ERASMUS+, Key action 1: training course
Dates: 10—22 April 2025
Venue: Saint Lizier (nearby Toulouse), France
Czech team: 3 participants.
Please read the info-pack.
Hosting organisation: SolAfrika
Project report:
Bonjour! From April 10th to 22nd, 2025, I had the opportunity to participate in the Erasmus+ training course Sharpen Up in the picturesque town of Saint-Lizier, nestled in the French Pyrenees. Although the course lasted just under two weeks, it gave me more than I ever expected – friendships, inspiration, knowledge, and a deep sense of connection.
Participants came from all corners of the world – Jordan, Armenia, North Macedonia, Italy, Germany, Poland, Turkey – and in just a few days, we became more than just a group. We became a family.
The training focused on sociocracy, coordination, team dynamics, and collective organization. These themes were explored through a rich program of workshops, games, discussions, and activities we co-created together. Guiding us with kindness and wisdom were Vesna and Adèl from the hosting organization SolAfrika, whose commitment to social and environmental values shaped every part of the experience.
Life at the venue was based on mutual support and shared responsibility. We cooked together, washed dishes, cleaned our shared spaces, and ate only vegetarian meals, always knowing exactly where our food came from. It was a hands-on way of living the values we were learning about.
We began by forming our own group culture and setting ground rules to ensure a safe space for learning. One highlight was our visit to Zero Neuf, a local recycling shop that operates without a boss and uses sociocratic principles to run its collective. There, we saw what it looks like to truly live and work by the values of inclusion, equality, and sustainability.
The evenings brought a celebration of our diverse cultures through intercultural nights – each country prepared a traditional meal and introduced others to their customs, music, and stories. These nights were full of laughter, warmth, and connection.
The second phase of the program deepened our understanding of sociocracy with several days of workshops led by the incredibly experienced Rakesh Rootsman Rak. We learned about proposal making, role rotation, planning effective meetings, and decision-making processes. Rakesh even surprised us with a reggae DJ set one evening – a perfect reminder that learning can be joyful and creative.
In the final part of the course, we put our new skills into action. We assigned roles such as facilitator, meeting organizer, and logbook keeper, and designed two days of activities entirely on our own. Some of us planned a trip to Toulouse, Carcassonne, or the local market in Foix; others chose to hike to the beautiful La Cascade d’Ars.
The following day was devoted to peer-led workshops. We had the chance to participate workshops like drawing, consent, self-defense, playfight, active listening, the climate fresk, and calisthenics. It was amazing to see everyone contribute their unique perspective and knowledge.
We closed the project by presenting short videos we had created on the theme of “collective”, reflecting on all the moments we shared and the memories we created together. It was a touching end to an unforgettable journey.
I am deeply grateful for this experience and for everyone who made it possible – the organizers, facilitators, and each and every participant. Sharpen Up wasn’t just a training course. It was a meaningful chapter of my life.
Evelína M.
