UGLY DUCKLING AND OTHER SHORT STORIES

21.03.23 - 31.03.23

Sarata-Monteoru, Buzau, Romania

"UGLY DUCKLING AND OTHER SHORT STORIES... REVISITED"

CONTENTS

introduction about Erasmus+

workshop 1: national tales

land art

workshop 2: world cafe

workshop 3: rope debate

workshop 4: character poster

workshop 5: storytelling

workshop 6: cyber bullying theatre

intercultural evenings

village bounds

workshop 7: forum theatre + video

testimonials

"UGLY DUCKLING AND OTHER SHORT STORIES... REVISITED"

42

Increase through

new creative methods youngsters respect for inclusion and diversity

Developing competences for youngsters in prevention, combating discrimination and misunderstanding of political correctness

Expend cooperation between European Organization based on projects that support multiculturality

Final products expected: stories, theatres, videos reducing discrimination by working together and more

Goal and effect: promote the rights of all regardless of the differences that dominate our world today

About Erasmus+

WHAT?

Erasmus plus is a project promoted by European Union which brings together groups of young people from different countries, providing them with an opportunity to discuss and confront various themes

WHERE?

Every project can be in every european country

The departures can be year-round

WHEN? HOW?

WHO?

Youngsters from all over Europe, from age 16 to 30!

It is easy to participate! You just need to find your favorite proposal from your country's organization which agreed to the programme and apply. They will contact you to schedule an interview to get to know you better and get ready to pack your bags!

COMPETENCES

multilingual personal, social, learning to learn entrepreneurship cultural awarness and expression digital

science, technology, engineering

workshop 1National tales

GREECE

Greek team presented the Micrasiatic Catastrophy. It refers to the end of the Greek-Turkish war of 1919-22, the flight from Turkey of the Greek administration, which had settled on the western shores of Asia Minor, during the Treaty of Sevres, as well as the almost disorderly retreat of the Greek army after the collapse of the front and the now generalized expulsion and extermination of a large part of the Greek and Christian population of Asia Minor. In total, in the autumn of 1922 approximately 900,000 Asia Minor refugees arrived in Greece. There were too many refugees and no one was willing to host them. They felt shame for something they were not responsible for and couldn't do anything to change. Today, however, the Greeks who were forced to come to Greece from Asia Minor founded their own separate colonies near the capital, giving the name of the areas that inhabited the coasts of Asia Minor.

LATVIA

Since Latvia was part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Latvian people are speaking 2 languages: Russian and national Latvian. Although they live all in the same country Latvians do not like these who are Russian speakers in their country. In the region of the country which is near the Russian and Belarusian borders most people speak Russian and closer to the capital everyone speaks Latvian, although they know Russian, but they do not speak Russian.

SPAIN

Spanish team talked about the oppression Muslim people suffer in Spain, focusing on the two autonomic cities located in Morocco, Ceuta and Melilla. They explained how Muslim people face big discriminations both in regular day and in the working aspect. The story we told was about a Moroccan guy who had to cross the border with Spain everyday to go to work and he had a really hard time crossing from Morocco to Spain because of how he looked, parallel to that there was a Spanish person who was crossing the border everyday to bring weed from Morocco but they never checked him because he was white and Spanish.

ROMANIA

"Harap-Alb" is a Romanian fairy tale that tells the story of a young prince who sets out on a journey to fulfill a series of challenges in order to marry the daughter of the Emperor of the Underworld. Along the way, Harap-Alb receives help from various magical creatures, including a unicorn and a dragon, and overcomes obstacles such as a river of fire and a forest of thorns. Eventually, Harap-Alb successfully completes his tasks and returns home with his bride, living happily ever after. The tale is a classic example of a hero's journey, with the protagonist facing trials and tribulations before achieving their ultimate goal.

MACEDONIA

Once upon a time there was a young boy called Rauno. He was living with his parents and his brothers and sisters in a small village in Macedonia. He haved a really neglecting parents and they forced him to work. He was going to school also. His classmates were very mean to him and they were making fun of him because he was white. He was very sad. One day after a really bad joke from his classmates his teacher heard about this and she invited him to tell his story in front of the class. He told his sad story and his teacher started to cry. After this event he was called "The white gypsy". This is how the story of white gypsy was created.

