Erasmus+ connects people

Multiculturalism, open-mindedness, inspiring and diverse people: You can find all that and much more in the project called Young Media Makers, which exists under the Erasmus+ umbrella.

The Young Media Makers, thirty-five people from various countries (Greece, the Czech Republic, Jordan, Armenia, Morocco, Tunisia and Poland), gathered in Thessaloniki, Greece, to improve their media skills, share their cultural habits, and produce some quality media material.

During the 8-day-long project, the young participants learned about journalistic photography, video editing, and writing. One task, for example, was to interview complete strangers. The young journalists also visited two local TV stations, and tried to put together their own individual and collaborative media projects to gain new skills.

The main reason behind organizing this kind of project was to get international students together and let them learn about other countries ― from each other. That way they can achieve a broader understanding of the world they live in.

The young people talked about their media situation, social issues, legislation, feminism, religion, their countries’ history, and queer communities, too. They shared their opinions of the world and different cultures, which helped them imagine new aspects about other societies more comprehensively and in a broader context.

“The project was terrific,“ said Širín, one of the project’s participants.“It certainly had its ups and downs, but still, the downs connected us, and brought up important feminist and also journalistic topics. Getting to compare diverse cultures and situations of the people who grew up in different places in the world was enriching. And, as a group of journalists, we decided to stand up for change. And that is the point of all Erasmus+ projects in the first place.”

Text vznikl v rámci kurzu Angličtina pro žurnalisty pod vedením Mgr. Aleny Proškové.

Foto: Jasmin Ježková