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The overarching theme of the EFIL Volunteer Summer Summit 2019 is #AFSEffect: Volunteering for Impact.
As the complexity of our world increases so do the challenges facing us; to ensure our response is powerful and effective we want our efforts to promote intercultural learning opportunities to produce concrete and visible positive change. In 2019 EFIL is working toward increasing the impact of our intercultural learning efforts on society. Through our activities we will be exploring different ways we can work toward our mission and what we can do to multiply the AFS Effect and maximise our impact on society.
As in all AFS activities, the owners, drivers and implementers of these efforts are and need to be volunteers. Volunteers are the backbone of AFS organisations, both those in grassroots roles and those in leadership roles; and though we are all connected in a global network, each volunteer contributes to the organisation's work in its own way. At this year's VSS we want to take a deeper look at some of these different paths to impact and provide volunteers with the knowledge, skills and tools to implement real change.
Through a track system we want to give participants the change to go in depth into the topic and explore it from different angles in a coherent way. While the tracks are given below, more information on the tracks and workshops will appear soon, so stay tuned!
Sometimes transferring our AFS experience to 'outside' people is very difficult and some people might get completely bored of your stories. However, sharing your experience is a vital part in how AFS and the AFS effect can live on, from finding new sending students to recruiting host families, our real life experiences are important in the big picture.
This workshop will focus on some techniques often used by salespeople. You might not actually sell something, but many of these techniques are valuable outside of a sales environment. You will learn how to talk about your experience in an engaging way, making your audience interested in knowing more about AFS and our mission.
Did you ever talk to a possible participant who had doubts applying because the program was too expensive for them? Did you ever think "I would love to go to this training, but it is so far away!"? Did you ever have the feeling, that it was pointless to write an action plan in training because no one will ever check if anything has actually happened? Well, then you know the challenges of in-person education. It is resource intensive and often excludes people, who do not have these resources. Come and learn how to make our mission available independent from space and time! Let's explore the joys of e-learning!
In-person trainings are great for several reasons: they facilitate peer-to-peer learning, participants can establish real interpersonal connections, they can have great discussions, and much more. But they are time and money intensive, they favor certain learning styles and they can be less sustainable because of their limited duration.
E-learning can supplement these shortcomings. It can be independent from the participants' mobility, their finances, it can be learner-centered and longer-lasting. E-/blended learning gives us tools to even better empower active citizens to create impact in their everyday environment.
But exactly means e-learning and blended learning? What kind of activities can we use? How can I put my own ideas into effective e-learning?
In this workshop, we will look at the opportunities that e-learning and the combination of e-learning and in-person trainings are giving us. Participants will learn about the methodology of e- and blended learning, get to know different kinds of activities, and most of all develop their own e-tivities. As it is a course on blended learning, the journey will expand the time-frame of the VSS! If you want to increase the reach of your trainings, come and join us on this journey!
Within AFS we love bragging about our numbers of volunteers, participants, projects and often go on brag about our mission. But what do we do with those numbers and do they really represent social impact? What is that really and how can we define it, especially within AFS? What is the difference between impact and social impact? What is it that our programmes actually result in within our communities? What is our current social impact and what are we striving towards? How does it align with our AFS mission? There are a lot of questions to ask – does what I do make any sense? Let's go on the quest of finding answers together!
In this workshop we'll first work on exploring what impact is and how can we define it within AFS, and what is social impact in our programmes. We'll link some theory with our local AFS realities and look for examples that can help us see our strong points, which already exist within the network and maybe those on which we'd like to work on more within our national organizations and which we believe that need more developing.
"I've learnt more during my AFS experience than during 12 years of school" – how many AFSers have pronounced these words? Schools and AFS share the common goal of giving young people instruments to learn and grow. Yet often these two actors seem to work on parallel lines, instead of cooperating and reinforcing one another. How can we change this and engage in productive dialogue with schools? How can we take the AFS effect to schools, especially for those students who don't take part in AFS activities abroad? This workshop offers the possibility to reflect and exchange opinions on the school-AFS relations, while also suggesting a plan for action.
In this workshop we will discuss on the current relation between AFS and schools across Europe. We will examine different strategies to take contact and involve in dialogue and activities with schools. We will also get practical with a short multiplier workshop on stereotypes and intercultural learning designed for schools.
Sometimes in our volunteering life we feel a bit stuck: there are great ideas and we want to inspire our programme participants to do more, but our cat gets sick and there is an exam you didn't quite study for and activities we can apply within AFS become a bit reperative… and we don't bring as much as we could to the table. So, sometimes we need to think more of what values and skills can we use to enhance the impact our programmes are making. We, as facilitators of intercultural learning and of social impact through AFS programmes have the freedom to add much more to the work we do with our participants and how to make it sustainable. The question is not always inventing something new: to drive a change sometimes its enough to bring to the surfice what you already have inside of you, and let's explore that together!
During this workshop we'll reflect on our own skills and tools we already have in facilitating social impact and share different examples of what is it that we do. Participants will be given an open environment to think of what could we add to our programme activities to make it more enjoyable and productive for all parties included: volunteers and participants! We will think of how can we inspire our participants to become drivers of change and how to work on our misison even after the programme and activities we do with them.
We have access to a lot of information and knowledge as individual AFSers and as an organization with intercultural learning expertise…Have you taken the time before to play around with this knowledge a little?
You know…map it out, organize it a little in your head, unjumble some of it, see what you like, what you don't, assess it, understand it, analyze, criticize… the whole thing. And while we're at it, let's figure out how we can further share this vast knowledge responsibly and with intention. Or at least- start on that path….
What is the narrative we are creating as 'experts' in the field of ICL?
This workshop is for the ones who want to spend a little time playfully assessing the ICL toolboxes within our networks. Most times, life is so busy, we don't take the time to stop and reflect to look at the bigger picture and personally figure out which direction you actually wanted to go- and then zoom back in to what you really find important.
We'll try and take a closer look at the knowledge and toolboxes we have and attempt to map it out, critically think about what messages we give our volunteers. Think about how we can foster constant growth and check to see the long-term impact of our work.
Because we believe in facilitated reflection for sustainable (intercultural) learning, we have a strong training culture. But today, most of our trainings are based on in-person workshops. At the same time, many organizations are experimenting with webinars, video-conference calls, digital town halls, small- and large-scale online courses. E-/blended learning provides us with tools to make our trainings more learner-driven, more collaboration based, more sustainable and reach broader audiences. But most of our organizations are still in their infancy, when it comes to the strategic use of e- and blended learning. In the workshop, we will investigate into using e- and blended learning for our organizations. And develop strategies for implementing it in our training culture.
How can we use e-/blended learning? What kind of approaches exist? How can those methods support our traditional training strategies? What initiatives are already explored within the network? How can we use online-facilitated methods more effectively and strategically? What are pitfalls? How can we collaborate?
In the course, we will explore the methodology of e- and blended learning and learn what approached exists in the field of intercultural e-learning. In the second half, we will try to develop different measures how supplement our traditional training approach, as well as develop a framework strategy for e- and blended learning within the network.
As it is a workshop on e-/blended learning, it will expand beyond the time and space limits of the workshop. Be prepared to start exploring before we meet in Austria. Also, it is recommended to have some basic ideas on e-learning. The facilitator is happy to provide ressources for people who are interested to learn more.
Across cultures what we can talk about and not talk about is different. Some taboos are timeless and others fade with time. We just have to work at it and think progressively yet still be culturally sensitive. Let's have a discussion, try to bring down barriers and walk out still hopeful…
I come from Egypt. My culture considers a lot of the knowledge we share with participants at AFS orientations taboo. When it comes to sexual health, we learn so much about ourselves and our bodies very late, if at all.
It's not the same in other parts of the world. During their program experiences, participants come face to face and interact with these taboos, or rather the absence of taboos, one way or another and this could lead to uncomfortable and, sometimes, complicated situations.
So where does that leave us? Where does intercultural sensitivity training for our volunteers stand in relation to these conversations? Where do we draw the line between 'necessary for the experience' and culturally inappropriate? Let's have these discussions and share our experiences
"Europe is the birthplace of human rights!" – but what would migrants and refugees from former European colonies, who are dying while trying to reach Europe have to say about this? The current situation Europe is in is linked to European colonial history. But what are colonialism and postcolonialism? How do they still shape our society? And what about the European Enlightenment, that allegedly turned Europe into a haven of human rights? Using interactive methods, digital media (especially Memes!) and group discussions, we will investigate colonialism, racism and identities in the so-called "enlightened" continent: Europe. European colonialism had an immense impact on the whole globe. Colonial repercussions are still part of the modern world we live in today. They influence the relationships between different countries and groups within societies. We will touch upon these and other issues, and figure out what all of this has to do with AFS as an intercultural and international organisation.
What is (European) colonialism? Which impacts did and does it still have? How are colonialism, racism and enlightenment in Europe connected? After an introduction into European colonial history and core concepts of Postcolonial Theory, we will explore the impacts of European colonialism on our societies and our personal lives that prevail until today. Is there a European Identity? And who "belongs" to Europe? This workshop will also help answering these questions. Finally, you will find out how this is relevant for AFS volunteers! Usually, white perspectives dominate public discussions around colonialism, racism and identity in Europe. Perspectives from the so-called global south and of European BIPoC (Black people, Indigenous people and People of Colour) receive less attention. This Workshop centres on these perspectives. Beginners and people who already spent some time on this topic are all welcome – during the workshop it will be ensured that different levels of knowledge are accommodated. There will be an introduction, theoretical input, group discussions, empowerment and personal self-reflection.
