ERASMUS+, Key action 1: youth exchange
Venue: Pervolia, Cyprus
Timetable for this mobility:
- Advance Planning Visit: 13—15 September 2024, Pervolia, Cyprus.
- Youth exchange: 12—21 November 2024, Pervolia, Cyprus
Czech team: 7 participants + 1 group leader
Please read the info-pack.
Hosting organisation: Youth Dynamics
Project report:
„Let’s escape the harsh central European late autumn, “ said 8 curious and brave students from various corners of the Czech Republic. Later, in the penultimate week of November, they found themselves on the third largest island of the Mediterranean, the beautiful and diverse country of Cyprus, arriving as total strangers and leaving as lifelong friends. They are us, and this is our story. 🙂
We were not there for leisure, though, as our goal was to strengthen our views on the European Union (EU) and understand its values and the privileges it offers, all that through methods unlike those in school. Moreover, we were not just passive learners but rather active participants creating content for ourselves. To achieve varied points of view, we were joined by peers from Greece, Romania, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, and the hosting Cyprus.
Together, we formed a group of 56 individuals and experienced an unforgettable 9 days full of interactive workshops and activities. We role-played a situation about the negative impact of discrimination, shot a video about fighting marginalization, provoked a debate on social and economic inequalities, and more. Each workshop was prepared by one country and focused on one key topic related to the EU.
In our noteworthy Czech workshop, we devised a full-scale simulation of the European Parliament (EP) negotiation. Each participating team represented an EP political group, along with its core stance and beliefs. The target was to create and vote on the bill for an energy mix for the upcoming years. In the 90 minutes, not only did participants understand the assignment, but they also learned about clean hydrogen, and in the end, they managed to find a compromise and pass the bill.
The days were not only filled with learning about the EU, but we also exchanged knowledge about our respective countries and tried local delicacies and drinks. Most importantly, we discovered the complicated history and geopolitics of Cyprus in both our day trips spent in Larnaca and Nicosia, with the capital visit being particularly eye-opening – as one half is Cypriot, and the other is occupied by Turks. We even had the opportunity to peek into the Turkish side, beyond the EU border.
Lastly, we should also mention the benefit of living in 4-bed apartments situated two minutes away from the beach: during every lunch break, we took the chance to soak up the late sun and dip our legs (and sometimes bodies) in the chilly but still bearable autumn sea. For every meal, we ate traditional Cypriot cuisine. And every night, we enjoyed an engaging social program. Shoutout to our Slovakian partners in crime!
Saying goodbye was tough, so a few of us opted for two more days, to rent a van and explore the island. Driving an 8-seater van was challenging, but navigating the left-side traffic in Cyprus was an even greater accomplishment. Nonetheless, we arrived back home safe, full of lasting memories, with a deeper knowledge of European institutions and processes, a newfound eagerness to promote EU values, and an awareness of the challenges the EU is currently facing.
All of this was possible thanks to the organizers, the Youth Dynamics group, led by the wonderful Vasilis and his team. They created a safe and welcoming environment, took care of us, and flawlessly organized the entire experience. We are also immensely grateful to EYCB for giving us the opportunity to participate. It has been a truly unforgettable journey!
Zbyněk N.
