From July 1 to 6 a team of 8 people from our YMCA attended a Play4Peace youth project in Peja, Kosovo along with 20 other young people and youth workers from Serbia, Kosovo and Italy united for peace-building through sports.
After months of planning and hard work, Campacity 2024 took place over April 15th-21st in Toledo, Spain at the Castillo de San Servando youth center, with the support of the local government. We then moved across to YMCA Camp Priego and was hosted by YMCA Spain. The second “Campacity” Conference was a joint initiative of YMCA Europe & Y USA, hosted by YMCA Spain and aimed to: During one week of sessions, participants: All this was made possible through a successful collaboration between the YMCA Europe and Y USA participants and by sharing each national or local YMCA’s meaningful work. 75 Participants from 15 different countries came together motivated to learn and share, with the aim that united them all – love of camping and belief in its impact. The program was balanced with capacity-building sessions and cultural exposure time designed to help connect and create connections. Participants had the option to attend workshops for many cross-cutting topics that play a crucial role in creating a successful camp such as strategy building, fundraising, partnerships, monitoring and evaluations to name a few. Apart from this, they had an opportunity to learn about the Do No Harm methodology, as in today’s world, it is crucial to stay mindful of our actions, plans and projects. As a final note, it needs to be mentioned how wonderful and empowering it is to see people working hard today with whatever means they have to create a better tomorrow, and Campacity demonstrated that even if we live thousands of kilometers away from each other, we are part of something bigger.
By Viktor Iliev I will begin with my profound gratitude to the YMCA of the USA for extending an invitation to join an international cohort at the Mid-America Camping Conference (MACC). This gathering transcended conventional expectations, evolving into an immersive experience alongside my colleagues from Kosovo, Romania, Spain, Ukraine, Aruba, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Brazil. The YMCA of the USA’s commendable approach not only showcased their exemplary camp culture but also facilitated a global exchange of best practices. This collaborative endeavor added a distinctive international perspective, fostering connections across the Atlantic for the betterment of all engaged in youth development through outdoor education and camping. My trip began with a day delay due to flight cancellations, but I arrived in Omaha, Nebraska, and spent the night at Camp Kitaki. Although I missed the official camp tour, the next day’s exploration left an indelible impression of Camp Kitaki as a transformative outdoor haven, dedicated to youth development and experiential learning. The Camp Director, Jason, at a recent event eloquently captured the power of camp in a compelling video, encapsulating the essence of outdoor education. Our journey continued to Des Moines Y Camp in Iowa, where the entrance gate proclaimed, “The Closest Place to Heaven on Earth.” We were welcomed by the Camp Director Alex who took us to the camp tour. This camp had so many things to present and so many aspects of camp operations that almost left me speechless. Witnessing the camp’s extensive history, Alex’s remarkable projects, and the overwhelming support from Camp Alumni spoke volumes about the camp’s impact. At our next stop, Camp Duncan located in the State of Illinois hosted by one of our amazing hosts, the Camp Director Bobby, I felt with a sense that we go to pre-known place. The reason for that is that as we traveled from one state to another, after the long talks while traveling so we had insights into camp operations that were seamlessly intertwined with a sense of familiarity. Amazingly to see, but he and several of the camp staff lived at the campsite. With a picturesque lake and diverse outdoor activities, Camp Duncan stood as a testament to the multifaceted experiences it offer. A special interlude from camp activities led us to Chicago Downtown, culminating in a visit to the headquarters of the YMCA of the USA. Meeting the dedicated team, led by the hospitable Adriana, reinforced our view of the organization’s impact and commitment to its core values. By the end of our journey, we witnessed how she and her team members of this amazing pre-conference tour don’t just talk about the YMCA core values (Respect, Responsibility, Honesty and Caring), but incorporate them in their own lives and act upon them. For a random organization is easy to state whatever mission and vision, but we were not at a random organization. YMCA of the USA is an organization like no other. Giving kids a great start. Helping families stay healthy. Inspiring communities to work together. That’s the YMCA. Our journey reached its pinnacle in Michigan at the Sherman Lake YMCA , where the MACC unfolded as the main event. The conference hosting about 250 camp professionals from across the United States and worldwide, showcased a unique blend of individuals at various stages of their camping careers. Experience, knowledge, and passion are abundant at this conference. With three exceptional keynote speakers, diverse interest sessions selected according to our personal preferences, round tables, reflections, recreation and networking opportunities, the conference left an indelible mark on me. I must admit that I was blown by the generous offer of interest sessions and struggled to decide what to prioritize. One thing that here is done in a unique way from what I have been used to and seen before, is the unique opportunity to create a customized personal interest session schedule. The way to value people’s time is this! One of the core areas of impact of the YMCA of the USA is Social Responsibility. These are not just two fancy words, but words to which YMCA gives them an essence by demonstration. In addition to each MACC conference, there is a fundraising event for a cause selected every year that receives all the funds raised. This year MACC Service Auction is in supporting the Maui Family YMCA’s ongoing efforts to rebuild and uplift the community after the Lahaina fires. I was amazed to experience the culture of philanthropy and social responsibility via the silent auction and service live auction where people donate items from their own YMCA or country such as branded materials, t-shirts, products or artwork from children’s camps, etc. to contribute to the auction and people bid for best offers. Philanthropy and entertainment at the same time. And the best part at the end – the conference was supported by many corporate donors. When people step in and contribute to a cause, you create a community. We have a lot to learn from this! And what a nice way to finish our journey by visiting our supportive host Thomas who along with the dedicated team at the Flint YMCA warmly welcomed us. We explored the place and its programs and discussed its best practices, the opportunities it offers so they are a truly community organization where people feel they belong. The final stop was at YMCA Camp Copneconic where despite the snowy and cold weather offered a captivating tour and an afternoon reflection on our collective experiences. Our group covered a distance of 1180 km, roughly the distance from Bitola to Vienna. I extend my best wishes to all fellow travelers in implementing the invaluable insights gained during this remarkable journey.
