The Summer 2019: A look back

What an exciting year! As part of Generation Europe, ten international gatherings of committed young people from 15 European countries took place in summer 2019 – in Denmark, Germany, Finland, Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Lithuania. Now the days are getting shorter, and it is time to look back to the many projects and social interventions. We thank all active people – and keep up the good work!

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1. RE-FLECT – Human Rights and Democracy

Youth encounter 13.08.-24.08.19 in Evora (Portugal)

Project partners:

Jugendamt der Stadt Bochum (Bochum/Germny)
GARE (Évora/ Portugal)
META Cooperativa Sociale (Rome/Italy)

Évora’s Youth Encounter wanted to approach to the Generation Europe topic “Active European Citizenship”, and more specific: Human Rights, Refugees, Migration. To work on those topics the youngsters were invited to develop several workshops using video, photography, music and graffiti, so they could express themselves trough art. We wanted to involve all participants in several tasks of the process of creating something, for example a song, a video, an exhibition or a graffiti. The group was very friendly and close to each other. They started discussing their local realities around the given topics. The whole programme and schedule of the youth encounter was planned by the youngsters themselves, and only guided by team leaders.

Reports and articles:

Generation Europe junta dezenas de jovens em Évora para 2º encontro do projecto (radiocampanario.com)
Clima, identidade de género e política discutidos por jovens europeus em Évora (DianaFM 94.1)

Social Media

Generation Europe Partnership 1 on Instagram

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2. Give me a Second Chance

Youth encounter 17.07.-28.07.19 in Dziuginenai and Telsiai (Lithuania)

Project partners:

EUROPABÜRO im Kreisjugendamt Steinfurt (Steinfurt/Germany)
Youth Centre Telsiai (Telsiai/Lithuania)
Asociación Opendoors (Quart de Poblet/Spain)

The young people have chosen the topic of their meeting themselves: The pollution of the oceans by plastic and the devastating effects on animals and humans. To this end, they have set up offers for the population of Telšiai: In front of various supermarkets, the activists invited the people try shopping without plastic. To do this, they sewed fabric bags and small sacks of old curtains, which were to be used specifically to buy products to be weighed. They also presented glass jars for the transport of other foodstuffs. During the Youth Exchange, the activists also planted 24 trees to make the city greener. The young people documented their experiences on film and showed them at the final event in the central amphitheatre. The closing event was rounded off by discussions between the audience and the young activists as well as the screening of a documentary film about worldwide plastic waste.

Reports and articles:

Tarptautinio projekto metu — pamokantys išgyvenimai (kalvotoji.lt)
Suteik daiktui „Antrą šansą“ (regionunaujienos.lt)
Iššūkis telšiškiams: suteik daiktui „antrą šansą“ (kalvotoji.lt)

Social Media:

Generation Europe Telšiai on Facebook
Generation Europe Telšiai on Youtube

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3. Youth Voices heard

Youth encounter 14.07.-25.07.19 in Hattingen and Unna (Germany)

Project partners:

Werkstatt im Kreis Unna (Unna/Germany)
Risorsa Europa (Pontinia/Italy)
Nash Sled (Minsk/Belarus)

While the EU heads of government were still arguing about Europe’s future, young people from Unna, from Belarus and Italy were active across borders: How do I get an apartment, how do I pay rent, where do I shop, how do I finance an independent life? Because such real-life questions are often neglected in school lessons, the active participants developed and organised their own educational offers during the youth exchange in Hattingen – as a pilot project on how self-organised transnational learning can work.

Reports and articles:

Werkstatt-Berufskolleg empfängt europäische Gäste in Unna (Hellweger Anzeiger)
Werkstatt-Kolleg organisiert Jugendcamp „Generation Europe“ (Rundblick Unna)
Neues Projekt für Jugendliche widmet sich lebensnahen Fragen (Lokalkompass Unna)

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4. Generation Europe @ Romania

Youth encounter 14.08.-25.08.19 in Sovata (Romania)

Project partners:

Kinder- und Jugendtreff ParkHaus (Oberhausen/Germany)
MTÜ Noored Toredate Mötetega (Tartu/Estonia)
Outward Bound Romania (Tigru Mures/Romania)

The focus of the youth exchange in Sovata was on cultural and intercultural activities, but workshops on how to improve local conditions by lobbying for social and ecological concerns also took place. The young people further planned a two-day expedition to take responsibility in their own hands. Furthermore, the meeting offered time and space to analyse the local projects and action plans planned within the framework of Generation Europe and to further develop them in mutual exchange. The results were then presented by the active participants during an event.

Social Media:

Generation Europe Partnerschaft 4 on Facebook
Generation Europe Partnerschaft 4 on Instagram

Reports and articles:

Generation Europe – ein Projekt im rumänischen Sovata (mp3, funkforum.net – from 19min30sec)
Aproape 30 de tineri din România și Estonia, vor colabora în județul Mureș (radiomures.ro)
A pályaválasztástól a zenei fesztiválon át az egymás kultúrájának megismeréséig (szekelyhon.ro)
Nemzetközi ifjúsági program (e-nepujsag.ro)
Schimb de tineret în cadrul programului de leadership la Centrul Outward Bound Romania din Sovata! (zi-de-zi.ro)

Social Media:

Generation Europe Partnerschaft 4 on Instagram

 

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5. Northern Exposure

Youth encounter 05.06.-16.06.19 in Oulu (Finland)

 

Project partners:

SJD – Die Falken Hagen (Hagen/Germany)
Oulun Nuoret Kotkat (Oulu/Finland)
Be international (Brno-Řečkovice/Czech Republic)

During their gathering, the active participants dealt with issues of marginalisation, accessibility and gentrification. The focus was on the question of how these problems could be tackled with local activities. In order to discuss this, the international group met with local activists, politicians and administrative representatives. As the discussion continued, the young people developed their own ideas on how to implement an effective local campaign.

