Break Our Limits through Intercultural Youth Action
Break Our Limits through Intercultural Youth Action , 23-28 October 2007
Early in the morning I finally arrived in Baku, Azerbaijan. This was an unexpectedly long trip because I missed my flight and had to hang out in Moscow airport for 11 hours.The first impression of the conference I received was its “intercultural excitement” of everyone who came to contribute into the conference. The conference was organized by UNITED for Intercultural Action, European network agains nationalism, racism, fascism and in support of migrants and refugees.UNITED is an open network with current more than 560 supporters from 46 European counries. The conference was held on the shore of The Caspian See. The limited hot water and cold hotel room was compensated with the amazing view out of the window on blue waters of Caucas. 85 participants from 35 countries gathered together to cooperate and bring ideas on all kinds of discrimination. I was trying to talk to as many people as possible. Most of the organizations that were presented there are dealing with discriminations issues and not many of them do the work with youth. One World Youth Project was very unique among all these organizations. The only way to an effective partnership I saw was information distribution on OWYP in Europe. Since the ties with Russia were built through other sources I had known, I decided to focus on West and East Europe. Some organizations agreed to distribute information on OWYP when we start recruiting. The Finish Youth Cooperation Allianssi seemed like a great opportunity for some of our NGO partners to write a project and get funding up to 15 000$ (http://www.taksvarkki.fi/ ). I got this idea that it would be nice if even OWYP got some funding from them, but only developing countries can apply for it! It also seemed possible to spread information about OWYP through European Youth Forum that has a network with all youth European organizations.I need to do some follow up to get in touch with them.
Moreover, OWYP became a part of UNITED network that means we paid 20$ to have an access to information, support, contacts, calendar and etc. Our organization will be included in a conact list of the magazine that they publish every year plus we will have a 50% reduction of UNITED conference fee. During the "organization market" where OWYP was presented in a very professional way I have talk to some representatives from UNITED and they said that it will be possibe to distribute info out OWYP recruiting but before we need to send them an example letter so they could approve it. In one word I can say that it will be possibe to spread info about our project around Europe! It is already spreading in Russia thru English Teachers Association. I will be starting the same kind of process in Kyrgyzstan soon. Moreover I got this nice list of all participated organizations and they will be glad to distribute info about OWYP recruting among other partners. Hopefully, next year we will be having more schools from Europe! There are some links that may be useful for all of us: www.unaoc.org, www.fund-culturadepaz.org, ww.wpfdc.com,www.asef.org,www.wcrp.org, www.youthlink.org. I have also met one lady from The International Museum of Children's Art from Norvey www.barnekunst.no.or www.childrenart.com. Every year they organize art competition and collect works from all over the world. It can be a nice opportunity for our sister-groups.
I have been working in the group on Conflict Resolution through cultural exchagne. It was a great experience. I thing that OWYP need to pair some schools from conflict countires. Azerbaijan was in war for four years with Armenia, a neighbouring country. Since 1996 none from Armenia or with Armenian background can enter Azebaijan. There are so many counflicts like this all over the world!
Many people were very interested in OWYP but one thing surprised me. On the conference I met a teacher from Neatherlands. He was very interested in our project but at the end he said “European schools don’t need such kind of programs because most of the schools are cooperation with other African countires. We are so multicultural already. Your project is oriented mostly on kids who are priviliged, who have access to internet and education”. I replied that we have kids who are doers and who are concerned about the world and their community. If they have more priviliges only because they want it.
On the personal note, the conference had a great impact on me. I realised that all our contries, it does not matter where in Kyryzstan, Romania or Poland we all have the same problems: poor and weak goverment and people who who commit all kind of descriminational acts and call themselves "patriots" or "normal". But what is to be "normal". Azerbaijan is a country that had been in war for 4 years with Armenians. They call themselves a nation that protect human rights, but there is a country nearby that is called Armenia. None of the Armenians could ever enter Azerbaijan since 1996 till present. The conflict still has not been resolved, and it seems that none of the sides want to accept each others interests. Where should we go from here?
