Yes and No Voices
Start date: Aug 16, 2013,
This multilateral exchange will be held in Gozo, Malta, in the small village of San Lawrenz from the 1st of September 2013 till the 9th of September 2013 (nine days), it will bring together seven mixed-ability youth groups from different organizations representing different countries within Europe. The countries which will take part in this exchange are Malta, Cyprus, Spain, Italy, France, Germany and Sweden comprising a total of sixty three (63) participants (eight participants and one leader from each partner). The aim of this project is to get a multitude of youths to discuss, debate and reflect on topics of fundamental importance to the European Union, the project will be taking a back to basics approach analyzing some of the founding principles of the European Union.This project will attempt to tackle issues that may at times also seem controversial and where views may at times diverge considerably. When the youths from San Lawrenz came up with the idea to create this project, their reasoning was that at times people do not talk enough among themselves about issues of certain importance. This lack of communication is at times responsible for strong sentiments escalating towards non-constructive actions. We believe that merely discussing issues and clearly presenting one's own point of view might lead to a better understanding of those that think differently from yourself, even if you don't necessarily agree with them. This will be achieved by encouraging overall participation, inclusive activities that facilitate the sharing of opinions, discussions, debates, workshops, sharing of information, experience, music, dancing, culture and cuisine. These groups will interact mainly through organized activities focusing on specific objectives. These activities will culminate with the creation a work of art which will help to raise awareness, highlight and embody the conclusions reached within the topics and objectives mentioned below.Furthermore with 2013, being the European Year of Citizens, this project is about cultivating within the participating youths a feeling of duty and obligation towards being active citizens within a society and contributing to the decisions being taken by policy makers. The project idea is to provide youths with a space where they can actively debate about issues of importance to the general public. The project will help the participants to learn the importance of both having informed opinions about those subjects that affect us all and just as importantly the need to voice those opinions when the time arises. The activities will also help to give the youths a chance to discuss issues with a wide variety of culturally diverse youths who have different linguistic, social and national backgrounds. Most importantly, the main aim of this project is that of the youths learning how this variety of opinions is more of a strength and an opportunity than a hindrance or weakness. The topics that will be discussed throughout the exchange will include but not be limited to the following:Objective 1 - What living comfortably means to youths coming from different countriesObjective 2 - The relevance of fundamental human rights in developed countriesObjective 3 -The pursuit of peaceObjective 4 - European multiculturalismObjective 5 - Overseas development aid and the obligations of developed countries