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Street Music Day 2014

Street music and street musicians become more and more attractive and interesting in all over the world. They play in the street to express their talent, views, protest, develop new musical ideas, fight against stere-otypes, etc.

This project connects everybody, who speaks on the most understandable and universal language – lan-guage of music. Musicians with different age and expe-rience, armed with instruments come out in the streets and play music of different genres: rock, jazz, folk, African rhythms, etc. The aim of the project is to pro-mote street music, link people with similar interests to each other, raise tolerance towards different subcul-

tures, support the diversity of musical genres in local bands, stimulate creativity and also make strong connec-tions between musicians from different countries.

Street Music Day was held on 31st of May, 2014, already third time in Tbilisi and each year festival becomes larger with musicians as well as with listeners. This year Street Music Day involved 500 musicians, 93 regis-tered bands and individual musicians, 36 participant musicians on international youth exchange and almost 90 local volunteers. You need to agree, numbers are impressive. This ensures us that festival is important and became an inseparable part of Tbilisi and its culture.

Traditionally, festival was held on Rustaveli Avenue, where we organized two big and four smaller stages, though differently from last year, we organized the third big stage on Rose Square. We were supported from

Tbilisi city hall and local police departments. Also differently from last year, we got funding from private companies: Mineral Water “LIKANI”, Company of car oils “SHELL” and Brewery “Natakhtari”.

This year our festival finished, but we are already look-ing forward for the Street Music Festival 2015. See you there! t’s possible that during the last month people of Tbilisi have seen more cyclists on the streets than usual. It’s even more than possible that some of these cyclists were us – EVS on Bikes volunteers, still riding around the city. There are 15 of us – 4 from Estonia, 4 from Poland, 4 from Turkey and 3 from France. We

came to Tbilisi on the 20th of May for 2 months and our goal is clear – to promote cycling as a means of transport in Tbilisi. We are hosted by Youth Association DRONI. So far it has been a great experience. We have got used to the crazy traffic in Georgia and we are not afraid to ride a bike among all the cars on the street. We have organized workshops in schools to tell youngsters about different types of cycling, bikes, traditions and customs that we have in our countries. We have been on TV talking about our project and our future plans. We have created logos, flyers, posters and other promotional materials to spread the word. We have organized Critical Mass every Friday from Vake park to Liberty Square, riding in a big group and making cars and people aware of our existence. And we have been noticed. Now we are organizing Tbilisi Bicycle Week, which will be held on the second weekend of July. even if you don’t have a bike you can join – there will be something interesting for everyone.

July, 2014

DRONI News Droni rules, not the kings!

Hot news:

Street Music Day

EVS on Bikes

Youth in Action trainings

Youth Without Borders

In this number:

Street Music Day 2014 1

EVS on bikes 1

Study visit in Poland 2

Youth in Action training 2

Keep on moving project 3

Final report by Elena Russo 3

Youth Without Borders 4

EVS on Bikes

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On 23 April -2 May, 2014, youth activists, youth workers, youth leaders and multipliers from 6 different countries (Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Lithuania, Latvia and Romania) came together in Daugirdiskes training center in Lithuania to focus on value education, strategies and methodologies.

The nine- day international training course’s main topic was “REDISCOVERING NON-FORMAL VALUE EDUCATION”. Among the activities, we had very meaningful group building activities, activity about personal values and identity, how to use non-formal method in value education, “Mandala’s Identity” activity for personal reflection and some theory about value education.

Workshops were done by participants who also visited many places of interests in Vilnius –Capital of Lithuania and amazing place “Trakai Castle island” with wonderful views. The project also had its certain objectives: to create a space

for participants to reflect on their personal values, to discuss the concept of European values (tolerance, democracy, equal opportunities and etc.), to reflect on importance of values education in the development of young people and to develop skills and awareness being a value educator, share value education strategies and methodologies.

