From the 24th of February till the 4th of March, our volunteers alongside youth workers from Spain, France, Poland, Italy, Romania, Portugal, Turkey, Hungary and Germany took part in an International Training Course program in Germany.
The Training Course aimed to empower youth workers, multipliers from hosting communities as well as refugees to create dialogue that leads to integration and establishes culture of peace.
In the following lines, you can explore the experiences that our volunteers gained through their participation.
Konstantinos:
When I applied It was impossible to imagine how relevant this training would be at the time of its completion.
It was about raising awareness and compassion about refugees and aiding their integration in their host societies. With the war in Ukraine suddenly it all became very real. I got the opportunity to learn in a intercultural setting guided by exceptional facilitators, but at the same time i got the feeling that i was part of a bigger story, a story a about a group of inspiring people realizing their place in the world, united through an entity named “Europe” and eager to move further, while taking that feeling back to their homes.
It was a perfect example of what a European youth mobility program can be, and I find myself very fortunate that I got the chance to participate!

Maria:
At this very moment, millions of refugees around the world are experiencing situations many could never imagine: war-stricken and impoverished countries, having to leave behind all they know and love, lengthy screenings, and troubles acclimating into a whole new world.
Through this experience I had the chance not only to learn about sensitive and current issues, such as immigration and humanitarian crisis, but also discuss all these with people with different backgrounds from all around Europe.
I heard stories and took part in activities that made me realize how hard it is to be expelled from your country, from your home. And in this everyday life that Europe is in at the moment, understanding and raising awareness around this issue is deemed necessary. This program gave me the possibility to further extend my knowledge over this topic, motivating me to keep learning and be engaged in this field.
I also feel very lucky that through this program I met new people from different countries and with different cultures and I realized that speaking a different language with someone is not an obstacle in finding common ground with him. Strong friendships, invaluable experiences and very useful knowledge are some of the things I gained through this program.
For me this program was my first contact with Erasmus+ and it will certainly not be the last.
In the future I would like to repeat such an experience as much as erasmus, as well as other training courses like this.

Ioanna:
My experience with this Erasmus+ project is truly unforgettable!
Firstly, I’ve learned so much about immigration and I am now able to understand and empathize with an issue that I don’t have personal experience with. I also feel really motivated to make a change through transnational cooperation and common understanding.
Asides from the topic of this project, which really affected me, I feel that the connections we made with the people are truly powerful. It fills me with great confidence, especially in such a difficult time in Europe, when I observe what motivated people can achieve through good coordination and cooperation.
In addition, the methods of forum theater and labyrinth theater where very interesting to explore and I would love to try them out with my lock community.
Summing up, I feel very grateful for this experience and I will try my best to live to everything I’ve learned there and the skills I’ve acquired!

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