Thursday, March 27, 2008

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.