Training Course "From Dots to Lines" in Italy, 6.-12.01.2024.
Our training course in Italy was an incredibly heartwarming experience. We stayed at a charming little village nestled amidst the mountains. The ambiance there was so serene and relaxing. The family that welcomed us was incredibly sweet as well. The meals they cooked were so delicious that even now, just thinking about them, my stomach begins to growl. We learned a lot, especially about the importance of supporting each other and striving to be the best version of ourselves. If today goes wrong, tomorrow is another day to start anew. We also had the unique opportunity to listen to stories of troubled people: people who had gone to prison, been abandoned by their families, didn't grow up with loving parents, and resorted to crime to survive. It was also a great exercise of empathy: to listen and imagine what it was like for them. The most remarkable part was the sense of family — how the local family had created a community where, even if you aren't biologically connected. You feel an immensely strong bond and a sense of family. It was simply wonderful. Keywords we would use to describe this course are love, vulnerability, self-discovery, teamwork, good food, joy, and peace. We are very satisfied and already miss it.
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It’s the second week of January and you’re on your way to the international training project
about peace and conflict solving. It’s 5:30 in the morning. You land on a dark landing strip in the city of Yerevan. The temperature is close to freezing. Passport control is cautious at first, but they let you through the security gate and now you’re met by the warm welcome…of taxi drivers, each offering you a convenient ride to the city center for an affordable price. None of the signs outside of the airport make sense to you, because both the language and the alphabet are completely foreign - not even close to your language. None of the usual taxi apps work for some reason, until you get a local SIM …or a local Ahpers (= brother) to help you. You stop and rest at the airport restaurant and eventually it turns out that getting to city center is much easier than it looks at first - the bus driver speaks perfect English and even helps you make sense of the local currency. It’s 10 in the morning now and somehow you have managed to navigate through the sleepy city of Yerevan and even visit a few museums, while grabbing coffee and breakfast at a local cafe. The sun is high, suddenly you feel completely overdressed as the temperature is now +13. A few hours in you meet several other participants who all aim to reach Aparan - the venue of the training, by dinner time. Your trip to the small mountain town is memorable, not least because of the spectacular driving skill of local taxi drivers. The first day disappears into the night as you haven’t slept for 36h, and sleep deprivation is starting to kick in. In the morning you remember the names of the three participants you shared the taxi with, and the location of both bathrooms, but not much else, and the alphabet is still as foreign as ever. In the morning you wake up to the smell of freshly fried eggs, coffee and fresh mountain air, mixing in the corridors of the three-storied building that will be your home for the next week and then some. You learn a few more names at the breakfast table and try to create a catalog in your head until you realize it’s worth to write the names down. By lunch most of the participants are familiar to you by face and name and you also know what they think about humanity reaching the stars, gender equality and a number of other topics that are close to heart. This is just the beginning. Next few days and each workshop will bring you closer to understanding each other’s psyche, thoughts on life and conflict and of course - food preferences. Three days in, it’s time to reflect on everything you have learned so far. You’re on your way to the cultural landmark of your choice - Gyumri, the nearby mountaintop, Yerevan or local forest - and you try to make sense of all you have learned until today. OK, so far you have learned to recognize conflicts, divide them by type and find their root causes. You also now know that roots can sprout several conflicts over time and the sooner you address the conflict, the more likely you are to transform it into lasting peace. Even though your mind is working hard to focus on reflection, it is easy to get distracted