Almost 120 young people aged 13-26, together with their supervisors from all over Poland and Russia, came to Warsaw to learn to cooperate, solve problems and break stereotypes through games and activities in mixed Polish-Russian teams.
A field game, interactive exercises, simulation games, a training for teachers on informal education techniques are just some of the programme highlights of the three-day workshops prepared by the Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding for children and youth from all over Poland and Russia – from Gorlice to Wejherowo and Dąbrowa Górnicza, from Kaliningrad to Samara and Krasnodar. Youth and supervisors representing 18 entities participating in the "Polish-Russian Youth Exchange" (PRYE) programme were invited to take part in the project.
Modern simulation games (Webmaster and Tree of Life) helped to break stereotypes and look together for a way out of difficult situations and reach an agreement despite language barriers, and cultural and age differences. Not only for young people, but also for the adults – supervisors, who participated in the activities with them. The field game that took place in the streets of midtown Warsaw allowed the participants to go back in time and impersonate the characters from 100 years ago to find traces of Warsaw, which disappeared with the outbreak of the war. During the workshops, teachers from Poland and Russia were also taught the necessary skills and practical tools to carry out the youth exchange project in the most effective way.
fot. Marek Gorczyński
"The partnership in cooperation, learning by playing and recognising the power of diversity are the goals we set for ourselves during the youth workshops. " says Dr. Ernest Wyciszkiewicz, Director of the Centre, "For 7 years now, our Centre has been initiating and supporting activities aimed at promoting dialogue between Poles and Russians, with particular emphasis on youth exchange, which, in our opinion, is a key instrument for counteracting stereotypes that burden relations between the neighbors."
The Polish-Russian Youth Workshops means:
- 116 participants aged 13-26 with supervisors
- 3 days in Warsaw
- young people from Russia, including Krasnodar, Samara, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kaliningrad, Michurinskoye, Yaroslavl
- and also from Poland from Gorlice, Wejherowo, Opole, Poznań, Legnica, Brzuśnik, Lublin, Miłakowo, Rozdrażewo, Bydgoszcz, Dąbrowa Górnicza.
- simulation games and interactive exercises prepared by trainers for mixed Polish-Russian teams
- a field game in the centre of Warsaw following the footsteps of Poles and Russians
- developing the ability to work as a team in groups of different linguistic, cultural and age background
fot. Marek Gorczyński