Nowadays, hemp is a mark  of environmentally friendly – renewable, biodegradable, recyclable, healthy – solutions. To wear hemp clothes, eat hemp seed products, dye and clean using hemp oil based paints and detergents, to care about your skin with hemp-based cosmetics and heal the body and mind with its flowers, even to build a house... there are hundreds of actions you can take for your own wellbeing and the wellbeing of the environment with hemp.

Konopa Association, a member organisation of YEE has, for more than 10 years, been promoting hemp as a utility plant. And Konopa is currently preparing a project "We Build with Hemp". It will consist of a national youth initiative followed by international training. The former serves to create a stronger regionally based platform ready for hosting the international meeting and disseminating knowledge on hemp in both neighbouring countries and places farther afield.

The main topic of the project is a reconstruction of an old farm using hemp building materials such as fibre insulation, hempcrete plasters, floor insulation and special wallconstruction techniques (see the YEE Magazine about eco-houses for more information).

"Project takes place in the heart of the Bohemia region, close to our former environmental infocentre Green Pump", says Michal Ruman, chair of Konopa and main coordinator of the project. "Thanks to that we are able to profit from our previous partnerships and involve local students from environmentally and technically oriented high schools. "The project team is composed of environmental science students from Brno Masaryk University and of regular members of Konopa and Baobaby Associations (both YEE member organisations) interested in natural building technologies. Experienced trainers will share their skills with participants during the 10 days workshop. We will focus on the life cycle of materials used and their optimisation.

"We hope to support our ability to develop our needed skills for sustainable living and to create strong cooperation for future green economy", concludes Michal Ruman.

For more information, check out the YEE webpage and www.konopa.cz

More info on hemp building:
www.hempbuilding.com
www.internationalhempbuilding.org
The Hemp Builder e-book to purchase

Konopa - Czech Republic

Pictures: Centre of Alternative Technologies