Participants of our programs come from different cultures and bring different values to our communities. Their new perspectives often enrich our everyday life and broaden our perspective. But sometimes, we have the feeling that there is some behavior we cannot make sense of. In some cases, this might be because we do not understand the person's values. In the workshop, we will try to understand what (our) diverse values are, how they enforce our interpretations of reality and how we act accordingly. We will gain further insight on values that might feel strange to us and try to find ways to bridge these differences.
This workshop is for people who want to dig deeper in understanding what culture is. We are we, there is an I in us that is unique. At the same time, we are shaped by the different cultures that surround us. They can influence what we think is right or wrong, shape our understanding of reality and how we act accordingly. When we meet people of other cultures, the differences might irritate us. That might be true for the Chinese exchange student just as much as for the supporter of right-wing parties living next door. In the workshop, we will explore our own values, get to know models to understand better how people can perceive the world differently from ourselves and develop strategies to bridge value differences. As the facilitator believes in the value of blended learning, you will start engaging with the other members of the course some time before the VSS.
What we want? To change the world!
What we need? To be globally aware!
But how? By striping our Indentity!
By understanding the biases of our perceptions, deeply rooted in our Identity, perhaps we will be able to drop the ethno of ethnocentrism or any other -ism that might act as a barrier in our quest.
In this workshop you will be able to contribute to a deeper conceptualization of Identity (If the last setence seemed that the workshop will be boring, It was an biased Interpretation!)
This workshop Intends to equip participants with Important Insights regarding Identity, that will allow us to a conscious behaviour when striving for social Impact.
We will strip the concept of Identity to understand how It contributes to our perspectives of the world and our actions In It.
"We are AFSers, we do not discriminate!" – "AFSers are generally open minded!" – "I am an AFSer, I can't be racist!"
Have you heard these sentences before? Have thought so yourself? Your trainer definitely has. In this workshop, we will figure out what (everyday) racism is, and how it runs through all our societies. Then we will explore how this affects AFS, and finally what we can do to address racism within as well as outside of our organisation!
During this workshop we will address racism as a power structure that affects all of our lives and the societies in which we live in. Instead of understanding racism as a set of personal attitudes and a mere problem between individuals, we will see how racism runs to all our institutions and the core structures of society. After developing a common understanding of racism, we will also discuss what effects racism has on and within social movements and organisations, including AFS. In the end, we will attempt a forecast on what everyone can do to address racism in their personal life, as well as within the organisations and structures they are actively engaged in.
This workshop provides entry points into addressing racism on a personal and political level, through both discussions and self-reflection exercises. It is open for all and will try to cater for everyone. Nonetheless, the perspectives of participating BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) will be prioritized. Still, due to being open for all, this workshop will not be able to provide a safe space for BIPOC.
In this day and age, on a continent very, very close by…
It is a dark time for the defenders of democratic values. Although it was believed that fascism had been destroyed, the new right has driven the forces of freedom into the defence and pursued them across the continent.
Evading the right-wing parties, groups of activists are establishing new structures and organisations in every remote corner of Europe.
But the new right, obsessed with oppressing freedom in Europe and across the world, have increased their efforts in the far reaches of Europe…
How do we address the rise of the new right? Which means, strategies and tactics are possible, legitimate and effective? And what can AFS(ers) contribute to the struggle for freedom and democracy in Europe?
During this session, you will explore the current international rise of the so-called "new right/nouvelle droite/Neue Rechte", mainly focussing on Europe. We will try to figure out how to counter these tendencies in our societies and organisations. Finally, we will analyse how the AFS network could be a new hope for the struggle against the right.
This workshop will contain a mix of input, discussion, group-work and action planning.
Do you want to expell some hatred you might have inside of you? Do you want to love people whose values you despise? This workshop is for you!
We will explore our personal boundaries of empathy and reflect about their existence.
WARNING: ideologies will be deeply questioned.
With the national homogenous white political groups rising in Europe, a lot of thought need to be placed in the comprehension of the phenomena. When getting angry at some social movements/leaders/whatever that is promoting political and social pathways we strongly disagree with, a perverse symmetric effect occurs – we hate.
Focusing in sensorial and emotional experiments, personal pathways will be used to understand the personal boundaries of empathy and their role in activism for peace and diversity.
AFS started as an ambulance service and it eventually evolved into a student exchange network. People from countries around the world took long boat rides to far away families they had never seen. Since then planes became less expensive, the Internet was invented, and many other exchange services entered the market Yet our mission is as relevant as ever and our message on intercultural communication has a huge void to fill. Are we limiting ourselves in what we can do? Come take a science fiction leap into the possibilities of us!
In this workshop we start by looking in, to our identity as an organization: where we came from, who we are, why do we enjoy belonging to AFS and what capabilities we recognize in our organization. From there we will time travel to the future, and, with the boundless limits that a fictional future provides, explore what roles AFS can take in all those possible parallel universes. We will finally return, safe and sound to the present reality, with new lessons that maybe (hopefully!) can be applied in the right now time.
How can we make our work on intercultural competency relevant to others outside our network? Is that kind of engagement necessary? Does the world out there need us and our knowledge? What are our potential benefits?
If you are you already working on a project that answers those questions, or have ideas that still need development, or if you see community that would benefit rom AFS work; thsi workshop is for you.
You'll have the opportunity to share with others, spark creativity and get inspired to think beyond what you already know.
Whether it's intercultural learning workshops with disadvantaged children or training bank employees on intercultural sensitivity, there are numerous innovative ideas to branch out from the norm when it comes to mobilizing our resources to create an impact beyond AFS.
In this workshop, we'll explore the AFS mission and objectives as well as recognize our strengths as an organization. We will discuss how to diffuse the information and knowledge beyond our immediate communities. We will discuss how to diffuse the information and knowledge beyond our immediate communities and how we can tailor our service to different audiences (other than our participants and volunteers) We will explore the potential impact our activities/ actions/ projects could have.
Within each of our networks we can find an abundance of experiences, including inspiring success stories and failures full of learnings. I'll be sharing some from Egypt myself!
Hopefully, some of you could walk away with a seedling of a project at hand!
Plays are fiction, but theater strives for truth. An actor's movements and lines are unencumbered of all the noise of life in a quest to get to the essential of our actions, emotions and motivations. Let's explore how theater can help us learn about ourselves and others.
Drawing from exercises of both classical theater and improv, in this workshop we will try to see how this art form can help us learn about ourselves and how we relate to others, and others cultures.
There's no need of previous theater experience for this workshop. It's not so much about acting ability as it is about will to participate and discover learning opportunities that can be applied to various fields, especially, but not limited to, those within the scope of AFS. Being a six hour workshop we will have time to enjoy the theatre exercises as participants and build upon our own experiences to allow for new paths and applications.
Other than for sharing our reunion photos on Instagram, what does AFSeffect stand for? What are the ways of reaching out to more people and spreading our mission? How can we make AFSeffect an action we focus on and not just a hashtag we put among others during our basic programme activities? What is it that you, personally, want to say and do about it? How can we reach beyond our usual audiences and multiply what AFS effect really is about? How does this link to AFS mission and in which type of new activities can we further develop?
During this session we will confirm together what does AFS effect in practice represent to us. More importantly, working in small groups, we will focus on sharing ideas and developing innovative project that are linked to our mission and which should have an impact on a broader audiance – (parts of) our communities.
Being a teenager is tough. Boys are becoming men and girls are becoming women. Correct? Well, that's the theory most people grew up with – at least until recently. Societies all over the world are changing, gender roles are becoming more fluid and teenagers don't necessarily have a strict path towards adulthood anymore.
In some places, these changes are stronger than in others; sometimes we have AFS students with very strict ideas of gender coming to our countries, others have a more modern approach or don't seem to care at all. A clash of cultures or a clash of generations? How do we incorporate supposedly "new" ideas of gender and sexuality into our AFS work?
"Leave that, it's a girl's job" or "Don't carry this, one of the boys will do that for you". Who of you heard such things when growing up? Who of you first heard such statements when going on exchange? And who is now saying those things themselves?
Living in a different country also means being confronted with different ideas of what girls or boys do or shouldn't do. In most AFS preparations, gender doesn't play a big role and we often don't prepare our exchange students to the different reality expecting them when abroad. Host countries usually expect heterosexual boys and girls to come their way and are often overwhelmed when somebody doesn't fit into this binary concept.
We will discuss some basic concepts of sex/gender and then see how this relates to the AFS context. Participants are welcome to share their experiences; both from their own exchange and their AFS work. With some luck, we will all leave this workshop with some new activities and thoughts for a more gender-sensitive approach in our everyday work with young programme participants.
Boys will be boys!
Man up!
Boys don't cry!
A real man can do it!
Back then, men were real men!
All of these phrases are indicitive of an idea of what it is to be a man. Does this idea have any effect for AFS as a volunteer organization? Does the idea of masculinity have anything to do with what we do?
In recent years the idea of toxic masculinity has emerged in the discussion of the cultural dimensions of gender. According to this idea, a certain version of masculinity leads to men being less likely to discuss their feelings and openly show empathy and love for one another. It also then includes being "tough" and bottling up their emotions.
