The Advance Planning Visit for the youth exchange “Let’s Enjoy Difference & Uniqueness Together!” was held in Centro “La Pace” in Benevento, Italy from 1st to 4th of October 2021.
Leaders and project managers from all involved organizations in the project met for few days to see where the project will be organized, discuss the methodological approaches and proposed activities as well as learn about all the organizational, practical, logistical and travel arrangements. This was done to prepare their youth groups in the best way possible before sending them to participate on the youth exchange that is planned for 17th to 28th of November 2021.
The project is aimed to get to know and explore cultures, knowledge and migration realities of the participating countries and also about the integration of refugees, migrants’ issues, rural development and urbanization topics.
Together with 42 young people, in the age range between 20 and 25 years old, that are interested in these topics, the youth exchange will implement activities that will provide knowledge on migration issues as well as positively influence the attitudes towards the others and themselves through art and activities in nature. There will be photographic activities in the territory of Benevento and its province, interviews with asylum seekers, political refugees, CAS workers and Sipoimi as well as discussion with citizens about the perceptions and experiences of migration. The youth exchange will implement volunteering and intercultural dinners that will be led by a specific country and will be useful to discover not only distant tastes, but also dances, theatrical or musicals acts of a specific country that will entertain the evenings.
This project was born pre-pandemic and was designed by YMCA Parthenope Onlus, whose members, Ramona, Antonio and Gialuca, who are sensitive to migration issues for a long time, will develop this area through activities that use methodologies which they regularly use in their work.
The partners involved, some already known thanks to the ongoing project EXODUS related to the training of adults in creating a support network for migrants, are the following European associations: Alrahallah Theater Berlin from Germany, Breaking the Borders from Greece; CET Platforma Skopje from Macedonia, Association Interchange from Spain, Rosto Solidario from Portugal, and International Labour Association from Turkey.
