Youth Exchange Lithuania

In June 2010, 50 young people met in the little village of Ayltus in Lithuania, ten of the young people were from Ballyfermot. The Youth exchange was centered around a cultural centre in the town which specialises in dance, film and drama activities and there were groups from Turkey, Ireland, Poland, Romania and Lithuania.

The experience allowed the young people to learn about each others lives by living together, learning about different aspects of life in other cultures. Given that one of the priorities of the Youth in Action Programme is to combat racism and xenophobia in Europe, this project demonstrated to the young people the advantages of working together as a team.

Theme

The theme of the exchange was Bread as a common food and link throughout Europe. By looking at how Bread is used in different societies and the way it is vital to our daily diet. We also looked at the way junk food is both advertised throughout Europe and the need for young people to stay healthy by having a balanced approach to these foods.

The youth exchange also looked at how dance, sport and music can be used as a tool for integration in society and how you can use these tools as a positive force for bringing people together from different cultures.

Activities

There was a wide range of activities organised throughout the ten days from music to art. Each group was asked to pick a MTV music video production and to replacate this in front of the larger group. The Irish group chose the Fat Boy Slim video of “Praise You” the group also got to create a picture using only Black and White materials.

Like most exchanges, this experience also allowed young people to learn about each other’s lives, by living together, learning about different aspects of life and how each country in the European Union treats its young people. This youth exchange allowed the young people to experience how participation in sport can be used as a positive activity to break down barriers.

While in Lithuania the group got to visit the capital city of Vilnius and the many attractions it has to offer. We also took part in a sailing event in the town of Trakai. All the logistics for the trip such as meals, accommodation were provided by the Lithuanian group and they made the young people from Ballyfermot very welcome.