Dates: 16 June – 24 June 2015
Place: Bologna, Italy

Youth exchange report

Imagine arriving at an urban 19th century cottage house at the outskirts of a graphical Italian city called Bologna and the first thing you are thinking of is that “here, I am about to create some unforgettable memories and experiences”. That was the first thing I thought of, because I knew that this cottage house was the place where the youth exchange I was participating, was about to take place.

It is worth mentioning here, that internet and in general technology, existed only at a basic- necessary level so the everyday workshops could be implemented. As a result during the exchange we experience an unusual feeling, the feeling of not knowing what day or time was or holding your mobile phone 24 hours per day!

As the main theme of the youth exchange was the sustainable living, I personally expanded my knowledge as regards sustainable development both on an environmentally and humans’ relations perspective. For instance, we did have some theoretical sessions but we also had the chance to visit some local good practices of sustainable living such as “Fablab” of “Social Street” initiatives that were born from the local community.

During my youth exchange, I definitely met people from all over Europe, and I have to say that I am still in contact with most of this people. However, we need to bear in mind that being thousands of miles away from home and living under the same roof with another 30 people from different countries and nationalities, is not always easy. Like everything in life, my experience had its ups but also its downs. As long as you are polite and respectful with each and every one of the group, outgoing and willing to try new things then you will be able to grow as a person and move away from your comfort zone, to gain maturity and independence.

Whether is a youth exchange or a training course, it gives you the opportunity to change some of the assumptions and preconceived ideas in our societies because people are more likely to accept the change from within their society rather than from the outside. That is why I strongly believe that an exchange experience is one of the most powerful ways to promote human beings and help end those centuries’ long conflicts that take our focus away from the real problems.

During this trip I got a lot of new experiences, fun, adventure and gain a lot of new friends but most importantly I understood that things that appear at the beginning to be boring or maybe not so interesting can turn to be the best source of education and knowledge. And indeed, alternative methods of education and more precisely non-formal education such as this, offered by Erasmus+, assist at developing strong communication skills, leadership, confidence and it creates efficient team players who are ready to take initiatives, values which are as important as formal education.

After my own participation, I definitely recommend this once in a lifetime experience, to every person who wish to challenge himself and is searching for adventure.

Olivia Georgiou
Member of «Citizens in Power» NGO