10th-19th of June 2019
Kannavia Village, Cyprus
Youth Exchange
The project started on July 10th of June with the day of arrival of all participants. The next day started with
games to learn more about the names and other people with games like energizers to improve the socialization among the participants. In the afternoon there was a game that consisted of going to the village and completing different tasks How to talk to the villagers, ask them for food or otherwise get in touch with the typical things of Kannavia, an excellent opportunity to get in touch with the village and its inhabitants. Every evening it was characterized by an intercultural evening, for example the first evening was the Italian one where the participants watched videos about typical Italian recipes and danced all together.
The second day was characterized by the definition of the rules of cultural exchange in which all members of the youth Exchange participated, expressing their impressions and needs regarding the rules to be followed. The project was then presented in its entirety with the objectives and then was asked to the participants to express their fears and expectations for the project and to share the contribution they felt they could give in those days.
In the third day the real up-cycling project started with trainer Alexis Peletie who explained the concept is the importance of the circular economy for our society. Participants were therefore asked to express their own creative ideas about an up-cycling project to be developed in the following days: once the ideas were all gathered on a single flipchart the participants were divided into groups, each choosing the project on which to work for the future days: among the projects there were recycled shoes from materials, vertical gardens, coat hangers, containers, watering cans, all completely recycled. There were various materials to work with but if participants had needed other materials they could go and find them in the woods around the village or inside the village and if necessary also requesting them to the inhabitants of the Village themselves. It was an excellent opportunity to get in touch with the inhabitants of Kannavia to discover their kindness and availability. At the end of these days the projects were presented to the finished work in the square of Kannavia on Sunday after mass. There the villagers could see their unused materials being reborn in a new form.
It was an occasion of great satisfaction for the participants and of great socialization within the village since following the presentation, various moments of singing and dancing followed, both of Cypriot folk dances and of the various folk dances of different states of origin of the participants of youth exchange. In these days there have been two trips out of town. One in the city of Nicosia visiting the Agora Project creative center, discovering all the potential and beauty that are being expressed through art and recycling, and participating in the evening at a presentation about Cyprus youth projects in the Nicosia theater association in which the president of Cyprus intervened. And a trip to Limassol where the
participants could enjoy the sea climate and the peculiarities of the city.
Every day towards the end of the day there were always reflection groups in which the participants confronted each other about good or bad sensations and situations that occurred during the day. The last day was the closing session: in the evening there was a ritual of bonds in which bracelets were created for all the participants through a string that passed from participant to participant and in which the feelings were shared the emotions try in the past days. the Youth pass was then distributed to all participants and gifts from the association to them.
Working together on a creative but also useful project is an important experience, that has raised awareness within everyone; using one’s mind one’s heart one’s awareness together. It is the only way to create a beautiful and sustainable world.
