By Sascha Klughardt, Ideathon Participant from Germany

As part of the remember to act ideation I was given the opportunity to travel to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, as part of a small group to work on ideas to foster intercultural exchange and the culture of remembrance. Together with Georgi from Georgia and Nariman from Azerbaijan, I developed an idea and concepts to promote it. We were supported in this endeavor with know-how on the topic of project management and planning.

I found the project very informative, enlightening as well as adding some new perspectives. I was able to learn a lot of new things from the training and at the same time try out what I had learned in a practical context. For example, the concept of the elevator pitch or how to structure ideas in a clear and rapid process. Therefore, the training sessions were definitely an asset in terms of their content.

It was an interesting experience to engage with the other participants in the project’s context as well as in social and private activities. There was a lot to learn from the different and diverse perspectives. It was also exciting to get out of a regular environment, where cultural dynamics are a part of the daily routine.

On the one hand, I learned to question perspectives and norms more strongly from a cultural viewpoint. On the other hand, with regard to project management and the coordination of teams and groups, I gained a lot of valuable experience. I have also learned to effectively transfer ideas into target-oriented actions. Of course, I also gained a lot of new knowledge about Georgian culture, particularly about the unique history of the country, its people and also its culinary culture.

For me, the most surprising thing was the insight into Georgia’s culture and narrative. Georgia is a very interesting country with its own culture and yet also external cultural influences shaped by many different historical circumstances. The guided tour of the Museum of Georgian History was particularly striking in this regard. In the process, it became possible to understand more precisely why certain national narratives are established in the context of a historical progression.

Especially in the intercultural context and in connection with the culture of remembrance as well as the culture of exchange, I gained a lot of experience and practical knowledge from this short but very intensive stay in Tbilisi for my future life and my dealings with people. All in all, it was a significant exchange with a lasting impact.

By Johanna, 20, Ideathon participant from Germany 

At the End of August, I had the opportunity to travel with four other people from Germany to Tbilisi in Georgia. Our goal was to work on ideas to promote remembrance culture in our home countries. These ideas were developed by us together with young people from Azerbaijan and Georgia in online sessions of the Ideathon before our trip to Georgia where we met the others in real life.

In two meeting days we worked on our idea, created an action plan, presented the idea to the project managers and trained to convince other people of our idea. I learned a lot about project management, teamwork and presentations, but also about the topic of the project: remembrance culture. We talked a lot about the history of the other countries, and it was very interesting to listen to the stories and experiences of the other young people. The history of Georgia was even presented to us by our hosts in a walk of remembrance through Tbilisi, where we among other things visited the Museum of Occupation.

Throughout the whole trip I liked the atmosphere between the participants. Even though we all are from different countries we had a lot of things in common and shared experiences from our countries so I learned also a lot about the life in Georgia and Azerbaijan.

Tbilisi is a beautiful city with a lot of things to see and to experience and it was a eventful trip! I am very glad, that I had the opportunity to meet all this people, learn about these things and to see Tbilisi!

By Franka, volunteer from Passau

I participated in the Ideathon in Georgia, which was part of the project „Remember to Act“.

The meeting took place in Tbilisi in a former factory that has been converted into a hostel and a creative space. Together with the other participants, I worked on the implementation of our idea to promote remembrance culture in our countries. During the workshop we created an action plan and had several inputs on project and time management, social media presence and the concept of the elevator pitch. During the Ideathon, we had the opportunity to put these concepts into practice.

It was fascinating to work with other young people from Georgia and Azerbaijan. We discovered many similarities and differences in our cultures and talked a lot about the historical aspects and approaches to remembrance culture.

My personal highlight was the city tour in Tbilisi where we visited several places, statues and monuments. The architecture, with both old and modern buildings, was impressive. One of our last stops was the Museum of Occupation to learn about the history of Georgia. I didn’t know much about Tbilisi before the trip, so I was amazed and grateful to have the opportunity to discover another part of the world due to the Ideathon.

by Sophi Kortiashvili, Project Assistant, Team member of ProActive Group Georgia

Introduction:

Hello, I am Sophi from Georgia. Recently I have participated in the Peace Education wonderful trainings hosted by NAYORA Team in Baku, Azerbaijan within long-term “Remember to Act” project. training brought together participants from Germany, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. The program focused on peace education and its importance in today’s interconnected world. Here, I am so glad to share the highlights, the key takeaways from the training, emphasizing the diverse applications of peace education in different contexts.

Understanding Peace Education:

During the training, I have developed a strong grasp of peace education’s societal influence. It equips individuals with conflict resolution skills, nonviolent communication, and a commitment to fairness. Through interactive sessions and discussions, trainers explored the various facets of peace education and its potential for positive transformation.

Peacekeeper, Peacemaker, and Peacebuilder:

We got familiar and learned about three distinct roles in peace work: peacekeepers, peacemakers, and peacebuilders. Peacekeepers maintain peace, peacemakers resolve conflicts, and peacebuilders address root causes for lasting peace. This understanding helps trainers adapt their methods for specific peace education goals.

 Implementation Methods:

The training program equipped us with tools and resources to implement peace education in various settings. We learned how to create peaceful environments through workshops and interactive sessions, promoting values like trust, empathy, and cooperation. This will enable us to encourage peaceful behaviors, resolve conflicts peacefully, and foster inclusivity.

Sharing Experiences and Perspectives:

During the sessions we have shared diverse experiences and perspectives on peace, deepening understanding of regional challenges and opportunities. Everyone were motivated to apply these insights to their own peace education initiatives, fostering unity and a commitment to a peaceful future.