This workshop will aim to discuss what is masculinity and the effect of it on our society and our roles within the society. Are masculinity and feminity somehow polar opposites? Are they the same all over?
We will discuss whether an idea of a specific masculinity affects the reality of AFS, seeing as the majority of AFS volunteers tend to be female. Is there something that can be done within AFS to address this reality without compromising who we are can we be more accommodating to men while staying true to our core? And should we?
Over the past years, awareness around the topic of sustainability, pollution, waste disposal, etc. has risen a lot. I mean A LOT – sometimes it feels like your facebook feed is full of images of dead sea birds with stomachs full of plastic, articles about H&Ms new sustainability strategy, and advertisements of upcycled gym bags and menstrual cups.
These images alarm and inspire you to make some changes. Even when it's not easy. You're giving up certain things which used to be normal for you and sometimes that's hard. Suddenly, you might have a lot of explaining to do because of your changes in lifestyle. Or you shy away from certain changes because you know it will be tiring to explain them to your friends and family. And sometimes, you get frustrated. Why do have to make sacrifices when other people don't? Don't you have a right to eat bananas and avocados? Don't you have the right to travel by airplane when you want to visit your friends abroad? Do you have to be the one who fixes the environment?
We know by now that global warming is a huge problem which will keep us busy for generations to come. But how much an individual can change remains open for discussion. Some people have invested a lot of time and energy into creating a sustainable life for themselves. This might include big changes in their everyday behaviour and thinking, even a lot of sacrifice. In this workshop, we will have a look at how far an individual can go and has to go when they want to live a sustainable lifestyle.
But we will also look at the bigger picture: who benefits from new "environmentally responsible" products? Who makes the big decisions? Who is ultimately responsible for global warming and whose job is it to stop it?
AFS is dedicated to the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets 4: Quality Education and 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Let's explore if and how AFS "walks the talk" and contributes in acheiving these targets. Together, we will uncover the background and the backside of the SDGs 4 and 16 as well as develop tools on how to turn promises into action.
In this workshop, we will look at how we, as volunteers for AFS, can and should contribute to the SDGs. We will first establish a common understanding of the SDGs looking at their development from the MDGs and their relation to human rights. We will critically look at the SDGs and their targets by digging deeper into some realities of the SDGs. Lastly, we will re-write the sub-targets of goals 4 and 16 to fit the AFS context.
"You manage things; you lead people."
"A leader is a dealer in hope."
"Don't follow the crowd, let the crowd follow you."
"A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus."
Many wise and even more not so wise things have been said about leadership. Do any of them help us when we are suddenly put into a situation of leadership? Who are the people who usually end up leading a crowd? How did they get there? How does a politician become a politician? Did anybody in kindergarten ever say "Hey, I want to be an armed rebel when I grow up"? Leadership and societal change are linked to one another. Few people know for sure that they will change their country when they start their journey. Let's look at the how and why.
Leadership is a great new buzzword when talking business, companies, etc. But haven't leaders always existed? Doesn't the concept of leadership extent far beyond the business world? By looking at the examples of different political leaders throughout history, we will discuss leadership types and methods. We will analyse what we look for in a leader, what inspires us and which situations in life have us looking for a leader. But more importantly we will look at how one becomes a leader – is it something people are born with like a special talent for playing an instrument? Surely everyone has been in a situation where they had to step up and be the leader – but how did we feel in those moments? Comfortable? Stressed out? Excited?
The workshop is six hours long, so we will have plenty of time to discuss, analyse, do some research and even act out what we learned together. We will have a special look into what kind of leaders have emerged over the past years and what kind of leaders our world still lacks. Maybe in the end, we will realise that some of us have been leaders all along. If not, let's see how we get there.
Change doesn't always happen through revolutions. History has shown that changes in society can come from peaceful protests in the form of minor disobediences towards an injustice imposed by society, rules or law, such as the various womens marches and activities for the right to vote and maybe even the school strikes of Greta Thunberg? Change can be achieved by simply taking a stance and not following the rules. But when can we decide to do that? Is it always justified? If there is an injustice, must we act?
In this workshop we will discuss the concept of civil disobedience. It is an action for impact, but sometimes taking such a stance and following it through with action can put us at risk. Should we always take such a stance even if it is a risk for ourselves? Is it only the people suffering the injustice who should take action? What actions can those not affected take to support a cause? What actions are justifiable?
In this workshop we will attempt to dive together into the questions of when, how, why and whether we should act when rules, however small or large, are unjust in our society.
Thinking about "advocacy" the first thing most people have in mind is a big question mark. The term itself is very abstract and may have some confusing connotations (Like "lobbyism"). First, we will get to know the term, its origin and its context. Second, we will focus on us, as a group and try to link ourselves as #afsadvocates to the topic. Eventually, we will reflect about ourselves as leaders and which role we have – on a national as well as international level and what our motivations are.
In this course we will focus on the more technical part and the various activities EFIL is already doing in the field of advocacy and who are the main stakeholders on a european as well as on a national level. Additionly, the EFIL fellowship program and further ways to engage as a volunteer in the field of advocacy will be highlighted/ a broad overview presented (including follow-up if you want to get into advocacy with EFIL). Secondly, we will focus more on the personal motivations about "why" people engage in advocacy and which impact it has/had on the personal lifes of the #afsadvocates.
EFIL is active on various levels of advocacy as well as providing resources for volunteer development. Strategies are one of the tools used by stakeholders to communicate messages as well as empower people. The step of translating a strategy (language wise as well as to national realities) and creating momentum for an impact is sometimes more difficlut – in this workshop we will reflect about the following questions:
Which strategies are out there? Which one could be helpful for my national organisation? And how can I write one myself to have an impact as a leader?
Using already existing material and linking european and national politics (or policies) to each other may proof rather difficult. There are many stakeholders out there but how to priorities and even more important: how to use a existing strategy to create momentum for a movement?
You have probably all felt the urge before… Someone said something incredibly stupid. In your opinion. No matter what the topic might be, you massively disagree with the other party. These arguments/discussions/debates often don't go well and for so many different reasons your great ideas are not listened to. In this workshop we will go deeper in effective argumentation and debating, so you will have all the needed tools for your next argument.
This workshop is not about convincing someone else you are right, but this will give you the tools to effectively transfer your ideas and values to an opposing party. Maybe, in the end, you can change someone's opinion or open up their view on something. The workshop is based on a book about effective argumentation with the same title. It sounds like a mind trick but it definitely is not. You will learn to defend your viewpoint without attacking the other party and engage in a grown up discussion which will benefit both parties.
Have you heard the phrase "Man is born in chains: but everywhere thinks himself free"? Applied to AFS, we will discuss whether AFS can become a stronger and better organisation if we cooperate with other organisation.
In this workshop, we will look at how AFS volunteers can engage in societal change through teaming up with other organisations. First, we will discuss what AFS stands for politically, and whether that can allow us to team up with other organisations to create synergies. We will create a speaker's corner to give us an impression on the different political views within AFS. Then, we will look at how we can align AFS to other activist organisations: Can AFS join the pride parade? Can AFS link up with religious communities to facilitate dialogue? Can AFS volunteers create reports on social challenges in their local communities?
Seeing that #afseffect has more than 100k posts of Instagram, let's explore how we can expand the AFSeffect as a recruitment pitch for host families, students, volunteers and schools! Together, we can look into some challenges and opportunities with "selling" the #afseffect and create our own recruitment toolbox.
In this workshop we will look into a common challenge for volunteers at local level, namely how to "sell" the AFS effect. This will be an active workshop where you will make your own recruitment pitches to bring back home. The pitches will focus on different audiences, high school students, families, university students and older. We will reflect upon whether AFS is selling exchanges or if we can "sell" other experiences such as social impact. We will also discuss whether we should sell AFS and the AFS effect and if we are targeting the right audiences.
AFSers are full of ideas, ideals and good will, but how do we harness the power of our organization to actually further our mission? How do we devise a strategy that makes everyone feel included but is at the same focused and noise free? How do we make impactful change? A workshop on change, strategy, communication and motivation, that begins with a lot of questions and ends with a lot of VSSers answers – and probably some more, new, better and improved questions.
How do we as volunteers fit in with something bigger than us without feeling our individuality drawn in the larger scheme of things? How do we make impactful change? How do we measure that impact?
This is a workshop about strategical thinking within AFS and how every volunteer fits in, or not, with that strategy. On how to make everyone be, and feel like, a part of the process without loosing focus. And, ultimately, how we can get to actual, visible change. So if you have ideas or complaints, a vision or doubts about which direction to take, apply for this workshop.
Daily programme
Below you can find the tentative programme of this years Summer Summit. The final version will be included in the info booklet.
