The current refugee crisis that modern Europe is facing affects all of us living on the continent. The sight of thousands of desperate women, men, children and elderly desperately fleeing homes and looking for safety once again highlights the most significant factor that is essential for all the people around the globe in order to live in dignity – peace…
YMCA Europe has been addressing this issue actively for quite a long time. The International Project “Roots for Reconciliation” started in 2007 and at the moment is going through the second stage of implementation. During this period, hundreds of young people ranging from Hawaii to Bangladesh, from Kaliningrad to Johannesburg have taken part in various seminars, workshops, event and activities – promoting one very important notion: PEACE…
Program Festival “it’s mY camp” held in Ureki, Georgia at YMCA Georgia Resource Center “Camp Orange” was yet another of events with same message to all – on July 22-28, 2015 more than 50 young people from YMCAs of Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Nagorno Karabakh and United States got together to spend together one week of learning, sharing, fun and music.
The main subject of the Festival was camping program and most of the learning part of the event focused on this component – members of US delegation sharing the rich culture of camping programs in United States and the best practices obtained during all this period; other delegations provided their own inputs and experiences in the field – all underlining the role and importance of camping programs in developing YMCA movement in general – serving youth, growing leaders, building partnerships and generating income – all together it makes a successful YMCA.
But, however important camping programs can indeed be to build successful YMCA, perhaps this program component was not the most important part of the ProFest… Maybe what impacted most was that long hike in the National Park; The beautiful song of Ukrainian girls that brought tears in the eyes of everyone; energetic US dances and songs that got all of us off feet and dancing; Russian cultural evening that left nobody uninvolved; electric jam-sessions of young Georgian and Armenian musicians every evening and the mere sight of everybody being there, together, happy, smiling and at peace…
