THE GATHERING

The event will bring together 56 participants from North Macedonia, Sweden, Poland, Spain, Serbia, Greece, and Portugal. We aim to spend 8 days together contributing for each other’s personal growth with the help of non-formal education and group learning.

Aim is to:
The internet has become an integral part of our lives, opening up many social and educational opportunities. It has become particularly important in the lives of young people who are accessing the internet more regularly, with more devices, and for longer periods. Young people are now using a diverse range of social media networks to connect and communicate with their peers. All technology these days produces both good results and notable consequences. While better connecting the world and democratizing information, the internet has also allowed individuals to hide behind masks of anonymity. The “faceless evil” of the internet is a growing threat for young people, specifically when it comes cyberbullying. We know that bullying is not a new phenomenon, but the digital landscape has fundamentally changed the way that young people are experiencing it.

Objectives are to:

● To raise awareness of participants on the influence of social media on behavior with special focus to be paid to self-esteem and self-confidence;
● To raise awareness in the community of the existence of online risks while addressing cyberbullying and hate speech online;
● To increase participant’s knowledge on how to improve the use of the internet and use social media in a positive way for own benefit;
● Development of functional and critical digital literacy and internet safety skills;
● To increase participant’s competences to protect personal information and reputation
● To develop participant’s ICT skills, by creating videos, articles, Booklet by using new technologies);
● To develop participant’s competencies such as communication in English, teamwork in a mix-intercultural team, problem-solving, conflict management, leadership skills of the participants in intercultural settings;
● To increase participant’s knowledge on Erasmus + Programme
● To support creating new contacts among the participants and their organizations;

CULTURE OF MINDFULNESS

In our team, we believe that mindful living is the first step to WELLbeing. To feel comfortable, we encourage you to check in with yourself that you are passionate about the topic and ready to spend 8 days in a peaceful venue, with no intoxicants, emerging into yourself, group connection and non-formal learning. You are so welcomed to contribute to the culture by bringing your favorite workshop, instrument, poems, incense, game, maybe even special clothes…let’s co-create.
NOTE: This is an alcohol-free event.

During the event there will be lots of intercultural exchange. We will be able to present our own cultures – any kind of culture you feel you belong to and it’s meaningful to you. We would be very glad to see how you imagine your own culture, not the culture of your country.
This means that all options are possible. A culture may be presented by a poem (created by you?), a dance, a song, performance etc. We appreciate it if some of you even prepare short workshops as part of exchange. Coffee Breaks will be dedicated for international snack exchange so bring your favorite snacks to share during coffee breaks.

• Motivated to take part in a youth exchange and are interested in the topic of the project;
• Motivated to implement the experience gained in the Youth Exchange in their communities;
• Motivated to build and support international partnerships that will be created during the Youth Exchange for future Erasmus+ projects;
• Age limit 18 – 25 years old, preferred;
• People who are willing to learn more about other cultures by sharing rooms with 3-5 other people from different countries;
• People who will be dedicated during the activities, willing to take active participation and be part in creating the final project results;

PROFILE OF GROUP LEADERS

• Youth workers, leaders with experiences in international youth field, with non- formal education based methodology;
• With previous experiences in the field of youth engagement, project management, Erasmus + Programme, KA 1 – youth exchanges;
• Being able to support the participants during project: to organize and implement preparatory meetings, to communicate with other group leaders in the process of preparation of programme, to assist participants with arranging practicalities for YE, to support participants during YE, especially to support their learning process and active participation, to organize and to implement evaluation meetings with participants, to support development follow-up activities. There will be no age limit set for group leaders.

● Learning by doing method;
● Ice-breakers and team building games to get to know each other;
● Workshops will leave room for moderated but controversial discussions;
● Simulation games will allow us to identify current challenges of non-formal education and show possible measures that strengthen them;
● These sessions will provide the participants with concrete ideas that can be implemented in their local communities, thus ensuring an important multiplier effect;

Programme will be shaped by each of us with the help of facilitators. The aim of the gathering is to actually exchange, thus you are invited to prepare a small workshop to share with a group.

08:30 – 09:30 Breakfast
10:00-11:30 Morning Rituals (W1)
11:30 – 12:00 Intercultural Coffee Break 12:00 – 13:30 Workshop 2
13:30 – 14:00 Lunch
15:30 – 17:00 Workshop 3
17:00 – 17:30 Intercultural Coffee Break 17:30 – 18:30 Workshop 4
18:30 – 19:00 Evening Rituals
19:00 – 20:00 Dinner
20:30 Evening Activities (optional)

The gathering will take place in a modest family run LAKEHOSTEL BOCKABERG

It is located in the arms of the lake Uspen, 40 min. bus ride from Gothenburg Centralstation. We will stay 3-4 people per room with shared bathroom facilities. Unfortunately, due to budget limits we cannot arrange separate rooms. The nearest bus stop & shop is 5km away, thus please prepare for your needs. NOTE: there will be no towels and no toiletries provided, bring your own.

