Project: GEAgora

After 1300km of driving, we arrived in Lecce, Italy. Our friends Bastian and Maria Luisa warmly welcomed us, satisfying our basic needs with delicious Italian dinner in the local restaurant. Debate about our lives followed spontaneously. Soon we fell asleep – tired of long drive, but excited about the week ahead of us.

In the morning, it began. Training for 20 youth workers from Italy, France and Slovenia.  The focus of the week we spent together was on providing the understanding of non-formal education, adding the global dimension and actually tested the joint approach on the one of the main squares in Lecce with the people we met there.

It brought a lot of new knowledge and skills to all of us. We exchange different methods and different approaches to our work. We definitely expand our horizons! Especially I liked the strong feeling of acceptance and support, which was present all the time. We were all devoted to the same purpose: how to combine our work in a new, useful approach, which will serve us and our organisation in making this world a better place. Place where we are connected, included and where we actually take care of each other.

We succeed. All of us are already planning and implementing different street actions with global dimension in our local environments. We are also planning future projects together, one will happen already in November.

It is nice to meet people who has similar beliefs, it is enjoyable to talk and plan together and it is inspiring to actually address chosen topics together and see the impact!

Special features I would like to mention:

#1: During the training Slovenia won gold medal in basketball. That brought additional dimension and energy to our work. It felt awesome!

#2: Our France friends have a lovely sense of humour. It just brought some unforgettable memories.

#3: We have lovely accommodation – hostel, located 50m from the sea, still warm enough to swim in.

Thanks!

Aljaž Zupan