What happens when young people from Germany, Hungary and Poland meet in Gdańsk, a city with a rich and diverse history, to learn about sustainable development, human rights and climate activism? A lot of fun, creativity and inspiration!
That’s what the participants of the second youth encounter of the partnership 6 of Generation Europe – The Academy are experiencing from July 13th to July 23rd 2023. The gathering brought together young people from Jugendakademie Walberberg (Bornheim, Germany), Szubjektív (Budapest, Hungary), and Maximilian-Kolbe-Haus DMK (Gdańsk, Poland). Together, they are working to foster intercultural dialogue, mutual understanding and solidarity, as well as to raise awareness and engagement on global issues such as sustainable development, human rights and climate change.
The participants had a chance to get to know each other through various games and activities, such as a city rally through the Old Town of Gdańsk. They also discussed their expectations, fears and needs regarding the encounter, and shared their personal stories and experiences.
One of the main topics of the exchange was sustainable development. The participants learned about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and created posters about the topics that they were most interested in, such as equality, education, peace and justice. They also had a workshop about climate change, where they learned about the causes and effects of global warming, and set goals for the next 30 days on how they can act in a climate-friendly way. The participants also had an opportunity to meet a climate strike activist from Poland, who gave them a workshop. They learned about different forms of activism, and designed their own superhero-activists with special powers and missions.
Another important topic that was addressed was human rights. The participants had an exhibition of the Declaration of Human Rights, where they reflected on what each article means and how it affects their everyday life. They also watched Generation Ukraine, a documentary film about the liefes, hopes and fears of young people in Ukraine in times of war. The documentary was produced within the framework of Generation Europe – The Academy, in order to raise awareness and to create an opportunity to talk about the topic with young people all over Europe. They expressed their feelings and thoughts about the film through drawings and comments, and had a guided discussion in small groups.
One of the highlights of the youth encounter was a trip to Kashuby, a cultural region of Pomeranian Voivodeship with a lot of lakes and beautiful hills. The participants took part in a baking workshop and baked traditional Kaszubian buns. They also enjoyed a ride through Chmielno with a leddercar. The rest of the day was used to relax and do the mid-term reflection by the participants. For more impressions follow parntership 6 on Instagram.
Many thanks for the reports and photos to Hania, Silvio and Tamara!
More Reports on the Youth Encounter:
- Solidarität in Krisenzeiten – Europäische Jugendzusammenarbeit stärken und fördern! jugendhilfeportal.de, 26.07.23 (German)
- Od różnorodności do solidarności: Spotkanie Młodzieży w Gdańsku, dmk.pl 31.07.23 (Polish)