ICPI was the hosting and one of the coordinating organization of the youth exchange project "Connecting generations Via Volunteering", within YIA programme. Down u can see the short description of the project:                                     




                                              YOUTH EXCHANGE PROJECT (3.1)
                                                             Qobuleti , Georgia
                                                               10-17 December


Youth exchange “Connecting generations via volunteering” took place in Kobuleti, Georgia from 10 to 17 December 2011. The project has gather 40 youngsters from 8 European Union and Neighboring countries : Sweden, Georgia, Latvia, Turkey, Moldova, Ukraine, Netherlands and Spain.

The theme of the project was solidarity between generations and the ways of improving it by volunteering. There were five main objectives of the project:

- Promote volunteering and motivate youngsters to be active in voluntary work.
- Stimulate a better understanding and solidarity between different generations.
- Detect problems in the inter-generational communication and find solutions for better involvement based on experiences in participating countries.
- Promote the European year 2011 for Volunteering and 2012 for active ageing and solidarity between generations.
- Enhance partnership between different organizations on the topic of generation communication and voluntary work within Youth in Action.

Workshops and activities were planned in order to insure the achievement of those goals. During the project activities participants detected the problems in maintaining the connection between generations and find possible improvements in the problem areas using volunteering platform. The activities were based on international group workshops, as well as simulation game and debates with the local organizations that deal with adults and voluntary activities.

Also Participants of the project had chance to work as volunteers in the old people house. They made different activities for them: art therapy, dancing lessons, singing, legend telling and so on… Finally they organized little show, presenting the results of the workshops. At the end of the activity all the participants were glad that they have made something important , they made one typical day of old people smiley and happy. It was very useful experience for them.

There were some more important activities, like as “grand poem” project in the city center of Batumi. Participants were spreading little brochures about youth in action program and EVS in particular. It was nice promotion as local media made some reports.

Excursion in old capital of Georgia was very useful to find out historical heritage of hosting country. Other participants also had chance to present there culture and traditions during cultural evenings, which was held every night during the whole project.

It was very useful project according to the feedback of participants. All of them where happy that they have learned how much they can do for there society.