LIFE+ | When dreams comes true

Hello! First of all, I want to introduce myself. My name is Ece. I’m from Mersin in Turkey. I’m 23 years old. I graduated from the Psychology department at Toros University last year. I have two cats. I like painting and handicrafts. I took an Erasmus+ exam in my last year of University. Exam results were announced after about 3 months. When I entered the website which has exam results, I saw my name and I was shocked.

Because I didn't think I was going to win. The English of my friends with whom I took the exam was very good. That's why I thought I had no chance. But I won. I was very excited and very happy. I immediately started dreaming. Afterwards, a more difficult process awaited me: finding an internship. I subscribed to many internship sites and applied to many places. Most places either did not respond or refused, saying they could not receive it due to the pandemic. It was a stressful and difficult time. Then I saw the internship announcement of ICDET. When I saw the human resources intern advertisement, it drew my attention. Because human resources is a department related to my department. I immediately applied and started browsing the ICDET website.

Everything looked so good and I really wanted to be accepted here. It wasn't long before I got an immediate response. And yes, I was accepted! After talking about my dates, we took care of my document transactions. My document and acceptance works were finished very quickly, they were very interested. The hardest part of this road was over and I was relieved. All I had to do was wait for my internship day. Because of the pandemic, my family did not feel very warm about me going. That's why I gave up my internship and decided to send an e-mail to ICDET.

But fortunately they gave me some comfort and I gave up canceling my internship. When I'm thinking now, I'm glad that nothing didn't stop me to come here. Now I am writing this article with pleasure in my room in the ICDET’s apartment.

Anyway, the first day I came here I thought what a right decision I had made. Besides, of course, there are a lot of things I aim for. For example, I started preparing a guidebook for people who will come here in the future. I feel that I am improving here every day. Also my English is improving. Everything shows that is a very good thing I came here.

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Ece Can, intern@ICDET

PEOPLE+ | Welcome on INTERNSHIP@ICDET, Alice!

Hi everyone! I am Alice from Rome, Italy. I am 26 and I am studying Educational Sciences at the University of Roma Tre. Because I am almost finishing my third and last year of the Bachelor, I am looking to understand which step will be the next for my professional future. I am still confused about what my professional identity could be because I am quite impatient to solve the great problems of the world through education, but I still don’t know where to start. I believe that, as humankind, we are facing important challenges that are asking to be solved with the contribution of all, like the global warming, the increasing of migrations from areas affected by conflicts and climate change, the spread of new nationalist tendencies, and the crisis of the individual identity related to the globalization, the overwhelm of information and the spread of technology.

I see a reality full of differences, as everyone is unique and different from another, still struggling with inequalities, as a lot of people live in extreme poverty or in conflict areas, while others, distant from all these problems, consume more than is necessary. I think that nowadays it’s needed a global vision that makes us exit from our limited horizons through an education that can help the development of critical thinking and ability to face the complexity of reality. Before starting my Bachelor in Educational Sciences, I have collected experiences from different contexts that I consider a precious background.

During my childhood and adolescence I played the piano for almost ten years, and the last 5 years I joined an orchestra in my city. Through this involvement I improved my ability to play and work together with other people, feeling that everyone was contributing with their own effort to the performance of the music. I think that this image is still in my mind and reminds me how beautiful and precious is when every person has the possibility to develop their own potential and play their personal melody, finding the way to harmonize themselves with the melodies of the others.

But my experiences don’t finish here. After high school, I started a Bachelor in Biotechnology and I graduated in 2017. This scientific field has given me the knowledge about the biology and the interconnections between different organisms, from the viruses and the bacteria to the plants and the animals, and the potential of genetic engineering for the future. Even if it was a really interesting field, I understood that I wanted to work more in contact with the people and I had a first hand experience of how difficult it was asking to myself what my dreams were, what I dreamt to realize.

One of the experiences that most impacted the development of my awareness was an exposition about the nuclear weapons, which showed me not only the unimaginable destructive power of these weapons, but also the dangerous reasoning of those who support their use: justifying the annihilation of those who represent an obstacle to the achievement of a country goal. But the exposition explained that this thought is something that has been originated by the nature of human beings. Indeed, as human beings, we live in our everyday life relations with others, and tend not to manage and solve our conflicts in a proper way. This is why, after this exposition, I started to aspire to contribute to the development of a pacific society through education.

Now I can say that beyond the specific profession that I can choose, I have understood that the most important part for me is to dialogue and cooperate together with people to achieve the humankind common goals and create the conditions for the young people to learn how to live together, as one of the UNESCO’s four pillars of learning.

Starting from this preamble, this Erasmus traineeship represents for me the possibility to discover more about my plans for the future, to meet new people from different countries and cooperate with them, sharing our dreams, fears and aspirations for the future.

I want to contribute to this experience with my knowledge and sensibility from the educational and scientific fields, dialoguing with my colleagues in order to achieve our projects and ideas to create a positive change for the people and the planet.

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Alice Ferrario, intern@ICDET

PARTICIPATE+ | Looking for a Bulgarian Volunteer for a 7 months ESC project in Barcelos, Portugal

About Powerfull Volunteers

Title of the project: Powerfull Volunteers

Type of the activity: European Solidarity Corps - Volunteering Projects

ESC stage duration: 7 months

Venue: Barcelos, Portugal

In this European Solidarity Corps - Volunteering Project called "Powerfull Volunteers".

This project is prepared to receive 4 volunteers: 1 Italian, 1 Algerian, 1 Bulgarian and 1 United Kingdom, youngsters between 18 and 30 years old, starting in soon as possible.

The Powerfull Volunteers is a Solidarity and Social Inclusion project, which aims to challenge and strengthen the local community, which will receive 4 volunteers from different cultures. This volunteers through non-formal education can develop activities in the environmental, agricultural, cultural, sports, literary, arts, scientific, multimedia and/or social areas using recreational, creative and pedagogical activities.

Volunteer Profile

The ideal volunteer must be motivated, enthusiastic, sensitive, curious and loves nature, genuineness and authenticity of places. Must be prepared for interpersonal relationships and has capacity to adapt to new situations and aptitude for team works.

• Organization of intercultural activities, workshops, exhibitions, lectures, creative spaces, painting, language club;

• Reflection activities on the themes of the European Union;

• Work on the importance of interacting on an equal basis, on valuing differences and stimulating intercultural dialogue;

• Support the daily tasks;

• Organize activities for promote Erasmus+.

Workplace

• Participate in SOPRO’s campaigns: Collection of school material and food in the supermarkets in 2 times for year, and other activities and campaigns that arise during this volunteering project.

• Other: support the activities of SOPRO, fundraising initiatives (helping to seek and compete for international applications), document, support for exchange activities, attend meetings of international volunteers destined for Mozambique and helps to establish international partnerships.

• Ideas own/projects and suggestions for support the organization of sports activities, cultural events, exhibitions traditions of their country.

Food and Accommodation

The volunteer will live in shared house/apartment with other volunteers in a double room, with shared living room, kitchen, laundry and social facilities.

Volunteer Allowance and Pocket Money

235€ per month.

Full infopack view HERE

Apply here !