An unforgettable course from the perspective of three participants

An unforgettable course from the perspective of three participants

The topic of the project I participated in was human rights and how to communicate them in the era of migration, and it gave me much more than just new theoretical knowledge. Despite the interesting topic, rich program, and excellent organization, the greatest benefit lay elsewhere – in the people who participated in the project and made it a unique, enriching experience. Although we were all different, in just over a week, we almost became a family, helping each other, and even communal cleaning suddenly became fun. Four experienced organizers ensured the smooth running of the project and were able to adapt the program to the needs of the participants. Education mostly took the form of workshops, which were often emotional and full of personal stories and experiences. In the second half of the training, we swapped roles with the organizers and had the opportunity to create our own workshop.

The “People First” training is truly unique, not only because it was hosted by the Lunaria organization, but also because of the approach and a certain spirituality that complemented the main educational program. At first, it scared and surprised me, but after just two days, I got used to singing in the kitchen during communal cleaning, isolation from the world, and the constant presence of other participants, as we were essentially never alone in the small house. From this perspective, I learned a great deal about people, human relationships, and internally opened myself to understanding different stories and personalities that I might never have met under normal circumstances. All of this beautifully complemented the project's theme, which was human rights. All the workshops, discussions, and personal experiences that made up the training program were emotionally very powerful, interesting, and I think also unique, as I had never before met refugees or transsexuals – here they were my colleagues and “classmates.”

The project took place in a very unusual location, in the forest, approximately 20 minutes from Orvieto, Italy. The surroundings, as well as the house where we were accommodated, had their charm, and right from the start, I felt at home there. Before I traveled, I was worried about how I would manage without signal and internet, but in the end, it was one of the positive aspects of the training. I think it not only strengthened relationships within the group but also gave us all a clear signal that the world will go on even if we are offline for a week. Now, looking back at it all, I feel that absolutely everything fit together perfectly. The intensive program was challenging at times, but also balanced. The large rooms forced us to talk to each other, and the fact that we “had to” help with cleaning? I would never have thought that we would almost fight over who would wash the dishes and sweep the common room in the morning. Simply every detail of this training course fit together like a puzzle. I met many interesting people from different parts of the world who shared life stories that I would often search for in vain in books.

In conclusion, this project helped me realize that paper means nothing and despite the existence of the declaration of human rights, many of them are suppressed in practice, and not only in developing countries as many might think. I learned many new tools and methods that I can further use in volunteer work with youth, but most importantly, I grew a little as a person again and broadened my horizons. I take hope from the project. Hope that there are still people who strive for change for the better. Therefore, I recommend everyone to gain a similar intercultural experience. Because each of us is influenced by the culture in which we grew up and the stereotypes that came from all sides, and this is precisely how to get rid of them. However, it is important to realize that each of us is responsible. As Gandhi says: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

During this week, I learned patience, tolerance, empathy, improved my language skills, and discovered many things about myself. The theme of the training was human rights, and I feel that the trainers from Lunaria and the “girls” from the kitchen taught us an incredible amount about this topic. The food was great, they always tried to accommodate us, and I will probably dream about the Italian lasagna and tiramisu I ate there for a long time.