YouTHelegraph April-June 2015

TIME TO: ITALY and ALBANIA DISCOVER Project’s Experience

Volunteers’ On-Arrival Training Experience YouTHelegraph April - June 2015

Editorial Info CONTENTS Karine Oganesjan Viivi Setälä Edin Omerovic VOLUNTEERS Eftychia Stamouli Bledi Cami Time to: Discover Turkey...... 5 Gözde Bayar Our Volunteers in Romania...... 7 Once upon a time ...... 9 Editorial Desing Karina’s Experience...... 11 Carmen Jiménez Proofreading Edin Omerovic PROJECTS Youth Caravan with Green Color • Italy ...... 15 • Albania...... 17 6th European platform of Youth Centres...... 19

System and Generation Association ACTIVITIES ’s Volunteers meet Gazi University’s Students...... 23 Necatibey Caddesi, 19/21 The introduction of EVS to the students of Gazi University...... 24 06430 Çankaya – Ankara – TURKEY On Arrival Training (Izmir)...... 25 www. systemandgeneration.eu VOLUNTEERS YouTHelegraph Volunteers TIME TO: Travel: DISCOVER TURKEY By plane ~140 TL (Pegasus airlines) By bus ~70 TL (SES) By train ~70 TL To stay: Couchsurfing Chillout Hostel ~10EUR Couch surng has also evolved into an international community, where people provide their couches to travelers for free. To see: Travel: It's a great way to meet new people and get in touch with dierent cultures , Taksim Square, Yeni Cami, By bus ~80 TL (Most of companies) • Be informed about the culture you are traveling to . The Grand Bazaar, Old town To stay: • Look for hosts or surfers whose profiles are complete with a real name, clear photos, and detailed Feel Cappadocia Hostel, Valleypark Hotel, descriptions of themselves and, if applicable, their “couches ”. • Emre's Stone House ~7 EUR Read reviews of hosts or travelers to get a sense of their experiences. • Women travelers may prefer to book with female hosts, and vice versa. To see: • Make sure you make a plan to stay in touch with friends, family and additional accommodation Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites options once you arrive. • Ask questions! Have conversations! • Get to know the “rules” of the house – are there certain hours when suppose to be quiet? How will you get Travel: in and out if you and your Host/Surfer have different schedules? By bus ~48 TL (Metro) • In any situation where you feel unsafe, threatened or in immediate danger, get out and By train ~50 TL contact the local authorities – such as police or emergency services – right away. When you’re in a safe location, report the incident to our Trust and Safety team. To see: The Kurşunlu Cami . ANKARA www.couchsurng.com The archaeological site of the ancient Phrygian city of Dorylaeum ESKIŞEHIR Hitchhiking • Be prepared to walk all day. This is the most unanticipated problem of most hitchhikers today. CAPPADOCIA • Buy a map of the area, so you can determine whether a ride will actually bring you closer to your (Göreme) destination. • Learn the language, at least a little. Hitchhiking can be a good way to improve your conversation skills. Often drivers pick up hikers to have some conversation on an otherwise long and lonely trip. IZMIR Travel: • Make sure to carry enough food and drink if you're going for a long trip. By bus ~52 TL (Metro) • Arrange sleeping places in case you do it at night. • By train ~25 TL Remember, hitchhiking may be illegal in some areas or on certain types of roads. Ask locals. It is usually a bad idea to hitchhike if an encounter with the police would create additional problems. To see: • Dress in layers if the weather is uncertain. Travel: Ince Medrese, Mevlana Museum, • Wear bright clothing so that drivers can see you. Alaeddin Mosque • A big cardboard sign with an indication of where you want to go can help. By plane ~100 TL (Pegasus airlines) ANTALYA By bus ~70 TL (Mis ) • Bring a black marker, a hat, a flashlight, a pocketknife, sunscreen, etc... it is best to be prepared and these items do not weigh much. To stay: • Note the vehicle registration, and its make, model, and color before you take a ride. If you have a Shantihome, In House Hostel ~12EUR cellphone, text this information to a friend. To see: • Choose a car with a single occupant or a couple rather than the last seat in a car full of people. Old , , Konak, • Keep your bag or backpack in easy reach, so you can grab it if you need to bail out. Gündoğdu Square, İzmir Clock Tower Travel: www.hitchhikers.org By plane ~140 TL (Pegasus airlines). By bus ~70 TL (Mis Amasya) To stay: Ersoy Hotel, Saray Lara Hotel ~10 EUR To see: Düden Waterfalls, Yivliminare Mosque, Konyaaltı, Hıdırlık Tower, Hadrian's Gate and Falez Park at night.