Early in the morning I finally arrived in Baku, Azerbaijan. This was an unexpectedly long trip because I missed my flight and had to hang out in Moscow airport for 11 hours.The first impression of the conference I received was its “intercultural excitement” of everyone who came to contribute into the conference. The conference was organized by UNITED for Intercultural Action, European network agains nationalism, racism, fascism and in support of migrants and refugees.UNITED is an open network with current more than 560 supporters from 46 European counries. The conference was held on the shore of The Caspian See. The limited hot water and cold hotel room was compensated with the amazing view out of the window on blue waters of Caucas. 85 participants from 35 countries gathered together to cooperate and bring ideas on all kinds of discrimination. I was trying to talk to as many people as possible. Most of the organizations that were presented there are dealing with discriminations issues and not many of them do the work with youth. One World Youth Project was very unique among all these organizations. The only way to an effective partnership I saw was information distribution on OWYP in Europe. Since the ties with Russia were built through other sources I had known, I decided to focus on West and East Europe. Some organizations agreed to distribute information on OWYP when we start recruiting. The Finish Youth Cooperation Allianssi seemed like a great opportunity for some of our NGO partners to write a project and get funding up to 15 000$ (http://www.taksvarkki.fi/ ). I got this idea that it would be nice if even OWYP got some funding from them, but only developing countries can apply for it! It also seemed possible to spread information about OWYP through European Youth Forum that has a network with all youth European organizations.I need to do some follow up to get in touch with them.
Moreover, OWYP became a part of UNITED network that means we paid 20$ to have an access to information, support, contacts, calendar and etc. Our organization will be included in a conact list of the magazine that they publish every year plus we will have a 50% reduction of UNITED conference fee. During the "organization market" where OWYP was presented in a very professional way I have talk to some representatives from UNITED and they said that it will be possibe to distribute info out OWYP recruiting but before we need to send them an example letter so they could approve it. In one word I can say that it will be possibe to spread info about our project around Europe! It is already spreading in Russia thru English Teachers Association. I will be starting the same kind of process in Kyrgyzstan soon. Moreover I got this nice list of all participated organizations and they will be glad to distribute info about OWYP recruting among other partners. Hopefully, next year we will be having more schools from Europe! There are some links that may be useful for all of us: www.unaoc.org, www.fund-culturadepaz.org, ww.wpfdc.com,www.asef.org,www.wcrp.org, www.youthlink.org. I have also met one lady from The International Museum of Children's Art from Norvey www.barnekunst.no.or www.childrenart.com. Every year they organize art competition and collect works from all over the world. It can be a nice opportunity for our sister-groups.
I have been working in the group on Conflict Resolution through cultural exchagne. It was a great experience. I thing that OWYP need to pair some schools from conflict countires. Azerbaijan was in war for four years with Armenia, a neighbouring country. Since 1996 none from Armenia or with Armenian background can enter Azebaijan. There are so many counflicts like this all over the world!
Many people were very interested in OWYP but one thing surprised me. On the conference I met a teacher from Neatherlands. He was very interested in our project but at the end he said “European schools don’t need such kind of programs because most of the schools are cooperation with other African countires. We are so multicultural already. Your project is oriented mostly on kids who are priviliged, who have access to internet and education”. I replied that we have kids who are doers and who are concerned about the world and their community. If they have more priviliges only because they want it.
On the personal note, the conference had a great impact on me. I realised that all our contries, it does not matter where in Kyryzstan, Romania or Poland we all have the same problems: poor and weak goverment and people who who commit all kind of descriminational acts and call themselves "patriots" or "normal". But what is to be "normal". Azerbaijan is a country that had been in war for 4 years with Armenians. They call themselves a nation that protect human rights, but there is a country nearby that is called Armenia. None of the Armenians could ever enter Azerbaijan since 1996 till present. The conflict still has not been resolved, and it seems that none of the sides want to accept each others interests. Where should we go from here?
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