by the natural beauty surrounding you on all sides - beauty of mountains, the cold blue sky and people. Yesterdays’ creative writing sessions make your mind wander even more. Everything you think about just seems to rhyme effortlessly and you hear a constant beat in your head. You now carry a piece of paper and a pen with you at all times to write down the lyrics of your next rap album. Two cultural nights later you know the basics of Armenian, Georgian, Italian, Pan-Baltic (it’s Finnish, Estonian and Latvian this time), Ukrainian as well as German life. You still can’t grasp how so much creativity can fit under the same roof, but somehow the host - Altera Lab has managed to build this atmosphere of inspiration and enabled ideas to thrive unhampered. Even though you’re in the house most of the time, it doesn’t mean you haven’t explored the town. Actually, you are quite familiar with it by now thanks to evening walks with local participants and the interviews you have conducted on the streets to get an understanding of local conditions. By now you can order coffee and “ban” (pronounce the “a” more like in “sun”, not “can”) at the local supermarket. It’s good to be able to order “ban”, because it can mean absolutely anything they sell and that they do not yet sell. The end of the training course is nearing with every day and meanwhile you have learned about the methods of nonviolent communication to be clear and nonaggressive in your self- expression, improved your intercultural understanding to see the conflict from a multitude of viewpoints and also acquired meditation techniques to remain calm in the turmoil of conflicts. Practice has taught you to use the new techniques both in the context of conflict resolution and also outside of it. Your vocabulary has forever changed and it’s hard to talk or even write without using one of the newly incorporated methods. The transformation of participants, and yourself, is almost complete. The final days are filled with body and mind workshops, painting, singing and deep immersion in the dream world. It’s the final day. Goodbyes are hard, so instead you pledge to return soon enough, having built a network of likeminded individuals. Aparan, Altera lab and the participants of Speak Peace 2024 - you are dearly missed. https://www.instagram.com/altera_lab/ 4.-13.12.2023 veetsin veidi enam kui nädala Bustenis, Rumeenias, ühes kaunis, mägises ja jahedas väikelinnas noorsootöötajatele ja noortega töötavatele inimestele suunatud koolitusel "Show Me Your Tools!".
Noorima osalejana seal oli algul tunne nagu oleksid vales kohas valel ajal. Küll aga iga uue möödunud tunniga suutsid osalejad üheskoos sulatada jää ning muuta meie pisikese hosteli hubasemaks kui ükski kodu. Noori ja vanu oli kokku tulnud üle Euroopa ja ka sellegagi ei piirdutud. Mõned osalejad esindasid küll üht EU liikmesriiki, kuid päritolult oli meie seas ka egiptlane, jaapanlane ning esmakordselt kohtasin ka üht noormeest Kambodžast. Pea kümne päeva vältel heitsime pilgu Erasmus+ olemusele, püüdsime ajusopist välja kaevata pildid oma perfektsest treenerist/korraldajast ning proovisime isegi luua üldpildi uuest võinalikust projektist, selle sihtgrupist ning tegevuskavast. Oma fantaasiamaailma saime väljendada läbi plastiliini, kõige metsast leitu, teatri ja isegi muusika läbi. Mainimata ei saa ka jätta mitmeid kultuuriõhtuid ja ka Rumeenia kultuuriõhtu näol korraldatud grillimist hea muusika ja seltskonna taustal. Selle aja vältel sai 30+ osalejast üks kokkuhoidev ja hoolitsev perekond, kus lisaks naerule ei jäetud unarusse ka murede kollektiivne lahendamine. Nagu igas koolituses, projektis või noortevahetuses, sain uue tiheda võrgustiku, mis loodetavasti panevad aluse uuele põnevale ettevõtmisele, kus saame rakendada koolituse vältel omandatud teadmised ja oskused eduka koolituse läbiviimiseks. Kindlasti tuleb ära mainida ka meie kõige armsam ja vägevam koolituse korraldaja ja läbiviia Tolea, kes lisaks oma tarkustele ja naljadele oskas õigel ajal õiges kohas ka vajadusel tõsist häält teha. Kui SInulgi peaks silma jääma mõni ettevõtmine Rumeenias, hoia kindlasti silmad-kõrvad lahti, et ka Sina saaksid vahva kogemuse osaliseks, mida pakuvad Tolea ja tema armast tiim! Roos Marie Karmel Pšenitšnaja From 2nd to 10th of November, a participant from Seiklejate Vennaskond, had the opportunity to take part in the Training Course "Don't H@te!", in Arrouquelas, Rio Maior, Portugal. The hosting organization, "H2O" - Associação de Jovens de Arrouquelas, with 26 years of history, hosted us in a hotel in Rio Maior and organized a program of
