"Wat Löppt"

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LeeWerk-WISA GmbH

Organisation:

LeeWerk-WISA GmbH

Country:

Germany

About organisation:

LeeWerk-WISA GmbH is a non profit organization in Germnay. We help joung people to go back to school, to find a job or to gain experience abroad and also we organize international youth exchanges, especially for disadvantaged young people.

Title of the project

"Wat Löppt"

Start date:

14/4/2022

End date:

19/4/2022

Objectives:

We are working with groups of disabled young people in our organisation. So we can ensure that all interesting young people have the chance to participate in our project. We also worked with the young people from across borders, and together considered their ideas. Especially for this project we also worked with a youth-house in Leer and a secondary school in the Netherlands. Our project has the motto: "What löppt" where 20 young people from Germany and the Netherlands exchange views on language and cultural challenges in the border region. During the participation phase, the war in Ukraine became a big topic with the young people. This gave rise to the idea of finding a form of dealing with the war, with the help of a theatre play. The special feature: a young participant had fled from the Ukraine with her sister and her mother just a short time before. The aim of the international Theatre play was the common examination of the current situation and to empower the participants to deal with the topic. The resulting Theatre play was presented to local, state and federal politicians.

Why the project was: empowering young people, adapting to changing realities, or thinking out of the box:

The young people had in this project the possibility, with the development of a theatre, accompanied by a theatre director, to find a way to deal with the war in the Ukraine. We also had the chance to integrate a young girl from Ukraine. She fled from the Ukraine shortly before the project started. The aim of the project was to empower the participants to deal with the situation in the Ukraine, to express their feelings and to improve international understanding, reduce resentment and take a look at the current situation in Europe. Accompanied by 4 teachers and a theatre director, the participants had the chance to look at their own situation and also at the habitat from the people in the Ukraine. Through the theatre play, feelings, thoughts and fears could be made visible. Through the performance and the presentation of their own ideas on the war in the Ukraine, the young people gained self-confidence and self-reflection.

How the project was inclusive:

The young people are from Germany, the Netherlands and Ukraine.Thus the project already has an international character with reference to Europe due to the participants.This first international encounter for young people who had previously only lived in their small living space in a rural region sparked interest in further international encounters. Since the accompanying educational institution is a Eurodesk Multiplier, Eurodesk was introduced during the beginning of the project and counselling options for stays abroad were offered.

Green aspect:

The project and the theatre performance were carried out in an ecological, sustainably operated educational institution. All participants and the accompanying staff were accommodated in the educational centre during the project period up to the theatre performance, so that no unnecessary journeys were made. During the project week, the participants were provided with organic food.

How the project has given a European dimension to your event and ensured the visibility and promotion of Eurodesk?

The young people are from Germany, the Netherlands and Ukraine.Thus the project already has an international character with reference to Europe due to the participants.This first international encounter for young people who had previously only lived in their small living space in a rural region sparked interest in further international encounters. Since the accompanying educational institution is a Eurodesk Multiplier, Eurodesk was introduced during the beginning of the project and counselling options for stays abroad were offered.

Impact:

The young people had experience with their own target group in the neighbouring country. For many participants, a new view of Europe, of the war in Ukraine and of the people in the war situation emerged. Due to the fact that the topic of the theatre performance was very topical, the European Minister of Lower Saxony, federal and state politicians would be interested to watch the theatre performance. The inhabitants of the districts Landkreis Leer and Winschoten region, had the possibility to be informed via press reports and a YouTube recording about this project. The visit of the Europe Minister in particular was very well commented by the press. This project has helped to bring German and Dutch young people closer together.