ERASMUS+, Key Action 1: training course
Venue: Dilijan, Armenia
Dates: 29 March—6 April 2023
Czech team: Viktorie Blahová Ondřej Sojka
Please read the info-pack.
Hosting organisation: Armenian Progressive Youth NGO (APY)
Project report:
OP in Armenian wilderness
Gender crusade with Euro bros & babes
Escape country squads, forge global alliances
Morgaine & Nelly unleash knowledge bombs
Normies level up on gender IQ
DIY activism, Git Gud personal growth
Main loot: Euro unity, culture XP, nationality pride
The project took place in the heart of Dilijan National Park in Armenia, about a 3-hour drive from the capital Yerevan. We stayed in a beautiful hotel nestled in the mountains next to an ancient monastery, surrounded by nothing but forests, waterfalls and tranquility.
The topic of the project was gender equality, with participants from quite a few countries: Czechia, Slovakia, Spain, Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, Albania and many Balkan countries. There were only 2-3 people representing each country, which helped avoid creating country cliques and motivated us to connect with fellow participants from other nations. We had two trainers, the eccentric Morgaine from Spain and Nelly from Armenia.
The first few days were dedicated to getting to know each other and establishing a common baseline of knowledge about the topic. The participants ranged from gender activists to individuals confusing gender and sexual orientation. Later, we delved deeper, sharing the realities of gender equality in our own countries or reflecting on our own internalized misogyny and misandry.
The part of the program that helped me grow personally the most was facilitating our own activities. In small groups, we came up with our own activities to raise awareness and teach something relevant to the topic to the other participants. The facilitators provided us with many amazing insights into their craft, and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to learn from them. Each of these blocks was followed by a reflection, which helped all of us evolve.
To be honest, I didn’t expect to learn much new information (and honestly, I didn’t). For me, the main benefits of Erasmus projects are primarily getting to know people from different cultural backgrounds, cultivating a sense of common European identity and learning to appreciate my own nationality.
Viktorie Blahová
