ERASMUS+, Key action 1: youth exchange
Venue: Adana, Turkey
Dates: 24 June—2 July 2024
Czech team: 4 participants + 1 group leader
Please erad the info-pack. Please also check out the project results:
- https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ruCBrnUYvq3vKTtwRYO4om5G0JKI2xyq
- https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zgW2BDnwOElKBlEUxQwmHCE9eNl_Vbl9
Hosting organisaton: Çukurova Gelecek Nesil Gençlik Derneği
Project report:
This year, we had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Turkish city of Adana during the project titled “21st Century Challenge: Extremism and Radicalization.” Participants from Lithuania, Latvia, Spain, Italy, Romania, Greece, the Czech Republic, and of course, Turkey, all took part in the project, which lasted from June 24th to July 2nd.
The project leaders, Fatma and Emin, made sure that our schedule in Adana was packed with things to do. There were discussions about recent problems with extremism and radicalisation in our countries of origin, presentations on the EU values and even Oxford-style debates about the solutions to current societal problems. One of the surprising things we’ve learned, was that a trauma dating back even more than a century can influence the countires’ attitude towards one another.
Most of the time we were in groups consisting of people of other nationality than ours, meaning we were forced to use english to communicate. This was a blessing in disguise, since it meant that we had to make friends from other countries and could practice our english and expand our vocabulary.
As an added bonus, we were able to experience Turkish culture not only during their cultural night, but also by visiting some of the many sightseeing attractions in Adana. From the giant mosque built in the last century, to the old roman-era bridge across the river, there was a lot of very interesting architecture to look at.
To summarize, this project helped us realise the societal problems around us, it has shown us what we can do about it, and while doing so, we were able to make friends with people we would have never met otherwise. At the end of the project the room, in which most of what we did took place, was plastered with papers with presentations, Ideas, and our comments.
It was a truly unforgettable experience, that has changed the way I look at things and I am very thankful for this opportunity.
Vojtěch Š.