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Our Volunteers in Romania Gözde Bayar VS can everything change was new, Eyour different, and life forever… exciting for How? Here is me. Knowing my experience new people about EVS so from many far: Before different deciding to do countries, an EVS project, spending time I was living with them, a monotone and getting to life as most of know them the people. I makes me feel worked for amazing. It a company is something for 10 that I was months after looking for for “I could have never imagined how amazing stories can come up while travelling by hitchhiking. This guy, named graduating a long time. Cladiu, is taking us from Oradea to Cluj, and just a few minutes ago, his wife gave birth for their second child. His from the face is the portrait of happiness right now, amazing..” Gözde Bayar university, and About then got bored ‘changing and quit. Started looking for another job, and it your lives’, the whole process is doing whether lasted about 4 months. It was no result, because even if you realize or not. But it is always up I never wanted to get another boring job and to you. Deciding to live in a new country, waste some more of my life in there. I was always even if it is for a temporary time, is a quite looking for something bring me satisfacing me hard decision for everyone. But the thing while I’m doing it. Then, I decided to check for is, once you leave your fears aside and do it, EVS projects. I knew some information about you will see the difference in your life and it but I hadn’t thought about it seriously until also yourselves. It is something that you will then. After a short research on the projects I never experience by doing any other thing. found my current project, which is about doing outdoor sports activities with children, taking My suggestion about the ones who are considering place in Oradea, Romania for a 7-month period. doing an EVS is, have the courage and do it, and if I applied, got accepted, and I’m here right now. you don’t like it, you can always come back. But I bet you’ll love it. Just be open to new things . Since the very beginning of the project, Gözde Bayar 7 8 YouTHelegraph Volunteers

she visits the elderly houses as well. This woman sometimes had challenges to understand Once upon a time… energetic young woman really wants to the culture and habits, but on the other hand here was a Finnish young women, who with disabled people and after first visits to the develope herself and the work, and thanks to she really discovered more about herself which was just going to graduate from her centers this motivation of hers just became EVS she has a chance to do it. was a very huge and important process for her. TUniversity. She had a big dream for a long stronger and stronger. She started to work two But EVS for this woman is, of course, much She is really pleased that she came to Turkey time: she wanted to go abroad and discover the days in a week in Saray, one day in CafeDOWN than just a volunteer work. In her leisure time and exactly this project. world by herself. She found the opportunity to and one day in the office. All the Fridays she she hangs around with her local friends, travells Unfortunately that's all there is to tell for now, make this dream come true with EVS and so spent in the office learning Turkish language around the Turkey and tries to discover the because this story is yet to be finished. Actually, she started to prepare motivation letters and because she was very motivated and interested country and the culture as much as possible. sometimes this crazy Finnish woman stops and CV’s and sending them all around the Turkey. and it was also part of the EVS programme. And luckily these ‘Friday Turkish lessons’ also thinks that this adventure hasn’t even started, She wanted to go only to Turkey, because she This crazy woman loves all kind of sports and showed results, because she started to learn because it is sooooo amazing! And who knows had gone there many times for holidays and she because of this, in the rehabilitation center she Turkish really fast. The differences between what is going to happen in the future! really loved the country and the culture. started to work in the sport saloon. She takes Turkey and Finland are huge and that’s why this As the time passed, finally this crazy woman got part in the daily activities in the saloon and also Viivi Setälä the information that she introduced The end The beginning her application was some special approved and she Finnish sports (for would go to Ankara example Mölkky for one year. You and Floorball) to can only imagine Turkey and this how happy she rehabilitation was! After this she center. In Turkey started to prepare there were a lot all documents, visa of special sport applications etc. competitions in with her sending, different sport coordinating and branches, so with hosting organisation the Sport Club and finally in of Saray she also the beginning of had opportunities February 2015 she came to Turkey. to travel around Turkey with the disabled This crazy woman studied Social services in competitors and workers of Saray. Finland and that’s why she was very interest With the Finnish mentality of working, soon this to work in this project in Ankara. The project women realized that she wants to work more. is called “Meeting of Generations 2015” and She wants to do different kind of things in Saray, the main purpose of the project is to work so besides working in the sport saloon, she with disabled and elderly people in Saray started to visit units, handicraft workshops and And by the way this crazy Finnish woman is me, Viivi. Rehabilitation center, CafeDOWN (cafe where greenhouses. She started to go to there 3 days the workers are disabled) and elderly houses in per week and one day per week Ankara region. Know more about Viivi The main interest of this woman was to work (Click here) 9 10 YouTHelegraph Volunteers

