About the project

Youth Academy of Freedom “VIP Leadership”

1. Found: Solidarity Fund PL
2. Places of the activities: Poland and Georgia
3. Numbers of participants: 10 youth from Poland and 10 youth from Georgia between 15-25 years old and 2 coordinators from PL and 2 coordinators from GE
4. Periods of the project

• Poland: 20.07.2012- 26.07.2012
• Georgia: September/October

1. Organizer: The Murowana Goślina Partnership Committee
2. and Hipolit Cegielski’s Middle School
3. Partnership with  The Bridge of Friendship "Kartlosi"

The description of main ideas:

The most important leitmotifs of our activities will be FREEDOM connected with our national symbols: “the Round Table” in Poland and various flowers, especially roses that made the “the Revolution of Roses” in Georgia.

The most important aim of the project will be the development of tolerance and mutual understanding between young people from Poland and Georgia through meetings and various workshops based on human rights. In this process of creative learning the most important thing will be the context of contemporary Polish and Georgian history. We would like to present a specific dialogue with the past, memory, diversity and multiculturalism of our countries. Each country will be represented by a group of ten, young people aged 15-25 years old.

The project will be built based on the elements of intercultural education. Throughout the action, we will confirm the meaning of the abbreviation VIP. Our reading will lead to the following definition of the concept: V-very, I-independent,
P – person. We would like to project participants became just as understood VIP after completion of the project. One of the main theme of our project will be a table. A table becomes the focal point of intercultural communication project participants. Understanding this theme will be developed with each step of the project. We will take into account three perspectives: historical-cultural, religious-philosophical and culinary-moral. Participants will explore the table from the literal meaning, as an essential thing in every house, at which until recently, sat three generations of the family (grandparents, parents and children), which prepares meals, and then eat food through symbolic and metaphorical meaning, as a place of dialogue and conversation.

So we will take a kind of “table journey” through centuries-old history of Europe, including the context of the contemporary, Polish and Georgian history. We will experience the meaning table in two cultural-religious traditions. These will be: Catholic (Poland) and Orthodox (Georgia). During the project an important element will be a culinary. Around the table, we will taste all traditional dishes. There will also be time for culinary workshops: the first in Poland and the second in Georgia. An important action of the whole project will be participatory photography. Mixed youth groups form Poland and Georgia  will be doing many pictures. We will try to confront stereotypes about Poles and Poland, Georgians and Georgia through photography.

The project will also be focused on the activities and achievements of the VIPs of our times - Lech Wałesa - the father of Solidarity. We contrasted him against Joseph Stalin (Gori is the birthplace of Stalin). Through the table and flowers we will get to know each other, their own past (the individual and the nation). So they will be so colorful spaces for us, sometimes mysterious, which-through joint workshops, discussions, we will try to fathom. Secondly, the flowers are a perfect material with which to build diversity, creates works of art. During our actions will create ikebana flower-mosaic symbolizing peace, mutual cooperation, diversity, tolerance and freedom. It will be created next to the place where Statue of Stalin stood before 2010– outside of Town Hall in Gori.

Important for the project participants will an experience of meeting face to face with their peers from another country, cooperation and exchange of views on freedom, courage and dedication, the value of building not only a moral and legal order in Europe, but also shaped the state of Georgia. The flowers are associated also the important concept of “the children of flowers” – a cultural revolution against war and the hypocrisy of the world of adults. We will prepare a debate on this topic. We will talk about various forms of rebellion, seeking new ideas.

We will try to be innovative using effective and innovative solutions in the non-formal education. The creative integration of young from Poland and Georgia is the most important thing for us, without prejudices and stereotypes. We are going to have fun!!!

We believe that our cooperation will be fruitful for both sides!!!

Sincerely

Jakub Niewiński coordinator of this project

email: szamaim@wp.pl

Skype: stones_of_memory