Emmeline
« Being for 2 years in Y-E-N now, I gathered already a lot of good memories, but the one I want to share today is from the TC “Voice it” organised in summer 2016 in Croatia:
On the very last day of the training, I was absent for the first part of the day which was dedicated to showing the results of the #digitalstorytelling videos made by the participants during the week. When I got back during the break, a participant thanked me for organising an event where everybody finishes in tears. Confused about what I heard, I understood right away when the session started again: the life stories of the participants were so powerful and touching that nobody could held their tears, and I never saw that much love, connection and empathy within a group…
I think I realised precisely at this moment what my job really meant ?
I challenge now Leo, Tim, Enjoya and Iasmin to tell their best memory in Y-E-N 😉 Don’t forget to tag other people to continue the chain & use the hashtags!
#youthexpressnetwork #25yearsproject #youthexpresschallenge »
Iasmin
« My brilliant story with Y-E-N is when they actually gave me the change to participate in that life changing project in Groznjan 2 years ago, Voice IT!
It changed my life, my way of thinking, and from that moment I decided that I wanted to go on the path of a facilitator/trainer so that I can inspire more people the way I was inspired, so that more people can see this amazing tool that is Erasmus+ and more people will WANT to see the changes in their lives, and in the lives of others, words are not enough to describe this feeling, and words can be interpreted in 100000000 ways, but feelings have only one meaning, and for me right now, the only feeling that is in my hearth towards all that people that inspired me is PURE GRATITUDE and GRATEFULNESS thank you !!!
Dedicated to those who can…
“Make something outta nothing” 🙂
Now I challenge, Mirela, Jonathan and Daniel to share their amazing experiences 🙂
#youthexpressnetwork #25yearsproject #youthexpresschallenge »
Daniel
« Following this beautiful tradition, I want to go back to 2016 and share the brightest experience of mine with Youth Express Network. I know, many people are blessed to be involved in many projects and activities with that amazing team, but I’ve had only one in my archive and that unique experience, as far as I see, was the best one in YEN history. I might be mistaken, but I think “Voice it!” has been one of the most successful and powerful activities that have ever been organized in European youth commonwealth! It’s really difficult to explain what’s been the main outcome of that project, but a few very different people in a week made humanity, love and happiness spread all over the world. Many people will not understand what I’m saying, but we did it.
“Voice it!” changed my life forever. Even though I am going on with my old stuff and didn’t deepen my ties with YEN and other youth organizations (to be honest, I took a few tries), but the influence of that project is huge. It changed the way I love and care about people. I found a new family. <3
P.S. This was the best challenge I’ve accepted and that came from my brother Iasmin. Cheers man 😉
#youthexpresschallenge, #youthexpressnetwork »
Leo
« I was challenged by Emmeline Kuhn to tell my story related to Youth Express Network.
In 2016 thanks to my adorable friend Enjoya SweetDream I was invited as an expert in digital storytelling to facilitate the training course in Croatia : “Voice it”. I was very nervous because this was my first international experience as a trainer, I didn’t know what to expect, how to act, how to present myself and I took the only right decision – to be authentic….
What I didn’t know- my life was about to change forever.
It all started at the airport. I arrived and I couldn’t find my flight , I was stressed and lost when I realised, I confused the dates and my flight will be tomorrow! A mysterious voice was inviting me to this adventure. And the voice was right.
I met Emmeline in Venice and we talked for 3 hours in the car. We became a family in a split of the second, later I met the rest of incredible team, we started preparations…. 3 days later the participants arrived….10 days later we were all crying in each other’s arms , sharing love notes and love stories.
We ALL became ONE.
OUR STORIES TIGHTENED US TOGETHER FOREVER.
And this is something that never happened with me before or after. LOVE was everywhere. And from this exact moment, everything started to change in my life.
Sometimes you go for a JOB, and what you find is YOURSELF.
This is what happened to me and I will never forget this experience. Thank you YEN. You became my family, more then family, you became a part of my identity!
I want to challenge Joyce and Simone 🙂 love you, my friends! <3
#youthexpressnetwork #youthexpresschallenge #25yearsproject »
Margaux
When we are invited to talk about this network, we all tend to use a lot of superlatives and powerful words like: well… powerful, fantastic, amazing, crazy, life-changing… Some people might at one point expect the next sentence to be about castles and swords, dragons and fairies! But I think what really makes it all Magic sometimes, is in fact pretty simple. It all comes from the People. The people we meet, all different, all unique, but also, all so very much alike. When we’re all gathered, when we meet, open our minds a little more and share these experiences together, that’s when it all twinkles…
Working for Youth Express Network has brought me more than a job. I have also gained countless new friends from all around Europe! If you read that and smile, you’re probably one of them 🙂
Bade, Valentina, Olya, Melissa, I hereby invite you to continue this challenge and tell your Y-E-N story, (and tag your Y-E-N friends as well). You’ll find the instructions on the comments bellow 😉
#youthexpressnetwork #25yearsproject #youthexpresschallenge »
Bade
« I met Y-E-N in Greece in a lovely organization. I travelled by bus and ı was exhausted after hours of sleepless bus trip, but after the first minute ı felt the world changing snergy of this international team! In Such a short time of 7 days, Y-E-N broadened my horizons, improved cooperation skills and made me have new homes all around the world. I knew that ı was gonna be a part of it since then because it was the first organization that ı observed literally empowering the world by its effort! And it is amazing to feel like active human being rather than just complaining. Earth needs us and Y-E-N creates this ‘us’.
Soooo, ı am throwing the ball to Bege Giovanni and Jonathan Love y’all…
#youthexpressnetwork #25yearsproject #youthexpresschallenge »
Olya
I was thinking what to write in my Y-E-N story. From what to start? Later I realize, that I need to begin from people…
People – who decided to establish Y-E-N 25 years ago.
People – who is doing and sharing Y-E-N’s values at their youth work from day to day.
People – who is opening this huge world to youth and sharing their experiences with them. Even after years they will continue to do the same.
People – who is building better world 24/7.
Now I can say with proud that I’m the part of Y-E-N family and feel awesome that together we can change a lot!!! Soo, welcome on board!
Dejan, Melissa, Mirela, Laura, Bege be ready to accept this challenge. Tell us your Y-E-N story.
#youthexpressnetwork #25yearsproject #youthexpresschallenge »
“I was 17 when Y-E-N came in my life, or viceversa. I was asked to join an intercultural project in Strasbourg, right away! I had no doubts and took a flight and joined the group. Oh my God, what an incredible opportunity for such a young lady to be suddenly immerged into a diverse ambience with people from everywhere and with so many wonderful things to share. That was 2011, and since then, the impact this project had on me never left me, not even now. I became Vicepresident and worked for a while in the office. I learned so much about Social Inclusion…even today, that I work in Art, Y-E-N values are my foundation, my vision, I can truly be because I grow up in such environment… many times I miss it!! However, my latest experience as facilitator, was within a super strong team, in Croatia… and within the team there was Laura Marques….whom I have met previously and that was such a great teamer!! Used to speak portuguese and english at the same time. Yes, you can do such things in Y-e-n!”
