International Youth Conference in Camphill
by Gabriele Nys
From the 11th till the 14th of May 2023, the International Youth Conference in Camphill took place in Newton Dee, Scotland!
Guided by the theme “Creating Community: how can we (re-)imagine our future?”, three lectures were given around the Camphill Research, sustainability in intentional communities and personal development, leadership and social threefolding. Reflective artistic activities as well as the workshops in Newton Dee gave space to process the content. Evenings were filled with bonfires and music, and even fire breathing and juggling with fire balls!
It was a wonderful experience of the unique warmth of life within a Camphill Community, accompanied by the coming together of over 70 young people from all over the world! With excitement and many young people interested in joining, the organising team is already looking into the future of the youth conferences in Camphill.
Gabriele Nys
“… I will carry on with the power that I got from these 4 days, and do amazing things, as all the youths I met do!Empowered, is the whole theme of my conference experience in Newton Dee. As soon as I entered the community on the first day, I immediately felt strong energy flowing in me and I couldn’t help starting to run towards the Phoenix centre. I have always heard a lot of stories of Camphill but have never experienced it myself. For the first time, I could be invited to have dinner in a house and see how everyone cared for each other. I can really feel that there is no hierarchy, and everyone is relaxed and comfortable. Everyone I met had wonderful glowing energy. Stranger or friend, we smiled at each other, and villagers always couldn’t wait to introduce themselves. This place is just so nourishing for everyone, and the whole picture of how beautiful this corner of the world is has given me huge hope and power. The sustainability talk especially moved me, that so much is taken into consideration and taken care of, which really turned my distrust of mankind (after learning about environmental economics in uni) around. It is truly a special place, and I have learnt so much, especially gained so much power in my body to take action. I also appreciate so much seeing young people from all around the world, so devoted to this wonderful mission. It was so meaningful and empowering to me, every talk we had, and every minute I spent in Newton Dee. The experience really made me reflect a lot and elevated my pessimistic emotions in the past few months. I couldn’t wait to start my journey in a Camphill (after I finish my study), and I hope to see a lot of you in the future!”
Natalie Gu, participant of the International Youth Conference in Camphill 2023
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