«Youth: Intercultural Communication» project was organized in Veliky Novgorod (Russia) in the period 14-18 July 2006. It was the first project in the framework of Youth Hanseatic movement development realized on the territory of Veliky Novgorod.

The project was organized by the Youth Affairs Department of Veliky Novgorod Administration. Official presentation of the project was made at the youthHansa delegates’ meeting during the Hanseatic Days in Tartu, Estonia in 2005.

The aim of the project was creating conditions for intercultural youth communication and building networks between youth organizations of Veliky Novgorod and other Hanseatic towns. This project was the beginning of preparation to the Hanseatic Days to be held in Veliky Novgorod in 2009.

Veliky Novgorod met the delegates from Turku (Finland), Tartu (Estonia), Hamburg, Emmerich (Germany), Bergen (Norway), Torun (Poland), and Pskov (Russia).

A special program was organized for the delegates. It included official meetings and leisure activities. The core of the program were meetings with non-profit public youth organizations of Veliky Novgorod, such as Novgorod Regional Department of All-Russian Youth Organization «Russian Red Cross», Regional Department of Russian Association of navigators/scouts, NGO «Healthy way of life», Club «Ecology», Youth Council, Center of Youth Initiatives, Youth Library Center, Folk High School. During the round-table discussions, creative activities, and seminars youth delegates got acquainted with youth work in Veliky Novgorod, could compare it with activities at the same directions in their towns, exchanged contact information.

Each of the participants prepared presentations of youth work and youth organizations of their towns. All the materials are presented now at the Youth Library Center of Veliky Novgorod. Besides official meetings youthHansa delegates had an interesting leisure program: Sightseeing, Traditional Folk Game Festival, jazz night and boat trip, sports competition «Survival Rally», rock-concert, and discos.

The results of the meeting were presented by the delegates at their towns’ authorities. This contact exchange will lead to development of cooperation in the future and realization of new projects on the territory of Veliky Novgorod and other towns – Hanseatic Union members.

Information about the yHcamp project appeared in local TV programs on 2 channels (Volhova, Slavia), Novgorod Regional Radio, Youth newspaper of Veliky Novgorod, official web-pages of Veliky Novgorod City Administration, Regional Novgorod Administration and Youth affairs Department, and local Tartu newspaper «Youth of Estonia».

Participants of the YH camp were from 8 Hanseatic towns from 6 countries. There were 9 delegates and about 170 active participants from Novgorod. The number of organizations visited during the YH camp is 9.

Youth Coordination group «Youth Hansa of Veliky Novgorod» was created on the 19th of May 2006. It includes 16 active youths, interested in international youth communication. They participated in organization of all events of the project.

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