activities that were connected with the topic, discrimination, hate speech and social exclusion, financed and supported by Erasmus +. The main objective was to bring together 25 young people from 12 different European countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Spain, with diverse cultural backgrounds but with common interests to share knowledge and learn about the topic of hate speech, discrimination and social inclusion.Also, this training course has defined other objectives: to increase competences of the participants and participating organizations to address offline and online hate speech in their communities and contribute to breaking stereotypes, prejudices, discrimination and racism that are facing various groups in participating countries, especially minorities including refugees and migrants; to develop competences of the participants and participating organizations to create and launch campaigns, awareness raising actions fighting the roots of hate speech and hate crime and fighting discrimination and racism; to strengthen competences of the participants to effectively use various media, including social one, as tools for awareness raising on the issue of online and offline hate speech and hate crime; to develop communication, teamwork, leaderships skills of the participants in intercultural settings; to support creating new contacts among the participants and their organizations and developing new projects ideas that could be implemented with support of Erasmus+ Programme. Here you can find the link to the social networks of the Organizations partnering in this project. A great opportunity for you to get to know each other’s work and get to know their testimony as well. If you like or are interested, feel free to contact them here: ● Bulgaria - https://www.facebook.com/ActiveBulgarianSociety ● Croatia - https://www.facebook.com/LumenNGO ● Czech Republic - https://www.facebook.com/EYCBreclav ● Estonia - https://www.facebook.com/Seiklejad.Org ● Germany - https://www.facebook.com/watch/kulturnetwork/ ● Hungary - https://www.facebook.com/yopa.ngo ● Ireland - https://www.facebook.com/loveandcareforpeopleworldwide ● Portugal - https://www.facebook.com/h2oarrouquelas ● Poland - https://www.facebook.com/euromedevepolska ● Romania - https://www.facebook.com/21stGreentury ● Serbia - Home - FOUNDATION ARCHITECT ALEKSANDAR RADOVIC (fondar.rs) ● Spain - https://www.facebook.com/arousamoza In 2023 from 26th of August till 6th of September 30 participants from six countries across Europe - Latvia, Spain, Poland, North Macedonia, Croatia and Estonia - came together for a Youth exchange “Last Chance for Fauna and Flora” in Jelgava, Latvia. The main goals of the project are to develop young people's lifelong learning competences, to provide new knowledge and skills, to teach creative learning methods, which can be used to draw attention to the topic of fauna and flora, to develop themselves, to improve young people's teamwork skills, to teach young people various methods that can be used in everyday life which later they can share with others so they can improve situation in Europe and most importantly raise awareness of what we should do and what to avoid in order to preserve nature.
Participants had different activities like games, activities related to fauna and flora, discussions to find solutions to help our problem with endangered species, debates, flashmob and orienteering in Jelgava, hike on Ķemeru bog, they engaged in activities involving various means of artistic expression, such as dance, theater, music, and others. They spent as much time as possible outdoors to find out more about nature. Participants in mixed groups made videos about fauna and flora. Also each country had its intercultural evening where they introduced others to their country, traditions, flags, traditional outfits, songs and even dances.. Youth exchange "Active Minds: Empowering Youth Through Movement" took place 6th-14th of december, it was held in a beautiful village Veliki Žitnik in a rural and mountainous area of Croatia. The project was made by the organization Outward Bound Croatia whose mission is to encourage young people to put themselves into unfamiliar settings and discover and develop themselves through new challenges. Through the activities the organization tries to raise awareness about mindfulness, responsibility, empathy and cooperation.