Karina’s Experience y name is Karina and I am from northen to learn new things so I am satisfied with my part of Europe, country called Estonia. choise of EVS. MRight now, I am working as a short term volunteer at the NGO “System and Generation”. It be more specific, I am working here with social I have arrived just three weeks ago, but already networks, promoting EVS possibilities amoung have learnt a lot of new things related to my yougsters, assisting at English language classes work experiences and a completely different and teaching Russian language. Here I am able culture. to train my skills in records management and human resources management, obtaining new I enjoy working in a team in cross-cultural competences in project management. environment, however sometimes it can be a One thing I know for sure – I will never be the bit difficult as I come from another background. same person after EVS. And I am really glad and But I like it, it is like a small challenge for me, to thankful for that opportunety to change my change land, working team, boss, to be away life for the benefit of me and people who are from my family, friends and interests in a eastern around me. country with other traditions and religion. I like Karine Oganesjan

11 12 PROJECTS YouTHelegraph Projects Youth Caravan with Green Color We prepared our exhibition by putting all taken photos on a tree by means of pegs. In addition we hung the three flags of Albania, Italya and Turkey. People who were passing by them observed, enjoyed and asked many question about the pictures - where they have been taken, by whom and what is the purpose of the exhibition. That attention and interest for and their activities. Immediately after it, we the photos exhibition made us very happy and started cleaning the beach of Otranto, we proud of our work. Besides, our participants collected a lot of trash and showed the locals spread brochures about JumpIN organization how important is to keep Otranto clean.

Italy fter the successful activity in Didim ‘A secret friend’. We provided envelopes for from the youth exchange we moved to each of the participants in which the names AItaly, to a small town near the Adriatic of their secret friends was written and they Sea. We were hosted in the town of Poggiardo had to come up with a way of surprising their where our Partner organization JumpIN is ‘secret friend’ during the activities of recycling located. We started by introducing our activities, and presentations about their environmental hopes, fears and expectations. We started by projects in their countries. After our long and playing different name games, warm ups and pleasant walk, our participants from Albania, energizers and in that way the participants had Italy and Turkey presented their organizations the chance to get to know each other better. in different ways like PowerPoint, videos, In the late afternoon, after our siesta time, we pictures and brochures. Photo exhibition was continued with more name and trust games, the last activity for our participants which was energizers in order to remember our names held on the road to Otranto - a small peaceful more efficiently. We also started a game called and beautiful place in Italy near to Poggiardo. 15 16 YouTHelegraph Projects

in Action and opinions. Albania project to Besides that him and he we had a he third activity of the Green Society in them and picking up one name, each participant shared some cultural trip to Action project started in Durres Albania had a secret friend to whom during the whole ecological Kruje where Tafter we were finished with the activity in week they should behave nice, leave notes, issues of we visited Italy. Participants from three countries arrived make some presents and buy candies). After Durres and the Kruja in Albania where we started gathering and the lunch participants had a “Kavaleshenca Coffee” - how they Castle and official opening of the project was made on where they were separated in 4 groups and each treat the the old bazaar Tuesday - they got familiar with the agenda and group was supposed to answer all questions, environment where our the objectives of the project and played getting write it on a piece of paper, after answering there. In the participants to know each other and name games. After all of them each group presented their answers. late afternoon bought a lot that, they shared their fears, expectations and Our participants also presented the ecological participants of souvenirs contributions for the project. They had team problems from their own countries. The headed to the and enjoyed building and played the secret friend game (by following day, we all together had a treasure beach where the ancient writing their names on a piece of paper, mixing hunt and met the mayor of Durres and during they did a atmosphere cleaning activity - they cleaned the beach in of Kruje. After that we had an Erasmus + Durres and threw away all trash they collected. presentation which provided more information Additionally, participants had workshops like about the program, EVS, youth exchanges coming up with slogans and ideas about the and training courses. In the late afternoon we environment, planting flowers in rubbers, did the creative exhibition and of course we painting, creating posters related to the nature awarded our participants with their Youthpass ( Youth goes green, Let’s keep it clean etc). certificates. In the evening we had a farewell Immediately after that we had a NGO gallery party and in this way the 3rd activity of The Green - presentations of partner organizations. We Society in Action Project was implemented. learnt a lot and exchanged our experiences Bledi Cami

For a more descriptive and fun information

(Click here)

17 18 YouTHelegraph Projects 6 th European Platform of Youth Centres Ecocenter Radulovacki, Sremski Karlovci n the dates of 12-15.05.2015 the of good practice from the participating centers, 6th European Platform of Youth presentation of the Council of Europe priorities OCenters was organized at Ecocenter and tools in the field of youth policy and a Radulovacki in Serbia. presentation about the future development of these programs. The Youth Center’s managers and officials from the Ministry Various countries participated of Youth and Sports were in the Conference (Belgium, invited to the 6th European Bosnia and Herzegovina, Platform of Youth Centers . Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Gürkan AKÇAER, Board Malta, Portugal, Romania, Member representing the Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, European Youth Centres Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, etc.) Network and Vice Presindent The main idea of the 6th of System and Generation European Platform of Youth Associaton participated in Centers was the exchanges this Platform Meeting.. of opinions, the Council of Europe Youth Centres Certificates and information about The main points of this conference was the Youth Centers. presentation of participants, a conversation about managing a youth center and examples