BULGARIA

In Bulgaria we have a tradition where boys and men dress up in furs and animal skins, put scary masks on their faces and jump with huge bells tied around their waists. It's believed that Kukeri monsters are so ugly that any real monster would run away screaming. That's a centuries - old tradition intended to chase evil spirits away. Women have been discriminated because they're not allowed to celebrate that tradition and to wear those furry customs. Nowadays that has started changing because you can already see a women wearing it even though not that often

POLAND

In Poland, there are several groups of minorities that face discrimination and intolerance, including ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities. One of the most prominent minority groups in Poland is the LGBT+ community. LGBT+ individuals in Poland face widespread discrimination and marginalization, with a significant proportion of the population holding negative attitudes towards homosexuality. In recent years, the Polish government has passed laws limiting the rights of LGBT+ individuals, including banning same-sex marriage and adoption, and creating "LGBT-free zones" in certain regions of the country. These actions have drawn condemnation from international organizations and human rights groups. Another minority group facing discrimination in Poland are ethnic minorities, particularly those of Roma and Jewish descent. Roma individuals in Poland face discrimination in education, employment, and access to healthcare, with many living in segregated communities. The Jewish community in Poland also faces discrimination, including incidents of anti-Semitic violence and vandalism. Religious minorities in Poland, including Muslims and members of the Jehovah's Witnesses, also face discrimination and intolerance. In recent years, there have been reports of hate speech and attacks on mosques and Islamic cultural centers. It is important to note that these instances of discrimination and intolerance are not representative of all Polish people or the country as a whole. However, they do highlight the need for increased efforts to promote tolerance and acceptance of minority groups in Poland.

ITALY

Our discrimination story begins with a wedding: one man from Turin, one of the biggest city in the north of Italy, falls madly in love with a beautilful woman from Naples, a city in the south. They decided to get married and move to Turin but the man's parents didn't want to accept her, talk with her or just let her be a part of the family. The Italian Peninsula only became unified as a single nation in 1861. Before this, the Italians had their own kingdoms and even spoke in their unique languages.the Italian Peninsula only became unified as a single nation in 1861. Before this, the Italians had their own kingdoms and even spoke in their unique languages. Despite this unification the Italians today still retain a strong regional identity, For instance, still this day, many Italians refer to themselves as Sicilians, Neapolitans, Venetians and Florentines!

Land art

We expressed our perception of discrimination and political correctness by using nature to create "land art". Seven masterpieces made from stones, branches and leaves tell their own stories and inform us about different problems around the world.

1st GROUP

We created land art using natural materials like stones, woods, snails, worms and ladybugs to represent diversity, inclusion and discrimination. The different materials were used to create unique shapes and structures that symbolized the diversity of life on Earth. By including snails, worms and ladybugs, we highlighted the importance of embracing all forms of life. Through this project, we aimed to challenge assumptions and encourage viewers to celebrate diversity in all its forms.

2nd GROUP

The story of our piece of master: Many years ago there was a family who were discriminated for being black skinned protestants. Unfortunately, the residents of the city appreciated their honesty and their kindness after the family died. So now they grieve for not appreciating them in time.

Since the start of the time vampires and romanians were in war. They killed each other and they were making life hard for both sides. One day Razvan Monteoru was going vampire hunting in the hills until he saw a very hurt vampire stuck under a cliff that was going to die. He decided to save him and he revelead himself being George Sarata, the king of Vampires. From that moment on the two population started living together replacing blood with help and hate with cooperation.

4th GROUP

5th GROUP

In the land art we made we used sticks, leaves and flowers we found on the ground in the woods. The different height and width of the sticks and the different color and shape of leaves and flowers represent the unique beauty of each individual. In order to make a fire we need each and every material we can find. Humanity works just like that. We need each and every different human in order to make something great.

3rd GROUP

Our story is taking place in a small forest full of green trees and bloomed flowers, but in the middle there is a rotten flower which is inside a stone wall which represents the discrimination it is getting by every other flower because of its differences in appearance.

