Sports Back to Traditions — Macedonia – European Youth Centre Břeclav

Venue: Mavrovo, Macedonia

Date: 10-18 September 2012

Action: Youth exchange, 1.1., Youth in Action

Pax: Eva Janečková, Jakub Bakule, Markéta Vondráková, Tomáš Adámek, Michal Janečko, Kateřina Musilová.

Our YE ”Sports back to tradition” is promoting the value of sport as a tool. Taking into account the important values that traditional sports and games offer, through the educational, culture, communicative and health promoting role towards the overall development of the individual and ones community we will also tackle the topic of equality.

Sports are expressions of the native culture and life systems contributing to the communitarian identity of human beings. Considering that traditional sports and games being less susceptible to the temptations of excessive commercialization, manipulation, and doping, can strengthen the values of sportivity and the spirit of “fair-play”, Further taking into account that they do not demand substantial material and financial resources or investments, but they can contribute to better intercultural understanding and mutual tolerance, both within and among the communities of nations we’ll come to the fundamental right of movement, sport and games as a constituent of the quality of life and development of a whole personality. In the end we will present one show of traditional sports.

Videos and promotional materials will be also made, not only for the happening but for multiplying and dissemination. Starting with energizers, ice breaking, team building, presentation of the YiA programme, to presentation of countries about sports that were traditional we will create IC spirit and pleasant learning experience for participants; reflect on different cultural expressions, and create a bridge between cultures for a better mutual comprehension.

Sports are part of intangible heritage and a symbol of the cultural diversity of our societies. They are also an efficient means to convey values of solidarity, diversity, inclusiveness and cultural awareness.

During 8 days people from Macedonia, Czech Republic, Greece, Lithuania and Turkey will get the chance to be a part of this youth exchange.

Project report:

Our project “Sports back to tradition” took place in a wonderful scenery of Mavrovo, Macedonia from 9th to 18th September 2012. Four countries participated in this project: the
Czech Republic, Macedonia, Lithuania and Turkey.

During the time in Macedonia, we have visited lot of nice places, for example, Ohrid. There is a beautiful lake, wonderful churches, a castle, museum and mosque. Then, the centre
of Mavrovo, a village called Rostushe and last but not least the monastery placed in high mountains.

This project gave us the opportunity to get to know other young people from different countries, their culture, cuisine, religion, habits, thinking and lifestyle. It was interesting to listen to various opinions on the same aspects. We got a lot of new friends and now we can keep in touch with them and practice English language.

From my point of view, the most touching part of this project was the final event in Rostushe. Our main aim was to use sports as a tool for inclusion of children from this local village.

Every nation prepared and practised their national sport there. We were really happy when we saw the shining and cheerful faces of children who had never met any foreigners before. They enjoyed our company very much. Moreover, besides practicing sports for our final event, we have done many ice breaking games, energizers and team building activities. The organization of all of these was perfect and many of our thanks belong to the organizators: Nola and Shemo. At the end of our project, we have learnt something more about “Youth in action” programme and tried to put together our ideas and design future projects as well.

It was my pleasure to be a member of this project. I have destroyed some of my prejudices, experienced lots of new things, got to know amazing place of Macedonia and learnt that what is really important is non-judging behaviour when meeting people of any nationality. I will not forget these wonderful days till the end of my life.

Eva Janečková