Can you introduce yourself and tell us why you participated in the Empower YOUth project?

I am a sociologist, and currently I am a postgraduate student at the University of the Aegean, in social research, critical criminology and inclusion of vulnerable social groups. When I found out that Empower YOUth aimed youth from diverse social groups, I thought that it is an opportunity to meet other young people, but also to listen to their requests and experiences. In addition, I considered it to be an opportunity for our voice, requests and concerns to be heard. In general, I thought that we would be given the opportunity to present our different points of view, because in addition to only expressing demands and concerns about what is happening around us, the perspective from which we see things is also important.

What will you keep with you from the Empower YOUth experience?

The enablement activities were implemented through play to increase our energy levels before we got into the main activities. This was the best occasion to get together as a team and get to know each other. Because no matter how old we are, an intimate atmosphere was created through the game, that brought us closer, thus we could more correctly carry out the following activities, which either had to do with mediation, or with making suggestions, or with the concerns we all “carry” from our communities. In addition, I consider it particularly important that within the framework of the project we were offered the possibility for all participants to stay in the same hotel and to have free time to go out for food and fun!

What was the highlight for you during the project?

I was very happy as there were children from different groups, such as Roma, Pomaks from Xanthi, with whom we became friends, exchanged opinions and experiences. Through each person’s life experiences, it was easier to understand issues that we may have heard on a theoretical level because we are social scientists but are quite different in practice.

Would you like to share anything else with us?

My dream is to travel around the world, not just for leisure, but to be able to see how people live in different countries and understand their cultural background, their habits and way of communication. I hope one day to become a good and efficient researcher, who will help through research any social group that needs it so as to raise their voice and be able to express themselves freely.

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The project “Empower YOUth” is implemented within the framework of the Active citizens fund by SolidarityNow in partnership with Norwegian NGO NorSensus Mediaforum.

The Active citizens fund in Greece is supported through a € 13.5 m grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway as part of the EEA Grants 2014 – 2021. The programme aims to develop the sustainability and capacity of the civil society sector in Greece, and to strengthen its role in promoting and safeguarding democratic procedures, active citizenship and human rights. The Fund Operator for the Active citizens fund in Greece is Bodossaki Foundation in consortium with SolidarityNow.