6th GROUP

That is Steve 's face who's been bullied at school because of his hair. He couldn't take it anymore so he decided to run away in the forest and to hide there.

7th GROUP

On this photo you can see different sticks-different color, different size, different structure. Some sticks are thick, some of them ,, tall'' and ,,short'' and some even ,, hairy ''. The idea is to show that people are different and we all need to accept them the way they look.

World cafeworkshop

We learned about political correctness by exploring 4 different tables moderated by Rebecca (SP), Bogdan (RO), Viktorija (MK) and Aladdin (PL). This method is used to encourage and welcome the participants to join a safe environment in which all the ideas are welcome.

On the first table the topic was about the acceptable side of political correctness in our countries. First we tried to find the differences in political correctness between our countries. We realized that our political incorrectness is all the same wherever you are. Gypsies are the most discriminated and there are plenty of rumors for them stealing, being dirty and misbehaving. We reached the conclusion that it's really objective and it's not the same in every situation. But people are still judging them based on this rumors.

In my point of vie this is the only activity where you can improve the debate skill. For my table was a little hard exercise because I had a little hard topic, but was easy to explain it with a good example, same salary in sports. That means all the people need to get the same salary for their effort. We found out that we have a lot of big discrimination and political incorrectness in common. In the end I took the conclusion that if the world could be happy and perfect, discrimination will not disappear at all- People always find what not to approve and to laugh at it or even discriminate it.

-Bogdan (RO)

-Viktorija (MK)

The topic on the second table was about political correctness and solutions/responsibilities. We tried to tackle the issue of political correctness in minorities and came up with several solutions. Some of them were: being as label-free as possible, recognizing that political parties can influence mass media, organizing more public speeches with minorities. Also, we can be more open-minded and good listeners. We also suggested: to be more patient and polite when we express our thoughts. In terms of media representation, we recommended making new stories and books about minority groups without cancelling old ones.

-Aladdin (PL)

The last table had the topic about causes of political correctness measures. They can be very different and it depends on the context. Some of these causes can be the following: disrespect, discrimination, lack of education, evolution etc. The main problem is the lack of education. If we do not have a good education, we can start to lose respect for things we consider different by which disrespect can be increased little by little and turn into discrimination: sexism, racism, islamophobia, homophobia etc.

-Rebecca (SP)

workshop 3 Rope debate

We had to debate different statements such as giving a girl a cauliflower instead of flower, the prince kissing the sleeping Snow white without her agreement etc. Based on some motions we had to choose different places in the room according to our opinions "agree" or "disagree' and then some people asked for "microphone" to support their positions. The debate was quite successful and filled with lots of opinions and emotions.

workshop 4Character poster

Who discriminates, who is discriminated? In this activity we took a look at characters from different stories, analyzing them by answering questions such as "Who?" "Why?" "How?" and "Where?". The aim of the activity was working together to see the stories from different angles.

Mike was a normal guy from a good family. He was very polite and very kind to everyone he knew. His parents wanted him to become a doctor so he went to medical school. He couldn't stand the competitive environment and his depression ended getting him kicked out from medical school. His family abandoned him because he was a failure, since then he changed his name to Doctor Hell, started committing crimes, using what he had learned in medical school on his victims.

We took a deeper analysis on the classical fariy tale "The little Red Riding Hood" to have a better understanding on why and how some kind of abuse situations can happen, getting to the conclusion that age and physical state can be determinant in some cases. We really enjoyed explaining the story with some surprises along the way.

This is our dragon Sam, he is a real abuser and he wants the locals living in the village to bring him food every day in order not to destroy their village. So the residents are starving because of Sam.

There was a greedy king named Kevil who ruled a small town called Kocani. He made the people to work for him as slaves and took their money. Kevil made laws that discriminated against the poor and bullied them into submission. The people of the town were angry and frustrated of that, but they were too afraid to speak out. One day a young woman named Alina decided to take a stand against Kevil. She encouraged the people of the town to fight for their rights and protest in front of Kevil's palace. At first, Kevil ignored them but with time he began to feel the pressure. He realized he has to do something not to lose his power. Eventually, Kevil listened to the people's demands and abolished his discriminatory laws.

