From the first day I was fascinated with how many and how different the people participating in this project were. There were people from 10 teams all over Europe, and as we found out later, they had such interesting and diverse backgrounds. After the first day, when we got to know each other, we started discussing a variety of topics, like narratives and bias (how they are formed and how we can tackle them), racism, sexism, homophobia, stereotypes and many more. It was very interesting to see the approach everyone took about how to tackle these issues. We used many creative ways to understand the issues on a deeper level, like presentations, drawings and discussions in small groups, and I particularly remember a session where we had to close our eyes and imagine our life stories changing for the worse by being a member of a disadvantaged community. This humbling experience helped me better realize the harsh reality many of these people have to endure in their lives. We also had the chance to explore Metlika, a small rural town close to the Croatian border, and we enjoyed the beautiful nature of the surrounding areas. In the end, through these sessions and the time we spent together that week, we got closer with each other and this made the project even more enjoyable. The last day especially was very moving, because we realized that this beautiful experience would unfortunately come to an end. Overall, after this project I believe that I became a better and more knowledgeable person, I experienced moments that I will never forget, and I met some fantastic people.
Nikos
Set in the background of the Slovenian countryside, in the beautiful village of Metlika, our recent Erasmus+ experience has set up a higher standard for non-formal education. An opportunity offered to us by our sending organization U.S.B., it has not only provided us with tangible knowledge to better understand and tackle racism, but it has also revolutionized the definition of discrimination and subconscious bias through practical activities. The beautiful natural scenery, coupled with the safe educational environment created by experienced facilitators provided us with the right tools to further our knowledge on a variety of topics under the umbrella racism, including amongst others xenophobia, islamophobia, gender inequality and national chauvinism. Aside from the valuable academic input, there was no lack of creative activities, especially through the employment of visual and discursive stimuli to further highlight the underlying biases that have formulated in the multi-cultural society of the 21st century.
Dimitris
My experience as a participant for USB organization in the Erasmus+ exchange in Metlika, Slovenia, was utterly amazing, so much that it can barely be described with words. First of all, I was highly educated about very important topics for our modern society such as discrimination, biases, the role of genders, disadvantaged social groups in the most fun and interactive way possible, with the help of the kind facilitators, who contributed a lot in this exchange, each in their own way. Second of all, I met a lot of unique and special young people with which I established very close friendly relationships from the get-go and I will for sure meet them again in the future. I shared a week of fun and beautiful moments with them that will forever live in my memory and in that way they all made me understand that young people can really unite and create an inclusive society for everyone, without discriminations, and we can create beautiful things together. Last but not least, I loved spending every minute in the beautiful town of Metlika and in Slovenia in general. I learned fascinating and admirable things about the local culture and the people and I really enjoyed exploring the beauties of that area. Overall, this whole experience was perfect for me, as I broadened my horizons in every way possible, gained useful information in critical subjects and created beautiful memories with a lot of awesome open-minded people who can definitely make a positive impact for our future society. I will forever cherish this experience and be proud that I was part of it.
Yiannis
“Brave New You” for me was not only a great project, but also a unique experience. To begin with, I loved the fact that I had the opportunity to meet so many people who had such different cultural backgrounds than my own. I enjoyed learning things about Sweden, North Macedonia, Slovakia, Italy, Germany, and others. Interacting with other young people broadened my horizons even more and was an amazing chance for meaningful and fruitful conversations. What is more, I really liked the sessions and workshops related to matters such as homophobia, transphobia, stereotypes, gender-based violence, climate change, and more. Also, we gained a lot of information about minorities and the importance of both tolerance and inclusion. Besides, we live in an era full of racism, discrimination, and xenophobia. Consequently, I believe it is high time we all realized multiculturalism is not a threat. On the contrary, it can teach us humility, respect, and appreciation.
Artemis