Day 1 – Sunday 14th of July
Until 19:00 – Arrivals of participants
19:30 to 20:30 – Dinner
20:30 – Welcome evening
Day 2 – Monday 15th of July
07:30 to 08:45 – Breakfast
09:00 to 10:30 – Official opening
10:30 to 11:00 – Coffee break
11:00 to 12:30 – Thematic opening
12:30 to 13:30 – Lunch
13:30 to 15:30 – Leisure activities
15:30 to 17:00 – Parallel sessions
17:00 to 17:30 – Coffee break
17:30 to 19:00 – Parallel sessions continue
19:00 to 19:30 – Reflection groups
19:30 to 20:30 – Dinner
21:00 – Austrian night
Day 3 – Tuesday 16th of July
07:30 to 08:45 – Breakfast
09:00 to 10:30 – Workshop
10:30 to 11:00 – Coffee break
11:00 to 12:30 – Workshop continues
12:30 to 13:30 – Lunch
13:30 to 15:30 – Leisure activities
15:30 to 17:00 – Workshop
17:00 to 17:30 – Coffee break
17:30 to 19:00 – Workshop continues
19:00 to 19:30 – Reflection groups
19:30 to 20:30 – Dinner
21:00 – International bazaar
Day 4 – Wednesday 17th of July
07:30 to 08:45 – Breakfast
09:00 to 10:30 – Workshop
10:30 to 11:00 – Coffee break
11:00 to 12:30 – Workshop continues
12:30 to 13:00 – Reflection groups
13:00 to 14:00 – Lunch
14:00 to 15:30 – I can teach you
15:30 to 19:00 – Community project
19:30 to 20:30 – Dinner
21:00 – Evening programme
Day 5 – Thursday 18th of July
07:30 to 08:45 – Breakfast
09:00 to 10:30 – Workshop
10:30 to 11:00 – Coffee break
11:00 to 12:30 – Workshop continues
12:30 to 13:30 – Lunch
13:30 to 15:30 – Leisure activities
15:30 to 17:00 – Sharing of outcomes
17:00 to 17:30 – Coffee break
17:30 to 18:30 – Closing plenary
18:30 to 19:30 – Reflection groups
19:30 to 20:30 – Dinner
21:00 – Goodbye party
Day 6 – Sunday 19th of July
Departures of participants
See you next year!🌻
The Volunteer Summer Summit is the yearly flagship event of the European Federation for Intercultural Learning. It brings 200+ volunteers together from all over Europe to engage them in intercultural learning activities to strengthen their volunteering engagement and facilitation skills.
EFIL is an umbrella organisation of the exchange organisation American Field Service and counts 29 member associations in Europe. EFIL promotes intercultural understanding among countries, organisations and citizens, and actively helps its members to operate within the European environment.
The address of EFIL is Roger Vandendriesschelaan 18, B, 1150 Brussels, Belgium. The preparatory team is spread across the continent.


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Both architects and draftsmen work together on construction projects, but they have different responsibilities. Their tasks require different skill sets and educational backgrounds. Here is a breakdown of both fields to help you distinguish what services you need.
These professionals design and build structures for people to work, live, eat, shop, and worship in. These structures include office buildings, homes, schools, and complexes for outdoor, indoor, public, or private use. Aside from producing aesthetically pleasing structures, architects must also make sure buildings are functional, safe, and economical. They are involved in every phase of the project, from planning to completion.
Architects use computer-aided design (CAD) software along with building information modelling (BIM) to render construction drawings. They must ensure these designs adhere to ordinances like zoning laws, fire regulations, and building codes. Architects must also keep persons with disabilities when creating these structures to make sure it is accessible.
Educational Requirements
The educational and licensing requirements for an architect are much higher than for a draftsman. They need at least a bachelor's degree, but some might also have a master's in the field. Some course topics might be CAD, construction methods, architectural history, math, and technology. They must also gain work experience before they graduate through internships. Working architects are expected to periodically continue their education through conferences, classes, and workshops.
Also known as drafters, they perform some similar tasks to architects and will often work alongside them. They too prepare CAD renderings, but their work can be applied to other areas besides architecture and construction. Drafts are also used to create drawings of circuitry and different mechanical layouts. Their illustrations include technical features and specs like dimensions, materials, and procedures. Draftsmen also use tables, formulas, and technical handbooks to help them make their renderings.
The type of work a draftsman does will depend on their chosen field. Architectural drafters, for example, produce drawings for new builds and could specialize in either residential or commercial buildings. Or, they could specialize in a particular material like timber, steel, or reinforced concrete. Civil drafters, on the other hand, prepare drawings for civil engineering projects like bridge and highway construction, flood-control, and sewage system projects. Aeronautics and electronics are also common drafting fields.
Educational Requirements
Draftsmen obtain their education through college training and get a certificate, diploma, or associate's degree at technical institutes or community colleges. Draftsmen can also get training in the field through military service. Topics of study typically include sketching, design, and CAD. Unlike architects, draftsmen do not need to apply for licensing. They can also get certification in a specialized area.
While architects and draftsmen share some job duties, architects complete more education and must meet licensing requirements. Their level of expertise is better suited for an entire project. If you require sketches for some parts of your project or need a prototype on paper, contact Fastech Services Ltd. We specialize in full format construction drafts for a variety of trades like engineers, contractors, landscape designers, and architects.

subset: commoncrawl


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The MAC is kicking off the new fiscal year by getting started on the next big update!
Over the course of more than 115 years, thousands of members and guests have taken part in the time-honored traditions of the Club and celebrated some of life's biggest moments together. Read our feature story on the Downtown Clubhouse.


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French Vintage Decor book is officially released today and it's already the #1 Best Seller on Amazon!
This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click to read my full disclosure policy.
Can you believe it? I know I can't. It's with all your support that French Vintage Decor has been able to be a #1 Best Seller! I'm at a loss for words really. I have to take it all in today.
I'm sure you're tired of hearing me talk about it but today is the day I've been waiting for!! I'm about to go for a lovely walk to soak it all in.
Blogger Friends Making My Projects!
I have friends that have made their own version of projects from my book so make sure to check out these beautiful posts!
Kristi Making it in the Mountains made Framed Embroidery Art just like my Framed Needlepoint and I absolutely love this! Thank you so much for all your support, Kristi!
Amanda from Sincerely, Marie Designs made the Pressed Lavender in a Gold Leaf Frame. It's just gorgeous, Amanda! Thank you for your sweet words, friend.
Danielle from Finding Silver Pennies made her own Drill Bit Holder and added fresh greenery from around her area. It's so beautiful. I've known Danielle for years now, thank you for your friendship and your continued support!
Jennifer from Celebrating Everyday Life is showcasing so many projects from my book. Thank you for all your sweet words, Jennifer. You should check out which project blew her mind 😉
More Friends Have Been Sharing on Instagram:
Click the Links for More Projects From My Blogger Friends:
More French Vintage Decor Book Projects from Friends
French Vintage Decor Projects from Bloggers
Two More Days Until French Vintage Decor is Released
Win a Signed Copy of French Vintage Decor
French Vintage Decor Countdown


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California could see more rain and snow this weekend amid a winter-like May.
In Southern California, Saturday will begin with sun but turn cloudy later in the day. There is a 50% chance of rain overnight, with some thundershowers possible Sunday morning.
Expect up to a quarter-inch of rain along the coast and up to a half-inch inland.
The National Weather Service said conditions should then clear, with a 20% chance of rain midweek.
In Northern California, a new storm was expected to bring more rain and snow Saturday.
A winter storm warning was issued for the Sierra Nevada through early Monday. Heavy snow could cause travel delays in the mountains.
Storms earlier this week set records in Southern California and brought heavy show to parts of Northern California.


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Posted: Oct 23, 2018
Due to unsafe playing conditions, the Austin College and Centenary Soccer games scheduled for Tuesday night, October 23, have been canceled
The games were the final regular season contest scheduled for the Ladies and Gents. The Ladies return to action the first weekend of November for the 2018 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. Game times and seeding are to be determined.


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 18, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Department of Psychology, 615-898-2706
(MURFREESBORO, Tenn.)—The Department of Psychology at MTSU will present its annual awards ceremony for outstanding students who were enrolled in the program during the 2007 academic year beginning at 6 p.m. March 20 in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building.
Prior to the 6 p.m. ceremony, psychology faculty will meet with student award winners beginning to view the students' plaques, meet parents and take photographs.
The Department of Psychology is part of the university's College of Education and Behavior Science, which is led by Dr. Gloria Bonner, dean.
Eighteen MTSU students, all of whom are majoring in programs of study within psychology, will receive 13 academic honors during the March 20 event, which is open to media and the public.
Those students who will receive awards at the upcoming ceremony are listed below by their respective hometown counties. Unless indicated otherwise, the students' hometowns are in Tennessee.
The winning students, along with their respective hometowns, are as follows:
·Outstanding Clinical Psychology Graduate Student
--Kelli Blevins of Smyrna, a 2002 graduate of La Vergne High School.
--Amber Mackey of Murfreesboro, a native of Wake County, N.C., and graduate of Southeast Raleigh High School.
·Outstanding Quantitative Psychology Graduate Student
--Andrey V. Koval of Murfreesboro, an international student at MTSU.
·Outstanding Experimental Psychology Graduate Student
--Joseph Baker of Murfreesboro, a native of Las Cruces, N.M.
·Outstanding Professional Counseling Psychology Graduate Student
--Jennifer Adams of Murfreesboro, a 1997graduate of Oakland High School.
·Outstanding School Psychology Graduate Student
--Marisa Shubert of Franklin.
·Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant Spring 2007
--Joy Pollard of Murfreesboro, a native of Alamogordo, N.M.
--Shannon Riggs of Burleson, Texas.
Add 1
·Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant Fall 2007
--Amber Mackey of Murfreesboro.