Maria is raised in a very toxic and abusive family. She was used to getting held and beat up if she did something wrong. Because of that she was isolating herself from the society and she had only one friend with whom she can share - Ana. One day while she was chatting and drinking coffee in her friend's house she accidentally broke the coffee cup and that got her really upset. As a real friend Ana understood how broken she feels and she tried to encourage her.

This is the story of Mulan, a girl from Asia who had to fight in the army because her father could not. The society wanted her to act like a woman but he decided to fight and do not listen to what people say.

workshop 5Storytelling

Have you ever wondered what everyday life is like for people who are part of a minority? Storytelling is a great method to make people aware of the challenges that minorities face around the world, because stories can have an impact on a person's emotions and also encourage them to take action.

The story of Viktor – a boy born in the wrong society

Once upon a time, there was a person belonging to the LGBTQ community, named Viktor. He lived in a small village and was afraid to reveal his personality. He had just joined the village high school. At first he was happy, having lots of friends and chatting with girls, because he was afraid of being judged for who he was. One of his favorite hobbies was theatre and one of the plays was about a gay couple, in which he got the main role. After that, he went back to his normal self, but he fell in love with a classmate of his. He decided to reveal his feelings, but the boy rejected him and told everyone what had happened. Viktor's life started falling apart, because his family and friends had rejected him. Going from a model student to being expelled, he became depressed and attempted suicide, which didn't succeed. Conclusion – Be more tolerant, because everyone deserves happiness.

The story of vertically challenged Visok

Once upon a time there was a midget called Visok, who lived in Distopia. He was so small that when it rained he was always the last one to get wet and he could fit in the clothes of a five years old. Everyday he was bullied for his height, even his parents abandoned him the day he was born because his mother thought she gave birth to a walnut. His parents put him in a bowl with other nuts on a table. Visok grew up with the only midget family in Distopia, but they died and he was the only remaining midget in the country. One day he found a box, which contained a poster of a family of midgets being successful. Visok felt a spark of hope and he became a judge, but nothing changed as people didn't take him seriously. His self confidence was going down as he was getting more and more hopeless. An unknown source narrates that the very last words the walnut heard were the ones said by a mother to her son: "Eat my darling, eat, so that you can grow big"

Refugee Family

Once upon a time there was a poor family that had to save money for a surgery because the kid had breathing problems. Every day they were trying their best in order to be able to afford this surgery. The parents of the family applied for jobs that offer better salaries andalthough the kids were still students they got part - time jobs. But one day a war started in their country, so they were forced leave. They had to pack their luggage and to think of a place to go and stay for a while. Today the family is living in a foreign country, working 24/7 hours, barely getting by. The surgery got delayed and stopped being a priority. Unfortunately the kid still has breathing problems and the family can't the cure.

Drug addicted woman

Once upon a time, there was a drug addicted woman, named Christina Asus and she was living in a small village called Ommen in the Netherlands. Christina was also working for a small tobacco company, and she had a low income. Every day she was taking different kind of drugs so she could consecrate better. But one day Christina ran out of drugs. She heard about a man that was selling them for a lower price. Christina contacted the person via a friend of hers and she arranged a meeting. Arriving to the place she saw her boss from work. Miss Asus was surprised to see him and she had an idea:"Maybe I can take advantage of him", so she started flirting with her boss and they got into a relationship. As the time went by, the boss started losing feelings for Christina so he asked her to break up. "If we brake up I will run out of my free supplies", she thought and Christina quickly came up with a plan: "I AM PREGNANT", she yelled. The boss felt guilty leaving her and they tried stayed together for the sake of the kid. Everything was going smoothly but the boss later found out that Christina was using him for her personal satisfaction and he killed her.

workshop 6 Cyberbullying

We had to create a short scenes what described a cyberbulling and discrimination problem.We splitted in 8 teams and based on a story that ends bad we had to create a play and to perform it in front of the others and after we had to show a solution to each case.

