From 29th June – 04th July in Ohrid we’ve organized training ‘CID Academy 2019’ for the project “Promoting youth Activism in Multiethnic Communities”.

The 5 days training gathered 20 youngsters from 15-20 years old with different background and coming from three different municipalities: Kumanovo, Lipkovo and Staro Nagoricane.

The focus of this training was on the creation of the group spirit and cohesion, as well the principles and values of human rights. The participants had time to get to know each others, learn more about the different communities that they are coming from, practice some communication skills, learn more about human rights and discus about discrimination and intercultural dialogue but as well as think about youth activism and what they can do for their communities back home.

First of all this was very good experience for me which I will remember for a long time. I met great people who are coming from different ethnic backgrounds and they turn out to be fun, smart, creative and very pleasant to be around them. I can say that form this training I’ve gained new knowledge’s about communication skills, leadership skills, discrimination, human rights etc. I liked the workshops that we had, because I think we learned better through them. I hope that the things I’ve learned will be in good use for me in the future, and I can’t wait for the next stage of this project. –  said Monika Spasic

 

The day of our arrival was not really packed up, because we only got to know each other and talk about fears, expectations and contributions. On  Sunday and Monday we talked about conflict resolution, youth activism, human rights and democratic principles and values. From these two days we learnt how to avoid conflicts, how to solve them and how to tolerate. We also learnt how important youth activism is and how important it is for young people to have ideas and opinions and to be able to express them. The participants were free to share their opinions and to contribute to the discussion. Intercultural dialogue, leadership, discrimination were among the important topics that were discussed on the following days. What we got from these activities is that intercultural relationships are the key to high functioning society and how us young people can become the leaders of tomorrow that will make our place go forward.
While doing these activites we also got to make new friends, we got to know different cultures and we also played games, watched movies, went to swim so it was even more fun and exciting. Because the project had very thought provoking conversations and never failed to include every paticipant, it succeeded to educate us and give us the toolth to better and strengthen our community. – said Diellza Rexhepi
This training is going to be followed by five two-day interactive trainings, on youth civic engagement and advocacy. They will also work on topics such as Democracy, Active Youth Participation, Leadership, Community Resilience, Intercultural Dialogue, Community Trust Building, Volunteering, Advocacy and Project Management. The trainings will create a ground base of knowledge and skills on these topics and will also provide a space for young people to reflect on their common needs that need to be advocated in front of the local authorities, as well map the main challenges in the community when it comes to advocacy of youth issues.
More photos from the training can be viewed here.