From September 15-22, Ani Hovakimyan, a staff member at INEDNET, and Lala Mkrtchyan, a member of the Gavar City Women and Youth Council, participated in the “Educate for Democracy” training course organized by DYPALL Network, within the framework of the “University on Youth and Development” (UYD) in Mollina, Spain.
I was honored to participate in this exceptional university, which completely transformed my understanding of non-formal educational projects.
The UYD gathered over 250 participants from various organizations across Europe, neighboring countries, and Africa, offering a platform for networking, workshops, and cultural exchange. It was truly a festival of diversity and exchange, and I greatly benefited from it.
It was such a pleasure to be among experienced youth workers from Greece, Georgia, Armenia, Spain, Croatia, Turkey, Latvia, and Albania, sharing my experiences from Armenia and learning about the challenges youth workers face in their own countries.
We had the chance to collaborate through intellectual games and by designing sessions on democracy, youth participation, activism, and advocacy.
As a youth worker, it was an exceptional experience for me to co-facilitate with others, and the most valuable aspect was receiving feedback from the trainers on our facilitation skills, which helped me to level up.
I was also fascinated by the variety of workshops the university offered, ranging from networking to environmental litigation. I had the opportunity to learn about "Environmental Litigation," a topic I had not encountered before.
The university was a fantastic platform for networking. Through informal conversations, participants discovered each other’s cultures and traditions. The cultural evening was vibrant, filled with traditional dances, and the invited bands made the evening especially enjoyable.
The last day left me thinking that I would love to return to UYD again and again. On the final evening, all the participants paraded through the city of Mollina playing various instruments, culminating in an unforgettable concert featuring both participants and local artists. It was an indescribable experience, and the last day became a memory I will carry with me always.
Article by Ani Hovakimyan
Comments