Chapter Exchange Iceland 2012 no. 1

Youth Bridging the GapSeeing BeyondOurGender andCultural Glasses

Chapter Exchange Iceland 201 2

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Chapter ExchangeChapter Exchange is a Youth Exchangeproject, funded by Youth in Action, that bringstogether participants from different AFSchapters and discusses a current Europeantopic. In this Chapter Exchange tenparticipants from four countries wil l meet inIceland to discuss gender equality in amulticultural society.

The title of this Chapter Exchange is YouthBridging the Gap: Seeing Beyond OurGenderand Cultural Glasses. The main theme of theExchange is centred on gender and culture in Europe. Our objectives are to create awareness

of the role of gender equality and culture in Europe and build aplatform where young people from the participating countries candiscuss these matters in an open and honest environment. I t is thefirst part of a longer, four part Youth Exchange planned under thetitle Youth Bridging the Gap that is planned to be held withapproximately six months intervals in the participating countriesover the next two years.

This first exchange wil l take place partly in Reykjavík and partly inthe South of Iceland from September 22nd unti l the departure day30th of September. This is a multi lateral project that bringstogether 40 participants from four countries; ten from Belgium, tenfrom Latvia, ten from Turkey and ten from the hosting country –Iceland. The countries participating are very different, one Nordic,one Baltic, one Central-European and one Mediterranean. We aimto get a group as diverse as can be to be able to represent asmany different views as possible.

Friendships between diffrent nationalities are goingto be formed during the upcomming ChapterExchange

Games are an importantlearning method in ChapterExchanges

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Shortly after the idea of this Chapter Exchange was formedand it was decided that Iceland was to be the first host, weimmediately started to work on our application for a grant. Weturned to European Commission’s Youth in Action (YIA) andafter a long and ambitious application, that even becamelonger than the BA essay of a certain prep team member*ahem*, we received a grant that allowed us to host ChapterExchange 201 2 in Iceland.

The Youth in Action programme has four main priorities thatwe find to be very compatible with AFS. First there isEuropean citizenship with the key goal to raise awareness inyoung people that they are citizens of Europe, as well ascitizens of their own country. Secondly YIA supports youngpeople‘s involvement in democratic life, wanting them to beactive citizens who care about their communities andunderstand the value of representative democracy. Thirdly there is cultural diversity, asrespect for people‘s cultural origins is at the heart of both AFS and YIA programme. And last butnot least is inclusion , since the focus is on ensuring that young people with fewer opportunitiesget access to the Youth in Action programme, as well as on encouraging projects with athematic focus on inclusion .

The grant we received is called Youth Exchange and involvesgroups of young people from two or more European nationsgetting together in order to learn about each others culture. InYouth Exchange there is a big accent on informal learning and

by informal learning they mean there is an organized structure in a programme that seeks toobtain goals through informal study methods and then review what they have learned. Themethods can be various from team building, role playing to treasure hunting etc. Now that wehave the grant, we are on ful l speed in organizing and we are looking forward to meeting theother nations and do some intercultural learning!

You th i n Acti on

Icelandic prep-team memberTinna working on a scheduleforwriting the YiA application

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M e e t t h e p re p - t e a m o fC h a p t e r E xc h a n g e I c e l a n d

Being a part ofa prep-team can involve many hours behind the computer

The idea for this Chapter Exchange first came up last summer during some friendly discussionbetween two of the prep-team members. After much discussion with other AFS-ers theparticipating chapters were chosen and the cooperation and planning could begin. The prep-team was put together and in November last year, after hour upon hour of Skype-calls, it wasdecided who would host the first of four Chapter Exchanges that have been planned and whenthe exchange would take place. Emails were flying back and forth between four corners ofEurope and finally we had decided upon the title of the project, the theme and a timing that wassuitable for all .

