The End

Ok, hear we go... our project ends on the 20th September. Everything is done by now.
Normally the deadline was the 10th of September, but we had some serious technical problems - in fact the shop who should have burnt our DVDs (documentary) had some technical problems and they where not really relieable... but anyway, it worked out ;)

All in all - the project in Northern Ireland was quite an experience. We didn't know, that the separatio between protestants and catholics are still that strong, as even younger people don't want to mix up! I think it's a pitty and if we would have known before, we could have integrated this problems and differences more within our project.

We think, that there's still a lot of work to do... we've spoken to some youth workers, so we're sure their going to help to make young people's thoughts more open minded.
Also the WIMPS project (see weblog entry) is very interresting and a first step to get young people more involved into politics.


Ok, this is our last entry... so good bye :)

If you have any more questions, just post a comment.

Back in Austria

Sorry, you didn't here from us for a while... On the 31st August we took our flight back and apart from long, long queues at London Stansted, everything went fine...

Our project ends on the 10th of September, but in fact, there are not a lot of things to tell you about. We need to finish our accountancy and to cut all the material we've got for our documentary (film)...
It will be quite busy the next days, as we gave our material to a shop, to put all the stuff on a DVD - so we can work with it properly. We've just got two days to get everything for the documentary in order, because afterwards it also takes time to press all the DVDs and finally send them to all National Agencys of the YOUTH Programme all over Europe.

Anyway, you'll here from us again, even though it may won't be to interresting for you - sorry ;)

Clandeboye

Yesterday afternoon, we took a bus to Clandeboye Estate (near the city of Bangor) to give a presentation. We already knew, that there are EVS volunteers, but we thought, there would also be other people who wouldn't know about the EU YOUTH Programme.
So finally, there was not a real reason to give a presentation... Anyway, we stayed there for some time and had a chat with the volunteers. It was very informal: they just asked questions about workshops and initiatives of the EU's YOUTH programme.

We experiences, that there's a lack of information, as nobody knows, if Future Capital projects will still exist in the future, as the EU changes the YOUTH Programme in 2007.
I was told, they change it - the volunteers where told, they'll stop it. Unfortunatly, there's no information on this on the internet...

So we'll try to contact some people to find out and as soon as we know more, you'll be able to get the information on our blog!

Michael with Clandeboye Estate's volunteers

To the EVS people: Enjoy your time in NI and the time you spend together,
as your not going to get this time back again ;)

A day out

On monday we had a day out... apart from the project of course ;)
So we did a trip to Giant's causeway, which is really an amazing thing to see!

We went to:

• Carrick-A-Rede roap-bridge
• Bushmills distillery
• Giant's Causeway

Unfortunatly, the tour wasn't just a bit, but very touristic. They tried to make us buying stuff all the time... Next time we know, it's better to rent a car.

Anyway, it was beautiful - here are some pictures (of about 100 we've been taking):

Carrick-A-Rede: The coast. It was quite windy as you see on the last picture... so it was quite scarry to pass the little rope bridge... wuahahahaaaa ;)

Giant's Causeway: Everybody going to Northern Ireland
- visit that place!!!

Presentation in Portadown

... but our day wasn't over after the presentation in Banbridge, so we moved on to Portadown to give another one.
Portadown is situated within the county Armagh and has about 30.000 inhabitants. We experienced, that the seperation between protestants and catholics is really strict there. As we passed the main road, we could see both, the protestant and the catholic quarter - people from one quarter wouldn't walk through another one...
We have been speaking to some young people from Portadown about this issue and of course they hope it will change someday. They hope that the seperation will stop, but in fact it seems like that's not possible in the near future. Something needs to be done, but even to start a project bringing both parts together wouldn't work out, as probably nobody would show up, to meet people of the other cultural part.

The presentation:
There have been about 10-15 young people listening to us, but some of them were quite shy... Thanks to Terry, the youth worker of Portadown YMCA, things got a bit more relaxed for the young people. We know, that sometimes it is hard, if people don't know us - the strangers ;) - and the fact, that we film the presentation/workshop and interviews just doesn't make it easier...

But finally it worked out quite well - some of them are now thinking about participating in an intercultural workshop (Action 1), doing EVS (Action 2) or starting a youth initiative (Action 3). We are sure, Terry is going to support them and to help the young people becoming more active and open-minded!

Many thanks to the young people and Terry - you helped us a lot! :)

Portadown YMCA

Michael waiting to start the workshop: How brilliant is it,
to play computer games using a big screen? ;)

Portadown's youngsters discussing some questions on cultural issues
and on the possibility of an "European identity"

Presentation in Banbridge

Yesterday, Michael and me went to Bandbridge to do another presentation and some interviews with young people.
Banbridge is a town in County Down, lies on the river Bann and has about 14.700 inhabitants. Terry, who brought us there, told us, that there's nothing to see - "Bandbrigdge's just one road" ;)
Anyway, the youth centre was quite nice and so where the people! Again there are two people interrested in doing European Voluntary Service and probably some, who are interrested in doing an intercultral workshop (Action 1 within the YOUTH programme).

Here are some pictures:

Like in a Western: Michael in front of our project-poster ;)

The youth group of "The Source" in Banbridge
To the young people coming to our presentation: Thank you for welcoming us,
for participating and for the interviews :)

Finally, I also did an interview for my documentation with Cathe, one of the girls within WIMPS. As my documentation should be about young people's lives and culture here in Northern Ireland, it was really great to get a point of view from somebody involved in a political project...

To WIMPS and Cathy: I wish you lots of luck with your project - rock on ;)

Some of the young people involved in WIMPS