English
The flute: Virtual backpacking
The Flute – remote backpacking
THEMES: Creativity and culture, social entrepreneurship, social innovation, migrant issues
PROJECT DURATION: 2022-2023
PROJECT FUNDING: EU Erasmus+ K220
PROJECT NUMBER: KA220-YOU-2021- 017
PROJECT MANAGEMENT: MMCC Global, (DK
PROJECT PARTNER:
- MMCC Global, (DK) wwww.mmccglobal.org
- Würde für Kinder e. V., (DE) Hamburg www.kinderwuerde.de
- dieKunstBauStelle e. V. (DE) www.dieKunstBauStelle.de
- MMCC Netherlands, (NL)
PROGRAMME: The Erasmus+ KA220 program focuses on cooperation and partnership projects for cooperation and exchange. Erasmus+ enables organizations to expand and develop their internationalization projects across educational sectors.
WEBSITE: www.theFlute.org
DIGITAL EXHIBITION: Gonzalo Orce, Wolfgang Hauck, dieKunstBauStelle
BACKGROUND
Every year, a large number of European teenagers and young adults also travel to developing countries to discover the world. Young adventurers have always been the cornerstone of our intercultural understanding, our solidarity, our humanity and our international unity, despite all political, cultural and religious differences.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we will no longer be able to travel as we used to, or simply travel carefree to discover the world. This has many consequences, such as reducing our global understanding, solidarity and engagement in humanitarian projects, and limits us from enjoying the greatness of our global cultures. The aim of the project is therefore to bring European youth into contact with developing countries through a network of young people, thus creating a balance to the real backpacking adventures.
With this project, we offer a format to develop and explore the interest and curiosity of European youth and communities for other cultures and countries through digital means. This is also intended to experience and strengthen intercultural understanding, empathy, a sense of belonging and appreciation for this diversity.
With the possibilities of digital spaces and technologies, young adults explore, experience and network with their peers. In this way, “virtual backpacking” bridges the current restrictions. The project builds bridges between Europe and conflict and crisis regions where it is currently particularly difficult to travel: Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria and Ethiopia. The project aims to develop a network of young people who are able to interact digitally and document their travel stories and experiences using various media.
THE PROJECT
The aim of this project is to enable young people to help shape results. It is not about telling them how to do something, but about supporting them in creating it themselves. There will be 3 outcomes:
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- An online platform that will facilitate exchange and interaction and thus learning between participants from Europe and the Global South. This will include Zoom meetings and a blog or Facebook page with several subgroups. The platform will serve as an internal safe space to share experiences, learn, get inspired and most importantly interact to build and strengthen connections.
- A digital art exhibition of real objects/artifacts collected by the “travel buddies” in their respective countries during the remote visits and then shipped to Europe. The objects to be collected are actual physical souvenirs of the experiences the young Europeans had during their “Remote Backpacking Tours”
- A website that contains videos, photos and stories of the long-distance travel experiences, recordings of cultural events and the daily life of the travel friends in the partner countries.
In a series of workshops, participants are taught various digital and analog communication skills and storytelling.
THE PARTICIPANTS
The project offers the chance to meet with young adults in the EU, exchange ideas, learn from each other and promote intercultural understanding. The project of MMCCglobal and its partner organizations takes place within the framework of Erasmus+, a program of the European Commission that focuses on youth to enrich lives and promote exchange.
24 young adults are divided into four groups made up of young Europeans and EU citizens (Germany, Netherlands, Denmark).
They are brought together digitally with a peer as a “travel partner” from Afghanistan, Syria, Ethiopia or Yemen.
Each group has three supervisors. Teams are made up of EU citizens, migrants in the EU and those in the respective countries of origin.
TIMETABLE 2022-2023
- March 6 Zoom meeting moderators
- March 27 Zoom meeting moderators
- Physical meeting in Landsberg, Germany: April 10-15 of the leadership team and facilitators
- May-August: monthly Zoom meetings
- Physical meeting in Berlin, Germany: September 30 to October 5, 2022
- October-December: Creation of the website
- January 2023: Online event with final result
MODERATORS
Their role is to motivate, support and inspire the group to create a wonderful production together. You will build a youth network that will also be used for future trips after this project.
You will provide your skills to inspire and teach, especially with the aim of introducing digital storytelling techniques to the young people and to inspire a broad understanding of different cultures. You would also act as a bridge between the EU and the associated country by knowing the culture and giving recommendations to the locals to participate (this depends on the nationality of the facilitator).
On completion of the project, you will receive a certificate from the European Union for your participation. The EU certification is very valuable for your CV. Your participation can lead to valuable networking with inspiring people.
WEBSITE
STATUS
May 25, 2023
The project has been completed.
