Hello, future leaders and global citizens. I am Mina Fangari Seddik from Alexandria, Egypt. I participated in a European Solidarity Corps project with Ung i Gladsaxe – UNiG. UNiG stands for “Young in Gladsaxe Community” when translated into English. It is a government project overseen by the Gladsaxe municipality, engaging youngsters between the ages of 13 and 29. In Gladsaxe, we have seven youth clubs located in various places within the community. These clubs are staffed with hired and trained pedagogues, aiming to organize social, cultural, informal educational, artistic, entertainment, and environmental activities for the youth.
Solidarity Project:
Vision:
Empowering Youth Through Diversity: A Global Community United
Mission:
Our mission is to cultivate a generation of young individuals who embrace diversity as a strength, forging a global community that thrives on inclusion, tolerance, and shared objectives. We strive to raise awareness about the richness of our differences and inspire young people to be positive contributors to their communities, while nurturing future leaders and passionate community activists. Through collaborative efforts, we seek to bridge cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives, creating a world where unity and understanding prevail, fostering peace on a global scale.
The Solidarity Project I was part of focused on multicultural communication and the environmental aspect. I co-founded UNiG Travel, an initiative supervised by UNiG Gladsaxe, to support and encourage youth to access training and cultural exchange programs abroad. This initiative aimed to promote intercultural communication and community involvement within the Gladsaxe commune. Initially, I wrote our project profile and collected data on potential partners for projects funded by the European Union and self-funded by the Commune. Subsequently, I conducted meetings with various organizations within and outside of Europe. This effort led to the execution of diverse projects, trainings, and trips involving young people from the commune to France, Turkey, Sweden, and Denmark. Our focus areas included sustainability, green communities, intercultural dialogue, and cultural sensitivity.
Collaborating with fellow team members, I managed partnership coordination, project representation, social media presence, community outreach, training coordination, and facilitation. Additionally, I organized various cultural and international events, festivals, and dinners in collaboration with Telefonfabrikken – Gladsaxe Kulturhus, BIBLIOTEK+, and the Cross-cultural Church of Gladsaxe and Herlev. These events catered to individuals facing social insecurities, including those on social support, with social disabilities, or belonging to different refugee groups.
I also took charge of coordinating the “Open Plant Day” project, aiming to bring together civil societies, organizations, and schools for discussions and communal planting activities. This community gardening initiative involved partnerships with organizations such as Ung i Gladsaxe, Telefonfabrikken – Gladsaxe Kulturhus, Gladsaxe Bibliotekerne, and Crossing Borders.
Furthermore, I played a pivotal role in coordinating the “Food For Change” project at UNiG Gladsaxe. This Erasmus+ initiative, implemented by Crossing Borders organization, empowers young people to rebuild a sense of community and civic engagement in education, training, and youth work post-pandemic. Our training sessions and dialogue dinners promote tolerance, inclusion, and diversity to counter radicalization and discrimination among youth. Additionally, these efforts strengthen the capacity of relevant organizations to work with young individuals.
As part of the project, I delivered interactive trainings and workshops, managing participatory discussions and debates on leadership, cultural sensitivity, multicultural communication, and active citizenship.
To implement the project, I devised a comprehensive project action plan with main goals and sub-objectives. The primary goal is to nurture a sense of global awareness among young individuals, emphasizing the value of diversity acceptance and inclusion.
The aim is to empower them to become positive contributors to their communities, fostering future leaders and community activists. Creating community activists who can then initiate their own projects, initiatives, or startups focused on addressing societal issues and providing solutions to alleviate and eradicate pain and suffering within society.
The overarching purpose is to instill awareness of our differences in young people and motivate them to embrace others regardless of disparities. The ultimate objective is to unite individuals under shared objectives, be they cultural, environmental, social, or any collaborative effort. In my view, fostering inclusion and tolerance stands as a fundamental pillar for achieving peace on our planet.
Reflecting on this project, I’ve learned the immense value of diversity and inclusion. Effective communication, leadership, and training facilitation skills were essential in coordinating events and fostering partnerships. Engaging with a variety of individuals has deepened my empathy and cross-cultural understanding. Practical skills in project management and event planning have also been valuable takeaways. This experience has reinforced my belief in the potential of grassroots initiatives to create positive change and unity.
ESC Solidarity Projects 