Name of the
project:
Inclusive Europe
Date: 3rd
– 11th September and 15th – 22nd October 2017
Country/City:
Vilnius, Lithuania and Yerevan, Armenia
What was the main topic of the event?
Mirjam Ait:
The main topic was migration challenges in Europe and tackling the integration
process of refugees. The project was organized by the Youth To Youth Initiative
and the aim was to share good practices and tools on refugees and migrants
integration processes, to build the capacity of youth workers to combat hate
speech towards migrants, misinformation about refugees and xenophobic
discourse. The project involved about 30 participants from 16 European countries:
Lithuania, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania,
Sweden, Armenia, Belarus, FYR Macedonia, Georgia, Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine.
What was the biggest learning moments on the event
for you?
Mirjam Ait:
This project was quite diverse in offering different activities. The first part
took place in Lithuania and consisted mostly of lectures and workshops about
refugee and migration issues in Europe. The biggest learning moment was
definitely hearing what the researchers on this topic had to say. The lecturers
included lawyers, scientists, different people who had worked with
ex-extremists etc. So when they put down the facts and numbers, we could see
really clearly how the media portrays a completely different picture and spears
false information. So that was really an eye-opener for everybody.
The
second part took place in Armenia. It was basically a study visit, which means
that during the week we visited different organisations working with migrants
and refugees, starting from youth organisations and ending with UNHCR. I never
knew how much hard work and effort Armenians put into helping the migrants. So
during this part I definitely learned a lot about the warm-heartedness of the
people of this nation. But it also made me realize how much we could learn from
the example of Armenia.
Do you have any plans to continue active in the
field? If yes, what?
Mirjam Ait:
As I am currently not active in social or youth work, it is difficult to say
whether I’ll wok in this field sometime in the future. But on the other hand
this project had so much to offer knowledge-wise so that it’s not just
information that only youth workers come across. The migration issue is a hot
topic all around Europe these days so sharing my experience and knowledge and
letting people know the dangers of media illiteracy is already a big step from
my part into making Europe a more inclusive place for everybody.
Would you recommend it to your friends? I yes,
why? If not, why not?
Mirjam Ait:
Definitely recommend! The organizers from Y2Y are super professional and
inspiring people that really know how to motivate young people into becoming
more active and voicing their opinions. They offered the participants immense
knowledge and practical skills in so many different fields: youth work, but
also project developing, social media and marketing etc. Y2Y connects a whole
network of active people all around the globe so it is definitely worth looking
into more of their projects.
More comments or anything else you would like to
share? You can add here in your own language, if you want!
Mirjam Ait:
Firstly, I would thank NÜH for sharing these great project participating
opportunities with young people in Estonia. And secondly, I would encourage you
to take part in all sorts of different projects even though you might be
hesitant in choosing the right one. I entered the Inclusive Europe project with
not too many expectations, but in the end I gained more knowledge and skills
than I would have imagined.
It
is also a great way to learn about different cultures and meet different
people. The more you see the world, the more tolerant and understanding you
become about others!
This
Project was financed by European Commission's Erasmus + Programme
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