Social Media:

Generation Europe Partnerschaft 5 on Facebook
Generation Europe Partnerschaft 5 on Instagram

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6. Make Use

Youth encounter 21.06-02.07.19 in Larissa (Greece)

Project partners:

ROOTS & ROUTES Cologne e.V. (Cologne/Germany)
SMouTH (Larissa/Greence)
Centro di creazione e cultura (Florence/Italy)

“Make use” was the continuation of the “No Waste” Encounter in Florence, that took place in Noveber/December 2018 within the Framework of Generation Europe. As part of a generation privileged with education, technology, information, and travel opportunities but on the other hand less socially active, the participating youths decided to get their lives in their own hands and make use of everything that can bring us together in order to create a better life for everyone. They organized workshops in Creative Writing, Dance, Theatre, Music and Cultural Concept Development. Seven artistic products (theatre, dance theatre, video art, installations, performances) have developed during the encounter with the active participation of all the participants. The seven developed products were presented via online streaming to the Nostos festival, and through the project “Seven to the Seventh” to audiences in eight cities around the world: Beirut (Lebanon), Pullheim (Germany), Lausanne (Switzerland), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Chennai (India), Tokyo (Japan), Miami (USA), and San Francisco (USA). On a local presentation in Larissa, 120 people attended.

 

Photos by Giannis Chatziantoniou, Alexandros Chartonas, Dimitris Vallas:

 

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7. Young Democracy in Action 2019

Youth encounter 05.08.-16.08.19 in Oeiras (Portugal)

Project partners:

EJB Weimar (Weimar/Germany)
Youth Coop (Lisbon/Portugal)
EUphoria (Athens/Greece)

Social Media:

Generation Europe Vonitsa-Ανακύκλωση on Facebook
Generation Europe Vonitsa on Instagram
Generation Europe Weimar on Instagram

 

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8. Sustainacamp

Youth encountr 07.06.-19.06.19 in Herslev (Denmark)

Project partners:

Alte Schule e.V. (Buchholz/Germany)
Base 4000 (Roskilde/Denmark)
Deutsche-Ukrainische Gemeinschaft der Jugendarbeit e.V. (Kiev/Ukraine)

The Youth Exchange in Denmark focused on renewable energy and waste prevention. Among other things, the active participants dealt with the problems of CO2 emissions, plastics and energy consumption. The participants focused on the role we play on this planet and the consequences of our way of life. In addition to theoretical discussions, there was practical action as well: the young people set up solar power and wind generators to produce the energy used during the Youth Exchange themselves. In addition, they developed their own waste separation system and evaluated how much waste 30 young people produce in two weeks and how it can be recycled.

Social Media

Generation Europe Partnerschaft 8 on Facebook

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9. Generation Europe in Italy

Youth encounter 30.06.-11.07.19 in Itri (Italy)

Project partners:

SJD – Die Falken Brandenburg (Luckenwalde/Germany)
Szubjektiv (Budapest/Hungary)
Esplora (Itri/Italy)

This year the international group focused on the result of their local activities in the previous months. During the youth encounter, they organized workshops, for example about the European Union and their functions, or on the development of a law proposal. The group also visited Ventotene Island, where the “Manifesto of Ventotene for a Free and United Europe” was born in 1941 . After an interesting presentation about those who created  the Manifesto, the participants enjoyed the natural resources of the island. The main point of the encounter was the social commitment. The group presented proposals to stake holders, focusing on the issues highlighted during their activities in their own countries. The group also hat meetings with the Mayor of Itri and other administration representatives. On this occasions the Italian group made clear that there is great demand for a youth center in the city.

Social Media:

Generation Europe Partnerschaft 9 on Facebook
Generation Europe Partnerschaft 9 on Instagram

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10. We Are the Future

Youth encounter 24.07.-04.08.2019 in Mragowo (Poland)

Project partners:

Landeshauptstadt München – Pädagogisches Institut (Munich/Germany)
Irenia, Peace Games (Barcelona/Spain)
Fundacja Borussia (Olsztyn/Poland)

During the Youth Exchange, the active participants were looking for ways to work together with other actors to address both local and supra-regional problems, so they could become part of the solution. They developed their own means of expression in order to present their opinions to the public – by artistic and other means. Together, the group prepared a performance, which was presented in the town square of the small town of Mragowo. The Masurian summer capital thus became the setting for a unique theatrical performance. Not far from the EU’s external borders, the young Europe had its say – committed, diverse and active.

 

Reports and articles:

Generation Europe (stadtschreiber-allenstein.de)
Liderzy projektu „Generation Europe” w Mrągowie (mragowo24.info)
„GENERATION EUROPE” W MRĄGOWIE (mragowo.pl)