What does solidarity mean to young people today? And how does a European value become a concrete shared practice? Active young people from Poland, Germany and Hungary have been exploring these questions. The ‘Solidarity for Europe’ youth encounter marks the start of their new three-year project partnership within the network of Generation Europe – The Academy. They met in Gdańsk, a city where the concept of solidarity plays a very special role in its history.
“Solidarność” – that is the name of the Polish trade union movement that, with its strikes and protests, played a key role in bringing democratic change to Poland almost 40 years ago. The exhibition at the European Solidarity Centre in Gdańsk illustrates what is possible when people come together and take courageous action as a group: sometimes this can even bring down an authoritarian regime that had previously ruled the country for decades.
The international group’s exploration of the topic began directly with their own experiences. Before visiting the exhibition, they had already gathered various meanings of the term in a workshop and discussed what acting in solidarity can look like in everyday life.
Base camp: Safe Space
However, solidarity must first be built on a small scale. That is why the ten-day youth encounter began with a focus on team-building and getting to know one another, as well as language activities and a city treasure hunt through Gdańsk. During a visit to the picturesque village of Chmielno in the heart of the Kashubian Lake District, the participants learnt about Kashubian culture, baked traditional bread and then spent time together around a campfire. Starting off in a relaxed and accessible way is essential for creating the conditions needed to talk openly about major issues in society.
For ten days, the participants lived, learnt and worked together at the Dom Pojednania i Spotkań in Gdańsk (Poland). The two partner groups that travelled to the event are from the Subjective Values Foundation in Budapest (Hungary) and Jugendakademie Walberberg e.V., in cooperation with the HiP Youth Centre in Bonn (Germany).
Recognising Personal Boundaries, Overcoming those in Society
But they quickly got down to the heart of the matter: in a workshop calle ‘Our Societies’, for example, they compared their lived experiences in the three countries, discussed cultural differences and looked for common ground. The importance of a trusting environment was also evident during sessions on mental health and wellbeing. The key insight was that anyone wishing to take on social responsibility needs spaces where there is also room for their own needs, stresses and limits. The young activists learnt about methods of self-care, and it became clear that personal commitment and mindfulness do not exclude one another. On the contrary: taking one’s own needs into account is a basic requirement for engaging in democratic action.
Open Spaces for Self-Organisation
Participatory youth work means co-organising and shaping things yourself. In Open Space Sessions, there was room for participants to put forward their own ideas. Here, they developed workshops themselves and were responsible for running them. The other participants decided which sessions they wanted to take part in.
The three groups also brought ideas for local activities to the youth encounter, which they intend to implement in their local communities over the next three years. After first updating each other on their current progress, they used their time together to plan their projects in more detail and advise one another on the next steps. These ideas, born out of international cooperation, are now being incorporated into the self-organised youth projects back home. The participants will remain in contact with one another throughout the three-year project period; next year, they are due to meet again during a counter visit to Hungary.
Many thanks to Daniil and Bori for compiling photos and for their reports on the youth encounter!
