Programme & action: ERASMUS+, Key Action 1: Partnership Building Activity
Venue: Arrouquelas, Rio Major
Dates: 1-9 March 2020
Participants: 2
Host organisation: H2O – Associação de Jovens de Arrouquelas
Please read the info-pack.
Project report:
Partnership Building Activity called “Tell me Why” took place in Rio Maior, small city close to the Portuguese capital, Lisbon. The main theme of the project focused on migration and refugees in current Europe. Majority of the programme took place in the local municipality library. We also visited village Arrouquelas, where is the headquarters of H2O organisation placed. The main organisator of the activity was local non-governmental organisation called H2O. The organisational is very popular in the Rio Maior area and many local young people participate and co-organise programmes and activities of the NGO.
In order to start the productive talk on the main subject – migration and integration of refugees – firstly it was necessary to settle the trustful communication among the group members. To achieve this, the first day mainly was dedicated to getting to know each other more and consisted of many ice breaking and team-building activities.
Our seminar was also joined by the ambassador of the Czech Republic in Portugal, Mr. Petr Šelepa alongside with Fernando Costa – the chief of youth department in Rio Maior – and Miguel Santos – the deputy of the youth department. Fernando and Miguel said that it’s an important event for Rio Maior and they wish, that “every participant will become an ambassador of Portugal and Rio Maior in their own communities”. Answering participants questions, Petr Šelepa talked about his experience living and assimilating himself in other country, how #erasmusplus helped him to discover Portugal, while he was a student in the beginning of this century, and how the situation with migrants and refugees is seen in the modern world, what are the conditions for integration in Czech Republic.
Overall aim of the project was to foster knowledge and experience with migration of our local communities and organisations and possibly find partners to organise more youth projects connected to similar topics. The programme enabled us to make new networks with wide spectrum of youth workers all over the Europe. We are looking forward to cooperate again in future.
report by: Lucie Bohdalová, participant and Artem Otroshhko member of the H2O European Solidarity Corps