Conclusion:

The training program hosted and organized by NAYORA Team empowered us, as future educators, trainers to promote peace and understanding of it in our communities. Participants from Germany, Georgia, and Azerbaijan learned about peace education and the roles of peacekeepers, peacemakers, and peacebuilders. By fostering trust, empathy, and cooperation, we will create lasting change and contribute to building a harmonious society. We hope, gained new knowledge, skills and our strong motivation, efforts will bridge different parts of people and groups, resolve conflicts, and create a more peaceful and inclusive world.

The workshop in Baku was my first time travelling with a VISA, it was a very nice experience overall and I enjoyed seeing our partner organizations again in person. Baku is a beautiful city and we were able to see different parts of it. The organizers of Nayora planned the workshop really well, in the mornings and afternoon we would have the training sessions and every evening we would go out to dinner and try many different foods at places around the city. The old city was very suggestive and amazing to walk around. We also met many local volunteers of our Azerbaijani partner organization and they were all very invested and active in volunteering, we exchanged contacts and I hope we will remain in contact.

I didn’t know what to expect out of this 5 day workshop and I learned so much about peace education in so little time. I was surprised that I hadn’t taken part to such projects before, trainings with informal learning are a great way to learn new skills and competencies, and by the end of the session I took back to Passau a lot of new knowledge.

During my experience in Baku, as I said, I met many young volunteers, and I also got to know Aegee Baki and we will keep in contact to organize maybe later on some events with Aegee Passau, other than that I enjoyed the last day a lot where some volunteers of Nayora joined us for dinner and we chatted about our experiences of volunteering and about the differences about pizza in Italy and Azerbaidjan. In the evening, often unfortunately we didn’t make it to meet up and go to bars all together, which I found was a pity, but understandably everyone was very tired, so usually the three of us from GLL would go out to pubs in the evening, although we learned from a volunteer of Nayora that that isn´t really a cultural thing. Another evening I really enjoyed was going to the tea house in Baku, where we were able to taste an amazing cup of tea and have a beautiful conversation. During one of the workshop sessions we learned about the tool Life Line, this was also a good way of exchanging words and getting to know each other, I found it very interesting and nice to hear the story of another participant and have the chance to talk together directly. 

The trainer was really good, she organized the session outline really well, by giving enough theoretic input and also explaining and letting us try out different methods. One of the methods that surprised me the most was Win As Much As You Can, I found it a very good way of explaining conflicts and why conflicts begin in a simple way: at the base there is always trust. The workshop helped me learn a lot about peace education and I am now even more than before interested in working and volunteering for the project. What I think a message for peace could be is that Peace can be found if people trust each other and treat each other equally.

By Paul, 24, volunteer from Passau

My first transnational meeting is over.  I come out of these 5 days with an optimistic and motivated energy. More than three nationalities came together and spent the days in Passau.

In advance I was very nervous. One reason was that I had to design and conduct a workshop in English on the oral history method. On the other hand, I was very excited to take part in a transnational meeting because I had only heard about it before but only had the chance to take part towards the end of my internship. I am very grateful for this unique opportunity.

We, the team from Passau and the team from Georgia, started the 5 days with a special city tour. Our boss, Perdita, structured the city tour like a speed dating round. Between the stops, where Perdita shared her personal experiences of Passau as well as facts about the sights, we were given a question or topic to talk about in random teams of two. I have done many city tours in Passau and even with the modest size of the city, these tours can feel very long. In contrast, our way of exploring Passau was varied and short. I found the different perspectives on politics, politicians, religion and church particularly interesting. Having grown up in a representative democracy, I have no distrust of our political representatives and institutions, despite the personal failings of individual politicians. My non-German tandem partners, on the other hand, spoke with great conviction about their mistrust of politics, the state and the churches. Of course I have ideas and wishes about how a Germany should be structured so that everyone can be different without fear, but the demands do not make me doubt the democratic system.

Until my talk on oral history, I really wasn’t all there. For the future, I have resolved to trust more in my preparation. Although I’ve already given many presentations, it’s always a challenge for me and this time I couldn’t just improvise because the presentation had to be in English. Nevertheless, I was all the more relieved when my presentation was over. Afterwards, I was able to focus more on the other participants and our project.

Due to budget cuts, it was decided that each national team would prepare a national evening with food. We Germans kicked things off. A colleague cooked a Saarland dish called „Geheiratete”. Externally, the whole thing was less appealing, which was also easy to see in the faces of our international partners. Personally, I am also someone who attaches importance to appearance and consistency in food. That’s why I was hesitant to try the whole thing. But then I was convinced by the taste of it.

Sunday was my absolute highlight because the Creative Workshops took place. After a phase full of uncreatively and pressure, I was able to lose myself in the work very well and enjoyed the creative work. In general, I found the Creative Workshops very wholesome. Everyone visibly enjoyed their work and was really absorbed. The presentation of our work at the end of the day was simply beautiful. Each person had a story to tell and you had the feeling of getting to know each person from a very personal perspective. In the evening, the team from Azerbaijan cooked. I can only sink into longing. The food was so delicious. A very unexpected but a really good idea was a quell event organized by the Azerbaijani team to inform us about their country. I won a plate with the emblem of Azerbaijan on it, which I put directly in my room.

Monday was the most emotionally challenging day. We talked about the project and what remembrance culture means in our countries. I have to admit that I knew nothing about the history of genocides in Georgia and Azerbaijan. Together, in small groups, we thought about how we could talk to the contemporary witnesses in order not to forget history but at the same time not to retraumatise the eyewitnesses. This was perhaps the most difficult task during the whole time.

On the last day, we were able to go to a typical Bavarian restaurant. It was a really delicious and nice ending in the beer garden in the centre of Passau.