The first two months of this year were spent on working on the Youth in Action Youth Exchangeapplication and after being approved the “real” preparation could begin. The prep-team membersfrom each country set out to choose the participants and now the group is ready and gettingexcited for the first part of the Chapter Exchange in Iceland this fal l . The prep-team consists ofnine very different people who have in common that they wil l do all they can to make thisChapter Exchange fun and educational for all who participate. Four months to go, many thingshave already been set in place but lots of planning is ahead and there are 40 excited participantsanxiously waiting for September 22nd to arrive. While you wait we invite you to meet the prep-team and get to know them a bit better.

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Sigrún Tinna SveinsdóttirFrom: A tiny island in the North-AtlanticAFS career: AFS exchange student in Chigago 2003-2004. Ihave been an active volunteer since I came home and AFS hasdominated my life for the last 9 years. I can proudly say that asof last month I have participated in all aspects of AFS Iceland.That is; I have taken part in all camps, seminars and such thatthere are. I was a member of the board of the ReykjavíkChapter for two years and now I´m part of the group that isfounding the IPOT. I worked at the AFS Iceland for a fewmonths so I can say that I have seen AFS from all sides. Thisfal l I also became a member of the EPOT. I am also a member of the prep-team for the EFILVolunteer Summer Summit and I look forward to seeing you in Latvia this summer.

Do you have a life outside of AFS? When I am not doing AFS related things I do Red Crossvolunteer work. Now my main Red Cross project is volunteering at a shelter for mentally i l lpeople. This gives me a lot of joy. Apart from volunteering I also attend the University of Iceland.I am graduating with my BA degree this summer - very exciting. I also hold a part-time job at afour star hotel in the city center. When all of this is over and done I try to find time for friends andfun. . .and a bit of knitting.

Mārtiņš PārpucisFrom: LatviaAFS career:

Year abroad: Germany 2008/2009Volunteer since:2009Riga chapter president since:201 1National board member since 201 1

Do you have a life outside ofAFS?

Beside AFS I am studying Business and Management inRiga Technical University. The rest of my free time usuallyis my sleeping time:)

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Yannick De SchaepmeesterFrom: Gent, BelgiumAFS career: Spent my exchange year in Bolivia, SantaCruz, and came back summer 2009 when I started my AFScareer. I started as a volunteer in my chapter but laterbecame head counselor and school coordinator and didsome activities on a national level. Now I’m doing aninternship in the AFS office of the Netherlands.


Euhm.. No! Well at the moment there is not much time in mylife that is not used for AFS due to my internship but I 'm inmy second bachelor of Social Cultural Work. A cooler factabout me is that I am a bartender and during the weekends Iwork in an awesome bar in my city!

Şive BaşaranFrom: TurkeyAFS career: For my exchange year in 201 0-201 1 I was inAntwerp, Belgium and after regressing to Istanbul I started asa volunteer. I haven’t done much but the International Smil ingChild Festival was my first experience as a volunteer by AFSand this wil l be my first Chapter Exchange experience.


My educational l ife covers a large area of my lifeunfortunately. . I study civi l engineering in technical university.As a hobby, I l ike to do scuba diving special ly in theMediterranean Sea.

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Ester Ösp SigurðardóttirFrom: Born in Denmark but moved home to Iceland when I was 4.AFS career: My older brother was an exchange student in the US in1 995 and the year after that we hosted a boy from Australia. I wentto Peru in 2004 and became a volunteer when I came back. I sat inthe Reykjavík chapter for 2 years and was in charge of exchangestudents. I participated in the ChapEx in Antwerpen in september201 0 and was supposed to be in the prep team for Portugalseptember 201 1 but that one was cancelled. I am also a trainer andfounding member in Ipot


Yes, it consists mostly of Bubbles and Tetris. . . . nah, I ´m just kidding.I study psychology at the University of Akureyri. I love to travel andI´m going back to Peru this summer. I also went to North Dakota (USA) for an exchangesemester in january 201 1 . I have a part-time (ful l time over summer) job at a respite home fordisabled children and I love it. I have to young brothers and I love hanging out with them and allthe other people in my family

Cengiz OguzogluFrom: Istanbul, TurkeyAFS career: I have attended more than 1 0 camps and I amnow a counselor for 3 AFS exchange students in Turkey. Iwent to Switzerland in March to attend a seminar about schoolrelations which was organized by EFIL.