Every story was discussed in plennary and we understood who can be an agressor and who can be a victim.

Intercultural evenings

In the intercultural nights country had to present some traditions, food and dances. Each country came with the specific food, reaching the delicious sweets.

POLAND MACEDONIA

ITALY

Workshop 7forum theatre + videos

Our final task was to create a performance or movie for even discrimination. For this purpose, we divided into several groups to create something unique together.

First video:(shy guy) video is about shy guy who want to be member of their Erasmus+ project. He spent wonderful time in Romania and he met great people there. And also about power of love.

Second video: This is about travel in galaxy. About that the most important things in the world is the smile and being nice to everyone.

Third video: The video tells the story of a boyfriend who was betrayed by his girlfriend on their anniversary. Pretending to be someone else, he arranged a date with her on tinder and planned to kill her.

First public theater: Story is about the discrimination in school. We met a gypsy guy who got a worse grade than him other school friends. He is treated worse just by his background although he is very intelligent and deserves better treatment.

Second public theater:Another show tells the story of a popular school athlete. He feels threatened because a better player is joining the team. He is trying to eliminate it at all costs.

Testimonials of participants

ALESSANDRA

This was my first erasmus project and it has been a wonderful surprise! i didn't expect to meet so many beautiful people so different from me. I unexpectedly discovered that I have an addiction to Bulgarian food! I deeply desire to continue seeing some of the people I met here because they are now part of my life

Being this much immersed in nature is unique, this place and the memories i created with these special people will have always a dedicated part of my heart JUAN

I feel very lucky to be here. Sharing our lives and experiences with all these special people is something magical. I am sure that the young generation can build bridges instead of walls

I think it's one of the best experiences to do at least once in your life. It was a great experience, with great people in a great place. I hope to stay in touch with everyone 'cause they will always be part of me

During this week I learnt a lot, mostly from my companions and their cultures, I found some of the workshops interesting. I won't forget all the laughs at the dinner table and the late night conversations.

EMMA

In this erasmus I have felt very integrated. The people are very nice and give you conversation. I have also being seeing that there are cultural clashes, for example about food or about music or the way of giving your opinion. HAJAR

I'm really enjoying the place, the activities. There are a lot of good people that I'm connecting with them.So I really recommend this experience

ALEX

In this Erasmus we have learnt lots of traditions about other countries aswell as meeting fantastic people from all around Europe while we are enjoying a fantastic stay in Sarata Monteoru

I felt very surprised about this project and I really enjoyed it because I had a lot of fun, I liked the activities and I discovered a lot of nice and interesting people. It was a pleasure to be here.

VIKTORIJA

I learned a lot of new things, I meet a lot of new wounderful people,I really liked the topic of the project and the workshops were really intresting and I haved a lot of fun.I discovered that there is a lot of discrimination in the other countries as well, and before this project I thought that in my country is the worst situation.

I realized how many creative ideas can be created when everyone participates and gives their opinion. The workshops gave us a chance to learn about other cultures and all the things we have in common. Also that in every country discrimination is a common problem, so I hope that we'll be the generation to stop this. I think that in these few days the participants became a big family.

ANASTASIJA

I'm having a great time. Everyday we do some interesting activities so I learned a lot about team work. The place and the people are great, I like it very much. We don't have a lot of time left, so I'm willing to finish the projects that we have and spend a great time all together.

JOVANA

It's day 7 since arriving at Sarata Monteoru and i'm having the best time. I like how activities require us to be creative. I learned a lot about other nationalities and traditions. Also, got more experience at working in teams. I love to hear and to share ideas with everyone and to participate in all of the activities.

