My nationality is mankind
My nationality is mankind
Dear friend! Have you ever experienced having certain expectations about something, and at some point, you realized that it exceeded your expectations by far more than you anticipated? Yes, that's exactly what happened at our youth exchange in Russian Ethnomir!
From the very first moment, it was clear to us that these 9 days in the picturesque Ethnomir, about 2 hours away from Moscow, would be unforgettable. But what made this exchange special? The people. We met from probably every corner of the world – Sweden, Finland, Slovakia, Morocco, Egypt, and Russia. One might expect that this diversity of countries, nationalities, cultures, and religions would be something that would divide us. However – the opposite was true, and it fully confirmed the project's title – My nationality is mankind. Throughout the 9 days, we were living proof that it doesn't matter where you're from, what you look like, what faith you profess, what customs and traditions you uphold – you can be in such synchronization with others as never before!
We would be very happy if you could relive the atmosphere of this project with us once more, and that's why we bring you Ethnomir's Ten Commandments, or rather, 10 rules and facts, in which we believe we will transport you back to our project in frosty Russia and through them show you what we realized, what we learned, and perhaps change your perspective on the world around you!
1. Etnomir – place of peace. We have mentioned several times that our project was in a place called Ethnomir. A coincidence? Of course not. As the name suggests (ethno – mir [peace]), it is clear that this place embodies the idea of connecting different ethnic groups and cultures that will live together in peace. And the author of the Ethnomir concept truly succeeded – he managed to create a complex of various hotels, restaurants, and buildings that are built in the style of different countries and strive to promote the idea of peace among all nations! 🙂 So if you want to visit the whole world in one day, see buildings and customs of different countries, Ethnomir is a place you must visit!
2. My nationality is mankind - and not just by name. Throughout the project, together with our instructors, we strived to understand and accept different cultures. Each of us came from a different part of the world. And our goal was to define the prejudices we might have had against each other; to find their origin, where they came from and why we have them, and at the same time to forget and eliminate those prejudices that might have influenced us and shaped our previous views of others. To strive for humanity to be our nationality. It doesn't matter where you are from, what matters is how you can accept the other person and embrace them with the "package" that their national identity brings.
3. Not everything is as it seems at first glance. You might think that what you see is the truth. But we have to disappoint you. In one special activity we participated in, we understood how much ignorance and prejudice can lead us astray. At first, we were convinced of what we saw because we lacked knowledge. However, after the context was shown and explained to us, we looked at the model situation completely differently! Therefore, my friend, if you want to learn as much as possible, knowledge is the way!
4. Life is about compromises. We experienced this firsthand. And we'll give a simple example – in the rooms, of course, each of us was from a different country. Can you imagine what a relief it was for a Finn to open a window in an overheated room at 25 degrees, and what suffering it was for an Egyptian, who finally felt at home, as it was a freezing -15 degrees outside?! Yes, there were times when we had to give way to each other. And that's exactly what we learned – how to accept the needs of others. And whether you believe it or not – we never argued. Don't you want to try it too?
5. Maybe each of us is different, yet we are similar in some ways. During these few days, we were often put in situations where we had to define ourselves, find our identity, who we are, how we perceive the world, and compare them with others. And we found that even though each of us differed in our identity, and it didn't matter where we were from – we still found something that wonderfully connected us!
6. If you want to learn more about a person, invite them for a fika! You're probably asking yourself what this fika is. It's simple – Swedes call their typical coffee break this. It was only on this project that we understood how important this time is. Just conversing and getting to know each other. It was during "fika" that we learned greetings and various words from other countries, their typical customs, what they like to do, and much more! So if you want to get to know someone, "fika" is the way!
7. Friendship. We would never have thought that in just a few days, one could form such strong friendships as we did in Ethnomir. In such a short time, we all became such good friends that we said we must see each other again this year! So if you're thinking about whether to go on such a project, there's nothing more beautiful than making friends across the whole world!
8. The world can be a better place thanks to you! Someone might think this sentence is just a cliché. However... have you ever considered that what you take away from a project, you subconsciously spread among your friends and people around you? There's nothing more beautiful than when, after returning from a project, your friends ask you about everything you experienced. And you certainly enthusiastically tell them about everything you went through, everything you did, what topics you discussed. Believe it or not, a person always comes back from a project different from how they left. And what you learn there, you will probably never forget and you can use it to change the environment you live in!
9. If you're hesitating about traveling with us, the answer is definitely yes! Perhaps you're still unsure whether to go on one of the projects on offer. Maybe at first there's fear and worries about how you'll manage, but all of this will fade after a while and you'll have the opportunity to experience one of the best weeks of your life!
10. If you've already traveled with us, I guarantee you'll go again and bring a friend! Yes, another guarantee is that once you try it, believe me, you won't want to go home. And even if you have to go home, believe me, right after arriving you'll already be scrolling through the Youthfully Yours website, planning where to go next. So don't hesitate, click on current projects, call a friend, pack your suitcase, and embark on an experience that can change your perspective on the world!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-gSugM4qB8&t=218s https://youtu.be/DKchCi5p-UI