My participation in the European programme ‘Together as one’, of Youth in Action, which took place in Sosnowiec in Poland, was undeniably a memorable experience. The purpose of the programme was to fight against racism and xenophobia, through music, dance and art.
(Market square-Krakow)
Indeed, it is a fact that music, dance and art can bring together people of any colour, nationality, religion, civilization and mentality. By taking part in different activities, we came into contact with the traditions of the other participants who were from Somalia in Africa and lived in Norway and Finland. We also exchanged opinions about issues that preoccupy us, like how to be active citizens. One of the most amusing activities was learning traditional dances. My team had to present the subject “Music as a universal language”. Needless to say, music has no boundaries! Therefore, we sang popular English songs, as well as a traditional Cypriot song and we really enjoyed it.
Furthermore, I wish to talk about our excursion in Krakow and Auschwitz concentration camp. Krakow is a really beautiful and picturesque town. We enjoyed our walk in the Market square with the clock, the Market and the Cathedral. The Market square is a huge 10-acre square, the largest in any of Europe’s medieval cities. It features the 16th-century Renaissance Cloth Hall and the splendid 14th-century Gothic Basilica of the Virgin Mary. Another must-see is the famous Wawel Royal Castle. The Wawel Dragon stimulates the interest of the tourists, as it is a famous dragon in Polish folklore and its statue is situated below the castle.
Moreover, our visit to Auschwitz concentration camp was an eery experience because of the fact that we saw the horrible methods which Hitler used in order to eliminate the Jews. It is quite significant to refer to the history of the concentration camp. Firstly, the Germans held Polish political prisoners in the camp. From the spring of 1942, Auschwitz became the largest site for the murder of Jews, who were brought here under the Nazi plan for their extermination. More than 1,100,000 men, women and children lost their lives there. What is more, I was impressed by the fact that some collections of items of the prisoners illustrated their attempts to preserve humanity behind the barbed wire of Auschwitz. There are also items in the Museum collections that constitute evidence of the crimes connected directly with the Holocaust, such as the canisters that contained the Zyklon-B, which was used to kill people in the gas chambers.
(The entrance of Auschwitz- “Arbeit macht frei” means “work makes (you) free”)
To cut a long story short, participating in a European programme is an unforgettable experience of a lifetime. Are you still hesitant? I hope that the quote of Mark Twain will make up your mind: ‘Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sailaway from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover!’
All images are the author’s own.