·Elizabeth Wright Psychology Graduate Student Award
--Jenny Gilbert of Hendersonville, a 2000 graduate of Beech High School.
·Robert Prytula Memorial Scholarship ($500)
--Kelli Blevins of Smyrna, a 2002 graduate of La Vergne High School.
--Andrey V. Koval of Murfreesboro, an international student at MTSU.
·Keith W. Carlson Professional Counseling Scholarship ($500)
--Brittany Dyer of Smyrna, a graduate of Cookeville (Tenn.) High School.
--Joyce Hollins of Nashville, a 2000 graduate of Dacula High School.
·Willard A. Kerr Award of Excellence for Outstanding Psychology Undergraduate ($100 bond)
--Barbra McLane of Murfreesboro, a graduate of Hilton Head (S.C.) High School.
--Paige Greene of Murfreesboro, a 2004 graduate of La Vergne High School.
·Willard A. Kerr Award of Excellence for Outstanding Psychology Graduate Student ($100 bond)
--Ashley Crow of Murfreesboro, a graduate of Louisiana High School and native of Louisiana, Mo.
--Kara Jeansonne, a native of Metairie, La.
--Kimberly Wilson of Murfreesboro.
·Larry W. Morris Outstanding Senior in Psychology ($100)
--Jessica Busler of Murfreesboro, a graduate of Powell (Tenn.) High School.
--Sarah Marler of Murfreesboro.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Posted by MTSU News & Media Relations at 4:49 PM
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CK Retro Review: Chaos And Creation In The Backyard by Paul McCartneyPosted: April 10, 2017 Filed under: Paul McCartney, Retro Reviews | Tags: Chaos And Creation In The Backyard, George Harrison, Heather Mills, Jane Asher, Keanu Reeves, Linda McCartney, Nigel Godrich, Paul McCartney, The Beatles, Wings Leave a comment
When you have a recorded legacy as monumental as the one possessed by Paul McCartney, it's difficult to make a dent in it, especially these days when new releases by even the most prestigious of artists suffer quickly deteriorating shelf lives. I would argue though that the three-album stretch begun with Chaos And Creation In The Backyard (I'm not counting the specialty album Kisses On The Bottom) is the finest such stretch of his post-Beatles career. And it all began with this with cumbersomely-titled 2005 album, on which producer Nigel Godrich coaxed Paul to dig deeper, bite harder, and edit more carefully, all while doing his one-man band thing for an album as intimate as the end of the evening and as bracing as the first cold light of day. Here is a song-by-song review:
13. "At The Mercy"- The one song here where all of the instrumental passages, while lovely on their own, don't quite cohere into something greater. It's too bad, because it's not often that you get Paul talking about darker emotions like "the fear inside."
12. "Anyway"- I feel like this song, while pleasant enough, sends the album out on a bit of a recessive note, even with the off-kilter instrumental coda that lengthens its running time.
11. "Too Much Rain"- Essentially a rewrite of the old standard "Smile," with maybe a little less of the obvious undercurrent of melancholy that the old song possessed. Not bad, but not earth-shaking either.
10. "Promise To Your Girl"- There's more than a little bit of "Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-Five" in this, the album's lone true rocker. It has the same kind of shapeshifting quality, at times charging ahead recklessly, at times stopping to ponder its whereabouts with dreamy falsetto vocals. That it holds together is a credit to McCartney's compositional acumen.
9. "English Tea"- For all of those critics who feel like McCartney can get overly precious at times, this song must grate to no end. I, on the other hand, kind of like the idea of Paul skidding into the curve with this one, owning up to his tweeness with a Victorian era melody and exaggeratedly proper diction. An album's full of this stuff would be deadly, but one for fun is just fine.
8. "How Kind Of You"- This one takes some clever musical turns, making the gratitude expressed by Paul in the song sound almost desperate. There are many times on this album where the lyrics somehow deepen within their interesting musical surroundings, and this is one of them.
7. "A Certain Softness"- McCartney loves slipping these exotic little numbers onto each album, showing his preference for a mellow, almost jazzy mood now and again. Sounds a little like something Antonio Carlos Jobim might have concocted for Frank Sinatra, which is a good thing.
6. "Friends To Go"- Macca dedicated this one to George Harrison, but I don't see the connection. If anything, the story of the lyrics slightly recalls The Beatles "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party" in the way they detail a wallflower's wish to remain undetected. One of many tracks on the album that come at us from a funky perspective, making the familiar sound strange and novel.
5. "Follow Me"- Like "My Love" many years before it, "Follow Me" overcomes lyrics that might be considered trite on the page thanks to the moving tug of the music. The verses arch upward hopefully, while the middle eight steps unto the breach, fearlessly bringing our narrator to a much-needed friend. The uplift comes without any forcing, so that can feel good about being gently manipulated into warm fuzzies by a master.
4. "This Never Happened Before"- Consider this one along the lines of "Only Love Remains." It's clearly in the vein of adult contemporary, tailor-made for a big-screen romance (and it was indeed used in the bizarre Keanu Reeves time-travel tale The Lake House.) And yet the craft McCartney possesses ensures that it's quite stirring, as it saunters around in the first half before building to quite a momentous climax.
3. "Fine Line"- One of the odder opening tracks and lead singles in McCartney's oeuvre, yet it's compelling nonetheless. The off-kilter, almost dissonant piano riff is actually much more like Harrison than anything in "Friends To Go," and it draws you in. Even though the lyrics don't necessarily connect the dots, there are enough intriguing lines to keep you inspecting it. Plus it sets the tone for an album that, as a whole, comes at you from a slight different angle than the usual Macca release (and is the better for it.)
2. "Riding To Vanity Affair"- Since torment often breeds art, it can be argued that the relatively smooth sailing that Paul and Linda McCartney's relationship enjoyed was not conducive to inspiration. Paul more than compensated over the years, but this moody, piercing track, perhaps aimed at Heather Mills, perhaps not, you be the judge, operates at a rather prickly frequency. And the thing is, Macca was always really good at these types of songs way, way back; I'm thinking of Beatles' gems like "I'm Looking Through You" and "You Won't See Me," from the days when he and Jane Asher were undergoing a tumultuous romance. Kudos to Godrich for pushing him to improve the lyrics of this song; McCartney responded with a suitably stinging rebuke of fake friends.
1. "Jenny Wren"- Again, there's a bit of a Beatle callback here. Once upon a time, McCartney mesmerized with a toe-tapping, acoustic, avian-inspired number called "Blackbird." Here he captures that same kind of sound, albeit with an encroaching darkness surrounding it, emphasized by the strangely hypnotic solo from the duduk. My, this is a stunning melody. And Paul fills it with lyrics that dare us to interpret their fascinating suggestions. I've always read the song as a lament at how women are left to clean up the messes of antagonistic men. Jenny seems like a Cassandra character, seeing and speaking the truth but never heeded. Somehow both gorgeous and deeply sad. Gun to my head, I'd say it's the finest song he's done since Wings' implosion.
(E-mail me at email@example.com or follow me on Twitter @JimBeviglia. Check out my new book, Counting Down The Beatles: Their 100 Finest Songs, available from the link below or at any online bookseller.)
CK Retro Review: Driving Rain by Paul McCartneyPosted: March 20, 2017 Filed under: Paul McCartney, Retro Reviews | Tags: Abe Laboriel Jr., David Kahne, Don Ho, Driving Rain, Electric Light Orchestra, George Harrison, Heather Mills, Jeff Lynne, Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney 3 Comments
It just felt like there was too much going on for 2001's Driving Rain to have much of a chance of making its mark. It was Paul McCartney's first complete album of originals since the death of his wife Linda, and, in the interim, he had taken up with Heather Mills, so that aspect of it seemed to overshadow the actual music. On top of that came 9/11, which led McCartney to promote the album with "Freedom," a jingoistic one-off that had little to do with the rest of the lovey-dovey material. All that aside, however, the album suffers anyhow from being unnecessarily long at 16 songs, not one of which quite muscles its way into classic territory. Here is a song-by-song review:
16. "Spinning On An Axis"- McCartney's first of two songwriting collaborations with son James on the album is sunk by lyrics that aren't nearly as deep as they want to be and music that struggles to define what it wants to be and ends up not being much at all.
15. "Freedom"- The intent was impeccable, and there's no question the song did it's job at the Concert for 9/11. But going back and listening to it as anything more than a curiosity is not something I can see many McCartney fans doing.
14. "Heather"- Some decent chord changes, but this mostly instrumental felt indulgent then. And, of course, knowing the outcome of the marriage, it feels downright awkward now.
13. "Back In The Sunshine Again"- The second McCartney/McCartney track on the album is a little better than the first, but not much.
12. "About You"- The rock racket it tries to raise sounds labored, and, by this point in the album, the praising love songs are struggling to say something new from the ones that preceded them. It does find its groove in the run-out, but by then you might have lost interest.
11. "Tiny Bubble"- Not to be confused with Don Ho, the best part of this bluesy midtempo track is McCartney's willingness to let the melody drift to unlikely places. Nothing too memorable, but sounds pretty good while it's on the speakers.
10. "Rinse The Raindrops"- The main section with the lyrics is forceful enough. How much tolerance you have for endless instrumental noodling probably dictates how you feel about the rest. As someone who thinks "Can't You Hear Me Knocking?" should have ended before the bongos enter the picture, you can guess how I feel about it.