Mia We learned new things about the environment and undoubtedly became more motivated to preserve it, at least on a local level. I am sure that I will attend this type of event again. I find the topic vast and there is quite a lot to discuss, and the fact that I can do the same with people with a similar mindset to mine appeals to me even more. Anna The word itself Eco(logy) attracts me a lot and I think that we are not responsible enough for our environment. I wish for that to change and I am aware that the starting point for that is always myself. We should not tell others what to do, but let them see what we are doing and thus be motivated. Simona Eco camp directly involved us in the organization of our open day where various games were played and lots of useful information was learned about bicycles and cyclists, as well as protecting our environment by using bicycles. For several days we learned through games, and on the last day we passed it on to the children as well as to the adults who visited us in the city park. The game turned into a beautiful view of the event “Bitola on a Wheel” with which we made a big circle around our city with bicycles accompanied by all the fans of the “wheel”. Sarah I learned many things, first, the Sustainable Development Goals, which I honestly had not paid much attention to. I would single out the joint educational games as the most fun and would apply them further in a professional or private relationship. Angela I was most impressed by the last day where we successfully organized an event for children accompanied by interesting games related to ecology, nature conservation, and cycling. All this, in addition to fun and smiles on the children’s faces, provided them with the opportunity to learn interesting facts related to ecology. Finally, I can safely say that I learned a lot and this camp encouraged me to think more deeply about the preservation of our planet. Read below to learn more about this project
From August 21 to 26 this year, as part of the Climate change leaders/Youth-led solutions project, we realized the SDG13 daily eco camp, supported by YMCA USA, which was attended by eleven 16-23 aged young enthusiasts from Bitola, interested in the environment, sustainable development and eco-activism. The first three days of the camp were for providing inputs in the topic, learning and deepening knowledge about sustainable development goals with an emphasis on the 13th goal for climate change. The first day of the camp took place in the Youth Center in Bitola, while the next two days continued outdoors in the City Park which was unanimously chosen by all participants as a suitable place for learning about the environment through outdoor education. The activities each day lasted 3-4 hours with a combination of workshops and exercises. We introduced the participants to the mission of the YMCA, they got to know each other, had the opportunity tо present independently all 17 goals of sustainable development and to learn about the circular economy through the HP Life courses. They were presented with examples of eco-activism, both in our country and from many places around the world, as well as the development of current environmental problems and proposing solutions for them. Tips for preserving nature through games and interesting outdoor activities were also discussed and suggested. The third day was specifically dedicated to air pollution, causes of pollution, steps taken to reduce it and what we as individuals can contribute to cleaner air. In addition to others, the topic of modes of transportation, their efficiency, economy and availability was raised here. Each working day ended with an evaluation of what was learned from the current day. During the event, the European Mobility Week was announced and the possible activities that we as participants of this eco camp would take to share some of the knowledge with other children and youth in an interactive and fun way. It was decided that on the last day of the eco camp, a final event will be held, fully planned and implemented by all participants with their ideas and suggestions, of course with the full support of the YMCA team. The participants were divided into 3 teams, and the following day a meeting was held with each of the coordination teams where 15 ideas for outdoor activities were selected to announce and support Mobility Week. On 26.08.2023 under the motto Learn. Share. Get involved. Get active the open event started in the City Park in Bitola with pre-prepared games for children, Jenga, slackline, a workshop for making pin badges, an improvised training ground for cyclists, educational games and the like. The goal was greater awareness of cycling, healthy lifestyle and environmental protection. The event was attended by a large number of young people from our city and we introduced many surprises for the best visitors – cyclists. We are happy that at the event we cooperated with corporate partner Alpsko, as a great supporter of organizations that support a healthy lifestyle. After two hours of activities with the children, we ended the event with a bicycle tour through the streets of Bitola with cyclists of all ages from our city, as a call for the installation of cycling lanes in order to make it easier and safer for the cyclists who are more and more numerous in our city.