Yes, I do :) I am studying electrical engineering in Istanbul andI am a volunteer for the Red Crescent. I am also working part-time in an electrical company.

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"So tell me more about this ChapterExchange, how does it work?" were thewords that began the journey of the firstChapter Exchange cycle Icelandic AFSvolunteers participated in. I t was August2009, location: Turkey at EFIL VolunteerSummer Summit. With Lubos, the Czechgroup-leader initiating this project bycontacting Sander from Belgium, and Andréfrom Portugal and me for Iceland, we startedpreparing the first exchange that would takeplace in Prague, February 201 0. Team of tenextremely enthusiastic icelandic volunteers,without a clue what we were really getting

into, headed off from Iceland to Prague to talkabout volunteers revealing youth poverty inEuropean countries. With that experience wewere better prepared as we participated in anexchange in Antwerp in September 201 0sharing our perspectives and gaining newabout l iving in and learning from a multiculturalsociety. In February 201 1 it was Iceland’s turnand we welcomed 30 participants fromBelgium, Czech Republic and Portugal to joinus in discussions and workshops aboutvolunteers taking action when disaster strikes.(For the last planned Chapter Exchange inLisbon, we unfortunately did not receive thegrant. )

E m p o we ri n g Yo u n g Vo l u n t e e rs :Czech Republic, Belgium, Iceland andPortugal

Happy AFS volunteers at a Chapter Exchange inBelgium 2010

Final night of Chapter Exchange in Czech Republic2010 - everybodygot their own ChapEx t-shirt!

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The Chapter Exchanges were a little bit l ike anAFS exchange all over again, with a tighterschedule and only 9 days. With a perfect mixof games and icebreakers, workshops, culturalintroductions and theme related events wereally got the chance to get to know eachother quite well and work together to makeevery exchange unique. Pushing culturalboundaries and overcoming problems, takinga ride in the roller coaster we all love,enhancing group spirit within each countrygroup and in the group as a whole: Like the

whipped cream on top or the little piece of chocolate you enjoyat the end of the day. Not to mention all the small and bigtraditions that have developed alongside the project: Snail ,AFS sharing, word-ki l l ing game, creative session, playinggames after the programme is official ly over in the evening,the City Rally etc. . .

I 've never been so tired in my whole l ife as I was on the 9thday of every single exchange but it was always totally worth it.I could also go on for a very long time about all the fun, al l thethings I learned and all the wonderful people I got to know.But that is something you just have to experience yourself toful ly understand. So I dare you dear reader: Participate in aChapter Exchange, feel how the world becomes smaller asyou broaden your horizon. You won't regret it! ;)

Steinunn S. ÓlafardóttirGroup leader for the Iceland team in Prague, Antwerp andReykjavík

Steinunn in Belgium with Snail, themascot of the last Chapter Exchangecycle

Participants in Chapter Exchange Iceland 2011performing a flash mob while a photographer from alocal newspaper takes photos

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Loïc BicamumpakaFrom: Born in Rwanda but l iving in Antwerp, BelgiumAFS career: This is my 3rd year as a volunteer. I tstarted when i came back from the amazing Rio deJaneiro. In my first year i did a lot of weekends, to get toknow other volunteers. And i participated in the ChapExin Prague (Legendary). In my 2nd year i became vice-president of the Antwerp chapter. And now i can proudlycall myself the First Black President of the SouthAntwerp Chapter! (YES, WE CAN)


My life is amazing outside AFS. I 'm always busy doing something. Hang out with my family,girlfriend or amazing friends. What i do a lot is EAT. Damn, i Love food! But to compensate, Ialso play a lot of basketball (but i quit playing in a club last year), i work-out during the winterand i jog in the spring-summer. I study International Business, and Chinese ! Also, i can't sleepwithout reading a book. . . So i read a lot! Every summer i try to travel outside of Europe. (and ialso have a little video gaming addiction). That's it.

