What it feels like to be part of the international family
I am an 18-year-old student from Georgia and currently live in Neumarkt in Styria. I am studying strategic communication and journalism.
Leaving the comfort zone always seemed quite easy for me. The thought that I was ready to experience something new was always in my head until I discovered that I never actually left the comfort zone I had created for myself. Studying at university, working and doing it all over again.
The decision to leave my country for 3 months and embark on this wonderful journey was a bit spontaneous. 3 months in Austria is exactly what I needed to challenge myself. Changing my everyday life completely (with no idea what it will be like) is scary, but in the meantime the most exciting and unexpected thing.
My goal for this journey is to enjoy the little things I will accomplish and the friendships I will make; to let go of the fear of the future and to be fully present in the present.
Looking back on the first event I attended, I can hardly find words to express the feelings I experienced. The Europaburg, filled with participants from different countries who have the same view of Europe, is the aim of EYFON. Discussions, getting to know each other’s cultures and learning to live together peacefully despite major differences are what our projects stand for. For many people, understanding the term “European” is not a matter of course. That is why EYFON wants to spread information about the EU and the importance of European unity. Furthermore, our aim is to connect and unite very different people. We know that when participants leave the castle, they feel a special bond that creates a sense of togetherness, a feeling of being a European.
So far we have had 4 projects and 2 guest events. Our projects are dedicated to peace and co-operation, which is the most important topic nowadays. We have had participants from Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Italy, Serbia, Poland, Latvia, Bulgaria, Romania and Kosovo. In addition to receiving the guests in our castle, we also organised an event at the French Embassy in Vienna. The 7th grade students from Graz showed their interest in international affairs and took part in the discussion. They were informed about the importance of relations between France and Austria. They had the opportunity to ask questions on the topic and received detailed answers. Following the discussion, they were able to take part in an atmospheric evening with a classical concert and a buffet.
One of the first events I had the honour of attending was on 4-9 July. Young people aged 18-22 from 5 different countries exchanged views and discussed the future of Europe. The participants from Ukraine, Italy, Latvia, Poland and Georgia joined forces during these days. In the seminars, they dealt with the EU, the future of Europe, what fake news means and how to avoid it. The exchange of ideas and sharing of culture brought them closer to Europe.
In addition to the seminars, they took part in various activities, such as tape art, raft building and archery. They spent the evenings playing volleyball, tennis, darts and many board games. On 7 July, we opened the castle to everyone who wanted to show their support for Ukraine and the refugees from Ukraine. After the celebration, the guests had the opportunity to enjoy Ukrainian food.
To bring people from different cultures together, we organised an international evening where participants presented their traditional food and drinks.
One of the participants shared his feedback with us: “I think the purpose of the seminar was achieved as we are all aware that we are part of a larger community without borders that goes beyond the EU and includes all our nationalities (Georgians, Ukrainians, Latvians, Poles, Italians). The strong bond that has been created has already led us to organise more meetings and trips to other countries, and I am pretty sure that this will not diminish in the coming years.” It is worth mentioning that each of them was willing to stay for more days and come back in the future.
The last event took place on 1-5 August at Europeburg Castle. The age group was 14-17 years old and we made sure that they felt at home in our castle. They were enthusiastic about the place itself. Activities like domino rally and go-karting were their favourites. We had a workshop about podcasts and they created a podcast about peace and freedom. They also learned about the opportunities the EU offers, including volunteering, travel and exchange programmes.
It is a pleasure to welcome so many young people who are open to change. The projects evoke many feelings: Curiosity when learning about different topics, joy when making friends, sadness when saying goodbye and a willingness to come back in the future.
It is really fascinating to see how the connections have developed after just a few days. And the crucial thing is that the participants maintain this unity not only over a longer period of time, but for years to come.
With the power of EYFON, a small castle became home to thousands of people from all over Europe.
