A piece of quiet in the hustle and bustle of the city

A piece of December in the heart of Italy

The great thing about training is that you learn a lot (without even realizing it, because the education is delivered through activities), but you also have time to make friends. Excellent people, perfect Italian food combined with great coffee and a beautiful natural environment... what more could you ask for?

The Butterfly Effect training, organized by the Italian non-profit organization Lunaria, took us right into the heart of the Apennine Peninsula. It focused primarily on developing methods to raise awareness about the increasing discrimination, racism, and xenophobia against migrants and refugees.
Participants from Italy, Germany, Scotland, Slovakia, Turkey, Hungary, Romania, and France had the opportunity to expand their awareness of migration through informal education full of activities and discussions during the seven days, December 9-15. The training also provided an ideal environment for gaining information about individual countries' approaches to refugees. Another important point of the program was the creation of workshops by the training participants themselves.

It was my first project, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I applied on a whim, as I found a training with an interesting topic and in a country I wanted to visit. I didn't know what I was getting into, and sometimes I felt that I would have done best if I had withdrawn. Now I'm glad I didn't, because it was a very valuable experience. I learned a lot – creating quality workshops, the principles of non-formal education, and many activities that can be used when working with young people. In addition, it was an excellent opportunity for me to acquire a foreign language, or rather, to become a little more confident in it.

I am very grateful that I could be a part of this great week. If you also have the opportunity to go on a project... don't hesitate, just go!

Finally, I would like to thank the sending organization Youthfully Yours SR, which facilitated the training for us, was there for us in case of any questions, and also cared about our satisfaction during our stay. Thanks!

Monika Radošovská