From 29. March to 1. April  young people took part n Gothenburg, Sweden in the intrnational training on youth advocacy on local lvel  in frame of international project “Youth Advocacy Alliance”. The trqaining brought together young people and students from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Estonia. The goal of the project was to develop young peopl`s youth advocacy and  leadership skills. Participants shared ideas how to improve the quality of life, young people influence on local events and how to be heard.

Gothenburg’s Bygårdens Gymnasium hosted the first day of training.  Participants, students and teachers from gymnasium had a productive day working in groups, exchanging views and sharing experiences. Participants also learnt about Swedish culture. One good example was “fika”- a short coffee break with carrot cake, a popular dessert in Sweden. The afternoon was devoted to a cultural programme. There was an opportunity to visit an Göteborgs konstmuseum, where everyone found something interesting.

The second day was spent at the Världskulturmuseet-is (Museum of World Culture) in a friendly atmosphere. After visiting the exhibitions and having had a lot of fun, the participants continued to discuss the issues raised earlier. The outcome of the second day was a detailed plan to implement a concrete idea.

Participants had good language practice and made new acquaintances. There was an opportunity to learn about Swedish culture from the “inside”, interacting with people from the country and just observing life in the city. The participants were happy with the organisation of the project, the communication and the new acquaintances. They expressed their readiness to take part in future projects.

Autor: Ingrid Raudsepp