Learning Bridges project reaches out to a wide variety of actors on different levels: from young people living in marginalized neighborhoods to youth workers, local authorities and university directors. The high multiplying effect and active involvement of young people in the activities are the key aspects of this project, as well as the direct consequence of the partners’ commitment in achieving a real and sustainable impact for the future of youth and local communities.
Learning Bridges has been an inspiring and very motivating project for all organizations, youth workers, volunteers and all young people who got involved in it from the very beginning! “Learning Bridges” has undoubtedly served as a stable and solid tool to bring together voluntary organizations and young people from Europe and Latin America, in a very meaningful way! Throughout the whole project and its various activities, the exchanges, the job shadowings, the trainings, meetings, local and national events, youth voluntary organizations and young people from Europe and Latin America, came together to share their history, their concerns, their fears and hopes for the future! At the end of the project, what matters the most, is not so much what has been produced but what has happened to the minds of young people engaged to it. Above all, they had the opportunity to see the geographically opposite parts of the worlds (Europe and Latin America) with a fresher look, with more understanding, with more tolerance, more love and curiosity and finally with more inspiration! And this is what makes it so unique and valuable for our network, its organizations and volunteers!From the preamble of Learning Bridges booklet
The lessons learnt, the valuable and innovative practices discovered in small communities but also big organisations, the ideas exchanges and developed together, are collected in a final booklet whose content comes from the contribution of hundreds of youth workers and young volunteers that participate in the project activities. The booklet has been published in English and Spanish.
Partners believe that the project logo will better represent the bridges they are building, if it is the result of a participatory and inclusive process where young people have a leading role. They wanted to give visibility to the diversity of ideas and understandings of volunteering that exist in their countries and communities.
A call has been launched in the partners’ countries and the community of Alliance friends on social media has been invited to “like” the favorite logos among the 30 submitted, through the Learning Bridges liking marathon.
The online consultation helped the partners to choose three logos as the ones that represent the most the vision and values of the partnership. Alzbeta Hrušovská from Italy explained her logo in this way:
The logo represents the connection between Europe and Latin America. It´s not just the image of the bridge between continents, it is also a person – the volunteer. Volunteer aspect – open heart – is highlighted. Lines which represent borders of continents are not strict – as it shows that there are no borders in volunteers’ minds.