When they welcomed the IYCW secretary-general (Orlando) and the ICA coordinator (Arlindo) last July, several former YCW members had the opportunity to meet and exchange on the realities and challenges of the IYCW and the ICA. Moreover, a delegation of the Walloon YCW came to join us. It was also an opportunity to present the different projects carried out by several former YCW members. Without giving a detailed description, the place is home to a collective vegetable garden, where some fifteen gardeners get together one day a week to grow various vegetables and share a common meal with products from the garden. The main objective of the garden is to encourage people to live together, creating social links through a vegetable garden which, it should be noted, does not use any pesticides.
The other initiative is a "Repair Café". This is a project that gives a second life to various electrical appliances, machines, clothes, tools, after being repaired for free by volunteer technicians. This is a way to fight against the overproduction of waste and thus preserve our environment.
Last but not least, there is a second hand shop which helps precarious people and families or citizens who have chosen to combat clothing waste. Through the exchanges that followed, it became clear that we were leading common struggles on issues such as fighting for more social justice, for the respect of the environment or for the right to health and universal social security. The health crisis that is affecting all continents but is hitting the poorest populations even harder was also discussed.
In the YCW, there is no meeting without a convivial moment: so at the end we had a barbecue, followed by a dessert made by Concetta, our YCW pastry chef, all washed down with a glass of wine or beer, and we left with the firm intention of repeating this type of fraternal meeting.