Barkın AykanatFrom: TurkeyAFS career: AFS’er in USA ‘07 and volunteer since then, bothin hosting and sending committee and in other organizations.I ’m also a member of a central board of directors.


I ’m a civi l engineer, I do latin dances and I l ike to sail with asailboat. So I do have a life outside of AFS and it is fun.

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Marín Björt ValtýsdóttirFrom: Akureyri, IcelandAFS career: AFS exchange student in I taly 2003-2004. After that I started volunteering in my localchapter of Akureyri and I was the chapter presidentfrom 2005 to 2008. After moving to Reykjavík I gotinvolved in the international AFS scene, starting bygoing to Chapter Exchange in Prague (201 0) andAntwerpen (201 0). I was in the prep-team for bothof these events and had a really great experience. Igot trained by EFIL at Training for Trainers inHungary 201 0 and I joined the EPOT in 201 1 . I and other icelandic volunteers founded IPOT in201 0. I was a full trainer at VSS201 1 in Portugal and wil l be a half trainer at VSS201 2 in Latvia.


Yes, yes I do! or well kinda. . All my best friends and my partner are AFSers and 2-3 nights aweek I go meet AFSers. . . Okay so there is a tiny part that is non-AFS, my student l ife at theUniversity of Iceland. I study art theory with a minor in japanese and wil l be getting my BA inJune. I travel a lot and I plan on moving to Copenhagen next fal l but what I wil l be doing there issti l l an unwritten page.

We look forward to meeting you all in Iceland!!

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F u n fa c t s a b o u t t h e p re p - t e a m !

The prep-team was asked a few questions regardingwhich Twil ight team they were one, team Jacob orteam Edward. One more team slided along, teamEster. We are not sure who this Ester is, but weassume she is a very important character in Twil ight.

In addition to their selection we gave the prep-teamthe option of explaining why they chose as they did.Here are some of their answers:

Ester: I ´ve never seen or read Twil ight and did in fact not understand the question unti l I sawwhat other people answered.

Mārtiņš: Edward is too mainstream.

Tinna: There is no way that Edward is cool enough for me. He is so whiny. . .and seriously, whatis up with all the glitter? Team Jacob for the win.

In addition we asked them about which three things they would l ike to have if they were trappedon a desert island, the results were following:

Yannick: My laptop to stay connected with the

world! My bed. A Twil ight movie to get to know

Edward and Jacob, haha!

Şive: Bear Grylls is enough. . .

Cengiz: with any AFSer because they cansurvive in any situation :) and also i would l ike tohave swimming suit and water.

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That's it for the prep-team!

From left: Ásdís, Jenný, Hugrún, Fjóla, Ester, Ásmundur, Marín, Tinna og Berglind. Missing in this photoare Vignir andÞóra.

Finally we asked what excited them the most about the upcoming Chapter Exchange:

Marín: What I find the most exciting part about Chapter Exchange is meeting all the peoplethat are going to participate. I 'm very curious about their ideas on the topic and how we wil lfunction as a group. I also look forward organizing this event with the icelandic team .

Barkın: Knowing new friends. Working for AFS. İmproving AFS Turkey and new volunteers.

Loïc: What doesn't excite me?! I gives me a chance to expand my knowledge and to meet a

lot of awesome people with the same interests. (and to travel, of course)

The Icelandic team wishes you a nice summer <3

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Þetta verkefni hefur verið fjármagnað með styrk frá framkvæmdastjórn Evrópusambandsins. Þessu útgáfalýsir aðeins viðhorfum höfundarins og Framkvæmdastjórnin tekur ekki ábyrgð á því hvernig upplýsingarsem hér er að finna eru notaðar.

Documents

Chapter Exchange Iceland 2012 no. 1