Youth Exchange KA105: Connecter
When: 23 to 30 of August 2021 (including travelling days)
Where: Copenhagen, Denmark
Who: young people, members of NGO ACPELIA
Applications will close at the end of June (30 of June)
5 young people (ages from 18 to 30) from our organization took place to the program. Travelling food and accommodation all are payed from the program (For an application you must be member of our organization, if you want to apply for membership you can go for the application to the link: https://www.acpelia.org/be-a-member).
Final Reports from Participants
Leader: Angelos Pachlivanis
Taking part in Connecter, hosted by the ‘People of 2050’ organization was an experience to be remembered. The main aim of the youth exchange was to get several Erasmus+ organization in touch and have an open discussion about climate change and sustainability. We had the opportunity to stay in a wonderful accommodation, that used to be a military base, at the centre of Copenhagen, Denmark. The city itself, was inspiring to say the least. We had the opportunity to explore different landmarks and experience different parts of it through activities such as treasure hunting, where we had to take photos and videos at iconic locations in the city and canoeing along its many channels. What struck me the most was how this city was built for the people living in it and their bikes, rather than cars as more cities tend to be oriented for. It was truly inspiring to see how a city could function so well, be so inviting, so technologically advanced and culturally inclusive while also focusing on green energy and sustainability.
The hosting organization did a great job to ensure people got to know each other and opened conversations on how Erasmus+ projects function, are organized and all the requirements and work needed until they take place. We got the chance to talk to people from different ethnic and social backgrounds, exchange ideas on what sustainability means for us and how important it is. One of the activities that we did, that included everything we have learned during our talks and activities, was getting to create our own youth exchange, and how we could make it as sustainable and ‘green’ as possible. Another highlight of our visit was going to Christiania. This is an area in the middle of the city that seems to function completely independently from the rest. It was a more liberal and free part, with almost no police or any authorities being involved, and houses build in the middle of the forest. This part was mainly run by the people living there. When we first visited it, we thought it seemed like a happier, freer place than the rest of the city. However, once we got to interview some of the locals living there, we quickly realised that a lot of the people around the area were troubled and had a lot of daily challenges to face. It was a real eye-opener for me and made me realise how important it is to never judge a book by its cover. I left the place with new friends, new experiences, and new ideas, something I will never forget!
Ioannis Glykis, Participant
How can you get to know better unknown people in a foreign city?
Just walk in the city and talk about your life and issues affecting young people.
Τhis was the first day, where we did not know each other, but many of us had many things in common, and somehow a new experience begun for all of us.
In this way we started various workshops, different discussions on many issues that should be of concern to every person from any country.
Before each session, the energizers and ice-breaking games were necessary and helpful for all of the participants, so we started each day with an interest in what was to come.
In our program we had several tasks, so we could explore the city, see different areas, especially the Freetown Christiania, where they live a different way of life.
Another interesting activity was kayaking. In this activity we got to know the city better through the canals, also in this special tour, we had the opportunity with special equipment to collect garbage from canals.
That's how the days pass, that's how we got to know each other better,
another task we had as teams, was to talk to people in the city, and chat about various topics. For example, if they knew our country and what they knew about it. The most interesting was to talk about the European Union and what it offered them.
Then we had to go to Amager Bakke, also known as Amager Slope or Copenhill, is a combined heat and power plant from waste to energy, and because of its height a ski slope was built. In this way we understood that nothing is impossible, and that many innovative ideas are possible.
That's just a few of the things we did.
Α week full of meetings, fun, different cultures, discussions, teamwork and much more, comes to an end.
All those days we had to stay in the same room with people we didn't know before. This was something special and we realized it on the last day we were leaving. The most important thing was that we made new friends.
This special experience ends with a lot of memories and a lot of new knowledge about the sustainability.
In the Europe 2020 perspective, cooperation and co-creation are pillars of sustainable development, and bringing youth together to develop partnerships and joint projects is also a priority for the next generation of smart, sustainable, and inclusive youth. The EU Youth Strategy itself is focused on three core areas of action, around the three words: Engage Connect Empower.
The main aim of CONNECTer is to create space for youth interested in working in the Erasmus field, to know each other, and make partnerships for potential future Erasmus+ Mobility projects with a focus on local community / or its active engagement in green projects and climate action
If you want to be a candidate of our program please complete the application for and don't forget to complete the membership form if you are not a member of our organisation. Link for completing the application of interest: https://forms.gle/B6ECPjdGE4C2mCLN6