From my experience this is the best course I’ve ever been

This is how the participant Claudia Onida from Italy, representing ASAP Association, express about the Training course “Together for the sustainable Future”, which was held in Yerevan, Armenia 12-19 June. The Training was financed by European Commission within the framework of Youth in Action program and was organized by “Educational and Cultural Bridges” NGO, with its foreign partner as well as with the support of FYCA NGO. Totally 30 people from 8 different countries participated in the training. Youth leaders and workers from Armenia, France, Georgia, Latvia, Romania, Italy, Portugal and Ukraine gathered in Armenia.

The training was devoted to the topic of Healthy Lifestyle, outdoor activities and social integration. During the one week training the participants developed critical, democratic and creative participation as well as their knowledge about the key ideas of Social Integration, cross cultural communication and Healthy Lifestyle, AIDs, nutrition and healthy activities. The organizers created space for the young people self expression and active participation.

Natalya Datchenko, from Ukraine , shares her impressions with us: - “ The main point was openness of the trainers and participants and their good mood. It made all sessions interesting. Armenian team was perfect, the trainers were great. I have never met during one course representatives from so many countries. I understood and felt people. It was amazing”.
According to another active participant opinion Bruno Gomes from Portugal: “everything was very well organized and the group as well. It helped a lot the learning process to be also fun. The timetable was great. My mind didn’t get tired a single moment”.

The participants also had opportunity to visit very important historical places in Armenia. They saw Geghard Monastery and Garni Temple, from the Armenian team learnt the history and culture of Armenian people, visited Opera House and discovered Yerevan. As the coordinator of the project Arpine Kostanyan mentions: “With support of Youth in Action financing, the training was very successful, all participants from 8 countries were very interesting and actively were involved in every step of the training making it more and more interesting. The atmosphere and mood of the group was very positive creating a big international family. At the end of the training the participants didn’t want to leave Armenia and their new friends”.

“All participants were involved in working process. Task assignment was very relevant and important for us. Trainers were professionals in their job and they did everything on the highest level” – Revaz Tabatadze from Georgia. Hannah Tschirhart from France also shared with us her mind , telling that there was always positive energy and happiness and that everyone found connection with each other.

The participants left Armenia, full of positive impressions, newly gained friends and contacts for the further cooperation and development of cross Cultural Communication.

With the great support of European Commission and Youth in Action Program “Educational and Cultural Bridges” NGO together with its partners had a unique opportunity to design and implement the Training “ Together for the sustainable Future”, which brought young leaders to Armenia to create a space of networking and cooperation, which no doubt was the beginning of new ideas and plan for the future projects and building tolerant and peaceful Europe.