“Bike-up”: Very educative project!

By Angela Zhelkova We had a great time at this youth exchange. It was an exchange where, over the course of a week, more than 20 participants from 4 countries gathered to learn more about bicycles and the environmental impact they have. The event took place in Bitola from October 3 to 9, 2022. The purpose of the event with all the workshops and discussions was clear – every action has its own reaction. We learned that bikes can significantly contribute to reducing pollution, that we should take care of the environment because we are a part of it, and that bikes also improve human health. We also learned that we don’t have to go everywhere with cars. These were some of the main points that we all became more aware of. There was a lot of discussion, fun and creative activities related to the topic of bikes, art and ecology. For illustration, we drew murals, repaired bikes, the countries had the opportunity to introduce themselves, we walked to some local cultural landmarks such as Heraclea, etc. The perfect event to meet new friends, challenge yourself and have fun for a week. All in all, we definitely had a great time. This exchange helped me reflect on my actions and think about the role of the bikes. I think I will continue to care about everything related to bikes in the future in my life.

Youth Exchange “Bike-up”: Our new perspectives

By Stanislav Krastev I really liked the project! The experience I had and the things I learned here in Bitola are more about Erasmus program and youth exchanges. I really learned a lot. But, this is also about the topic, biking. I learned how different parts of the bike are called in different languages, I learned how to paint murals and also to fix bikes. Last time when I cycled before this project was about 2 years. And now I am thinking about buying new bike and using it for urban transportation. I’ll surely recommend the Erasmus program to my friends and classmates! By Malena Velinova The experience I had with this project was also amazing. I met some amazing and full of life people and learned a lot from them about bikes and the youth exchanges in general. I also learned a lot about this from the organizers of this exchange. Before coming here, I didn’t know much about bikes and their importance, but now it is different. I know much more, the types f bikes, what they are used for, how they are helpful to the environment and a lot of other stuff. I am ready now to “bike up” my life and to take more responsible role toward my city where I live!

Peacemakers Global Week

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.

Synergy Training for Personal Development in Ravnogor

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.

Empowering Summer Camp Youth Leaders (ESYL)

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.