UNITED FOOLS was hosted by Young Society Initiative

Music is a great tool to connect the young people...

Young Society Initiative hosted "United Fools" on 16, 17 and 18 March 2008 in Izmir. Young Society Initiative organised the two days of free event series;

- United Fools' members held one workshop with local young people in Kordon Park. (seen above)

- United Fools gave a concert in Sardunya Bar between 21:00 and 23:00 on 16th March 2008.

- United Fools gave an acoustic concert on Gazi Kadinlar Sokagi, Alsancak at 18:30 on 17th March 2007. The night went on with a jam session in Sardunya Bar until 23:50...

United Fools is a "collectif electro instrumental" nu-jazz band from Bordoeaux, France. The band's line up includes 6 musicians, 1 dj-beatmaster and 1 music engineer. They combine Indian melodies with Balkan tunes and mix with the improvisational jazz tunes and add some electro-beat spices...

Young Society Iniative thanks "United Fools" for the great moments they shared with us... and their friendship...

The band's tour in Turkey is sponsored by French Cultural Centre. They gave their first concert in Izmir on 15th March 2008 on the occasion of the official closing party of Izmir European Jazz Festival.

Free Hugs!

Sharing the love...

Young Society Initiative celebrated "International Free Hugging Day" in Izmir on 22nd of march 2008. Young Society Initiative co-organised Free Hugs Campaign in the entrance of Kıbrıs Sehitleri Caddesi, Izmir together with the volunteers of Couch Surfing and Hospitality Club.

The Free Hugs Campaign is a social movement involving individuals who offer hugs to strangers in public places. Founded in Sydney, Australia by Juan Mann in June 2004, the campaign was widely publicized in 2006 by a music video on YouTube by the Australian band Sick Puppies. The campaign is an example of a random act of kindness, a selfless act performed by a person for the sole reason of making others feel better by sharing goodwill, peace and friendship.

Young Society Society thanks all the young volunteers who have the courage to share their love with the others...

CU(P)ID Training Course

Two representatives of Young Society Initiative attended "Cultural Identity - CU(P)ID" international training course organised by MOTYKA Association in Gorzno between 23 and 30 October 2007.

One of our representatives, Duygu KANDEMIRCI wrote the words below remembering the times in Gorzno... Thanks for the feedback and your active participation Duygu...

"Once Upon a Time…

It all began with a warm, sweet “hello”...

“Hi” I replied, and that was the start of this story. “I’ll help you” said Janek, and took my giant luggace to the bus which would take us to Gorzno.

Gorzno… somewhere in the world... A small, unknown town, very far away… (Four hours from Warsaw). A hostel, seventeen young people… From ten different countries; ten different languages… Seventeen different people, seventeen different worlds…

A training course, CU(P)ID! When I remember those days, I always have a big smile on my face. We worked on cultural identity for a whole week. We learnt that, there is much more inside people than in books. We learnt that, we don’t even need our languages to understand each other. We may come from many different cultures, but we all have the same sparkling eyes; looking at each other and revealing everything that our words cannot tell.

Seventeen young people, hundreds of interesting ideas and many enjoyable activities... I don’t remember even one minute that I felt bored. No computers, no TV, but we learn about the world. Playing games, talking to each other and sharing our ideas, we learn about ourselves. I know that I’m not the same person after I lived that one week. And I strongly believe that every young person must have the chance to be a part of such projects.

Finally, I want to give my special thanks to our host in Poland; “Motyka” members. They worked non-stop, just to make sure that we are pleased. Of course our trainers; Mara and Aga… With their smiling faces and creative activities, we didn’t even realise being on a training course; they made us feel that this is all a thrilling game. I do hope to see these seventeen people again in the future; because I know anymore that the world is just smaller than I imagine..."

CU(P)ID training course was organised and co-funded by MOTYKA Association and ten Europen youth organisations funded by Polish National Agency in the framework of EC Youth in Action Programme 4.3.

"We are All Human" took place...

Another successful training story...

Young Society Initiative organised "We are All Human!" international training course between 5 and 10 May 2007 in Adakule Hotel, Izmir by the support of EU YOUTH Programme Action5. The training course is developed in order to create the multipliers of the human rights education.

"We are All Human" training course is a project designed to enhance the skills and knowledge in human rights education. The target group of the project is the youth leaders, and youth workers active in international youth work or local youth work.

14 participants coming from 10 different countries (Turkey, Poland, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Romania, Latvia, Hungary, Germany, Finland) found an opportunity to learn in a non-formal educational setting and an intercultural environment by the help three experienced trainers, Behrooz Afshari, Serhan Karatas and Agnieszka Tatera.

Whatever happens in whenever time, we should always remember "We are All Human!"....

Young Society Initiative thanks Kusadasi Tours for their contribution in the organisational arrangements of the training course.

Prejudices...

Two things reduce prejudice: education and laughter.
- Dr. Laurence J. Peter. American "hierarchiologist", Educator and Writer, 1919-1990

Young Society Initiative acts against all kinds of prejudices...
Join us in our action for a "prejudice" free world...!