Project Diary

Who do you think you are?

Ireland… Homeland of Saint Patrick. Country of emerald meadows, Celtic music, stepdance and famous beer “Guinness”. Country of wars and revolutions. Country of very religious and very polite people.

From the 9th till the 16th of October, 2012, the team of Youth Open Centre „JACis” from Rezekne, Latvia, participated in the international youth exchange project called „Who do you think you are?” within the EU programme „Youth in Action”. The project took place in the capital of Ireland – Dublin. Except Latvian team, also teams from Ireland, Belarus and Ukraine had been involved, in general – 8 team leaders and 16 young people. The main objective of this project – to learn about other countries, their cultures as well as human identity.

            The first day started with the name-games and ice-breaking activities. The objective of these activities – to learn the names of participants of the project. Every participant introduced himself by posting his name on the wall and saying a little about his country and interests. Posted names had been arranged into the „Name Crossword”. In the end of these activities everyone had chosen his secret friend. The principle of a „Secret Friendship” is the following:  you should give presents to your secret friend unanymously.

             Then, several topics, such as informal education and human’s identity, had been discussed. Participants learned the concept of these terms as well as discussed the examples of informal education. Everyone got the possibility to express his own opinion. Besides, it was quite useful to practice the oral English speech.

            After the lunch there were some team-building activities. Here the representatives of different countries and different cultures learned how to work together, in international team. Young people stood in the circle. Everybody had taken random participants’ hands. In the result, there appeared some kind of tangled knot. The task was to unbind this knot. The game lasted for quite long time, but mission was accomplished successfully. Then all participants were divided into four groups. Every group received an egg and pieces of paper. The task – to wrap an egg into the paper and throw it out of the second floor window. And in the end, only two eggs remained unbroken.

            In the evening there was the first intercultural event organized by Irish team. Firstly, they had shown some scenes from Irish history and mythology. Also, there was a possibility to learn how to dance Irish folk dances and, of course, to listen to Irish folk music. After this event the working day had come to an end.

            In the second day’s morning all the leaders and young people visited the Irish Aid Volunteering and Information Centre. Located on Dublin’s main street, this centre highlights the challenges facing developing countries. It is a dynamic environment for individuals and groups to engage with global development and the work of Irish Aid. Here the participants played a simulation game. Divided in groups again, they represented the people of poor African village. The task – to get as much food cards as it is possible. The representative of each group should throw a dice. If the number is 1,2 or 3, he should answer the question. If it is 4,5 or 6, he should play the situation. And, in dependance of the answers, the quantity of food cards increased or decreased. This game helped participants to understand, how hard it is to live in African countries.

            After visiting the „Irish Aid” our group returned in the hostel. Some minutes later a new activity started. Organized by Belarussian team, it was called „Babylon”. Participants were divided into groups. They should have to create the new language, using sounds and gestures. Participants liked this activity very much. Another example of successful teamwork.

            Next game was called „Time Lines”. Every participant received large sheet of paper. The task – to draw a time line, to mark the most important moments, which influenced the participant’s life in general, on this line and to present the results of the work.

            During the break it was possible to listen to Irish folk songs performed by one of Irish leaders. After the break another games had started. It was a complex of several games with one joint name - „Gender Games”. Participants divided into two groups – boys in one and girls in another. The task – to finish the following statements: „If I were a boy/girl, I would have to...”, „If I were boy/girl, I could...”, „Because I am a boy/girl, I have to...”, „Because I am a boy/girl, I can...”. Every group presented the results and then there was a short discussion about these results.

Next part of the „Gender Games” was a role-playing activity. Two volunteers, a boy and a girl. A boy represents a girl and vice versa. The task – to tell about one day of „their own” life. It was very funny to watch the performance of both volunteers. Then was a free time. The bigger part of people had gone shopping, but some of the participants, led by one of Irish leaders, had went to see the sights of Dublin.

Second intercultural evening was organized by Ukrainian team. It started with the video about the heritage of Ukraine. After that video the representatives of Ukrainian youth performed a song „Галю, прiходь”. And then was a quiz, where the questions were associated with the history and culture of Ukraine.   

The third day’s morning started with the process of intercultural communication, where two groups of participants represented the people of two different cultures. After this process there was a discussion about its advantages and disadvantages.

