Networking and communication on many different levels were the main topics of the youth encounter in Nordhausen, Germany. Not only did Thuringian Youth Minister Helmut Holter and MDR television visit the young people from Poland, Spain and Germany on the first day. The active participants also became media producers themselves: In cooperation with Radio ENNO, they reported on their experiences for nine days. The short bilingual radio broadcasts were aired daily by the north Thuringian radio station on FM, cable and the internet. You can listen to all the reports here:
Wednesday: A morning full of interesting presentations, namely on the local activities of the three groups, on the upcoming tasks for the production of our daily radio broadcast and on possible leisure activities. Laser tag excursion in the afternoon, the first radio report in the evening – and then party.
Thursday: To start the day, we draw portraits on envelopes that are to be filled with compliments in the course of the meeting. A communication workshop enhances our insights into possible misunderstandings. We realise the power that comes from liberating ourselves from stereotypes by getting to know each other. In the afternoon, the Polish group cooks pierogi with us.
Friday: Excursion to Erfurt. A visit to the state parliament in the morning, and free time in the afternoon, combined with a search for statues of the Erfurt-based TV station Kika in the city.
Saturday: In the morning, Josy from the Pupils’ Research Centre got us in the mood for our trip to the Harz mountains tomorrow with various experiments on climate change. In a second workshop, we worked on the values that seem important to us for a fair, inclusive and safe environment for all people. From this we derived our individual values, which we will visualise on Monday at the creative workshop at the youth art school.
Sunday: Excursion to the Harz mountains with a hike from Elend to Schierke, raising awareness of forest dieback, summer sledge run, steam train ride. In the evening, painting of “Harz stones”, a common Canarian dance, Tatiana explains to us the traditional Canarian whistling technique.
Monday: Creative workshop at the Youth Art School on the topic of values. Great results! Relaxing! In the afternoon, preparation for the visit to the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp memorial the following day, barbecue in the evening and then movie night.
Tuesday: Visit to the Mittelbau-Dora memorial. Very emotional. Conclusion with meditation and a small breathing workshop. In the afternoon swimming and free time.
Wednesday: Peer-to-peer workshops: A city of the future made of clay, friendship bracelets, freedom-themed collages. And our daily broadcast!
Thursday: Farewell party. We look forward with confidence to next year, when we will meet again in Tenerife.
We say congratulations and thank you to all participants for the great coverage and for sharing your experiences with us!
More Reports on the Youth Encounter:
- Thüringens Jugend- und Bildungsminister Helmut Holter besucht Nordhausen, Thüringer Allgemeine, 26.07.23 (German, €)
- Wymiana w ramach europejskiego partnerstwa Generation Europe, krzyzowa.org.pl, 07.08.23 (Polish)
- Trilaterale Jugendbegegnung in der Rothleimmühle, nnz.de 08.08.23 (German)
- Internationale Jugendbegegnung Nordhausen-Spanien-Polen, thueringen.de 08.08.23 (German)
- More photos and day by day reports on the Facebook page of Jugendsozialwerk Nordhausen, for example here, here, here and here. (German)