EUROPEAN NETWORK OF YOUTH CENTRES FOR INTERNATIONAL AND INTER-CULTURAL LEARNING

A youth centre which consciously promotes intercultural and international understanding has a number of key features: • It uses participatory methods and non-formal learning; • It deliberately engages in international and intercultural exchange and learning; • It promotes awareness and encourages the development of Europe’s diverse cultural identities; • It shares the Council of Europe’s values of universal human rights and pluralist democracy; • It seeks solutions to such problems as xenophobia and racism. Members of ENYC Network consist of 15 NGO from 12 countries.

www.eycn.org

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Ankara’s Volunteers meet The introduction of EVS to the students Gazi University’s Students in Gazi University e and my volunteer mates visited Gazi able to start talking about them without them n the dates of 20-21-22 of May me and Service and about the organisations which University. asking questions. Most of them said that they my volunteer friends participated at receive volunteers and what they guarantee MOur goal was to provide more want to wait with it and try to apply for it after The Days of Career in Gazi University. to them. Also, we talked about the projects’ information about European Volunteer Service, their graduations. We got a lot of attention O There we made an introduction of European that we in participate and we mentioned about as well about the procedures for applying and because we are foreingers and interesting to Voluntary Service to the students.There were every step that someone needs to take become our personal experiences and thoughts. local people. many stands of different companies and a oreder to volunteer in a foreign country. There were questions prepared, which they institutions. The atmosphere in Gazi University was really could ask immediately. For example: Were wore same T-shirts and we had informative We explained what European Voluntary good. Also, there were different kind of facilities, papers about our journies and EVS experiences. Service is, how students and young people can for example a concert, awards ceremony,etc. It How I can start? The students of Gazi University could read our participate in this program and what they can was a chance for the youngters to learn what What will I gain? story from that “little book” with the volunteers gain from this experience. Students were so is European Voluntary Service and also, it was What will I do? profile pictures on the cover. curious and excited and they wanted to get more a chance for us to visit a turkish university. It What can I except? Personally I had fun. It’s always good to hear new information and to participate in those projects is nıce to share your EVS story with the other stories and get to know more about youngsters as soon as possible.We informed them about young people. These questions made it easier for students to who would like to participate, and get feel the how they can apply for European Voluntary start a conversation for the students. joy on EVS. They could ask these question and we were Eftychia Stamouli Samira Kebiche

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On-arrival training in Izmir One of the most important aspects of the train- One of the greatest outputs of this training was he On-Arrival Training for the volunteers scriptions and information about the European ing were the trainers which were professional, the great way of bringing together volunteers taking part in the project “Meeting of Voluntary Service, the Youthpass which volun- helpful and came prepared for the training. They from all around the country and providing us TGenerations 2015” under the cooperation teers will receive after fulfilling their EVS, the were always ready to answer all the questions with the opportunity to make friends from all of S&G took place in Izmir from 9th till 13th obligations and rights of volunteers as well as the volunteers asked and tired their best to over Europe. We are very happy for having this July, 2015. There were 40 volunteers which are insights about .possible problems and difficulties make it easier for us. Professional youth trainers opportunity to meet all these great volunteers doing their EVS in Turkey participating in this volunteers might encounter while fulfilling their have a lot of experience about international is- from all around Turkey and we are positive that training. To guide and provide information for activities as well as their life in Turkey. Besides sues and volunteering and their knowledge was we will meet them again. us were 4 trainers and 2 representatives of the that, we were introduced to the culture, hab- very important for us as foreign people in this Turkish National Agency. its and personal relations in Turkey which plays new culture. Edin Omerovic an important factor for most volunteers whose The main goal of the on-arrival training was lifestyle and background are quite different to make the country, culture and volunteering from the ones they face here. What the vol- with EVS more familiar. Youth trainers and the unteers found most interesting were the work- workers from Turkish national agency offered a shops dealing with topics such as “Keep yourself wide variety of workshops and teamwork ses- safe-Girl/Boy talk” and “Conflict Resolution and sions about Turkey, Turkish culture, preventing Communication” where they had the most in- and solving problems and mainly about volun- put. As the saying goes “A little party never hurt teering and the whole Erasmus+ program. The nobody” so we were happy to visit some of the topics which were covered during the sessions touristic places of Izmir and spent a quality and were concentrated on the more detailed de- fun time in a relaxed environment.

Turkish National Agency The task of National Agency is to announce the European educational and youth programs in the country, to coordinate participation in these programs, submit a report to the European Commission, to make the necessary negotiations and to sign the application contract task.Turkish national Agency regularly organizing education for EVS volunteers to learn more about it please visit website of NA

http://ua.gov.tr

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