which was designed by the renowned architect Richard Rogers.

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The object of our trip was to see the temporary exhibition, intended as a tribute to the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on November 20, 1989 by the United Nations. Only Somalia and the United States abstained from voting.

75 pillars for 20 years of children's rights

75 pillars, each 2m high on a 40x40cm base had been painted by hundreds of children and youngsters from ages 6 to 18, all of them pupils of the 75 classes of the Municipal Academy of Fine Arts of the city of Hasselt, under the direction of director Luc Steegen.

The direct cause of this exhibition was a Unicef campaign on malnutrition as a worldwide causal agent of child death. The pillars were positioned in an awe-inspiring arrangement in the promenade hall of the courthouse. The four sides of each pillar were painted in one of the basic colours, red, yellow, blue and black and white, giving the total exhibit a uniform basic character. The incredible creativity of the makers was revealed in a terrific colourfull diversity.

We all were quieted down while we walked in the midst of these high, imposing pillars, and possibly -hopefully- the other visitors -especially the lawyers and judges- will feel small again, perhaps learning something from the children.

As a matter of fact, the Convention on the Rights of the Child is a powerfull human rights tool, which is often applied in this building.

During the exhibition (October, 23 till November, 18) a permanent stall of Unicef demonstrated, among other things, the condition of children in developing countries:

• Programmes concerning nourishment, health, baby alimentation, the importance of drinkable water, hygiene, education, the improvement of the situation of girls in some developing countries.

• The Millenium Goals of the United Nations.

• The Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Later that day, during a visit to the Antwerp pedestrian's tunnel under the Scheldt, I experienced the resilience and the permissiveness of our group. Part of the group audaciously went up all the way at the far end to enjoy the view of the city, while the others patiently waited 30m below the surface in order to go back together.

Other anniverseries of note:

• November 24, 1959 (150 years ago): The Origin off Species by Means of Natural Selection or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life, by Charles Darwin

• The famous painter Renoir said that impressionism wouldn't exist without the invention of the paint tube 150 years ago.

• Just born: De Wilde Black: a new kind of black that is a 144 times blacker than ordinairy black, invented by and named after the Belgian artist Frederik de Wilde. He is now looking for a whiter than white.