From online meetings to Malaga rendezvous – Finally “Exodus” project in person.
After two online meetings because of the traveling restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the six partner organizations working on the “Exodus” project, were finally able to meet this year in Malaga, Spain, from 3rd to 12th of September 2021.
Three participants from CET Platforma were being part of the training course “LET’s ESC”, joining the representatives from Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal and Turkey. The training course was designed for those who wish to be or are directly involved in the support system around the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) program (e.g. mentors and task-related support persons) on the hosting, sending and coordinating side.
The first day was when participants were getting to know each other through various activities that were indirectly teaching other cultures, presenting countries problems, and the organizations. And then, the days that followed, the participants were active into different types of activities that enabled them to learn more about the refugees and the way to create inclusion programs. Using different materials and approaches, all the participants were practically picking knowledge among each other and exchanging tools of how to treat the theme.
Spanish organization “Intercambia” took care of the logistics and taught us about the ESC program for all of us who got very much involved in the workshops and were active during and after the activities, in the informal time.
Our informal time also led us to more knowledge in how some of the most active NGO’s in Malaga are dealing with the refugees inclusion in the city and Spain itself, while ordinary people were always open for small discussions, thus providing another way to learn and then implement their experience with refugees in these kind of programs, like “LETS ESC”.
By the end of the meeting the partnering organizations came up with various results on how to proceed with the project. What could not be done online before, now came to realization. The social media details were agreed, the next date for the partnering organizations to meet again, the different approaches on the training courses as well.
Next country where we will all meet for the “Exodus” project is Portugal and we are very much looking forward to it.
