As a 21 year old, I have a great deal to learn about life and the world we live in. And that is why I was so interested in being a participant in an Erasmus + project. Even though I did some research and found out that these programs promote gaining knowledge and spreading awareness on one subject or another, while improving your skills of communication and interaction with foreign youths, I was so so sooo excited due to the fact that it was my first one.
But even though the themes differ from one project to another, I had a special interest in this one. Working as a bookseller, I am quite interested in diverse stories. And while not all of them tend to be my cup of tea, I do know that each and every story has the honour to present its uniqueness. And that is what this Erasmus + project promotes by opening a human library: diversity, uniqueness, human connection, reality; all of this while the readers have the chance to empathize with the main character’s feelings and insights in a safe environment.
During the days, there were plenty of group activities that helped the participants talk more freely, learn useful knowledge about how a human library works but also experience the chance to work with other people, who were randomly selected. This way, the whole experience had a better chance of reaching its purpose. And it surely did. The activities consisted of teamwork, promoting trust gaining, respectful communication and learning.
This program contained more than just interactive and fun preparations for the library’s grand opening. It was like a living puzzle put together by so many people from different countries, each and every one of them leaving their mark on the main result. Cultural nights were made, experiences shared, connections formed, but the most important thing, stories were shared.
I think it is essential to gain as much knowledge as you can about the world around you and this project offered the perfect opportunity for this. As a youth exchange, perspectives were widened, so abstract thinking had a greater chance of being improved. The location was also nice and participants had the chance to explore and enjoy the surroundings in their free time.
One day we arrived, spent moment after moment in a magical castle that we animated with our distinct personalities and one week later here we are - looking with pride and joy at the finished product, happy that we could share some of our pages with one another.
- Elisa
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