Youth In Action Project

Here's a few of the many wonderfully energetic photos taken by Zvonko Kracun of this summer's Youth in Action project at Allanton House.  I've been involved in doing press, managing the blog http://youthinactionallanton2011.blogspot.com/ and creating further materials to promote the project, and it's been, quite honestly, a blast.

The World Peace Sanctuary at Allanton provided an unforgettable week of cultural activity for 14 young Italians and 13 young Scots.  The young people have worked intensively together on a British Council and European Commission funded Youth In Action Project called 'Exploring Stories of Cultural Integration'.  “Allanton was an amazing experience, I’m missing you all so much”, as one young blogger wrote afterwards.

The project aimed to give these young people - who were aged from 16 to 24 years old, and who come from very varied backgrounds, and who mostly didn’t share a language – a real experience of a different culture, and of reaching across those barriers.

However, during their week at Allanton, the young people also had the opportunity to interview people who have travelled from far and wide to settle in Dumfries and Galloway. Karlis Prahms from Latvia told the Youth in Action group how he escaped from Latvia as a child with his family, knowing that if the Soviet army caught up with them they would all be shot.  Dumfries and Galloway Multicultural Association also provided the opportunity for a question and answer session with Sitki Nalci and hosted an interview session with six migrants.

On the social side, the Italian youngsters were introduced to the Ceilidh tradition by the young Scots, and also initiated into Scottish techniques for handling barbecues in the rain.  The end of the week, however, was marked in sunshine by a Flag Ceremony in the grounds of Allanton House.