Next activities had been organized on the streets of Dublin. Wearing paper tables with the name of the project („Who do you think you are?” – one participant, one table, one letter on every table), the participants made a short „Flashmob” performance in a park near Trinity College. Local students were quite surprised. Another task was called „Field Work”. Divided into several groups, the participants should interview some native dubliners, people, who live in Dublin for a long time and representatives of different sub-cultures. All available tools – one camera and one sheet with all the questions. Also, there were several tasks to complete, for example, to find an educational institution, graduated by famous people such as writers Jonathan Swift and Oscar Wilde and singer and musician Chris de Burgh and to make a photo near it as well as make a photo near the Oscar Wilde’s monument.

After the dinner all the leaders and young people watched a movie called „ The Freedom Writers”. This movie was about young teacher, who started working at school. And the class, where she works, is divided into several groups fighting with each other. The teacher tries to make all possible things to stop the war between students  and to make them want to learn. Her attempts were successful – her class became united and more progressive.  Very touching movie, it was worth to watch it.

In the morning of the fourth day the participants of the project went to the „Dublin Computer Clubhouse”. This organization provides a safe, creative and free after-school learning environment where young people, 8-18 years, work with adult mentors to explore their own ideas, develop skills, and build confidence in themselves and learn to express themselves through the use of technology. Again there was a division into groups, with the same people, which were there during the „Field Work”. The task – to arrange the interviews into one movie. Young people were working with video editing software and acquiring computer skills.

Then our group had caught a bus and had went to the sea. But, except the sea, nobody had expected to see the mountains. The sights were very beautiful. Many photos had been taken. The trip lasted until the dinner.

Latvian team had organized their intercultural evening after the dinner. Firstly, we had shown some videos about Latvia. Then was a love song performed in Latvian by one of the leaders and one of the young people. After the song there was a possibility for the guests to taste Latvian national food – sandwiches with sprat, latvian cheese called „Trikāta”, smoked sausage as well as tea with chocolate candies „Laima”. Of course, there were also dances. And our guests liked them very much. In the end of evening leaders of Ireland, Belarus and Ukraine received some souvenires. Then we all supposed to go sleep. BUT!!! Young people didn’t want to go away! One of participants connected his mobile to the computer, and dances continued. They lasted until the midnight. At midnight we congradulated one of Irish participants, who had a birthday. This was a big surprise for him. And only then the working day ended.

The most interesting part of the fifth day was the photo-orientation activity „Identity of Dublin”, organized by the team of Youth Open Centre „JACis”. It was a wonderful opportunity to get closer to know Dublin through the method of informal education. The objectives of the photo-orientation were the following: firstly, to see the identity of Dublin through the cultural heritage, for example, historical places, monuments, symbols of Dublin and Ireland etc.; secondly, to develop the creative thinking; thirdly, to develop a skill of work in international team. Participants had been divided into two groups. Every group recieved a sheet with the route and the tasks of  orientation. The tasks were quite different – for example, to sing a song „Molly Malone” near the Molly Malone’s monument, to make a funny photo, to send a postcard... The funniest moment was, when the participants exchanged the jackets of each other.

After the photo-orientation our group went to dinner. Later the team of Belarus had organized their own intercultural event. Just like Latvian evening, it started with a pair of videos about the identity of Belarus and its capital, Minsk. Then the guests of the evening listened to the guitar song performed by the representatives of Belarussian youth. After the song the guests learned how to dance Belarussian folk dances. A bit later there was a little feast. The team of Belarus had been brought the following food: souffle sweets, three kinds of chocolate candies, oat cookies, chips with cheese and bacon, kvass and birch juice. Very delicious!

The sixth day started with a visit to „Dublin Computer Clubhouse”, where the participants had finished the arrangement of their interviews and later had shown the films to the representatives of local community. Also, there sounded several songs accompanied by guitar and synthesizer.

After these presentations there was a free time. Again, the bigger part of people had gone shopping. And the other part simply had gone for a walk. Only in the dinner time we returned back to the hostel. In the late evening every participant filled the form of evaluation of different aspects of the project. This was the final activity, and the international youth exchange project „Who do you think you are?” had come to an end.

The seventh day was the day of leaving Dublin. At 7.00 we said goodbye to the teams of Belarus and Ukraine, one hour later – also to Irish team. The farewell is always full of sadness. However, deep in our hearts we hope, that someday all the participants of this project will meet together again. But that already will be another story...

Nikolajs Tihomirovs (LATVIA)