On intercultural evening Georgian team (Giorgi Agirbaia, Davit Kakava, Mariam Abaidze, David Dolbadze, Merab Janiashvili) presented our traditional meals and drinks: Different kind of Churchkhela, Tylapi , dry fruit, some sweets, Georgian chocolate “Barambo” , presentation of Vodka “Chacha” in interesting way, Georgian Wine “Alaznis veli”, and homemade white one, Georgian mineral water “Borjomi”, We also presented Georgian traditional dance “Acharuli”, “Rachuli” “Georgian dance”.

According to participants, this project was very fruitful and meaningful for Georgian group. Learning outcomes had great impact on them and they will keep the unforgettable memories and wonderful time.

Youth in Action Training course “REDISCOVERING NON-FORMAL VALUE EDUCATION”

Study-Visit in Poland Future-Past- Learning from History for a better tomorrow

The 4-day international meeting took place in Górki Wielkie, near Katowice in Poland, from the 1st to the 4th of May 2014. Project aim was to provide the participants with inputs and space that would allow them to reflect on the meaning of the fundamental ideas for the Europe we know today – democracy, human rights, leadership. DRONI participants were Mariam Devidze, Nodar Etsadashvili and Giorgi Guga-va.They gained new knowledge about really important and interesting topics. With experienced trainers and active, interesting participants they discussed about different issues from the past and realized them for a better tomorrow. The seminar was about LEADERSHIP - how to bring up children as leaders and what methods should be used for this process, HUMAN RIGHTS – what was it`s development process and what obstacles it faced, MIGRATION – how migrants feel, what are the basic values, YOUTH ACTIVISM – Erasmus+ and partnership building. One session was exactly about presentations about NGO`s and projects they do in their countries. Its aim was partnership building, and participants found different contacts and links for follow-up or to bring up new ideas and programs. During the project participants had different activities such as intercultural evening, interesting games, outdoor activities and barbecue. During each activity they had communication with other participants, shared their experience in the field of youth activism. They had chance to have a look on our history and realize

it`s impacts. Each session was interesting and useful to use in future. On the other hand, organizers provided comfortable atmosphere, interesting seminars, experienced trainers, different activities for participant`s development and for having a great time during the project.

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Final report on Tbilisi Sea School End of the Year Exhibition by Elena Russo

Brych in Iran

The main point of making an End of the Year Expo was to do it together with children. IDPs are used to see people coming inside their settlement, taking pictures, teach them something, leave some food, and then disappear. It needed some time to gain their trust, to show them that I was there for them and that I wanted them to be responsible for what we were doing together. good solution to transform this idea into facts. Some particularly active and motivated pupils, plus others, have been part of the planning

and realizing team, responsible for the რაღაც... Join & Enjoy

event organization. The idea of the exhibition came to involve in our activities the whole community, and not only those helpful teachers, and motivated children of always. Parents, families and other social workers should have been part of it too. Pupils, final-ly, should have felt aware and proud of their achieve-ments. Giving an expo seemed a Together, after the name, we have decided to give the expo the shape of an interactive muse-ums.

Remarkable things for the good outcome of the expo had been: give to the exhibition the shape of a celebration/big game, give children a visible sign of empowerment (i.e. badge), ask them continuously if they were liking what they were doing, and asking them to make the expo as they would have like to see it. It had to be interesting and wonderful for them.

The result has been a satisfactory outcome of the expo. Students were happy because of the exhibition itself, and because of the affluence of public. Unfortunately, as partially expected, despite invitations, only few parents had come. Nevertheless, pupils were so busy and excited in what they were doing, and the environment was so positive and joyful, that the absence of parents did not disturbed the atmosphere. Public appeared fulfilled too, feedbacks left on the “comment poster” were extremely positive.

Elena Russo

Keep ON moving” project

This was the project financed by “Youth in Action” program and organized by Armenian youth organization “Compass”. It took place in Yerevan on 21-29 May. Participant countries were Armenia, Ukraine, Georgia, Slovakia and Spain. Totally 31 participants participated in project, which was held in Yerevan capital of Armenia. All the participants came from Eastern Europe, Caucasus countries and European Union. The educational methods and methodologies during the youth exchange were non-formal. Main topic of the project was healthy lifestyle. During the project participants discussed main problems in their countries, what is the percentage of alcoholism and smoking between youngsters, also they shared our experience in healthy lifestyle and how to solve this problems in the specific countries of origin.

“Keep on moving” was a youth exchange that did not only deal with participants’ ability to do sports and be active but it also included their will and positive attitude towards life and healthy lifestyle. The project dealt with the most important topics on health; nutrition, physical activity, alcohol, drug and tobacco consumption, mental and sexual health put together for people that come from different backgrounds; to health care and health connected conditions and combines them in the involvement of media, education and institutions in order to promote and support a healthy lifestyle, to prevent health problems and be a guarantee for a better access to health care.

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Youth Association DRONI

Gambahidze str. 3/6

0179 Tbilisi

Georgia

Tel.: +99532306703

Fax: +995322920999

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www.droniweb.org

Youth Without Borders: Creative writing and photography workshops at Skra and Shaumiani IDP settlements

This workshop are part of Youth Without Borders program and took place in two different IDP settlements in Georgia. It focuses on creative writing and photography as tools for self- discovery, expression and sharing with others. The main goal of this workshop is to make the connection between speech and image as means of self- representation and self- expression. The workshops took place in Skra IDP settlement from June2 –June 6 and in Shaumiani IDP settlement from 16 June- 20 June. We had more than 15 participants between 13-19 years old, mostly girls. Most of the teenagers were also living in the settlement itself as we actually did; we all stayed for five days in one of the settlement houses experiencing the life of the local people. Our team consisted of Ioanna Sakellaraki and Alice Cretin, two EVS-ers, plus five DRONI local volunteers; Giorgi, Tamara and Irakli in Skra and Eka Abalaki and Mari-am Diakonidze at Shaumiani.

The structure of the workshop was divided in five stages. We tried to go deeper into each stage throughout the five days we stayed at Skra and Shaumiani. At the first stage of Day 1 we tried to introduce the concepts of creative writing and photography via educational games such as the Literary phone during which children write a story all together by using keywords given. The second focus point of this day was the Inspiring photos session during which children choose a photo and have to link it to their personality and interests. A last wrap up session about more structured info on photography and creative writing was necessary for making the link between informal and formal ways of learning. An open air cinema activity ended the day with fun.

On Day 2 we went more in depth and action by asking children to write a story about a memory by choosing one of the various objects we had on the table and then go out in the settlement fields and make a photo related to their story. Some very impressive results inspired by the photo prezi presentation we had just given before were showed here. Outdoor sport games helped us finish the day with energy and fun. On Day 3 children were asked to write about an emotion that was randomly given to them without stating what it is; therefore describe it without saying it. Various emotions and interesting definitions were the result of this writing exercise and the photography exercise that followed made it even better. Children went out in the fields and read their stories to each other in couples. Then the person hearing the story had to guess the feeling and make a facial expression representing it for the other person of the pair to make his/her portrait. A last wrap up session of collecting stories and photos and

discussing about them followed. Evening activities included the photography exercise of a person with his/her favourite object and the sharing of the story behind it. In many cases the object became part of the group entertainment as most of them were traditional instruments etc. On Day 4 we had our last creative writing exercise named This I believe in. Children had to write about a value or belief they have and accompany their story with a photo inspiring for them. Family, religion and friendship were some of the main elements included in stories and photos children made varied a lot. On Day 5 we had an extensive discussion and evaluation of the whole workshop and a last theatrical play named Raising Voices of the kids making their own characters and presenting them on stage in couples. As children had been more than motivated full of positive energy and creativity, it had been great to spend these two weeks at Skra and Shaumiani and we are now preparing our final exhibition which will take place at the Caucasian House on Saturday 19 July and we warmly invite you all there!