ANGELA

TEA

I am having a great time.I am gratefull for the place and the food.The people are so nice and friendly.The activities we do are so fun and educational and i learn something new every day.I enjoy this project and i am glad that i apply for it

This is my first time taking part in a project like that. I really liked the people I communicated with, learned about different cultures and most importantly things about tolerance and fight against discrimination of the minorities. I really look forward to do it again

VAGGELIS

PAVLINA

Via the activities of this project we learn how to become better personalities and find who we truly are. We learn the way to understand each other and respect everyone around us without limits and exceptions. It is an opportunity to change our point of vue and make the real change in the world by being active, energetic and by developing teamwork. It is hopeful for everyone that one day we will be able to live in a world without discrimination and racism if we really implement and make reality everything that has been highlighted in this project

I believe that we really can change the world. Through this project we get a lot of information that helps us both in our personal life to become better and in communication with our fellow human beings achieving the best treatment for them. It is a fact that we can make positive use of our experience in this project and apply in our everyday life as much as possible of what we have learned.

SAVVINA

It is a very good experience and we can profit a lot of it! We can change as persons and protect the minorities when it's necessary!

ANTONIS

It is true that this project has helped me to understand what my weak points are and thus I have the possibility to improve my personality.

DIMITRIS

I cannot express how much i love this project. I had the opportunity to meet amazing people, from which i have learned a lot. I will always treasure the moments we have spent together! This project was amazing!

ALEXANDRA

This is my first Erasmus+ project in which I come and I can say that it is very well organized. With the help of this project, I had the opportunity to communicate with people from other countries.

DENISA

BOGDAN

In my opinion, this project is a very well organized project, with many interesting activities that help personal development both from a psychological and social point of view, the people are beastly and the only disadvantage is that I will miss them

This project actually helped me learning about different cultures and I learned a lot of things from a lot of countries. It helps communicate a lot and express your feelings a lot about the topic.

(and also a LOT OF FUNN)

ANNA

I think the time is well distributed, we have enough for everything and the activities are interactive and this is very important for making friends with new people

DAVID BRIE

In my opinion, this project helped me a lot to develop both verbally and mentally. People are very communicative and ready to create new relationships and friendships, which helped us learn what teamwork means.

Participants from eight partner countries gained a deeper understanding of the topic through various activities and connected on a personal level. It expanded cooperation between European organizations supporting multiculturalism. Highly recommended. Kudos to organizers, coordinators, partners, and facilitators

ALADDIN

For me that project is a great experience. I learnt a lot discrimination and cyberbullying. Also I met wonderful people and other perspective

This project is super. A lot of people people from different countries that learn something new and gain new tools experience.

Best coaches

ILLIA

Erasmus is a great way to learn, develop yourself and meet new people from all over the world. However by participating in this project, I met new amazing friends with awesome different cultures. The city and its people were welcoming, warm and lively. It was a fantastic experience that helped me get knowledge about other places, new cultures, new challanges.Therefore, project was full of life changing experiences and memories. I'm grateful to "Logos NGO" organization for giving me such an amazing opportunity to participate in the project.

LAYLA

For me this project was something more than great. I had the chance to make lots of international friendships, to enrich my knowledge and of course to have lots of fun.

JENIA

With the help of Erasmus+, I improved my communication, language and intercultural skills. I have acquired social skills that will be highly valued in the future.

ALEYNA

DIANA

I'm really happy with this project because I find it really enriching as you can communicate with people from different countries, to exchange knowledge and to practice foreign languages as well. I really enjoyed all the activities and tasks we had, the debates we had to go true and especially the international evenings.

I'm Nadezhda Shapovalova, I'm 20 years old and I'm from Bulgaria. This was my first Erasmus project in my life and I really did love it! I've learned so many things and met so many cool people from different countries. The activities were really challenging and interesting to me. I loved it!

NADEJDA

DEYAN

I am impressed by the fact that the learning process during the project was perfectly combined with a lot of funny moments. I made friendships and took part in a lot of constructive conversations. It was pleasant for me to practice my English entertaining myself and improving my communication skills and ability to work in team.

In this project, I grew emotionally. I learned how to protect myself from bullying. It was fun preparing methodical material. Good project and interesting participants from each country.

NORMUNDS

SERGEJS

Everything was good, delicious food, interesting events, sociable people!

During the project I was able to improve my English and overcome some fears!

The project improved my English skills and I learned more about new cultures

Thanks to the project, I got to know a lot of people and overcame my fears. JEVGENIJA

See you in the next project!

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. magazine by: