Doesn’t it ever hit you that 100, 300, 500 years ago someone stood right where you are? That you might be walking the footsteps of a stranger? When I visit historical sites, my mind can’t fully grasp that, long ago, someone was looking at a freshly painted new door that now looks rusty and worn out. It’s those moments that, for a second, make me travel back in time, forging an invisible bond with an imaginary someone from a past generation. In a second, I tie the past and the present seamlessly without realizing that that moment has seized my conscience. It’s an intoxicating feeling, almost like magic. This is why the past fascinates me so much, and this is why I love history. It’s certainly not because I like politics, art, and culture (which I do), it’s because I can’t stop myself from thinking of everyone who was behind all those things. It’s not only the place that we inherited, it’s the spirits of the past generations, in a way, that we did.

 Today is World Heritage Day. A day dedicated to celebrating the joint history and cultural heritage of the human race. This day is also known as International Monuments and Sites Day, and it’s all about raising awareness of the importance of preserving our cultural heritage. Think of the Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu, the Great Pyramids, the Taj Mahal, the Colosseum… All these are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but there are thousands, if not millions more of sites all around the world that hold their own charm. As a society, we must unite to protect our history and heritage, so they can become assets for the next generations.

 CILL is working on bringing heritage to the youth. With projects that stretch from Oman to Spain and beyond, we are looking for new ways to show that history should not be overlooked, as it is the source of everything that we have come to be. Through our cultural heritage, we aim to demonstrate that history is more than just books, buildings, and bridges. Rather, heritage and history are a well of knowledge and possibilities for young people. I am thrilled to have the possibility to work on something that I am truly passionate about, and all to bring it to others. To show them what heritage truly is and why it’s not just words and bricks, but the spirits of the people who worked. There’s nothing more rewarding than being able to share something you hold so dear.

By now, it goes without saying that I’m a lover of stories. I can get so wrapped up in all the details and intricacies in history that it sometimes can mentally feel like The Garden of Earthly Delights, but in the best way. That’s what history and heritage is for me. That’s why, today, I want to encourage you to think what heritage is for you. I want to encourage you to go out and explore, it doesn’t have to be the Alhambra, it can be your local museum or a small site close to your home. I encourage you to think of who was there and why, and let’s celebrate World Heritage Day together!

“Study the past if you would define the future.”

― Confucius

by María Irigoyen, Heritage Projects Assistant

The ShePower Programme is a collaboration between the Youth Center for Research and Development (YCRD) of Morocco in partnership with the Centre for International Learning and Leadership (CILL) in the UK, funded by the British Council in the framework of its Leadership for Gender Equality programme for the duration of April to June 2021.

ShePower will be a series of workshops to be held online from April 2021 to June 2021. Twenty five Moroccan female participants will discover aspects of media including, but not limited to, news styles, reporting, interviewing, videography and photography. The participants will learn how to use their voices and express themselves on the program media platform, highlight causes from their communities, and use their voices to bring change.

Participants on the programme have been selected on the basis of their exceptional motivation, leadership potential, and commitment to making a difference in their communities. They are young extraordinary women with great potential for future leadership roles in society.

The partnership will provide training and follow-up from experts in the UK, advanced media skills, access to a digital platform with all inputs during the training, an internet accessibility fund for 3 months, and a final achievement certificate.

Trevor Keough, Director of CILL and Momentum World said ” we are really looking forward to being part of the delivery team on this project which is our first time working with a partner in Morocco. We hope that it is the first of many such opportunities and we are grateful to the British Council for funding innovative ideas such as this”.

By Trevor Keough

Statement on Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps

The UK government has decided to drop out of Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps (ESC). This decision will deprive young people of opportunities, damage the UK’s cultural relations and undermine the principles of inclusion, mutual benefit and intercultural learning. We unequivocally condemn this policy.

The government has announced a new scheme called the Turing Programme. This has been conceived hastily and with minimal consultation. It is not an adequate replacement for Erasmus+ or ESC. It appears to be designed only for universities, colleges and schools. As far as we know, there is no provision for non-formal education, youth, sport, lifelong learning or volunteering. To a significant extent, disadvantaged young people will be excluded from the scheme. It will also be a one-way programme, for UK students to study in other countries. It does not offer any opportunities for young people to come to the UK or the lasting mutual benefit which arises from this. 

Continuing partnerships

The UK will continue to participate in all activities of Erasmus+ and ESC which have been funded from the 2014-2020 programme. Therefore our cooperation with our partners around Europe will continue on all current and newly approved projects. Young people are still able to apply for open opportunities on ESC volunteering projects, and we will encourage them to do so. We will be a sending organisation for everyone who needs us. 

Travel and visas

There should be no change for short term activities. If you needed a visa before Brexit, you will still need one (a standard visitor visa). If you did not need one, you will still not need one. However, we will issue invitation letters for all visitors on our projects, to show at passport control if needed.

Long-term ESC volunteers coming to the UK will require visas, and it is likely that there will be a reciprocal requirement for UK young people volunteering elsewhere. We await further detailed guidance from our National Agency.

If you are a coordinating / hosting organisation for UK volunteers in your country, it will be your responsibility to check what the new rules are, from your NA, MInistry of Interior or other relevant authority.

We will provide more information whenever we can.

Our future plans

Momentum World is absolutely committed to continuing our cooperation with our partners in Europe and around the world. We will remain in all the formal and informal networks of which we are members, and we will join any others for which we are eligible.

We are starting a consultation with UK and other stakeholders, with a view to developing new forms of collaboration and projects outside the formal programme frameworks, in order to ensure that young people in the UK can continue to get life-changing international opportunities.

In every way possible, we will align our future activities with Erasmus+ priorities and projects. We will carefully monitor the development of the new 2021-2027 programme. We will look for ways to co-finance “parallel participation” in European projects. We will develop additional online intercultural learning activities. Meanwhile we shall continue to argue for the UK to rejoin Erasmus+ and ESC as a programme country.

We will continue to facilitate the EuroPeers UK network and support its links with EuroPeers in other countries, and other international youth networks.

We will advise and help anyone who wants to build new partnerships between educational and youth organisations in the UK and other countries.

How you can help us

Partnership has always been fundamental to our work. Now it is more important than ever. Please talk to us, share your ideas and invite us to participate in your networks, meetings and projects. If you can, please support us financially.

Never stop campaigning for the UK to return to Erasmus+ and ESC. Never stop promoting solidarity among all young people.

Contact us.

Eurodesk UK have just launched a new publication with international mobility stories from young people and youth workers.

Eurodesk: a snapshot in 30 stories is available on their website:

https://www.eurodesk.org.uk/resource/eurodesk-snapshot-30-stories

It is great to see several stories from Momentum World’s fabulous volunteers have been featured.

This new Eurodesk UK publication showcases 30 original stories covering young people’s experiences and the work of the youth sector.

Eurodesk’s mission is to help young people experience the world. Engaging and inspiring young people – and those who work with them in the youth sector – is key to this. 

The range of experiences covers 6 topic areas: Have Your Say, Study, Travel, Volunteer, Work, and Youth Work. From volunteering placements to studying for a semester abroad, everyone has a unique experience and a story to tell, not only on what they did but how it affected them personally.

The publication is interactive so you can navigate between different stories and explore them at your own pace, selecting preferred topics and/or specific stories. It is also accessible for text readers.

This month Paul and Andrew were invited to speak at an online event organised by the German National Agency. The “Move-It” conference was a series of webinars and presentations about the use of digital tools and methodologies for bringing people together in the virtual world. There was an audience of around 100 youth workers and trainers from all over Europe. While everyone agreed that there can never be a substitute for actual travel and intercultural contact, it is clear that digital tools provide a lot of added value, not least by promoting inclusion and allowing more people to participate. Our session focused on our recent experience and future plans for using virtual and augmented reality for non-formal education, showing that this technology is approachable and affordable by anyone who wants to try. The conference itself was an example of best practice for online events, and provided a model that we hope to follow in future.