There are two types of people
There are two types of people
That's such a popular phrase. Why two? Because two is so understandable. Two implies that one type is ours and the other is different, strange. However, this article will not be about two types of people. On the contrary. It will be about the fact that there are many types of people.
You've probably heard of Erasmus, which usually sends you to study abroad for one semester. There are people who take advantage of such an offer without hesitation. They go, discover, travel, get to know new places, people, customs... I personally was afraid that my subjects wouldn't be recognized and I would have to repeat the year because of it. So I stayed home. But that desire to travel and experience something unknown remained dormant within me.
Subsequently, the concept of ERASMUS+ appeared on the scene. It took me a while to get acquainted with this novelty. A bit officially: it is a European Union program that supports education, training, youth and sport in Europe. Now, in layman's terms: for a week you go to some European destination to educate yourself through a project with people from other countries and have a good time. Travel, accommodation and food are covered by the EU.
It wasn't long before I started meeting more people who had participated in such projects, and my mind was made up. I wanted to go too. I went through the organization Youthfully yours SK and looked for a project that would suit me at least a little in terms of time and topic. I found a beautiful combination that included exams, sports, and Cyprus.
In short. I sent my CV and a motivational letter, and I was selected along with three other people. We then communicated with our leader, bought plane tickets, and flew in January. In Cyprus, we were warmly welcomed by the local team, and the project Generating outdoor active leaders could begin.
Together with young people from Spain, Portugal, Lithuania, Romania, and Italy, we discussed and addressed topics such as how to be good leaders through sports, how to recognize and combat gender or race discrimination, how to motivate and maintain motivation, and more. At the same time, we tried rowing, beach tennis, orienteering, leading activities, treasure hunting... Last but not least, we met people from other countries.
Prejudices are such an insidious thing that sometimes you don't even know you have them, and sometimes they don't even have a specific form. Portuguese, Romanians, Spaniards, Italians, Cypriots, Lithuanians, these were all abstract concepts for me, behind which lay the fear of the unknown. They were the others, they were not ours. All this changed only when I got to know and formed personal relationships with specific people from specific countries. It's only when you start discussing TV series, movies, sports, music, work, exams, and you say: "You too? I thought I was the only one!" that you start a friendship and don't care about origin.
I didn't consider myself, and still don't consider myself, someone who has strong prejudices against foreigners. But they are still there, even if small. Because foreigners are the other type. They are not the first type, where we belong. This project opened my eyes to not seeing only two types of people everywhere, but to seeing many more. And do you know how many types of people there actually are? Well, exactly as many as there are people living on this planet. In our entire lives, we won't get to know all types, but let's try to get to know as many as possible. Because knowledge opens eyes.
Daniela Demková