Youth Exchange Program: JUZ Biebrich, Arka Youth Center (Shkodra, Albania), and Wiesbaden-Biebrich Youth
Overview
Gathering of Youth at Wiesbaden on a Global Scale
A youth exchange program has been facilitated by JUZ Biebrich in cooperation with the Wiesbaden International Specialist Office of the Youth Department in the Office of Social Work and the Arka Youth Center Shkodra, Albania. This program brings together young people from JUZ Biebrich and the Arka Youth Center for a cultural exchange that lasts between 7-14 days.
Details
The participating organizations are JUZ Biebrich from Wiesbaden-Biebrich, Germany, and the Arka Youth Center from Shkodra, Albania. The exchange alternates between both locations to foster cultural exchange in both contexts. The program includes cultural workshops, language learning sessions, community service, skills development, and visits to local landmarks. The outcome is often joint projects, exhibitions, or social campaigns led by youth participants.
Objectives
The main objectives of this youth exchange program are cultural exchange, personal development, social inclusion, European identity, language skills, and networking. The program aims to promote mutual understanding between German and Albanian youth, reduce stereotypes and prejudices, empower youth with intercultural communication skills, increase self-confidence, develop leadership qualities, encourage participation of youths from diverse backgrounds, strengthen the sense of participation in the European community, promote common values, improve language skills and intercultural communication, and build lasting relationships and sustainable partnerships between youth organizations in Germany and Albania.
Funding
The European Union programs, such as Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges and European Solidarity Corps, are the most common funding sources supporting travel, accommodation, activities, and organizational costs. Local government grants from municipalities of Wiesbaden and Shkodra, partner NGOs, private sponsors and foundations, and participant contributions also contribute to the funding of these programs.
Recent Activities
Recent activities include a visit to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, where the young people discussed the role of Europe in questions of social justice and Albania's accession perspective to the European Union. Joint leisure activities included visiting the Neroberg climbing forest, the Dialog Museum in Frankfurt, and a breakdance contest at the Schlachthof. The young people also collaborated with Spiegelbild - Political Education Wiesbaden e. V. to learn about Jewish history in Wiesbaden and its current significance.
For more detailed information about a specific program or official documents, please indicate, and I can help you with further guidance or how to contact the organizations involved. The press release was published by the Press Office of the State Capital Wiesbaden, with contact information available on their website.
Participating in the youth exchange program, young people can expect a combination of lifestyle changes, travel experiences, education-and-self-development opportunities, and cultural immersion. The program encompasses language learning sessions, community service, skills development workshops, and visits to local landmarks, all aimed at personal development, social inclusion, and European identity.