The hostel offers a beautiful activity room with lake view and modest campsite style rooms with bunk beds and shared bathrooms. Thus, an invitation to set our minds for simplicity and have no expectations. There will be a possibility to rent a sauna and canoes for an extra cost. Alcohol and drugs are strictly forbidden in the whole area of the campsite. Smoking is only permitted outdoors in a designated place. Violation of this entitles the caretaker to immediately dismiss the guest concerned. NOTE: shoes are not allowed in the buildings, please bring your slippers.

3 meals per day will be prepared with love by our wonderful chef with our assistance. Meals will be mainly vegetarian and meat will be served only a few times during the week. Kitchen is an inclusive part of the project, where all of us have chores to contribute. Chef will ask for our daily inclusion in the kitchen to support the idea of community living and mindful meals. Coffee breaks will be arranged by us, the group, hence remember to pack some goodies to share. NOTE: bring goodies to share during coffee breaks.

An invitation to try to travel consciously – with no excess luggage and extra effort to store it. Welcome to use tips from EC: https://bit.ly/3r23I00

1 Fly to Gothenburg Landvetter Airport

It is the closest airport to the venue. Flying to Oslo, Malmo, Copenhagen and Stockholm airports is an alternative. If landing in these airports, you will have to take a Flixbus, Nettbuss or a train to Gothenburg Central Station (check timetables carefully).

2 Take a bus to Gothenburg Central Station

Please, buy a roundtrip ticket to Landvetter Airport – Gothenburg from https://www.flygbussarna.se/ in advance. Ticket is valid for all Flygbuss buses. Calculate 45 mins for the ride.

3 AT 20:00 Jump on a Private Bus to the LAKEHOSTEL

There will be a private bus named BUSSBOKNING waiting for you in front of Hotel Clarion Post right next to the station (https://goo.gl/maps/zJo1TE5MfztAeaaA6).

IMPORTANT – plan Your trip well, be on time:
On Arrival day the bus will leave at 8pm sharp. There is no other way to reach the venue. ON DEPARTURE DAY bus will drop you off: at 7.20am in Landvetter Airport, at 8am in Gothenburg Central Station

Board, lodging and programme costs will be provided and paid 100% by grant from the Erasmus+. Travel costs will be reimbursed after following the requested steps. Taxi is not reimbursable.
It is recommended to have a bank card ready for small expenses.

According to the budget from Erasmus + Programme, below is the maximum amount that each participant can use for the travel when traveling from their NGO city. The private bus transfer cost is deducted.

All physical copies of the tickets (bus tickets, boarding passes, invoices etc.) need to be kept and then sent physically in order for the reimbursement to proceed

Spain: 320 eur

IMPORTANT FOR REIMBURSEMENT
According to the guidelines of Erasmus+ Programme we can only refund travel costs, if following points are fulfilled:

1) You have timely provided tickets, invoices, boarding passes & filled reimbursement form;
2) Your travel route is from the country of sending NGO to the venue and back;
3) You present copy of ID, passport or residence permit from the country of sending NGO;
4) You have chosen the cheapest means of transportation (no taxi, no excess luggage, etc.);
4) Your travel dates are according to the programme –arrival 15th September, departure 23rd September. You can have max 3 days prior OR after the event at your own expenses;
5) You have received sending NGOs approval before purchasing the tickets;
6) You, right after the event, have submitted Youthpass form, EC survey form and performed dissemination tasks;
7) You have participated in all the event programmes and respected the culture.

The amounts that get over the maximum budget can NOT be reimbursed. So an invitation to book your tickets ASAP. After booking the tickets, you will get instructions on where and how to upload them for the next steps.
All the reimbursements will be done via bank transfers. It might take some months after the event to receive your paper documents

2) Bring a comfy outfit, yoga mat/blanket, reusable water bottle;
3) Bring a towel & toiletries;
4) Bring slippers to wear inside;
5) Pack some goodies to share for the coffee breaks;
6) Prepare for cold, Gothenburg is windy;
7) Bring European Health Card or get health insurance (a MUST);
8) Make sure you save all the documents for reimbursements;
9) Make sure you are ready to perform dissemination tasks;
10) COVID19: bring sufficient masks, sanitizer, personal stationery (pen, notebook);
11) This is an ALCOHOL-FREE gathering.