Melina, Konstantina, Markos, Giorgos and Alexandros were the young people who traveled to Allerod in Dermark, in order to take part and represent our organization in the Youth Exchange project titled ”It’s about Us!”. The project took place from the 17th until the 26th of July and was organized by the Danish NGO ”WAYS” , in the framework of Erasmus+, under the aegis of the European Commission.
For all young people who participated it was a unique opportunity and below you can read their thoughts and experiences!
9 days. 7 different countries. 35 participants. One small cabin in the quaint and quiet Allerød in Denmark. And countless memories about to made!
When we applied for this project, we thought it was going to be about religion. And, in a way, that was true. The project aimed to tackle various topics regarding religion, such as religious discrimination, stereotypes, customs and traditions. But, as it turns out, it was in fact much, much more than that. Throughout the days we spent together, and through various activities, we had the valuable opportunity for self-reflection, as well as to get to know each other on a deeper level.
In the close grounds of the cabin and the surrounding nature, we all shared intense emotions, we laughed, we cried, we became vulnerable and created lasting bonds with each other. During the days, we created our own religions, we went on treasure hunts, we played various roles, we learned how to manage conflicts, we learned about and shared love, we supported each other through both the easy and the tough moments. And during the nights, we had the chance to dive deeper into each other’s cultures, we attended a Croatian wedding, a Spanish New Year’s Eve and a Cyprus-hosted Eurovision contest; we enjoyed Turkish delicacies; we played Danish games; we witnessed multiple Polish traditions and we danced traditional Greek dances. But the moments that will stay forever in our minds and hearts are the ones where we shared laughter and jokes, engaged in deep conversations and debate, or stargazed while laying in a field of flowers.
We went into this project with varying degrees of experience. For some of us, it was our 4th or 5th project. For others, it was the first introduction to Erasmus+ youth exchanges. What is for sure, though, is that this experience will be remembered by all of us fondly for months to come. During these 9 days, not only did we gain knowledge and tools that facilitate dialogue among different cultures and religions, but we also got closer to understanding both other cultures, the people representing them and, most importantly, ourselves.
Below you can also find a link for the humorist video that was created by the participants during this project!