In January 2016 Inter Alia hosted a Youth Exchange involving 2 teams of 10 youngsters from Estonia and Greece in the framework of the “European Youth Citizen Position” KA2 project.
The activities of the Exchange were all based on non-formal learning and revolved around 2 central ideas: rights and responsibilities of citizenship and human rights education.
We visited the Greek Parliament where we had a lecture about the establishment of the modern Greek state and the developments it underwent in the course of the years. Through a non-formal activity we could encounter how each different period reflected on the citizens themselves, as well as we discussed which of the changes were evoked by citizens, and which by the political parties or external powers. In this way, participants could get acquainted with the actual effects that democratic participation could bring, while comparisons between the two political systems of Estonia and Greece were drawn constantly. Special attention was paid to the period of the Junta (Dictatorship) in Greece 1967-1974, when the notion of citizenship was bearing a different set of rights and obligations. Through different non-formal activities, as workshops, visit to the Parliament and to an exhibition, the citizenship rights (European and national) were analyzed from various aspects and awareness was raised among the participants about their importance.
UN Refugee Agency. In this way participants could get both theoretical and practical preparation on Human Rights education.
The Youth Exchange included 2 cultural evenings: 1 devoted to Estonia and 1 to Greece. In an informal way through food tasting, dancing and cooking all participants could exchange elements of their culture and compare habits that they have in common or different. These activities were open to all Inter Alia members and youngsters that Inter Alia cooperates with. In this way, the project could reach a wider audience, thus producing meaningful impact on participants and other youngsters.
Thank you for coming! See you soon Estonian friends!!!
boneva@interaliaproject.com
