Report of the Contact Making Seminar XL Benelux and South East European Countries Larochette, Luxembourg, 28th February – 6th March 2005 REPORT FOR THE PARTICIPANTS Report by Yvor Broer, [email protected] Foreword By Charles Gasperi Five National Agencies (NAs) from Belgium (the Flemish, French and German speaking Communities), the Netherlands and Luxembourg organized together a first common Contact Making Seminar (CMS) to promote co-operation between the BENELUX countries and the countries from South East Europe (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Serbia and Montenegro). The program of the CMS had been prepared, worked out and implemented by the two trainers Jelena Jovanovic (Serbia and Montenegro) and Yvor Broer (Netherlands) according to the guidelines proposed by the National Agencies and the SALTO South East Europe Resource Centre. This first experience was hosted in Larochette, Luxembourg, and 27 very motivated youth workers from both regions, were working together during 5 days in a constructive atmosphere. They shared information about their work; they defined project objectives in the frame of the “YOUTH” program and came up with concrete project ideas for a stronger co-operation between the regions. The youth workers participated in activities and workshops about Intercultural Learning, youth work realities of the present countries and the “YOUTH” program in general. They opened the process of partner finding and the preparation of projects for European Youth Exchanges, European Voluntary Service projects and Support Measures (Trainings, Seminars and Short Study Visits). One of the main targets has been to break prejudices between the two regions, an objective which will be a priority of different projects and which will for sure be an investment in a future better understanding between both regions. Sonja Mitter (SALTO SEE RC), Fatima Laanan (NA Belgium – French speaking Community) , Katharina Heldt (NA Belgium – German speaking Community), David Wemel (NA Belgium – Flemish speaking Community), Myriam Putzeys (NA Luxembourg), Josée Bredimus (NA Luxembourg) and Charles Gasperi (NA Luxembourg) assisted the participants by informing and advising them during the process of the project definition. Four Youth Exchange projects, two Short Study Visits, one European Voluntary Service project and one Seminar project have been developed as an outcome of the CMS, which would mean 8 new different projects of common youth work. Report of the CMS XL Benelux SEE 2 Index Foreword .............................................................................................................................................2 Index...................................................................................................................................................3 Background ..........................................................................................................................................5 The preparation....................................................................................................................................6 The seminar .........................................................................................................................................7 Monday .........................................................................................................................................7 Introduction ............................................................................................................................7 Evening session .......................................................................................................................7 Tuesday ........................................................................................................................................8 Introduction ............................................................................................................................8 First morning session ...............................................................................................................8 Second morning session ...........................................................................................................9 First afternoon session ...........................................................................................................11 Second afternoon session .......................................................................................................11 Evening session .....................................................................................................................12 Wednesday..................................................................................................................................13 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................13 First morning session .............................................................................................................13 Second morning session .........................................................................................................13 First and second afternoon session..........................................................................................13 Evening session .....................................................................................................................14 Thursday .....................................................................................................................................15 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................15 First morning session .............................................................................................................15 Second morning session .........................................................................................................16 First afternoon session ...........................................................................................................17 Second afternoon session .......................................................................................................17 Evening session .....................................................................................................................18 Friday..........................................................................................................................................19 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................19 First morning session .............................................................................................................19 Second morning session .........................................................................................................20 First and second afternoon session..........................................................................................20 Evening session .....................................................................................................................21 Saturday......................................................................................................................................22 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................22 First morning session .............................................................................................................22 Second morning session .........................................................................................................22 First afternoon session ...........................................................................................................23 Second afternoon session .......................................................................................................24 Evening session .....................................................................................................................24 Results...............................................................................................................................................25 The projects as proposed by the participants: ..........................................................................25 1. Welcome neighbour ...........................................................................................................25 2. Raft for multiculturality.......................................................................................................26 3. Nature, Future, Culture.......................................................................................................27 4. From prejudice to cooperation.............................................................................................28 5. Cultural rituals around food.................................................................................................28 6 Breaking prejudice – Accepting differences............................................................................29 7. BE ACTIVE - BEU ...............................................................................................................30 8. EVS project Luxembourg – Serbia and Montenegro ...............................................................32 Report of the CMS XL Benelux SEE 3 Evaluation ..........................................................................................................................................34