From the Macedonian group of participants This summer, about 50 young people gathered in Oslo, Norway within the framework of PEACEMAKERS GLOBAL WEEK 2022. It was a week of discussions, learning, action, and interesting meetings on various issues around global world trends that also affect young people. With participants from many countries, Global Week is an event where one gets a sense of how small the world is and where the cosmopolitan spirit is built. This event is an opportunity to better understand how young people from different parts of the world work and how they think about important world issues related to tolerance, justice, and peace. The “Global Week” took place in the period from 11-17 July 2022 in Oslo under the auspices of the Global YMCA-YWCA of Norway. There were participants from 3 continents, and we were four from Macedonia, Marina, Andrej, Tea, and Bojan. The activities during the entire event included various games through which we got to know each other and our cultures. In a very short time we realized that although we come from different countries, we all have different characters, we all come from different religious and national origins, and we all come from different cultures, we realized that we are united by one thing: our will to learn something more and our desire for a better tomorrow for all of us. The topics we worked on were related to discrimination, violence, stereotypes and prejudices towards young people from foreign backgrounds, racism, and racial discrimination, ethnic stereotypes and segregation, prejudices and discrimination towards refugees and immigrants, and a bit about global warming. In addition to the serious part, there was of course also the intercultural evening in which we presented our countries and cultures through our traditional food and a few words more about our country. We had endless fun and unforgettable days spent. We left Norway full of emotions, friendships made, and lifelong connections. We all finished the trip to Oslo with new experiences, learned things, friendships, and memories that we will always carry in our suitcase called life.
By Petar Kuzmanovski and Viktor Zafirovski From June 1-8 a synergy training was held in Ravnogor, Bulgaria organized by the Synergy Bulgaria team, which conducts such training for personal growth and development. The training was led by Markos and Julia, the leaders of Synergy Bulgaria, and was titled “Charge your future” like when you charge a battery on a charger. The training was attended by 23 young people who wanted to learn something more about themselves. The content was focused on achieving personal development through a series of specific outdoor and indoor exercises that challenged our limits. With that, the trainers tried to achieve a new kind of personal integration, of our qualities and skills that we want to improve to have a healthier and more fulfilling future. The event was attended by participants from several countries such as Spain, Italy, Lithuania, Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania. It also contributed to the international moment in the group, as there were participants from countries with which I had never been in contact. There were only two participants from Macedonia, Viktor and I, and the overall experience was very interesting and challenging. Especially the part that was about outdoor activities, like the part where we were left to fend for ourselves in the nearby surroundings around Ravnogor and how the synergy training made us understand the ideas of “creativity” in a new way and make it applicable in solving the problems we were thrown into. I think that all the participants were involved in everything and that they used a lot of the experiences to start thinking about how they can make changes in their lives in the future that will always feel energized. You can see a short video of the training here. Photos here.
By Kristina Talevska After the short break, in May the ESYL training for camp leaders in the YMCA continued. Again in The Netherlands, in May 2022 leaders from several YMCAs from around Europe gathered to learn about camping, camp rules, camp games and other activities relevant to them as future leaders. This event was an unforgettable experience that will forever remain in our memories. For us it was a huge opportunity to learn new things, to meet new people and a new country, to expand our knowledge, skills, and creativity. After the necessary postponements of this camp due to the pandemic situation this whole event was a great refreshment and a return to reality. This camp took place near a small town called Leusden and is part of a large network of YMCA camps in the Netherlands. Several countries participated, such as Romania, Macedonia, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Spain, and of course, the hosts from the Netherlands happening between May 25 and 29. Within a short time since we arrived, we all bonded and it wasn’t long before we started talking to each other as if we had known each other for years, with no awkward moments, no shyness, no introversion. Everyone showed a genuine interest in the country the others came from, its culture, daily life, habits, food, and traditions. We don’t know if it was because of the effects of the pandemic wave, but it was certainly good to feel human warmth and togetherness as before. Since at this camp we were preparing and reminding ourselves how it is to work with other people, important topics we covered were leadership, being a good communicator, being a team player, what it means to be a volunteer coordinator, creating workshops, and feeling spontaneous throughout that process. The three of us from Macedonia, myself, Darko, and Andrej went through a program that helped us to return to the good old tested camping routines and to get new strength for the future. Part of our experiences you can see here.
