LUSERNA SAN GIOVANNI (TO)

Villa Olanda is an old mansion house which is located in Luserna S.Giovanni a small village in the Val Pellice near Pinerolo (Turin). The villa has a long history, from the residence of the 1800 local lords, then has been a hotel since the beginning of '900, a shelter for the Russians during the revolution during and after World War II and finally had different destinies and uses of little success that they left to decay for several decades. Villa Olanda is a large building with a large park and a potential which has remained untapped for a long time, a wealth denied to local communities. The Synodal Commission for the diaconate (or Diakonia Valdese) is working to return this building to the territory, making it a meeting place. Right now the building has different realities: a local radio station, Radio Beckwith, a hosting service for refugees and asylum seekers, and a service for young people of the territory. This last one creates opportunities for groups of young people (boys and girls) of the area, in particular by proposing international programs that may give a chance to the inhabitants of rural areas to be able to compare with diversity. The Synodal Commission for Diaconia for several years promotes youth mobility projects, international exchanges and international volunteer projects, allowing young people to mountainous and remote areas of developing an open mind to inclusive and multicultural society. Volunteering has always been a fundamental element of the local organization, and for young people has always been considered an experience of great growth and non-formal learning. In this context the Synodal Commission for Diaconia wants to organize a summer workcamp with support from the IBO network. A group of 10 international volunteers from IBO network will participate in a 10-day workcamp, supported by a group of other 10 Italian volunteers of Diakonia Valdese. The project is aimed at boys and girls aged 15 to 17 years. We detected a strong demand in the area of activities for boys / girls of this age, and in particular of exchange with other young people from different countries. With this proposal, we want to meet this need and provide an opportunity to young people at an important stage of their growth, during which through positive and constructive dialogue with each other defines their personality in terms of respect and openness towards' other. The international dimension becomes a key issue in a growing experience that develops awareness of their identity as uniqueness and appreciation of differences as a richness.