9. "Your Loving Flame"-Suffers from a lot of the same issues as "From A Lover To A Friend." There's a nice melody in there, but the lyrics are cliched and the production pushes a little too hard to try to get it to lighter-waving mode. That said, it fits into a kind of pleasing balladic template that makes you like it in spite of your best intentions.
8. "Driving Rain"- More jazzy than we're used to from Paul, this one. And he wears it pretty well for the most part, although the improvisatory lyrics run out of steam as the song progresses. I do like the line, "Something's open it's my heart" though.
7. "Riding Into Jaipur"- Just a few weeks after the release of this album, George Harrison passed away. This feels like a preemptive tribute by Paul, and a pretty able one at that.
6. "Your Way"- Locating the heart of the country has never been an issue for Paul, and he does so effortlessly with this little, foot-tapping love song that's charming if a bit slight.
5. "From A Lover To A Friend"- I feel like this echoes classic McCartney efforts without quite getting there on its own. The music is unmistakably lovely, stirring piano balladry with Abe Laboriel Jr. doing an excellent job on the Ringo-style fills. But the lyrics are all over the place to me, pronouns kind of thrown about willy-nilly to confuse the perspective and no real unifying aspect to really make the emotional connection. The music wins out in the end, but it feels like it could have been so much greater.
4. "Magic"- The serendipity of love is explored on this dreamy song. Macca's bass work is inventive, and some leftover Jeff Lynne mojo must have been hanging around the studio from the Flaming Pie sessions, because this one could easily have slid onto an ELO album circa '78 or so, which is a good thing.
3. "Lonely Road"- Those electric guitars really have some edge to them, and McCartney's lyrics speak with a kind of fierce honesty to the disorientation that one feels after someone they loves moves on. Bluesy and tough, this song conjures up some raw emotions. Alas, it sets a personal tone that the rest of the songs just don't quite sustain.
2. "I Do"- Producer David Kahne doesn't shy away from ladling some Beatlesque bombast to the production here, and it suits the delicate melody and McCartney's sweet sentiments. Just enough melancholy is located on the periphery to make the loving center that much more affecting. And Paul is everywhere, both singing high and lovely and rolling underneath it all on the bass, a wonderful performance at both extremes.
1. "She's Given Up Talking"- Slow, heavy and compelling, with lots of vocal and instrumental effects that make matters all the more interesting. Kahne does a nice job laying things on and then pulling them away, while the relentless thrum of Paul's bass and the smack of Laboriel's drums provide steady ground. Add on the quirky little character sketch that McCartney delivers in the lyrics and you've got an unheralded track that would make for a great live cut if he ever decided to showcase some of his late-period solo stuff.
(E-mail me at email@example.com or follow me on Twitter @JimBeviglia. Check out the link below to my new book Counting Down The Beatles: Their 100 Finest Songs, available now.)
CK Retro Review: Run Devil Run by Paul McCartneyPosted: March 13, 2017 Filed under: Paul McCartney, Retro Reviews | Tags: Carl Perkins, Chris Hall, Chris Thomas, David Gilmour, Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, Gene Vincent, Larry Williams, Linda McCartney, Mick Green, Paul McCartney, Pete Wingfield, Rick Nelson, Run Devil Run 7 Comments
Paul McCartney's second solo foray into rock and roll and rhythm and blues history outdid the first, which was no small feat. Unlike CHOBA B CCCP, which had a tossed-off quality that sometimes helped and sometimes hindered the material, 1999's Run Devil Run, consisting primarily of cover songs of mid-20th century classics and obscurities, benefits from what seems like a little bit more forethought. McCartney also found a wonderful ad hoc band for the project, featuring crackerjack guitarists David Gilmour and Mick Green. His three original songs aren't anything too memorable, but his first album following the death of wife Linda found him on firm, familiar musical footing that must have been reassuring to him at such a difficult time.
15. "Try Not To Cry"- The staccato, herky-jerky feel of this McCartney original feels beamed in from a different era than the classic covers, breaking up the spell a bit. Plus it's a rare McCartney song that is lacking in the melody department.
14. "Brown Eyed Handsome Man"- Even though Chris Hall adds an excellent accordion part, zydeco is the one sub-genre represented on this collection where McCartney doesn't quite feel at home.
13. "What It Is"- The band makes a pretty good ruckus on this one, but it feels a bit rushed in terms of the execution and a bit blah songwriting-wise.
12. "Shake A Hand"- McCartney gets a chance to tear up his larynx here. Maybe he gets a little silly with it here and there, but it slides by.
11. "Party"- One more wild rocker for the road sends the album out on a note of raucous fun. The prolonged ending is a nice touch.
10. "Run Devil Run" – The best of the three McCartney originals holds its own with the classics surrounding it. Frenetic but held together by the chemistry of the band and Paul's powerhouse vocal.
9. "Blue Jean Bop"- Great way to start the album, with this modest little Gene Vincent number that gives Paul a workout on bass and lets Gilmour and Green cut loose on electric guitar.
8. "She Said Yeah"- The Beatles did pretty well with Larry Williams covers, so it makes sense that McCartney would look to one of his classics once again. The band revs this one up and provides some serious thunder, while Paul's vocals are suitably wild and woolly.
7. "I Got Stung"- A great, relatively obscure barnburner on which the band to pack a serious wallop. That they do this while still sounding loose, not shambolic, is a testament to the unit assembled by McCartney for this project.
6. "Movie Magg"- McCartney slides into this Carl Perkins rambler like it was written for him. It would have been easy to do "Blue Suede Shoes" or something like that. He does more honor to the original artists by digging deeper into their catalogs, showing just how intriguing some of their lesser-known songs were. A wonderfully restrained and charming performance from Macca on this one.
5. "All Shook Up"- Here the band takes a well-known chestnut and imbues it with enough personality that it becomes their own. Each instrumentalist is fired up individually, but they also all come together cohesively for some unstoppable forward thrust. Explosive in a way that even Elvis' original couldn't claim to be.
4."Coquette"- Of all the artists that McCartney has either covered or honored with homages over the years, Fats Domino is probably the one that, for whatever reason, has been the tightest fit. As Pete Wingfield knocks out the triplets, Paul struts through a standout vocal on this typically charismatic Fats' composition. The lyrics don't work unless the singer emanates confidence that the titular girl is going to realize her folly and come crawling back, and McCartney is on top of that all the way.
3. "Honey Hush"- What really stands out time and again on the uptempo numbers is how the originals are beefed up with modern rock heft while the original, classic feel is maintained. You can hear that balancing act pulled off most memorably on this rip-snorter. McCartney and producer Chris Thomas deserve credit for the arrangements they concocted on this and the other fast ones. Why would anyone want to hush up this glorious yakety-yak?
2. "No Other Baby"- This brooding slow-builder is one of the more obscure songs that Paul took on for this project, which works in its favor. Without the preconceived notions from the listener about what it should sound like, McCartney can turn it into a smoky, brooding slow-builder, the one cover here that you could say sounds "modernized," and effectively so. He builds the tension expertly until finally uncorking with more emotive vocals as the song progresses.
1. "Lonesome Town"- Paul's best decision on this classic ballad made famous by Rick Nelson was to sing it in a high register throughout. Whereas Nelson's version is brilliant for all that it holds back, Macca's take succeeds in a different way, spilling everything on the table. (Plus the original didn't have a top-notch David Gilmour guitar solo in its favor.) I'm not one to jump to conclusions and say that he was thinking about Linda while he sang so emotionally here, but it's certainly tempting to connect those dots. In any case, it's a wonderful combination of songwriting perfection and interpretive feeling. And all of us who've ever been denizens of that figurative location can relate and wallow right along with him.
(E-mail me at firstname.lastname@example.com or follow me on Twitter @JimBeviglia. Check out my new book, Counting Down The Beatles: Their 100 Finest Songs, available now. Order at the link below or at your favorite online bookseller.)
CK Retro Review: Flaming Pie by Paul McCartneyPosted: March 6, 2017 Filed under: Paul McCartney, Retro Reviews | Tags: "Evertday I Write The Book", Flaming Pie, James McCartney, Jeff Lynne, John Lennon, Linda McCartney, Maureen Starkey, Paul McCartney, Steve Miller, Wilson Pickett 1 Comment
In many ways, 1997's Flaming Pie set the template for what a late-period Paul McCartney album would sound like. With the singles charts no longer an option, McCartney could play directly to his fans and give them what they wanted: Some fun, feisty rockers, a handful of ballads, maybe a special guest or two, plenty of self-reflexive nods to the old days, and nothing that strayed too far from the brand (that's what his side projects as The Fireman were for.) And Flaming Pie certainly rates on the higher end of these types of "In case of desire for Paul McCartney album, break glass" kind of projects, especially in terms of the love songs. Here is a song-by-song review:
14. "Really Love You"- Some people may love hearing old bandmates McCartney and Ringo Starr jamming away. To me, improvisation is best when you can't tell it's improvisation. I think anyone listening to this could tell it was made up on the spot.
13. "If You Wanna"- One of three collaborations with Steve Miller on the album, this sounds pretty good but, ironically considering it's a driving song, doesn't really go anywhere.
