The six participants, coming from Italy and Spain, and the organizers behind Change Making Tour (CMT) had the first meeting at the end of January, in the idyllic spot of Monte Barro, in northern Italy. During ten days, they could exchange knowledge and experience and receive complete training to face what is coming for CMT project in America Latina.
For the next couple of months, the participants will be divided into two groups. On one hand, Gabriela, Christian and Stefano have started their trip last Saturday to Guarapuava, a medium-sized city surrounded by green plains in south-central Brazil. They will be hosted by the association Outro Olhar , getting involved in their local activities and being directly in contact with the Guarani culture and indigenous communities of the region.
On the other hand, Marina, Marta and myself, Mar, will be departing on 15h February to cover the Colombian destination. The host organization will be the Misión Gaia, which conducts different projects related to environmental protection and education, in the Caribbean coastal region of Minca, within the natural reserve of Sierra Nevada.
sharing a place where we can also learn from each other.
Monte Barro has been the first meeting place and starting point for the Change Making Tour, but this is a project that was born a long time before and with affection and dedication, has been able to face almost two years of the pandemic and get back on track with energy. From Europe, the organizers who have made it possible are Beatriz and Laura, from the Spanish association Brújula Intercultural; Tommaso and Anita, from the Italian association No Borders, and Mario, the professional filmmaker of the team.
Together with Juliana, Sandra (from the Brazilian association Outro Olhar), Lina and Diana (from the Colombian Misión Gaia), they built a strong web that emerges towards sustainability and to which the new participants are adding their visions now.
As a participant, I remember I felt very excited the first day when arriving at the nearest train station to the eco-hostel Parco Monte Barro, where the training and meeting took place. It was night. I and the other Spanish participants reached the foot of the mountain almost at the same time, and Giulia, a young girl from the Italian association, took us in her car to the top.
Between the first conversations and the zig-zags of the steep curves, the height was revealing a swarm of lights, like fireflies, that drew a map of small towns surrounding some dark areas. Spots, with the light of the following day, would be revealed as three crystalline lakes that became beautiful mirrors for the sunsets. A dreamy environment to complete the training experience there.
For ten days, the participants attended a program divided into different blocks. After an introduction about the organizational and bonding work that Change Making Tour has behind it, the participants discussed theoretical concepts about what means sustainability and how organizations can apply it to traveling.
Mario, the filmmaker, enlightened the participants with complete audiovisual training and technical tips, also through an extensive video references library. He will be in charge of giving orientation and helping with the material that participants will be creating.
In a practical part, both groups filmed and edited their first video during the days at Monte Barro. This was good to put in practice their skills and to start building a team understanding through sharing their personal creative process.
An essential part of the preparation was working together to determine what the groups will explore and communicate from the respective destinations. CMT team will work to take the values, objectives and visions beyond this project, trying to inspire more organizations and volunteers to do a more sustainable tourism.
Enjoying the opportunity to share a place, meals, conversations, dances and activities, brought the participants closer to each other and establish a good relationship among them to face the future in the best way.
Change Making Tour participants are ready to keep exploring and learning in their host destinations and contribute to the work that these organizations carry on in their local communities.
A more sustainable way of traveling, respectful with the environment and the local people, is possible.
