International Work @ WAYC
Youth in ActionLatest News
All Different All Equal
WAYC has been included as a featured project in the All different All equal 'Cookbook' we are on pages 121 -122 from this link http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/youth/fej/ADAE%20cookbook.pdf for our higly successful project in Kazan, Russia in Autumn 2007.
The Council of Europe initiative was launched in 1995 50 years after the end of World War II as a youth campaign with the three themes of diversity, human rights and participation. This was particularly aimed at reinforcing the fight against racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and intolerance. Over Ten years later the campaign aims were still thought to be relevant and important and for this reason the council is running a re-launched campaign under the same banner of “All Different - All Equal”.
WAYC have received conformation of funding for a Multilateral Youth Exchange to Jaroslavl Region of Russia to take place in August 2008. There will be 40 young people involved from WAYC, Denmark, Belarus and our hosts in Russia. If you would like more information about how you can become involved with this opportunity please contact Sebastian@wayc.org.uk for more information
Following on from the Successful Youth Exchange in Kazan, Russia in October 2007 WAYC was selected to send 4 young people to Toledo, Spain for a week from 25th November with partners from Turkey, Germany, Ireland and our Spanish Hosts. The project is been run through the Youth in Action programme. The project is called, 'Last call to save the Planet!'
WAYC organised a highly successful Multilateral Exchange to Kazan in Central Russia with partners from Esbjerg, Denmark and Moscow Region. The Exchange was called, 'Participation across the Borders' and is an Active Citizenship project with 10 places for young people from WAYC. The Exchange was from the 13th - 24th October 2007. This was the first time that Kazan had hosted an Exchange. Kazan is located on the River Volga in the Tatarstan Republic of Russia, 800kms East of Moscow. If you would like to find out more information about this project please contact WAYC for further information.
Background to WAYC's International Work
WAYC has a long history of carrying out International Projects. During the past 2 years a total of 43 young people participated in Youth Exchanges to Sweden, Belarus, Kazan, Spain and St. Petersburg. These projects also included groups of Young people from Finland, Italy, Denmark, Turkey, Germany, Republic of Ireland, Spain and Greece. The projects were funded through the European Union YOUTH Programme.
The themes of the exchanges in 2006 were, Snow and Music, Peers in Action and Young people's Rights and Responsibilities.
In 2005 We also organised a multi-lateral youth exchange in Belarus and were also actively involved in a Contact Making Seminar in Sweden and hosted a Training Seminar on ‘How to engage NEET's into a Youth Exchange Programme’ with participants from 6 different European Countries.
Comments from Young People...
New experiences…‘I’ve learnt how to play many games, to laugh more, to smile more, to communicate with people of different countries and have very little sleep’‘I really like visiting Belarusian families, it was very interesting’‘I took part in glass painting, which was new to me ’I have learnt some Belarusian songs’
Favourite things…‘I think that my favourite part was the performance. By the end everyone was working together very well and I made better friends with many of the participants’‘All the things that we did together’
About Citizenship…‘I know more about rights and duties in my own country and other countries’‘I have become more social and can take a lot of new information home with me’‘The exchange has maximised my potential to learn about different cultures and history’
I think the exchange surpassed its expectations as I couldn’t have predicted how much of a great time as I was going to have. I didn’t think I would make such great friends, have such great memories to take home with me nor long to go back so much.
I think the exchange was brilliant; I learnt loads, got to see a completely different way of life to mine and got to make some great friends. The whole thing was run very efficiently.
'I was really glad I chose to apply to go on the exchange, it definately lived up to my expectations, it was great fun, I learnt a lot and I think it will be one of the things I will remember doing for the rest of my life.'
'I had a wicked time in St. Petersburg and will never forget it. I have learnt so much about myself, topics and humans in general. Thank's again and I hope that everyone stays in contact.'
If you would like to know more about upcoming International activities or opportunities to volunteer overseas please e-mail Chris Rumble, telephone 01926 450156.
At the Recycling Plant in Toledo, Spain
Group photo of Participants from, Germany, Turkey, Republic of Ireland and Spain in Toledo November 2007
British day in Belarus 2006 
Red Square Sunrise 2003 
British Group, Sweden 2006
British Group, Lappland 2006
St Petersburg October 2006
British Group, Belarus 2006
