'Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times' is a training project for young people and youth workers, the goal of which is to support increased well-being for individuals and communities all over Europe. The project is inspired by a holistic vision, in which three types of relationship are identified as being key to human well-being: the individual’s relationship to himself, to his community and to the earth. The project is, therefore, divided into three courses, each of which will creatively explore one of these themes. The courses will be non-formal in approach, each involving a mixture of thinking, feeling and doing-based activities. The first will focus on the concept of sacred ecology; it will involve investigation of the Native American tradition and modern 'eco-spirituality', including biodynamics and the work of Satish Kumar and Polly Higgins. The second will focus on the idea of sacred society, involving the exploration of early Islamic and medieval European culture as well as the modern concept of the threefold social order. Nicanor Perlas will be a guest speaker on this subject. The third course will focus on the concept of sacred self and will involve an in-depth, creative exploration of the ancient Indian tradition, including meditation and the fire-ceremony. Teresa Hale will speak on the subject of modern yoga. Each course will culminate in a ritual presentation, in which participants will work together to demonstrate the core concepts and practices of the week. The ultimate goal of the project is to empower youth workers and, to this end, we will support participants to conceive and develop their ideas for action in their own communities. As a learning experience, we will design the project so that it is exciting and inspiring, leading to the acquisition of new skills, thoughts and attitudes. Specifically, we will help participants develop: heightened powers of empathy, a stronger sense of responsible citizenship, deepened inner peace. We will facilitate a stronger understanding of how ancient wisdom can meet the challenges of our times and improved knowledge of the modern initiatives already inspired by it. We will support a stronger commitment to the vision and values that underpin the European mission. Project objectives: 1. To promote understanding of the different vision and values of earlier human cultures; to research the applicability of this wisdom to our current social challenges 2. To explore modern applications of ancient wisdom, including such practices as 'biodynamics', 'deep democracy', 'heart-math meditation' and 'active citizenship' 3. To equip youth workers with new skills and tools; to provide them with a memorable learning experience, through which they will feel empowered and inspired; to increase their self-confidence and employability 4. To promote respect for other cultures; to foster dialogue between people of different backgrounds and beliefs 5. To combat the lack of social cohesion by promoting peace and well-being at the individual and collective level; to support the values of tolerance and respectful cooperation, which underpin the European mission 6. To develop a programme of activities to be carried out by participants on return to their home countries; to support these activities with ongoing discussions and tool-sharing