The topic of this youth exchange was physical activity and mind and body connections, but it also concentrated on group dynamics and leadership. A lot of the activities were held outside, which was a great way to appreciate the beautiful nature around. The activities made participants challenge their fears and try to look past them, because usually fear is an obstacle in a way of achieving something. We also did exercises that tested our ability to work together as a team. These team challenges were very fun, because they connected the participants as a group and really made us bond. We also went hiking for a day. It was very refreshing and breathtakingly beautiful, but also a bit challenging, because we went up to a mountain. Still the view from the top of the mountain was totally worth the effort. In addition to the outside activities, we had workshops inside. A lot of them focused on understanding your own body and mind. For example, we learned about Waldorf education. I really admired how passionately the organizer Matija Malinović introduced the ideas behind this system. I also liked a workshop, where we talked about different leadership styles: architect, driver, relationship master and spontaneous motivator. We found out which of these would be most similar to each one of us and were introduced to the qualities and disadvantages of these different leader types. This project gathered together people from five countries: Croatia, Estonia, Italy, Ukraine and Greece. We got to learn about different countries through cultural evenings, where each country had to plan activities, make presentations and prepare some national foods to taste. I really enjoyed the evening that Ukraine held. In addition to a presentation and a quiz about their country, they wore beautiful national clothes and introduced fun Ukrainian traditional games and dances to the other participants. I am incredibly happy that I had the chance to participate in this project. I gained a lot of new ideas to think about and skills to practice in my life and also got to take a bit of a break from regular everyday life. In addition, I made a lot of new friends and acquaintances that inspired me and were great companions during this week. 22.-30. novembril toimus kaunis mägises Dilijanis Armeenias koolitus „HateBusters! Empowering Youth Workers to Combat Hate Speech”. Koolitusel osalesid 19 erinevast riigist 35 osalejat pluss koolitajad (Bulgaaria, Gruusia, Albaania, Armeenia, Poola, Holland, Hispaania, Itaalia, Belgia, Bosnia ja Hertsegoviina, Tšehhi, Eesti, Ungari, Moldova, Rumeenia, Slovakkia, Ukraina, Türgi, Portugal). Koolitusel räägiti ja arutleti teemal „Mis on vaenukõne, kuidas seda ära tunda, ennetada ja ära hoida”.
Lisaks vestlustele ja põnevatele aruteludele toimus ka mitmeid praktilisi töötubasid ja tegevusi. Päevad olid väga tihedad ja inforikkad. Vastavalt koolituse teemale oli väga olulisel kohal ka alati grupi- ja enesereflektsioon. Esimene päev oli pühendatud peamiselt sellele, et osalejad omavahel tuttavaks saaksid ja et grupp omavahel turvalise jagamise ja koosõppimise ruumi saaks luua. Järgnevad päevad olid täis mitmesuguseid tegevusi, jagasime erinevate riikide näitel, millised grupid ja kuidas on rõhutud erinevates riikides, mis on ette võetud, et seda muuta jne. Iga päeva lõpus oli grupisisesed (korraldajate poolt kokku pandud grupid) 15 minutilised reflektsiooniajad, kus arutleti päeva tegevustest, töötubadest, tunnetest. Hästi põnevaks kujunes foorumteater, kus osalejatele anti erinevad rõhutute teemad ning väikese ettevalmistusega esitati neid kogu grupi ees ning kui saabus see hetk, mil publik sai mõne osaleja välja vahetada, muutus mitmetel etendustel loo lõpp täielikult. Lisaks, oli veel hästi põnev tegevus „Living Library”, mis on mitmetes riikides juba üsna populaarne ja hästi vastu võetud programm. Meie osalejate hulgas oli väga mitmeid põnevaid Raamatuid ja ka kõik Lugejad olid äärmiselt huvitatud nendeni jõudnud raamatute lugemisest. Mõni raamat oli väga kurb ja pani lugejaid nutma („Ukraina”), kuid oli ka raamatuid, mis olid pigem põnevusraamatud („Häkker”), samuti terviseteemalisi („ATH”) ja elu ning elu väljakutsetega seotud raamatud ( „Homoseksuaalsus”, „Feminism”, „Naine ajakirjanduses”, „Romade elu ja olu” „Üksikvanemlus” ja „Noor vanem”). Kuna Armeenia koolitusele järgneb igas riigist „No Hate Speech” teemaline tegevus, siis said ka osalejad ise (taas)luua tegevusi, millest kõik said inspiratsiooni ammutada, kas ja kuidas neid tegevusi luua. Antud ülesannet pean hästi oluliseks, sest iga grupi loodud tegevusele, mille esitasime, saime tagasisidet korraldajatelt, mida ja kuidas võiks muuta. Niisamuti tagasisidet teistelt osalejatelt, kuidas nemad tundsid end antud tegevuse käigus ja mis neile meeldis, mida võiks teisiti teha. Tänu sellele said kõik grupid väärt tagasisidet. Koolitus väga hästi korraldatud ja läbi viidud. Äärmiselt põnev ja sisutihe. Kõik osalejad said endaga kaasa võtta tohutult häid mõtteid ja uusi teadmisi. Erasmus+ noortevahetus Fuerteventural 22.–30. novembril
