“CHANGING MINDS” youth exchange was based on the integration of young refugees residing in Ciudad Real as the main point, and the integration of young people with fewer opportunities belonging to the EmpuG group (selective prevention project carried out by Pokhara since 2013), the Moroccan group and the Armenian group. The objectives of this project were:
– Reduced the cultural difficulties of refugees, as well as the racial barriers to which they were subjected
– Facilitated the learning of Spanish, through communication with their peers
– Promoted equity and inclusion of refugees thanks to their participation in the project and their socialization
– Increased the sensitivity of the rest of the participants to the situation of refugees, thus improving their integration
– Promoted dialogue between young people with different conditions
– Promoted the values of freedom, tolerance, equality, and respect
– Increased the critical thinking of young Europeans
– Raised awareness about the refugee crisis in Europe
– Provided linguistic support to facilitate the integration of refugees.
Here is the participants success story:
As an Erasmus student, I embarked on an exciting journey to study in a new country, experience a different culture, and expand my horizons. Spain is known for its rich history, vibrant culture, delicious food, and welcoming people, making it an excellent destination for an Erasmus experience.
As the end of my Erasmus experience approached, I realized how much I had grown and learned during my time in Spain. I improved my language skills, gained a deeper understanding of Spanish culture, made lifelong friends, and expanded my academic and personal horizons.
~Ruben
My Erasmus+ trip to Spain was truly a life-changing experience. From the moment I arrived, I was struck by the Spanish people’s vibrant culture, beautiful architecture, and open-heartedness.
During the exchange, we learned about our fellow participants’ cultures and histories and developed important personal skills like socializing and speaking different languages.
We were able to gain valuable knowledge and new perspectives. In addition, we had the opportunity to make new friends from all over the world and expand our horizons in ways we never thought possible.
Also, it was a great chance to share our culture with many people, who didn’t even hear about Armenia.
~Anastasia
I heard about Erasmus + projects a lot, and when I saw this project, FIOH gave me an opportunity to finally experience it by myself. The project “Changing minds” was held in Spain, so the adventures have just begun, when we started our long trip from Armenia. It was my first solo trip, so I was very excited about everything. Our project was near lake, called Lagunas de Ruidera, where we had an opportunity to swim and tried kayaking. It was all surrounded by trees, so we had a lot of fun and peace time in nature.
I met a lot of people from different cultures and learned a lot fom them. Beside Spanish, there were people Morocco, Somalia, Peru, Ukraine and Portugal and I was happy to make friends with them. During the whole project while sharing our culture, our team introduced everyone this year’s Armenian entry song from Eurovision, and to our greatest surprise, we even met the singer Brunette in Madrid.
We had a lot of fun time during the project, especially when we went to a cool trip to Socuellamos city. As I was told before, and now strongly agree, that Erasmus + is one of the most amazing opportunities for us to travel, exchange our cultures and learn new awesome things while playing. These memories will stay with me and give me motivation to participate in more projects!
~Grig
I am a girl with a passion for learning about different cultures and expanding my horizons.
Through my experiences in Spain, I have learned a lot about myself and the world around me. I also gained a great appreciation for the diversity of cultures and the importance of understanding and respecting different perspectives.
The importest thing for me is that Erasmus gave me new friends for my whole life.
~Laura
It was my first trip. It was better than I thought. First day I didn’t believe that I was in Spain.
Project days were really fun. Participants made us laugh everytime. I saw a lot of things which I will never forget. I have made friends from Spain, Portugal Somalia and etc.
Our team was the best. I liked everyone from my team. The other Participants were really cool, too. And we are in touch now.
I hope return to Madrid and meet them.
Thank you for these unforgettable days, it was one of my best weeks in my life.
~Satenik
Have you ever been in one place with dozens of people with different cultures, behaviors, principles and opinions? I have been, and I can definitely say that the project called ”Changing Minds” has achieved its goal. Having lived and interacted with all of them, I and I assume that the minds of all members of the Armenian group have been changed. In one group it changes a lot, in another a little less, but in my opinion, ”changing minds” was ended successfully. By working in a team with different people, you begin to understand how they think, understand their mind and culture. A very interesting conversation starts with comparisons and everyone learns about the other’s culture.
~Robert
