In the picturesque town of Agropoli, Italy, from the 6th to the 16th of November 2023, a youth exchange "A Journey Beyond Borders" hosted youngsters from Italy, Estonia, Spain, Netherlands, and Germany, transcending borders and fostering a unique cultural exchange.
The core idea of "A Journey Beyond Borders" was to delve into the values of the European Union (EU), shedding light on its influence on modern social problems, different cultures, and self-expressions. The project aimed to promote a sense of belonging to a European identity among young participants, fostering teamwork skills in an intercultural environment.
Estonia and Ethos MTÜ were represented by a team of 6 beautiful participants, and we believe they made an amazing job! We asked how it went for them:
"I liked all the people who were there, organizers, activities, and workshops. An amazing city where the project was and the weather :) I actually learned a lot of new for me, so it was very educative."
"I really like the diversity in the group. We had people from different backgrounds, religions, countries. There were so many interesting and deep conversations through which we were able to exchange, thoughts and experiences. I also liked the topic of the project because I learned a lot about the European Union and the way things were before you and what benefits we have by living in the European Union."
"You could notice that organizers were trying their best to deliver a great project. Most of the activities were engaging and interesting (me, personally, I really liked an activity, where we were giving roles and situations and a problem and had to play out an argument with those characteristics). Also the participants were very nice, we got to a little bit more about cultures outside of Europe, such as Pakistan and India. And also my national team was active."
We also asked our team about their biggest learning points:
"I am "bad" at politics and history, so everything related to EU and how it was created was almost a new information for me. I actually have motivation now to continue learning and educate myself in this topic more. Also one workshop that was important for me was about debating. I was always scared of this and never even tried, but I realized that it was not as hard as I expected and I enjoyed it."
"Getting to know a little more Estonian Russian community. Before I had no connections with this side of Estonia at all." - that was absolutely our favorite feedback, because we in Ethos are always trying to achieve this by mixing the team while sending abroad as much as possible, so getting these words back is really the best reward for us!
"For me, the biggest learning part was outside of the workshops through communication with other participants. As I mentioned, I really like the diversity of our group, and I think that the most learning came from that."
"A Journey Beyond Borders" not only provided a platform to explore the values of the EU but also helped with personal and cultural growth. As we reflect on the stories shared by the Estonian participants, it becomes evident that experiences like these contribute significantly to our personal development. And now, we are encouraging you to take part in similar projects, to celebrate the diversity that enriches our understanding of the world.
Grazie mille for this experience!
Comments