12. "Heaven On Sunday"- Jeff Lynne, who produces many of the tracks here, gives this one a lovely glow, but the best part is when Paul trades blues licks on guitar with his son James. That instrumental passage seems beamed in from a different song, creating a little disconnect from the adult contemporary feel of the main section.
11. "Souvenir"- Another one that's a bit schizophrenic, half Wilson Pickett, half "I Want You (She's So Heavy)." Lynne can't quite meld it all together without the seams showing, but the individual parts of the disjointed whole command your attention.
10. "Young Boy"- Just an effortless pop track with a bit of a melancholy tinge. Miller shows his chops on lead guitar, while McCartney proves an able one-man rhythm section. A full album collaboration between these two should be on any Macca fan's wish list.
9. "Beautiful Night"- The verses are gorgeous, reminiscent of the stellar Tug Of War ballad "Wanderlust," all with Ringo lending those off-kilter, just-right fills any Beatle fan adores. The refrains are just OK, stirring musically but lyrically needing a bit more care. The coda is a fun ruckus, Starr getting in on the vocal act for old time's sake.
8. "Great Day"- Paul wrote this album-closer in the early 70's, and it's eerie how well he recaptures his sound from that era, right down to Linda's backing vocals. On an album that looks back as much as ahead, it makes for the right kind of send-off.
7. "The World Tonight"- Lynne gives McCartney's drums a little Wilbury twist to add some rockabilly heft to the slightly psychedelic tone of this one. And Macca gets in a great couplet: "I go back so far, I'm in front of me." The lyrical dots don't always connect, but Paul sings it as if his life depends on it.
6. "The Song We Were Singing"- I could have gone one star higher on this affecting opening track if it had just a little more deviation from the acoustic verse to soaring chorus (with the harmonium, reminiscent of "We Can Work It Out") formula, which gets repeated a bunch here. Still, it sets the nostalgic tone of the album quite well.
5. "Somedays"- Buoyed by typically sensitive George Martin orchestration, this introspective ballad manages to be both a devoted love song and a subtly pensive meditation on aging. Throw in some genuine empathy for those "who fear the worst" and you've got a number that covers a lot of bases without showing any sign of strain.
4. "Flaming Pie"- Among other things, this album is a great showcase for Paul's instrumental dexterity. A largely do-it-yourself affair, it gives him showcases throughout on bass (of course), drums and acoustic guitar. Here he takes charge with some steamy piano licks, which back up wonderfully nonsensical lyrics inspired by John Lennon's equally nonsensical tale about the origin of the name Beatles.
3. "Used To Be Bad"- A good little blues song immeasurably elevated by the easy camaraderie and instrumental excellence of McCartney and Miller. If you remember their late 60's collaboration "My Dark Hour," consider this duet a sizzling sequel that proves the pair hadn't lost a stitch in the three-decade interim. People tend to think of Miller as a hitmaker, which he is, but his solos here remind that he can really rip on lead guitar.
2. "Calico Skies"- Well, this has always been what it's all about with Paul, right? Sitting with an acoustic guitar, enchanting his audiences with the kind of tune that seems brand new and handed down through the ages all at once. And those who get at him about his lyrics should check out this set, which trips from the lips with nimble ease and both warms your heart and breaks it all at once. The kind of song that's too good to be background music, because it will stop you in your tracks and whatever you're doing will become secondary to the need to listen. Very powerful stuff in a humble package.
1. "Little Willow"- "Thanks, Mo," Paul can be heard saying at the end of "Get Back." This achingly beautiful lullaby was his way of expressing that gratitude to Maureen Starkey after her passing, as a way of trying to ease the pain her children felt. Lynne's expert massaging of ballads comes in handy here, and his backing vocals provide supportive counterpoint to McCartney's anguished, wordless cries. "Nobody warns you" is the hard part, the fact that even when you think you're prepared to lose a loved one, you're really not. But though you may bend in that cold, hard wind, the goodness of the loved ones still around allows you to locate the strength to hold on tight. All of that conveyed in three musical minutes that can pry cathartic tears from you on any occasion.
(E-mail me at email@example.com or follow me on Twitter @JimBeviglia. My new book, Counting Down The Beatles: Their 100 Finest Songs, arrives this month. Pre-order it in the link below.)
CK Retro Review: Back To The Egg by WingsPosted: October 27, 2016 Filed under: Paul McCartney, Retro Reviews | Tags: Back To The Egg, Cheap Trick, Denny Laine, Lawrence Juber, Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney, Squeeze, Steve Holley, Stevie Wonder, Wings Leave a comment
Wings' unexpected swan song, 1979's Back To The Egg doesn't quite deserve the critical lashing it often receives. To some it was dispiriting to see Paul McCartney trailing the blaze of New Wave and punk rock, although the other way to look at it is that at least he had his ear tuned to modern sounds. It is true that the album's second half is unfocused and the songwriting on the whole is below Macca's standards, but he throws himself into the thing with abandon, and the last version of Wings is at least an energetic bunch. Here is a song-by-song review:
14, "Reception"- The album's abbreviated, discofied, instrumental intro seems to make the promise of a concept album that never actually materializes.
13. "We're Open Tonight"- This meditative acoustic song is another example of an incomplete track that McCartney kind of wedges into the proceedings, albeit without the grace that he once managed on projects like Abbey Road of Band On The Run.
12. "Winter Rose/Love Awake"- These two songs aren't much on their own and don't really fit too well when assembled. Back To The Egg has its faults, but it generally isn't boring. This is an exception.
11. "So Glad To See You Here"- The "Rockestra" band hangs around for this full-throttle track, but the sound and fury turns out to be an empty shell.
10. "Again And Again And Again"- Denny Laine's lead vocal on the album suffers from weak lyrics, which is too bad, because the thing is halfway-catchy and benefits from some good harmonies.
9. "After The Ball/Million Miles"- McCartney as a gospel emoter hadn't been heard from too much since his two formidable ballads from Let It Be. These two tidbits of song are nowhere near that category, and the repetitiveness of the thing can be wearying, but it's an interesting curve ball.
8. "The Broadcast"- It sounds like it wandered in from some forgotten Pink Floyd album. But that stiff-upper-lip voice is strangely compelling, even if it's completely out of sorts with the rest of the album.
7. "To You"- A serviceable rocker played and sang with gusto. As is the case with much of Back To The Egg, the performance outstrips the songwriting.
6. "Spin It On"- Maybe this was meant to be an answer to punk, but it honestly comes off more like adrenalized rockabilly. Nice guitar work throughout by Lawrence Juber in his Wings debut, and it packs an unfussy punch.
5. "Rockestra Theme"- I've always thought it was the height of indulgence to gather a rock supergroup in the service of a pretty basic instrumental (why no solos?). If nothing else though, it showed that Paul's Rolodex was impeccable, and the melody he composes works nicely in the bombastic setting.
4. "Baby's Request"- Bing Crosby meets Sam the piano player at Rick's in this standard-esque closer. Paul has proven time and again he can do this kind of thing; one wonders if he would have been a Cole Porter-type had he been born about a half-century earlier.
3. "Getting Closer"- If McCartney was regurgitating sounds he may have heard from newbies like Cheap Trick or Squeeze, well, turnabout is fair play. "Getting Closer" is taut and freewheeling all at once, a nice single that probably deserved a better radio fate than it actually enjoyed. The escalating, unresolved finish scores it points as well.
2. "Old Siam, Sir"- This song attempts to construct a narrative of sorts and ends up making "Jet" sound like great literature. That said, McCartney's screaming melody and the muscular, dramatic rock arrangement makes for an engaging, even powerful track. In that way, it resembles a distant, slightly lesser cousin of "Beware My Love" from Wings At The Speed Of Sound.
1. "Arrow Through Me"- McCartney is back in the same kind of quiet storm mode as he inhabited on "Girlfriend" from London Town. The Stevie Wonder vibe is strong with this one, but, hey, in the 70's, there was no better pop artist to emulate, right? The horns are great, and one of Paul's more underrated couplets is here: "Ooh, baby, you wouldn't have found a more down hero/If you'd started with nothing and counted to zero."
(E-mail me at email@example.com or follow me on Twitter @JimBeviglia. For more on Paul's "other" band, check out the link below to pre-order my new book Counting Down The Beatles: Their 100 Finest Songs, due out in March of 2017. And to check out all of the books and e-books in my Counting Down series, the link below that leads to my Amazon page.)
CK Retro Review: London Town by WingsPosted: October 20, 2016 Filed under: Paul McCartney, Retro Reviews | Tags: Denny Laine, Elvis Presley, George Harrison, Jimmy McCulloch, Joe English, Linda McCartney, London Town, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Wings Leave a comment
As a general rule, when Paul McCartney was forced to take most of the burden on himself the create a Wings record, the resulting record turned out to be better than the group's more democratic efforts. Much like Band On The Run, 1978's London Town was essentially carried by McCartney, wife Linda, and Denny Laine when other band members headed for the hills at the last minute. And while it doesn't quite reach the masterpiece status of Band On The Run, London Town, until it peters out at the very end, abounds with such effortless geniality and tunefulness that it makes a strong case to be included among the Top 10 McCartney post-Beatles albums.
14. "Don't Let It Bring You Down"- It gets lost somewhere between traditional folk and prog, and McCartney doesn't really try hard enough with the lyrics here. Really the only time this album seems ponderous.
