Hello everyone, I’m Aslı. In November, I participated in a training course titled “Building Bridges with Local Community” in Croatia. This program brought together 25 participants from 14 countries in Karlovac. My purpose in joining this program was to increase my awareness about migration and immigrants and to support inclusivity in my community by developing new tools on this topic.
During the training, we delved deeply into issues such as brain drain, forced migration due to war, and the adaptation of immigrants to new societies. Through both theoretical knowledge and interactive practices, I had the opportunity to develop empathetic perspectives by experiencing these topics firsthand.
In practical activities organized in the city, such as “Journey’s End is Just the Beginning,” I experienced the challenges faced by migrants by assuming different roles. Through this activity, I gained a better understanding of real-life scenarios like language barriers, housing problems, and cultural adaptation.
Together with 24 participants from 14 countries, we learned during the one-week training how to build connections between migrants and our own countries. Listening to real stories from participants in our group who had direct migration experiences gave me new perspectives. Some of the challenges in the activities helped me better understand these situations.
This experience enriched me both individually and socially in terms of awareness. The knowledge I gained and the tools we developed can be effectively used in the field of working with migrants.
It was very valuable for me to be involved in this project with Pi Youth Association.