Sel korral said viis Eesti noort võimaluse keset novembrikülmust taaselustada oma suvemälestusi Fuerteventura-nimelisel Kanaari saarel. Kuigi noortevahetus oli keskendunud jätkusuutlikule ettevõtlusele ja seda just noorte ettevõtjate perspektiivist, tundsime, et olulisimad õppetunnid saime hoopis muudest valdkondadest. Kõige suurem neist on seotud reisimisega, täpsemalt lennukitega, veel täpsemalt sellega, kui reisiplaaniga midagi juhtub, ehk siis kui su öine lend tühistatakse. Meist kellegagi polnud sellist asja varem juhtunud, seega pidime saarelt koju saamiseks kiirelt pead kokku panema ja koha peal uue plaani välja mõtlema. Kokkuvõttes uus ja väga hariv kogemus😅 Noortevahetus ise (nagu varem mainitud) oli keskendunud jätkusuutlikule ettevõtlusele: nii töötoad, mängud, grupitööd kui ka külalised suunasid meid mõtlema loodussäästliku majandamise suunas. Eriti jäi meelde ja tekitas elevust ressursside kogumise mäng, kus kõik osalejad jaotati kuue maailmajao vahel. Iga maailmajagu pidi elus püsimiseks igal käigul koguma vähemalt ühe ressursi. (Ressursse oli piiratud koguses.) Tihti juhtus aga nii, et maailmajaod läksid ahneks ja kogusid rohkem ressursse kui vaja, mis viis selleni, et kõik maailmajaod ei elanud kõiki käike üle, sest ressursse oli eelmistel käikudel ekspluateeritud. Fuerteventural veedetud ajale tagasi mõeldes oleme väga tänulikud, et saime võimaluse erinevatest riikidest pärit noortega koos aega veeta ja mõtteid vahetada, tutvuda Eestist nii erineva maastiku ja loodusega ning saada uusi teadmisi, kuidas oma ettevõttes (või ka üldisemalt oma tegemistes) jätkusuutlikumaid alternatiive rakendada. Korraldaja Instagram: @coco.nutwork “Food for Thought” - that was the name given to the youth exchange taking place at 20.11 - 28.11 in Denmark. Although only three countries participated in the project - Denmark, Poland, and Estonia - there were a total of eight nationalities present. In addition to the aforementioned countries, Romania, China, Taiwan, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan were also represented. The project's main goal was to draw attention to food waste and the environmental issues associated with food production, as well as to share experiences and tips on how to eat more sustainably.
The project took place 20 kilometers away from the city center of Copenhagen in an area known as Holte. It was a remarkably scenic location amidst horse pastures and picturesque landscapes. Upon our arrival, the weather began to turn brisk, and our shelter for the night was chillingly cool. We had to keep the stoves burning around the clock to maintain warmth indoors. Fortunately, the cold issue was eventually resolved, and it did not impede our activities. As the project focused on sustainable nutrition, all meals were naturally 100% plant-based. To ensure that vegan cuisine was not monotonous and did not merely consist of salads, professional chef Anna Sofie prepared on-site dishes. Her culinary creations, which can be a source of inspiration for others, can be found on her Instagram account @artistkok. To everyone's surprise, all the prepared dishes were distinctly unique and delicious. The inaugural day of the project was to get to know each other and to foster team spirit. On the second day, the project took a startling turn with some discomforting facts. Were you aware that approximately 270 thousand sharks are killed daily in the world? Or that there are around 28,000 species on the brink of extinction? When the premises of the worldwide situation were established, then it was time to return to our roots and present what is commendable in our own countries, while also identifying the problematic areas that could oversee improvement. For us, it became apparent that although there are many good approaches and aspects in other nations relating to this issue, regrettably there still remains awfully lot of nuances that demand attention, and solving them necessitates concrete solutions. During the exchange, we were offered the opportunity to visit Copenhagen and also local Christmas market. While visiting the market we were presented with various