About Youth Exchange, Finding yourself in Europe

I can't believe summer it's over, and also September! This means that I've already been in Slovakia for 8 months and that there's only 3 to go, unbelievable!

I think this summer has been the most productive for me in a long time. After leading two workcamps (and a little bit of a third one), finally the last project arrived: the Youth Exchange. I write it like that on purpose, since being there from beginning with the brainstorming of the idea until making it something concrete in time and space made me gain a new perspective on how much effort and time invested need this kind of projects -and therefore, enjoying it quite a lot when it was happening.

This is the most complete group picture we have, together with Sarah as INEX Messenger and Frea, the dog -belonging to Dada but behaving like one more participant :). Yeah, I know, we are pretty, hihi.

In very few words, during these days Slovaks, Belgians, Greeks and Italians met in Banska Stiavnica for sharing opinions and ideas about the topic of youth unemployment. Contrary to the mainstream,  we tried to see the financial crisis like an opportunity to develop the most inner interests of each person, connect them with a profession -encouraging creation if it's needed- and explore different possibilities within the European Union's framework. As you can see in our agenda, there were three dimensions we explored: personal, professional and European -dedicating some sessions to approach each of them.

I was pleased with the group. Comparing it with the workcamp groups, I feel a small lack of cultural diversity but also I can say I get a greater point of view of the lifestyle of a specific country. Anyway, whatever you may miss in cultural differences you can find in personal ones, since every individual is a little universe in itself. And the mix of us all turn out to be a wonderful galaxy :D

Ok, now seriously. I can not really evaluate what is the overall outcome from this exchange, but me myself I was learning everyday something new because of them. Again comparing it to workcamps, I think in conversation you reach deeper topics since one of the main aims is just to share your point of view. Understanding how different and similar we are at the same time it's always a nice discovery for me.

Regarding my leading role, this time I felt much more relaxed than in the workcamps. Maybe it's because workcamps had demanded from me quite a lot of physical energy and it's also different when you need to command people to make something physical rather than mental, but for me in general it's been easier and calmer. Then again, the fact that we counted with other 4 national leaders -Matiss and I were coordinators-, resulted in a comfortable supported feeling and the sensation that we were creating something altogether -double nice!

Few pictures and below two links for original sources:

Sarah's album from her visit (includes Greek and Italian night, visit to Kalvaria in Banska Stiavnica and some sessions leaded by Matiss and me): https://plus.google.com/photos/118233661673923862820/albums/5927505662505304113

Album with a compilation of all the flipcharts we used during the project: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/104455390605694644335/albums/5929730723811354049

Thank you everyone for making this project possible :)