Date: 2 – 14 September 2011
Venue: Amasya, Turkey
Number of participants: 4 + 1
Age limit: 15 – 25 years.
Project report:
How would our lives look like if people from different corners of Europe lived together and shared their feelings and culture in one beautiful city? That was the main theme for the youth exchange that took place in September in Amasya, a city with rich past and vibrant present.
Participants from the Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal, Montenegro, Russia and of course Turkey met in a friendly atmosphere to create a miniature of a multi-cultural city called Minia Europe. The whole process began with a contemplation about our values and life perspectives, where we identified the core principles that matter to all of us. This set an abstract background for the tangible work that followed. Each country selected a few typical buildings, created a sketch of their structure and the creative activities could start. Firstly by national, later in various mixed international teams, young people cooperated to design a beautiful colorful city consisting from different buildings including a church, a mosque, a gate, a village cottage and a modern television tower. The whole setup was placed under the Amasyan castle and ancient tombs, a precious heritage of sultans and emperors of the past. The final version of Minia Europe was then presented to the public, including the mayor of the city, during our exhibition.
Besides the construction, we were invited to participate in many other interesting activities such as visiting the Amasyan castle with breathtaking views of the whole city. We also enjoyed all the Turkish food! Be it kebab, baklava or several scoops of ice cream, we never had enough. Local hospitality has given
us many opportunities to taste various delicate meals and drinks. During the whole time we spent together, we discussed, laughed, played, danced and above all, had great fun!
