From the 1st - 6th August, 2024, 20 young people (ages 14-17) from Albania, Bulgaria, Netherlands and Belgium will gather in the Hague for the outcome of an exciting collaboration between 4 URI Cooperation Circles. Since a year ago, leaders from Bridges CC, Udhetim i Lire, Voem and Kleurrijk Segbroek have been planning and working together to create a 5 day youth camp for young people from their organizations.
The theme of the camp is “Seeding the Peace” focusing on supporting young people at the start of their peacebuilding journeys, learning about interfaith dialogue, ecological justice and the arts as a way of cultivating cultures of peace. As the team say,
“We have chosen the theme “Seeding the Peace” to focus on how this camp experience will be the start of building peacebuilders who have a deep understanding of the connection between ecological justice and peacemaking. We know that when we care for our planet and are aware of our impact on the world, this translates to the way we care for each other and reduce harm towards each other.
We want to give the opportunity to participants to connect, share with each other their experiences, learnings and visions for building a world of peace through creativity, dialogue and environmental justice. We want the camp to be a safe and joyful place where we can put into practice the world of peace we imagine.”
There are 5 youth facilitators who will be supporting the participants throughout the camp experience The facilitators are:
- Silvia Trifonova (Bulgaria)
- Ina Lushka (Albania)
- Steven Dias Pires (Netherlands)
- Adin Lubis (Belgium)
- Marvina Mansaku (Albania)
Here’s a brief greeting from each of them with their interests and skills they bring to the camp team!
Silvia
“Hello everyone! My name is Silvia Trifonova and I am 22 years old. My hometown is Stara Zagora but currently I live in Sofia. I am currently graduating from Sofia University with a degree in Public Relations and I work as an Account Executive at the Paragraph 42 PR agency.
Over the last few years, I have been involved very passionately in volunteering activities with young people and organizations. I believe that the young generation carries a lot of potential and creative energy. Therefore, it should be encouraged to use these valuable qualities in activities that will lead to positive changes in the world.
For 4 years, I was the president of the NGO Youth Parliament for Water in Bulgaria. One of the missions of this organization is to inform and show to young people the importance of water and its management. Also to encourage and motivate them to participate in ecological actions. These days the problems with our planet have become very serious and I believe that right now we can all see the consequences from them. That is why we must act to solve and prevent them from appearing in the future.
The upcoming camp in The Hague has been a dream we have been working towards for a long time and which has finally become a reality. From 01st to 06th August I will be one of the youth leaders and facilitators of the camp and I can't wait to meet all the youngsters form the 4 countries and to create unforgettable memories with them!"
Ina
“Hello, I’m Ina Lushka. I am motivated to join the camp as a facilitator in the Netherlands because I am passionate about mentoring and guiding participants in their personal growth journey, and I believe in the transformative power of experiential learning in such diverse and enriching environments.
I am an accomplished Political Expert with over 5 years of experience in public administration. I have a degree in BS Political Science and a MSC degree in Communication for Social Changes & Behaviors in 2016. I am passionate about working for improving services at the international level, promoting active citizen participation, human rights, exchange culture and the cooperation with other institutions and stakeholders, democracy and the rule of law.”
Steven
"Hello everyone! I'm Steven, one of the youth leaders from the Netherlands. I'm part of the Board of Kleurrijk Segbroek with a focus on youth activities. Which is part of my daily life, since I'm a youth leader and scout leader with over 10 years of experience. Learning and fun is what I combine to have inspiring activities, there's nothing more fun than seeing kids enjoy the activities you create."
Adin
“Hello! I am Adin. I am a former journalist, now working as a writer, content creator, and social-cultural worker at Voem, an NGO based in Belgium. The organization's focus is to promote interreligious dialogue and networking using art, culture, and social engagement to connect people in a super-diverse society. My writing and content creation serve as a means to connect people from various backgrounds. It aligns with my role as a facilitator for the youth camp. I am looking forward to contributing to the making of a more harmonious and peaceful future together with the participants.”
Marvina
“Hello everyone. I’m Marvina, one of the youth facilitators of this camp. I’m 18 years old and I come from Durres, Albania. Right now I live in Graz, Austria, and I am going to study economics here. The organisation that I will represent in this camp will be Udhetim i Lire - Liberi di Viaggiare, based in Albania. It’s focused mainly on tourism, environment preservation and youth activism, as well as other aspects of social topics such as human rights, youth skills development, democracy, youth empowerment etc. I really enjoy working with youngsters, learning from their experiences and creating networks which will benefit society in the future. This camp is a great opportunity for me, as well as for the participants to gain knowledge and become better citizens and youth leaders.”