creative tasks. For example, we got to learn how to say “Merry Christmas” in Danish and discover other Danish cultural holiday customs. Can you fandom the fact that they eat potatoes with sugar? Brunede Kartofler, look it up! The unequivocal highlight of the project was titled “ School Kitchen”. In the morning, various dishes were assigned for us to prepare. - soup, one-pot meal, baked dishes, and dessert - we were also given restrictions on the type of packaging allowed for purchasing the ingredients. The evening feast consisted of our prepared four-course meal. As expected our culinary endeavors also had an element of competition in them. In line with the project theme, the main goal of this exercise was to generate as little food waste as possible. The team that achieved this goal got their hands on a prize. On the final day of the project, we consolidated all of our knowledge that we learned and acquired during the project into a single (albeit somewhat unorthodox) recipe book. Also as an add-on to authentic food recipes, this compendium has tips and tricks on how to diminish one's food wastage, during their day-to-day lives, thereby achieving the project's goal of how to make our cooking and consumption more sustainable. As usual cultural evenings unfolded during the project, where representatives from each country showcased his or her nation's culture through presentations, dances, and games. Naturally, intriguing dishes and appetizers adorned the tables, inviting participants to partake and taste them. These evenings usually evolved into spirited affairs, with dances and games extending into the early morning hours. The people present were diverse and the group exuded both humor and unity, which filled our days with laughter and socializing with each other. As a final collective activity, we gathered in a circle and chose a single word that would serve as a lasting reminder of this experience. It was heartwarming to hear that, for many, Estonia would be remembered, as this marked their initial encounter with our nationality, sparking a genuine desire to visit our country and see its culture. Ultimately this is the goal of these projects to raise awareness of significant issues, foster friendships across various cultures to build unity, and to establish meaningful lifelong connections. ✨ 04.11-11.11 toimus Leedus projekt nimega "Transform Action: Countering Social Conflicts in Youth Work". Õpirändel olid peale eestlaste kohal osalejad Leedust, Lätist, Austriast, Horvaatiast, Poolast, Ungarist, Tšehhist ja Rumeeniast.
Õpirändel puudutasime mitteformaalse hariduse põhimõtteid: turvaline koht mõtete jagamiseks, tagasiside andmine, kogemustest õppimine, üksteiselt õppimine, grupitöö ja koostööoskused. Veetsime sisuka nädala Trakai linna lähedal asuvas villas, mida ümbritses kaunis roheala ja väike järv. Õpirände peamises fookuses olid erinevad konfliktsed olukorrad. Projekt julgustas kriitilist mõtlemist sotsiaalsete konfliktide negatiivsest ja positiivsest rollist ühiskonnas ning ümberkujundamisest. Leidsime vastuseid erinevatele küsimustele, mida sotsiaalsed erimeelsused kaasa võivad tuua. Kuidas jõustada konfliktide ümberkujundamise protsesse kui noorte kodanikuosaluse ja kaasamise vahendit? Kuidas suurendada arusaamist vägivallatutest meetoditest ja vahenditest kodaniku kaasamiseks ja sotsiaalseks ümberkujundamiseks? Kuidas suurendada pädevusi, mis parandavad kodanike kaasatust sotsiaalsete muutuste mõjurite ja kordajatena rohujuure tasandil? Samuti rääkisime, mis on konflikt, milliseid konfliktide eri vorme eksisteerib, mis on vägivald ja kuidas see mõju avaldada võib. Saime kaasa erinevaid probleemide lahendamise oskusi, et suurendada noorte sotsiaalset kaasatust ja aidata lahendada nende muresid esmatasandil. Projekt parandas arusaamist selliste sotsiaalsete konfliktide põhjustest ja dünaamikast nagu tõrjutus, diskrimineerimine ja ebavõrdsus. Tegime erinevate teemade kohta plakateid grupitööna ning arutasime erinevate skeemide üle. Omandasime tehnikaid ja strateegiaid sotsiaalse kogukonna konfliktide muutmiseks - defineerimiseks ja lahendamiseks (nt PIN mudel, probleemide puu). Pärast teadmiste kogumist Leedus peab iga riigi grupp oma koduriigis läbi viima õpitust ka tegevuse, mis aitaks kaasa ka meie kodukoha konfliktide lahendamisele. Projekti kahel viimasel päeval pidi iga riigi grupp valmistama selleks põhjaliku plaani. Meie Eesti grupiga otsustasime läbi viia koolituse noorsootöötajatele sellest, kuidas saab defineerida ja lahendada konflikte noorsootöös. |
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