Through this post we will share how it has developed and is developing Ceal-Network (#cealeuskadi – # oasismerkatua2016) project in Portugalete.

We started in November 2015, when the facilitator team starts to prepare and launch the project, and especially the first phase of it, develop an oasis in the former indoor food market of Portugalete.

This team were involved Izaskun and Zihortza (Merkatua), Zuriñe (Kiribil Sarea), Minerva and Maria (EDE Fundazioa);

We spent two weeks working on the pre-game Oasis, identifying social partners, cultural leaders and community leaders, gave name to #oasismerkatua project 2016, we established a communication strategy and dissemination, giving several press conferences and “Moskeo” activities, ( in December and January), to start to motivate and evenly;everything was focused on enabling something spectacular in Portugalete.

The previous activities were very important to get attention: We did videos, interviews, posters, games, ask the Olentzero dreams for the Merkatu and close the group of players and call for the town of Portugalete on 23, 24, 29 30 and 31 January.

The development of the game and all steps were very intense, with many experiences that put us in a different place from we were at the beginning, through the interaction with the villagers and how to generate collective activity.

These days we work 6 of the 7 disciplines of the oasis methodology, Gaze, Affection, Dream, Care, Miracle and Celebration, leaving the RE-evolution for later and create the way for the next phase, the phase of the challenges.

After the madness of the game, the action, the rush of the celebration came the Re-evolution one month after performing the other disciplines. We realized everything that had dreamed in the Merkatu, these actions had come true many of the collective dreams and had given other opportunities to continue with other activities.

During the Re-evolution, three working groups were created, the first collected those collective dreams that came with force but by their characteristic needed more time to be realizated.

A second group of inner workings of the assembly of Merkatu, management, communication, sharing of responsibilities…

And a third group, initiatives related with art, theater, music, puppets…

This second phase of the project is being developed from February to June, with the idea of strengthening or accompanies emerging needs, continuing and enabling other initiatives that could give.

The most important of this phase in our Pilot is aware that not only the group of people of the assembly is who can form or take part in development activities in the Merkatu.

After living this experience, carried away and guided by the methodology itself, it has achieved the main goal: transform the Merkatu in an open place, a reference place for any neighbor from Portugalete and surrounding villages, who wants to share his initiative and make collective, real and possible initiatives.

It is important to highlight the work carried by the people of the assembly, and its openness to the diversities and ways of doing, without it would not have been possible to make the Oasis.

It is also important notice that the after-oasis period, the ability shown by the community to generate and facilitate several and different initiatives, and also maintained them over time; it is an important basis for the project that make it does not lose strength and hope.

It is a big process of personal learning and community development, a way of consolidate the methodology and all have come out strengthened, it has been a true Win / Win

We will continue sharing our experience!

A hug!