Workshops for Polish and Russian Youth

More than 130 young people and minders from the whole Poland and Russia between 15 and 17 of December 2016 took part in workshops, during which they worked in mixed groups and, regardless of cultural and language barriers, they tried to find a common solution to a problem. They also went back in time to feel like people living 100 years ago and to find the traces of Warsaw, the city which disappeared after the outbreak of the II WW. These are only some parts of our workshop programme.

A location-based game, interactive exercises and simulation games prepared by coaches from “Pracownia Gier Szkoleniowych”, the Polish-Russian crisis management and negotiation – 3 days of intensive workshops for kids and teenagers from the whole Poland and Russia – from Gorlice to Braniewo, from Kaliningrad to Krasnoyarsk.

Innovative simulation games Webmaster and Tree of Life helped to overcome stereotypes, find a common way out of a difficult situation and to find a common ground regardless of language and cultural barriers and the age difference. Not only young people, but also their adult minders took part in different activities.

Webmaster seems to be an easy task. It demands the involvement of the whole group. The participants had to build a net using colorful lines of different length. A black and white scheme was their hint. There was only one possible solution of dealing with this task. They could make an attempt only once. The game showed that it is a one horse race and together we can achieve the goal.

The game Tree of Life is an epic history of creating the world, in which every player may decide about the pace of changes. Players develop a strategy, share duties and perform tasks. During the game our guests had to overcome many challenges and face numerous unexpected twists. Kids, teenagers and their minders created not only a positive and dynamic atmosphere, but also showed the importance of cooperation in mixed groups.

During the location-based game participants could visit a pre-war Warsaw – the city which does not longer exist. Throughout the walk they could see the difference between the past and contemporary Warsaw. The pre-war Warsaw became even more interesting due to fascinating stories of the game heroes. A location-based game is a great opportunity to explore places in a dynamic, attractive and pleasant way but, above all, it results in a group integration and cooperation.

– Partner cooperation, the improvement of mutual understanding, overcoming the prejudices – the goals which we want to achieve during the workshops for young people. The Centre has been initiating and supporting activities for dialogue in Polish-Russian relations for last 5 years. We are particularly focused on the Youth Exchange which is an important means of preventing stereotypes that burden the relations between neighbours – says Ernest Wyciszkiewicz, Director of The Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding.

At the end of the workshops we organized a disco for all of the participants. We also awarded the best teams in the location-based game. Students of The D.S. Bortnyansky Children's School of Arts presented the repertoire specially prepared for that occasion.