ERASMUS+, Key Action 1: training course
Venue: Eskisehir, Turkey
Dates: 23 June—1 July 2023
Czech team: 3 youth workers (aged 23-40)
Please read the info-pack.
Hosting organisation: Birlikte Yasam Dernegi
Project report:
This project focused on the situation in each partner country, namely Turkey, Germany, Czechia, Estonia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Italy, Spain, Romania, and Turkey, regarding refugee inclusion and the government’s attitude towards it.
Turkey has recently experienced an influx of refugees, which is why it was interesting to have such a project there. We had trainers who themselves work with refugees in various fields.
This project aimed to teach us a lot about logistics. Although I have already been to more than three projects, this one was the hardest to manage logistically because it coincided with a holy holiday in Turkey, resulting in most transportation options being fully booked.
We had sessions involving role plays of refugees and border police. One session stood out where we watched the movie “The Swimmers” together and shared our feelings and thoughts about it.
During one of the sessions, we engaged in self-reflection, which was eye-opening in terms of how individuals describe and introduce themselves to others. We also learned about the contributions that migrants bring to the countries they move to.
We had sessions where we learned about Youthpasses and Erasmus+ and the opportunities they offer.
In one open space session, a participant suggested organizing a Human Library activity. Initially, I wasn’t enthusiastic about it since I had already participated in similar activities. However, this time, one of the “books” shared their experience of childhood trauma, and we could all relate to it. It helped us realize that sharing our problems and discussing them with others can be a solution, as we learn that we are not alone in our struggles and can find solidarity.
We also had the opportunity to enjoy many traditional dishes throughout the project. Since it coincided with holy holidays, we even got to try homemade food, which was amazing and extraordinary.
In the end, I must admit that we didn’t learn much about methodologies that would be useful for including refugees in society. Therefore, the project didn’t fully meet my expectations in that regard. Nonetheless, we still had a good time.
Mona Kebabová
