| Background WILD was created and officially put to practice during the spring of 2002, as a result of the contact making with students at an elementary school in a suburb area of the city of Gothenburg, Sweden. Target group Youth (14-20 years of age) who live in the suburbs of Gothenburg, where they are more prone to encounter and be subdued by criminal elements, thus making them leave the educational system. Theory The organisation is structured upon the theory that young people, if allowed a tutor (a person of perceived trust) on a longitudinal scale, will relate to that person with their inner emotions and cognitive reality, thus endowing them with at static point of security and trust to which they can turn at moments of doubt and uncertainty. Practical concept Small groups of 2-8 people with one youth leader commune with Nature over a period of 2-9 days. The excursions are divided into sub-courses, which at first gently introduce its participants to Nature, slowly teaching them skills and knowledge that are useful when encountering the wild, successively enhancing the level of difficulty and expertise to the level where the participants would feel at ease, even in an unfamiliar situation, based on their previous knowledge and experiences. The main reason for choosing nature is the principle of isolation, which allows people to focus upon one area without the modern day interferences that might otherwise be present (cellullar phones, radio, television, e-mail etc). Moreover, Nature is something unknown to the large majority of the participants, with the result that the scripts of how to behave in certain social situations are not applicable. This allows the opportunity of having unused, and perhaps unknown, facets of the individual to come forth, thus enhancing subjective knowledge of the self. The result of these excursions for the individual are considered to involve (in random order): ¤ the opportunity to feel personal growth and pride in personal achievements ¤ a feeling of belonging ¤ a feeling of environmental tranquillity Group interaction Interaction in the groups is built upon the foundation that it is fully accepted to be different. All participants are to be seen as individuals with personal predispositions that naturally lead them to encounter new and old situations with a large variety of behaviour, and that this behaviour, optimal or not, is to be accepted. The role of the leader The leader should function as the static point of security to whom the participants can turn when questions of any sort arise (it is not considered necessary to have answers to all questions, but merely being there aids the process of decision). The leader also has the responsibility to make certain that group interaction is functional. It is of great value that the leader be attentive to the development of participants and rewards them with positive feedback as the proceed. (Note: The theory of leadership points out that being a leader is a position of responsibility. Introspection and honesty are the essential characteristics upon which the relationship toward the participants is built. The aim is not to earn a position of awe, but one of trust.) |
| The organisation works on a voluntary basis and is completely drug and alcohol free. |
| Organisation Profile |