🏢 About the local organisation
Nestled in a valley in Hunsrück (Germany) lies Goloka Dhama, a community and retreat center. Drawing on the ancient
Indian wisdom, Goloka Dhama provides everyone with an uplifting and aesthetically-pleasing experience of sustainable
living and transformative education.
This community was established in 1998 and is 5 hectares big. It is situated in the beautiful forest of a national park. An
average of 30 members are living there, dedicating their life to serve the society in providing seminars, retreat and
education course meant for an uplifting life experiences. These self-development course are meant to help individuals to
develop positive value, like respect, integrity, social contribution, authentic self-expression etc... We are enthusiastic to
offer non-formal education to all our visitors and guests. Besides serving every Sunday vegan/vegetarian meals and being open to the general public, Goloka Dhama is organising public festivals and retreats connected to the philosophy of Bhakti Yoga and achieving a peaceful life and non-violent social interaction in general.
We are connected to the world wide ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), who is a non-profit organization which views dialogue
between its members and people of other faiths as an opportunity to listen to others, to develop mutual understanding
and mutual trust, and to share our commitment and faith with others, while respecting their commitment to their own faith.
Other communities and organizations advocating humanitarian, ethical and moral standards are also valued as being
beneficial to society.
We look forward for more exchange with other organizations having similar vision of education and goals.
Although we are living in the middle of the national park, remote from passions of the world, we have great enthusiasm to
share skills and knowledge to help the world toward peace.
deutscher Text:
Eingebettet in einem Tal im Hunsrück (Deutschland) liegt Goloka Dhama, ein Gemeinde- und Retreatzentrum. In Anlehnung an das alte indische Wissen bietet Goloka Dhama jedem eine erhebende und ästhetisch ansprechende Erfahrung nachhaltiger, lebendiger und transformativer Bildung. Die Gemeinde wurde 1998 gegründet, ist fünf Hektar groß und liegt inmitten der schönen Wäldern eines Nationalparks. Im Durchschnitt leben dort 30 Mitglieder, die ihr Leben dem Dienst an der Gesellschaft widmen, indem sie Seminare, Retreats und Ausbildungskurse anbieten, die eine erhebende Lebenserfahrung ermöglichen. Diese Persönlichkeitsentwicklungskurse sollen dem Einzelnen helfen, positive Werte wie Respekt, Integrität, sozialen Beitrag, authentischen Selbstausdruck usw. zu entwickeln. Wir sind begeistert allen unseren Besuchern und Gästen nicht-formale Bildung anzubieten.
Neben dem sonntäglichen Angebot vegan/vegetarischer Mahlzeiten und der Zugänglichkeit für die breite Öffentlichkeit, organisiert Goloka Dhama öffentliche Feste und Retreats über die Philosophie des Bhakti Yoga, das Führen eines friedlichen Lebens und gewaltfreier sozialer Interaktion im Allgemeinen.
Wir sind mit der weltweiten gemeinnützigen Organisation ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) verbunden, die den Dialog zwischen seinen Mitgliedern und Menschen anderer Glaubensrichtungen als eine Gelegenheit sieht, anderen zuzuhören, gegenseitiges Verständnis zu entwickeln, gegenseitiges Vertrauen zu schaffen und unser Engagement und unseren Glauben mit anderen zu teilen, alles immer in der Verpflichtung ihren eigenen Glauben zu respektieren.
Andere Gemeinschaften und Organisationen, die sich für humanitäre, ethische und moralische Standards einsetzen, werden ebenfalls als Nutzen für die Gesellschaft geschätzt.
Wir freuen uns auf den weiteren Austausch mit anderen Organisationen, die eine ähnliche Vision von Bildung und Zielen haben.
Obwohl wir mitten im Nationalpark leben, fernab von den Aktivitäten der Welt, haben wir großen Enthusiasmus unsere Fähigkeiten und Wissen zu teilen, um der Welt zu Frieden zu verhelfen.
💼 What the programme involves
This program offers European youth a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in leadership and team-building while engaging in meaningful activities.
A highlight is our work in the Nationalpark Hunsrück-Hochwald, where volunteers will participate in forest cleaning, conservation, and forest breathing practices—an immersive way to connect with nature, reduce stress, and promote environmental stewardship.
Additionally, you’ll spend 12-15 hours weekly in sustainable gardening, learning about plant care, soil management, and the importance of nurturing our natural world
Our daily schedule balances physical work with reflective practices, including coaching sessions and “Step to Kirtan” workshops that explore the spiritual and meditative aspects of music. This holistic approach ensures both personal and community growth.
Join us for this transformative experience, to develop valuable skills, contribute to environmental and social projects, and connect with like-minded individuals
🏠 Accommodation on site
Dormitory rooms (ladies and gens separated) (8-10 beds) with shared shower/toilet facilities. We serve our guests made with love freshly prepared vegetarian and vegan food 3 times daily. All necessary local travels can be done by bike or by car with our drivers.
There is a local bus to shopping centers every 2 hours (10 minutes drive). On arrival and departure, a drive to the train station or airport is organised and we also arrange the tickets.
🎒 Leisure activities
Garden Work: Learn sustainable gardening with hands-on soil preparation, planting, and maintenance.
Special Topics in Bhagavatam: Explore spiritual themes, applying ancient wisdom for personal growth.
Forest Cleaning & Path Building: Conservation in Nationalpark Hunsrück-Hochwald, blending cleaning with mindfulness
Daily sessions of music, meditation, and spiritual practice
Coaching & Reflection: Self-awareness and team dynamics on key days
Team Building: ICE breakers to foster communication and cooperation
Cooking nutritious meals while emphasizing teamwork and the joy of serving others
⚠️ Requirements
The Participant profile: The only interest we have, in this part of the process, is to make sure as much as possible to accept participants that we think will enjoy their solidarity with us, according to their interests, enthusiasm, and motivation. The main basis of the selection criteria is the background interest and/or experience in particular topics and activities.
Deadline: 09/09/2024 22:00
ℹ️ Additional information
The project is implemented under the European Solidarity Corps Programme, financed by the European Commission.
The participating organisations have to be mindful of these needs as they are responsible for providing a respectful and trusting hosting environment. At the same time, the organisations participating in the initiative devote a great deal of time, energy and resources to set up a high-quality activity; they should therefore expect that European Solidarity Corps participants show a similar level of respect for the local communities and the people that are directly concerned by the activities (
https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/mission_en).
What do we provide ?
- Training before and after the project
- Health insurance during your project
- round-trip travel reimbursement
- accommodation and food
- pocket money
- language course
- Return Week-end
- Youth Pass and SVI international Volunteer passport
Before applying for this volunteering project, you need to enroll yourself at European Solidarity Corps Platform (
https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en) and specify your European Solidarity Corps Participant Number (PRN).
This organisation holds a European Solidarity Corps Quality Label.
Contact the ESC coordinator at +32 2 888 67 13 to get more informations.