Visegrad Fund: Capacity Building mobility on the topics of leadership development, civic engagement, and entrepreneurship
Dates: 21 September—1 October 2025
Venue: Fonyód, Hungary (21—26 September) and Kunovská priehrada (Senica), Slovakia (26 September—1 October)
Czech team:: 2 participants — youth workers
Please read the info-pack.
Hosting organisation: Institute for Cultural Relations Policy
Participating countries: Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Mali, Cabo Verde and Ghana
Project description:
The project is co-financed by the governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from the International Visegrad Fund. The mission of the fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.
From 21 September to 1 October 2024, I had the opportunity to take part in the UnityFusion project together with participants from the Visegrad countries- Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland and partners from Mali, Cabo Verde and Ghana. The project was designed to narrow bridges between such countries and to foster dialogue. From the very beginning, the project stood out for its diverse group, open atmosphere and strong focus on collaboration rather than division. The project was split into 2 interconnected parts, one theoretical and one practical.
The first part of the program took place in Fonyód, Hungary, near the beautiful landscape of Lake Balaton, during the Case-Based Learning Summit. This phase focused mainly on the theoretical aspects of project work, including leadership, funding opportunities and problem-solving approaches. At the same time, it created space for getting to know each other, sharing experiences and learning about the different social and cultural contexts we come from. Cultural activities and informal discussions played a key role in building trust and a sense of team spirit among participants. Despite the intensity of the theoretical program, the organisers ensured a balanced schedule by incorporating energisers, rest time and access to nature, including a boat trip to a nearby town on Lake Balaton.
After travelling together to Slovakia, the project continued in Senica with the International Networking Conference, which marked a shift towards practice. Working in international teams, we focused on designing our own project initiatives with potential local impact. The sessions were interactive, dynamic and strongly based on group work, peer feedback and case-based learning. We were split into smaller groups that met daily to develop their project ideas, reflect on local challenges, plan realistic budgets and design feasible schedules covering all necessary activities. Furthermore, the location near the Kunovská reservoir also contributed to a calm and inspiring working environment, allowing us to combine intensive discussions with moments of reflection in nature
To sum it up, UnityFusion was a meaningful and enriching experience that showed how powerful international cooperation can be when it is built on openness, respect and mutual learning. Although I already had a solid theoretical understanding of global regions from a geographical perspective, meeting, working and living with people from different countries proved far more impactful. I am grateful to everyone who contributed to making this project possible and to the inspiring people who turned these ten days into an unforgettable memory!
Ema
The project is co-financed by the governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from the International Visegrad Fund. The mission of the fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in central Europe.
