A Hug for All — Greece – European Youth Centre Břeclav

Erasmus+, Key Action 1: training course

Training course dates: 17 November—1 December 2022

Advance Planning Visit (APV): 15—17 October 2022. APV was attended by Kristýna Hubičková

Venue: Athens, Greece

Czech team: Jakub Wambach, Una Sauka, Sára Krumpholcová, Matouš Horský, Jakub Seidl

Pleaser read the info-pack.

Hosting organisation: Sharp Minds

Project report:

We met at the airport before our flight from Prague, from where we took a night connecting flight to Athens. We were excited but also nervous, it was our first project, and we didn’t know what to expect.

The 14-day A HUG FOR ALL project took place in Athens from the 17th of October to the 1st of December. The project content focused mainly on social inclusion and integration, which are topical issues given the refugee situation in Europe after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the European migration crisis in 2015. The project aimed to identify the problems that hinder the process of social inclusion and to come up with ideas on how to facilitate the process.

There was a team from Bulgaria, Macedonia, Italy, Turkey, Slovakia, and Romania. All the teams consisted of 5 participants.

We tried to achieve the aim through several activities focused on different barriers to integration and inclusion. For instance, we had a workshop on prejudices and assumptions. We simulated a court case in which a man was about to be deported from the country, even though he would face torture if returned to his country of origin.

Also, every participating country shared their problems regarding refugees, immigration and subsequent integration and inclusion. It was interesting to hear about all the events and situations and see the similarities and differences in the problems faced by each country.

In our free time, we explored the centre of Athens, ate moussaka, souvlaki, and kebab, and tasted Greek beer (After tasting it, we couldn’t wait to go home). There was no shortage of Greek culture either. We went to the Acropolis and to the Acropolis Museum, where the original statues date back thousands of years.

Speaking of cultures, I think everyone enjoyed the Intercultural night. Not only did we try all the traditional food and drinks that each country prepared, but we also learned the typical dances, songs, and traditions of all the participating countries.

All in all, the 14 days flew by. We met great people, made good friends, experienced other cultures, and gained new knowledge about the possibilities to facilitate the integration and inclusion of people coming to our country.

We want to thank the EYCB organization for allowing us to participate in this project and especially Jana for taking care of us before and during the project.

Sára Krumpholcová

A HUG FOR ALL – TRAINING COURSE, Project code: 2021-1-EL02-KA151-YOU-000009708

This was the second in a row Training Course of the first year of Accreditation in Youth Sector, implemented by Educational Organization Sharp Minds.

This one was attended by 40 Youth Workers, Students, Volunteers in Youth Organizations and Teachers. The Training Course had a duration of 14 days, between 17 November – 01 December of 2022. Its main purpose was for the participants to be aware of approaching methods and to develop empathy against the Refugees who are tested, not only in their countries where they are persecuted but even after they flee abroad, in Hosting Countries, especially in Europe. The participants had the chance to learn more about the topic, to see things that they didn’t even know sometimes and to take part in a series of workshops and activities appropriate for them to know how to deal with similar situations.

Training Methods: The Trainings offered theoretical knowledge in social and legal base (terminology) as much as workshops, simulations, drama, brainstorming methods, team-building activities and other methods of Non-Formal Education. All the educational material used, derived by authorized and official International Institutes like United Nations, Amnesty International and other approved handbooks and tools of the European Union.

Organizer of the Project: Educational Organization SHARP MINDS.