REFLECTION DIARY

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“Developing by Sharing, Implementig the Project” is the second part of a first Youth Exchange that took place in Paralimni two years ago (“Developing by Sharing”). Of the Italian team only the leader had already participated in the first module of the project, for some participants it was their first project, while others already had a lot of experience in the field.

“ Actually, I was a bit afraid before the departure, because I remember that the first module was really difficult and a bit stressful. But against all expectations, despite being technical, this Exchange it's been nice and interesting to work in, and we all are pretty proud of our results at the end. Surely, I achieved some new knowledge that I will improve in the imminent future. I really enjoyed the main activity in which we were mixed by countries in order to create a 'project', also adding two activities. It was challenging for me, and I loved the fact that I could manage it. Can't wait for other challenges. "(Lisa)

The first few days were used to get to know each other better, with the help of a few ice breakers and namegames. And since the aim of youth exchanges is to learn by sharing among youths, each Country had to present one of the eight key competences of the Youthpass, and we decided to do it through a role play, which was fun and at the same time useful to understand its meaning for those who did not know the Youthpass and its key competences. In fact, in order to make the world of Erasmus + better known to those who have never been part of it, we dedicated one of the activities on sharing the experiences of both veterans and those who may have had only one experience. Alessandro, one of the Italian participants, facilitated the First Aid activity, explaining and demonstrating the basic knowledge, as he is a BLS (basic life support) instructor: it was interesting for us to learn the basics, and challenging for him to present the activity.

" I am very happy to have contributed to the success of the project. I decided to participate in this project because personally I consider the theme treated one of the cornerstones of Erasmus projects in their essence, the project fully met my expectations. " (Alexander)

Once we had introduced the main topic of the project, we put down some ideas of which main issues our Country was facing, and from these we then decided which to focus on and build an Erasmus + project idea. Then, divided into 5 groups, we started to work on our ideas, starting with the SWOT and SMART analysis: we used this method putting together our strenghts, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, in order to identify the advantages and disadvantages for the success of the project. We were also asked to create at least two activities designed for our project, and to share one of them with the rest of the group, and, thanks to their feedbacks, we were able to correct or implement our ideas. The process of our 'management' work also included the practical arrangements, such as target group, accommodation, travel, insurance, visa, budgets, APV, code of behavior, learning agreements, up to the impact, the products, and the final evaluation . Despite the fact that none of us had ever run his own project, we actually came up with many interesting ideas.

“ It was a great experience, during this week by meeting with participants from different countries, Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and Cyprus we have learned a lot about different cultures, and we opened even more our minds. The feeling of being European grown in us day by day while we were fighting stereotypes and we were getting closer to each other; we enjoyed a lot the topic of the project which was about how implementing a project itself. Divided in smaller groups the participants were able to create an idea of a project they would implement even being given the choice to select the topic would interest them the most. It was very interesting to work with a group of international young people to see some things in different prospective also was very interesting to see how a project it's implemented in the eye of a participant. This was a really useful experience for me, as I will be facilitating projects myself very soon, it gave me a lot of help to understand how things should be running, also I have gained new learning methods and more experience in an international environment. "(Tony)

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Another of the proposed activities was a debate on nuclear energy, in which elected representatives from the group had to speak for or against the specific issue, trying to convince the audience to support them. During this activity, many of them got involved, even though it was their first experience, and discovered that they had considerable persuasive and dialectical skills. The project agenda also included a free half-day, which we all decided to spend together among the beaches of Ayia Napa, but not before visiting the city's sculpture museum, which was stunning and with a beautiful view of the sea. And, once back at the venue, we ended the day with a special activity that was particularly enjoyed by the participants, as it was a different kind of debate, in which two individual volunteers had one minute to express their position on a predetermined topic: the first topic was pro / against gender equality, and the second one, more relaxing, was pro / against pineapple on pizza (it was very funny because some of the Italians had to speak in favor).

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“ We arrived at the last day and I will take many things home. I am happy to have had this experience. It was very important for me to compare myself with other people, with other cultures. I learned a lot from them. The activities were very interesting and constructive. " (Giulia)

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We also had three intercultural evenings in which each country presented its tradition in an innovative and nice way, bringing typical dances and games. We had a lot of fun during these nights, mainly because we have come in contact with different cultures, realizing that they are actually more and more similar to our own.  

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" I arrived on 23rd of October, the welcome was fantastic, the food goof and the place very welcoming, the day was organized with various activities after breakfast: we started our sessions with energizers, then we discussed on current issues, but we also had games for example Top 10. And at the end we presented the design of the final project with great satisfaction. There were very beautiful intercultural evenings where everyone presented traditions of their country. It was a great experience. "(Diego)

To end on a high note, we shared the final results of our groups of interviews, photo albums, and videos of the project, and it was very touching. Then we created some flipcharts on Evaluation, and we filled them, giving our feedbacks about the Exchange. We concluded with the Youthpass ceremony, where we received our certificate.

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“ I found this project randomly because a friend of mine told me to apply. I didn't even know the existence of associations like NECI and the work they do. I can say it was a life changing experience. I could write pages and that wouldn't be enough to explain how important this has been to me. Even if I don't know if I will ever be a project manager, the skills I learned in those 10 days will be very useful to my career as a doctor. People there were lovely, and they made me feel at home every day. The event was perfectly organized and for that I give total credits to Renos and Kyriakos. Thank you again. " (Giulio)

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Just as Giulio says, sometimes words are not enough to describe such an experience, so I suggest you let yourself be carried away by the video that Leonardo has shot and edited in these days: