Thank you all!

We want to thank all participants for their active involvement in the youth exchange and wish them all the best in realising there projects on the Iron Curtain Trail in the future. We will keep you informed about further projects!  

Impressions of the Youth Exchange

On Thursday 25th October our Youth Exchange finally started. We met in Berlin and had a great time exploring the Iron Curtain Trail and what it means to our regions in Macedonia, Bulgaria and Germany. For seven days we explored the topic and got to know each other better. Here are some impressions: 

On the first day we started with some games to get to know each other better...

Pick the postcard that describes you best :) 

Find somebody who learns more than two foreign languages, has more than two sibblings, is five years older than you.... 

Afterwards we showed the FEZ to our guests.

On Thursday night it was time for the country presentations. The Macedonian delegation impressed us with their national clothes and dances. 

On Saturday we had the honour to be visited by Mr. Michael Cramer, the father of the Iron Curtain Trail. 

Some more games to warm up on Monday morning before we went into the working phase in individual country groups

Work phase of the Macedonian Delegation

Work phase of the German Delegation

On Tuesday morning the first results were presented. 

The final presentations took place on Wednesday in the city hall in Köpenick. There we first of all listened to the presentation of each delegation and afterwards heard a speech of the major of Treptow-Köpenick, Mr. Igel. 

Program

Thursday, 25.10.2012;  1st Day

Morning  : Breakfast  by Sportlerunterkunft Grünau; Trip to Fez-Berlin; Reception and getting to know each other 

Lunch

Afternoon: Tour of the FEZ-Berlin; ICT: Presentation & Discussion of the existing Projects; Preparation for international evening; 

Dinner

Evening: Welcome international Evening; Return to living quarters

Friday, 26.20.2012;  2nd Day

Morning: Breakfast by Sportlerunterkunft Grünau; Trip to FEZ- Berlin; Renting Bikes; Bike tour: Tracing the Berlin Wall Trail + Sightseeing

Lunch: Picnic

Afternoon: Returning Bikes

Dinner

Evening: Night in the city

Saturday 27.10.2012;  3rd Day

Morning: Breakfast; Trip to FEZ-Berlin; Visitor: Michael Cramer, MEP; Presentation about the ICT

Lunch

Afternoon: Workphase: discussion of the activities, launch of a network e.g. “Youth and the ICT”; Open Space; Evaluation of the day

Dinner

Evening: Return to the living quarters

Sunday, 28.10.2012;  4th Day

Morning: Breakfast; Trip to the City and Parlament tour

Lunch; Picnic

Afternoon: Freetime

Dinner

Evening

Monday, 29.10.2012; 5th Day

Morning: Breakfast; Trip to FEZ- Berlin; Working; Team work, project identification for collective projects

Lunch

Afternoon: Work Phase; Preliminary evaluation, constructive criticism;

Dinner

Evening: Return to the living quarters

Tuesday, 30.10.2012; 6th Day

Morning: Breakfast; Trip to FEZ; Work Phase; Workshop: Sustainable Tourism?; Midterm Presentation

Lunch

Afternoon: Workphase

Dinner

Evening: Return to the living quarters

Wednesday, 31.10.2012; 7th Day

Morning: Breakfast; Trip to the borough office Treptow-Köpenick; Presentation of results

Lunch

Afternoon: Preparation for the closing event (food, folklore, etc.); Closing Event; Recetion of the Youth Pass

Evening: Party; Return to the living quarters

Thursday, 01.11.2012; 8th Day

Morning: Breakfast; Trip to the airport

Children and Youth Protection in Germany

Up to which age is one regarded as a child and young person respectively?

Children are persons below the age of 14 years.
Adolescents are persons as of 14 but below the age of 18 years.

Are children/teens allowed to stay in public places?

There is no legislation unless there is a dangerous place for minors.
(JuSchG § 8). The residence determination is part of parental care.

Are children/teens allowed to stay in restaurants or dance halls / ballrooms?

Children and adolescents below the age of 16 years shall not be present in a restaurant or dance halls unless they are accompanied by a custodial person or a person with parental power. Adolescents as of the age of 16 years shall not be present in a restaurant between midnight and 5 a.m. unless they are accompanied by a custodial person or a person with parental power.
These clause shall not apply to children or adolescents who are travelling or who attend an event sponsored by a youth welfare body.
(§§ 4.1 und 5.1 JuSchG) and (§§ 4.2 und 5.2 JuSchG)

Are children/teens allowed to stay in night clubs, bars, casinos, places for gambling etc.?
No (§§ 4.3 sowie 6 und 8 JuSchG)

Is it allowed to sell spirits to children/teens?

Paragraph 9 Alcoholic drinks Protection of Young Persons Act
(1) The following bans shall apply to restaurants, stores and other points of sale:
1. Brandy as well as brandy-containing drinks or food products with brandy above negligible level or
2.Other alcoholic drinks must neither be sold to children and adolescents below the age of 16 years nor must their consumption by said persons be tolerated.
(2) Sub-clause 1, No. 2 shall not apply to adolescents accompanied by a custodial person.
(3) Alcoholic drinks must not be available from drinks dispensers in the public.
This shall not apply under the following circumstances:
1. A drinks dispenser is located on a site not accessible for children and adolescents.
2. A drinks dispenser is located in enclosed company space and furnished with mechanical devices or adequately guarded and supervised to the effect that children and adolescents have no access to alcoholic drinks.
§ 20, No. 1, German Licensing Act, shall not be affected.
(4) Sugared alcohol-containing beverages in terms of § 1, Sub-clauses 2 and 3, Alcopop Tax Act, must not be commercially launched without the label “Not to be distributed to persons below 18 years of age, § 9, Protection of Young Persons Act”. This notice shall be attached to the sales package in type, size and colour of print identical with that of the trade or fancy name or with the marketing label or, in case of bottles, on the front label.

Are children/teens allowed to smoke in public?

Minors are smoking in public is not allowed. Also, no tobacco products may be delivered to them. § 10 JuSchG)

Is it allowed for children/teens to go to internet café?

Internetcafes:
If the main purpose is playing games on the computer, an internet cafe is being treated like amusement arcades.
How are young people protected from harmful content in internet cafes?
The Youth Media treaty banning harmful content in electronic information and communication media and restricts youth impairing content. § § 4 and 5 JMStV)

Which regulations are there concerning sexual relations with children/teens?

Sexual contact with persons under the age of 14 are considered as child sexual abuse and punished. Depending on conditions, the age limit is higher.

For  more informations:
Children and Youth Protection in Germany;

European Youth - Tracing the Iron Curtain Trail

What it is all about?

In October 2012, all in all 24 young adults from Bulgaria, Macedonia and Germany meet in Berlin for the „European Youth Encounter – Tracing the Iron Curtain Trail“. They will deal with the Cold War and the Iron Curtain from a historical, political and cultural perspective and will work together on promoting the Iron Curtain Trail.

The participants of the encounter will have the opportunity to network, to develop ideas how to enhance the publicity of the Iron Curtain trail and how to better use it touristically. Moreover, they will discuss and develop regional projects promoting the ICT, or reinvigorate and deepen existing projects.

What is the Iron Curtain and what is the Iron Curtain Trail?

„For almost half a century, Europe was divided into East and West by the "Iron Curtain", a border stretching from the Barents Sea to the Black Sea. The Iron Curtain Trail invites people to retrace and experience the former division of the continent on a 6,800 km cycle track along the length of the former border, combining European culture, history and sustainable tourism“.

Dates:

Preliminary Meeting: 17.09.2012

Youth Encounter: 24.10.2012 – 01.11.2012

Programme:

Discussions, Workshops (e.g. about sustainable tourism), Excursions (e.g.  Berlin Wall Trail, Berlin Wall Memorial), Potsdam, etc.

Accomodation

Sportlerunterkünfte Grünau

Regattastr. 223, 1257

Partner

• Association Savremie from Bulgarien
• Association Center "Ambrozija" from Mazedonia
• FEZ-Berlin
• Bezirk Treptow Köpenick- Berlin
• Michael Cramer, Member of the European Parliament
• Eva-Maria Rothe Senior Experte of SES Bonn