By Giorgi
1. What do you think about your overall experience of the training sessions in Passau?
As a participant in the Remember to Act project in Passau, Germany, I had a wonderful experience. The training sessions were interactive and engaging, which covered various important topics such as a remembrance culture, youth participation, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 4. Quality education and SDG 16 Peace and justice. Strong institutions. The training was insightful and provided valuable knowledge and understanding of these topics. The facilitators were experienced and knowledgeable. The diverse backgrounds of the participants also lead discussions and exchange of ideas. Overall, I think it was a great kick off meeting and will be looking forward for further activities.
2. Could you please tell us more about your interaction with the other participating countries?
As a participant from Georgia in this project with German and Azerbaijani participants, working in a multicultural team of hosting organization was a valuable and enriching experience. Collaborating with individuals from different cultural backgrounds allowed us to broaden our perspectives and gain a better understanding of each other’s perspectives. The interactions were respectful, friendly and open, creating a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere. We were able to learn and explore about each other’s cultures, traditions, historical facts, try typical food. Working together on shared goals helped to build strong relationships and bridges between our countries. Overall, the working in multicultural team was one of the highlight of the project and provided us with memories that will last a lifetime.
3. What did you learn from this experience?
As a participant in the Remember to Act project, I had the opportunity to learn about diverse non-formal education methods, such as „Suitcase of My Life,“ „Living Library,“ „Oral History,“ and creativity workshops, even though some of them were familiar to me, these methods provided a unique and engaging way to learn about different aspects of culture, history, and personal experiences. The „Suitcase of My Life“ activity helped me reflect on my own personal history and learn about the stories and experiences of others in a meaningful way. The „Human Library“ allowed me to engage in one-on-one conversations with individuals from diverse backgrounds and gain a deeper understanding of their perspectives. The „Oral History“ activity provided insight into the historical experiences of different interesting people and the role of storytelling in preserving remembrance cultural. The creativity workshop was cherry on cake, which inspired me and at the same time was very much engaging too, helped me tap into my creative potential and find new and innovative ways to express myself.
Overall, this experience has given me new skills and knowledge that I am eager to share with my local community in Georgia. I am confident that these non-formal education methods will provide a unique and engaging way for people in my community to learn about different perspectives and cultures. I am very much looking forward to share what I have learned to make a positive impact in my community.
4. What aspect of the event was surprising for you?
I was pleasantly surprised by the results and process of the creativity workshop. I did not expect to be able to develop handmade accessories and decorations related to my personal story and the theme of peace. The workshop was an opportunity for me to tap into my creative potential and express myself in a unique way. I was able to develop new skills and techniques in creating accessories and decorations, and I was amazed by the talents of our participants and “piece of arts” they created during this workshop, each of them carry special unique story.
What truly surprised me, however, was the emotional impact that this workshop had on me. As I created my pieces, I found myself reflecting on my own personal story and how it relates to the theme of peace. This was a truly transformative experience and one that I will always cherish. I was amazed by the power of creativity to bring people together and to help us better understand ourselves and each other.
5. How will this experience affect your future initiatives?
It was a proactive learning journey and inspiring start of our long-term project, called Remember to Act!
The workshops on remembrance culture helped to understand better the importance of preserving the memories, analyze experiences of different communities, and I now have a deeper understanding of the role that memories play in shaping our identities and shaping our perspectives.
The sessions on youth participation showed me the potential for young people to be active agents of change in their communities. I will continue with renewed motivation and energy empowering young people and giving them a voice in shaping the future.
The peace education workshops gave me a deeper understanding of the root causes of conflict and the role that education can play in promoting peace and understanding. I am now more committed than ever to promoting peace education in my community and working to build bridges between different groups.
More than 10 years working in multicultural international teams, which always inspired me many different ways, great value of diversity and the importance of creating inclusive environments where everyone feels welcome.
In this Long-term journey: Remember to Act, which continues for 18th month, we will explore, reflect on many interesting, sensitive topics, tackle conflict zones, empower hundreds of youth and will implement many proactive events, activities to understand better that, we might’ not be responsible and/or can’t influence our societies, countries past history, but we can definitely work on preventing and contributing building more inclusive, resilient, democratic country, where everyone feels welcome and safe.
Giorgi Agirbaia,
Project Manager of Remember to Act: Understand, Learn, Act!
Founder of ProActive Group Georgia