What does ‘home’ mean? Is it a physical place, a community, a family or a feeling? Three local groups from the Generation Europe – The Academy network are currently addressing these profound questions in their project ‘beLONGing home’. In this extraordinary collaboration, young people from Ukraine and Munich (Germany) are exploring together what it means to feel a sense of belonging – across geographical and biographical boundaries.
Three Groups, One Topic
What makes this project special is that it brings together three groups with very different living realities. First, there is a group of young Ukrainians who had to flee to Munich because of the war, losing their physical homes. A second group consists of young people that are still living in various regions of Ukraine, where the concept of ‘home’ must be defended anew every day. Both groups, one in Germany and one in Ukraine, are active in the Generation Europe – The Academy network. They are supported by our Ukrainian project partner DUGA, the German-Ukrainian Community of Youth Work. These two perspectives are complemented by a third local group from the Generation Europe network, organised by the Pädagogisches Institut München (Munich Pedagogical Institute). Here, young people from Munich contribute their experiences and their own international family histories to the project.
In online meetings and face-to-face encounters, the young people from the three groups exchange ideas, reflect and discuss. They ask themselves: Can we influence our sense of belonging ourselves? Or is it intrinsically linked to a place or to certain people?
A Collective Work in the Making
The answers and thoughts do not remain abstract. The participants work on visualising their reflections artistically. Paintings, small installations and even short performances are created. These creative puzzle pieces will be put together at the beginning of October, when all three groups come together for a joint workshop in Munich. The goal: to create a collective work from the individual experiences and shared insights.
This collaboration is also a strong sign of the power of the Generation Europe – The Academy network: it shows how new, meaningful partnerships can grow beyond existing ones in order to respond to current challenges in society. Since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression, the DUGA organisation has been doing remarkable work at two locations simultaneously, as we reported in an earlier article.
The Grand Finale
The grand finale of the project will be a public event on 6 October 2025 in Munich. The results of the joint creative process will be presented in an exhibition. The event is intended not only to showcase the artworks, but also to open up a space for dialogue with visitors. The young participants hope that their insights will not only deepen their own understanding, but also offer others insights and comfort on their own journey home. You are warmely invited:
beLONGing home
Project Presentation and Interactive Exhibition
on Monday, 6 October 2025, 6:30 p.m.
at the Pädagogisches Institut München
Room U1, Herrnstraße 19
80539 Munich
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“We believe that the experiences, ideas, and reflections we share can inspire others, especially young people, to carry the question `What is home?´ with them, and perhaps come a step closer to answering: How can I create a home for myself and others, wherever I am?”
Viktoriia Chetverikova, DUGA