13. "Morse Moose And The Grey Goose"- Bizarre right down to the core, this track sounds like McCartney started trying to make some grand statement that got away with him. It's too bad the last two songs on the disc are the weakest; sequencing (or maybe lack of editing is the better term) mars an otherwise excellent album.
12. "Backward Traveller"- It's barely over a minute long, but it's urgently engaging enough to make us wish that it were fleshed out to a full length.
11. "Deliver Your Children"- The minor-key whoosh, the finger-picked acoustic guitar a la "I've Just Seen A Face," the solid harmonies from McCartney and Denny Laine, the refrains: All are fine. The lyrics start well but spin out of focus by the third verse, which keeps this one from quite meeting its potential.
10. "Name And Address"- Not much going on here beyond some rockabilly grooves and McCartney trying out his Elvis impression, which turns out to be not half-bad. The Stray Cats were listening.
9. "Cuff Link"- The light-saber synths are a nice contrast to the ominously funky rhythmic thrum, which, of course, is McCartney on bass and drums, which, of course, turns out to be all you need.
8. "I've Had Enough"- It has a very Wings-y feel to it, right? The fact that the song was recorded before Jimmy McCulloch and Joe English skedaddled probably accounts for that, but McCartney is still driving the bus with his feisty vocal.
7. "Cafe On The Left Bank"- The lyrics could have come off as twee, but McCartney's decision to marry them to some of the toughest music on the disc erases any concerns. Some excellent lead guitar and clopping percussion keep this one vibrant and entertaining throughout.
6. "Famous Groupies"- Maybe not as sweetly appreciative as George Harrison's "Apple Scruffs," McCartney's ode to rock hangers-on is still suitably awed at these sirens' surprising powers over the musicians they enchant. Winking fun and, you guessed it, catchy.
5. "Children Children"- For my money, this is Denny Laine's finest moment in Wings. He co-wrote the song with Macca, and you'd have to think Paul had a big hand in the song's melodic charms, which are hopeful with a slight undertow of melancholy. Nonetheless Laine plays an engaging Pied Piper. Sweet without being cloying.
4. "Girlfriend"- McCartney's efforts to craft a song for Michael Jackson led him to inadvertently test out his falsetto stylings, which turned out to be quite seductive in their own right; you can kind of understand why the titular character would be stepping out with this guy on the side. McCartney also adds the high-drama instrumental break (omitted by Jackson in his own take), which deepens what could have been just a fun but lightweight ditty.
3. "With A Little Luck"- One of the things critics of McCartney's lyrics fail to recognize is just how adept he was at matching the words he chose to the the music he crafted. So while "With A Little Luck" might not seem like much on paper, the tentative optimism of the tune is perfectly captured by Paul's simple declarations. Even the little-engine-that-could backing vocals at the end are right on point. What starts out as a humble tune, barely willing to poke its head out of the ground, becomes quite decisive and stirring.
2. "London Town"- The obviously antecedent here is "Penny Lane," right down to the colorful characters and dignified brass. That the title track wakes up the echoes of such a formidable number is to its everlasting credit. It also sets a relaxed, benign tone for the rest of the album that turns out to be its calling card. Also, it seems redundant at this point in this particular Retro Review series to say that McCartney writes an enchanting melody, but, really, it's a beauty. And the brief, rocking break shows there's some spunk in the old city after all.
1."I'm Carrying"- I have no idea what the narrator is carrying, nor do I know the occasion of this meeting with him and the girl in her room. But I do know that it is mesmerizingly romantic, thanks to the music behind the tale and the melody with which it is told. The delicately-picked guitar and the carefully-arranged strings form the airborne foundation, and the tune soars even above that with avian grace. In the final repeat of the refrain, you can hear McCartney start to let loose with some wordless "ooo-ooh" vocals, for even he is caught up in the sheer beauty of his creation. Who wouldn't be?
(E-mail me at firstname.lastname@example.com or follow me on Twitter @JimBeviglia. For more on Macca's "other" group, check out the link below to preorder my new book, Counting Down The Beatles: Their 100 Finest Songs, due out in March 2017. Below that is a link to my Amazon page, where you can check out all my Counting Down books and e-books.)
CK Retro Review: Wings At The Speed Of Sound by WingsPosted: October 17, 2016 Filed under: Paul McCartney, Retro Reviews | Tags: "Wind Beneath My Wings", Denny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch, Joe English, Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Wings At The Speed Of Sound 1 Comment
By attempting to prove that Wings was a band of equals, Paul McCartney inadvertently ensured that the world knew just the opposite was true. 1976's Wings At The Speed Of Sound gives every member of the band a chance to shine, but the songs are generally weak to middling and are often rendered without much imagination. Two ditties for which McCartney amped up the charm made the album a smash, but it hasn't held up that well four decades down the line. Here is a song-by-song review:
11. "Wino Junko"- The title pretty much says it all about the subject matter of this one that puts Jimmy McCulloch in the lead. Tries for bluesy but ends up woozy, and, at over five minutes, it really drags.
10. "Time To Hide"- Denny Laine wrote and sang this clunker, which is about as generic as it comes in terms of arena rock. The instrumental break isn't bad, so that's something.
9. "Cook Of The House"- Linda does rockabilly, and it's as shambolic as you would expect. A more beefed-up sound might have drawn attention away from the vocals, so the production doesn't do the missus any favors either. But at least she's having fun on lead, which can't be said for some of her other bandmates.
8. "San Ferry Anne"- The horns are a bit overdone here (a common problem throughout the album), and the lyrics don't really go anywhere. Next.
7. "Must Do Something About It"- It's too bad McCartney didn't give drummer Joe English more to work with for his lead vocal on the album. The song is breezy but forgettable; English, on the other hand, shows a lot of personality as a singer.
6. "The Note You Never Wrote"- This one starts enticingly enough in a mysterious sort of way, and there are some pretty moments in the melody. But it loses its way, musically and lyrically, through no fault of Laine's serviceable lead vocal.
5. "She's My Baby"- Imagine one of Stevie Wonder's punchy, funky love songs with bizarro lyrics (comparing a woman to gravy is certainly a new one) and you've got the sense of this one. The music is just feisty enough to put it across, but barely.
4. "Let Em In"- Paul is back in "All Together Now" mode here, writing a trifle that's undeniably catchy and just as lightweight. There's some fun to be had in the name-dropping, and the drowsy horn is a kick. Getting a Top Five hit out of this was a steal, but it fits the era's radio fare very well. And if that were easy to write a smash single, I guess everybody would be doing it.
3. "Silly Love Songs"- I don't have a problem with the quasi-disco or the sentiment; you can't blame the guy for developing rabbit ears considering all the shots he had taken after The Beatles disintegrated. He could have made his point in two minutes instead of six, if you ask me, but, while his bass line is front and center, it certainly keeps your attention.
2. "Warm And Beautiful"- I go back and forth on this song from thinking it's an unheralded classic to believing that McCartney could have done it in his sleep. And maybe those two beliefs can coexist. I do think the melody is maybe a tad facile, but the little guitar break is wonderful touch and the strings are employed with great care. There are a lot of worse ways to spend three minutes than listening to unabashed prettiness, right?
1."Beware My Love"- That little three-note instrumental hook brings some high drama to the proceedings. It calls for McCartney to rise to the occasion with vocals that start at an emotional precipice and stay up there for the entirety. There's not much to it other that passion and intensity, but the way those two traits are sustained is quite impressive. An odd one, for sure, but quite entertaining.
(E-mail me at email@example.com or follow me on Twitter @JimBeviglia. For more on Macca's other band, check out the link directly below to preorder my new book, Counting Down The Beatles: Their 100 Finest Songs. The link below that is to my Amazon page, through which you can check out all of my Counting Down books and e-books.)


text:
ACG Automotive released Auto Parts Database of Indian Automobile Industry database of the Passenger Vehicle, Commercial Vehicle, Bus, Truck, Two Wheeler, and Three Wheeler segment.
ACG Premium subscribers contact us to get this report since this report is part of subscription package or Contact to the become premium subscriber.
Report included:
- Main Category: Consumable parts, Clutch Plate, Engine Parts, Gearbox parts, Suspension parts, Electrical parts, Chassis & Mounting parts, Brake parts, Cabin Parts, Air Conditioner parts, Steering parts and Wheel Parts
- Key players of each segment
- MRP Price
- Discount
- Margin
- Parts rating
- Genuine parts
- Local parts
- Spurious parts
- Availability of parts
- Customer preference
- Supply Chain strategy
- Challenges
- Opportunities


text: Small enough to hold in the hand, each one of these birds is individually made in a stoneware clay using either a black or antural buff coloured clay. The black ones are decorated with underglaze colour inlaid into the impressed decoration. The natural clay ones have coloured glazes or underglaze to enhance the designs.


text:
My sister Mary came to visit this weekend and since a friend had requested a photo of the two of us in my garden, Brandon snapped one for us while I was out pulling weeds.
Using my nifty new spade, I took out the last remaining bit of weedy grass on the west half of my garden, disturbing a bunch of rather docile, yellow-orange ants in the process. The whole yard was full of this tufty grass when I started gardening there and I've been slowly erradicating it as I gain new plants. I popped in another purple allium like the other one near the fence and a blue aquilegia as well.
Planted leek and collard green seeds today, too. I hope they'll germinate.


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