Association Gwennili

Gwennili is a registered association, founded in 1998. Our aim is to provide youth with the opportunity to explore and to understand Europe through intercultural exchange. We organize intercultural youth exchanges with various topics and for different groups (e.g. students, disadvantaged youth and young professionals). We offer training in the field of intercultural pedagogy for group leaders or teachers. We also help young people to volunteer abroad under the auspices of the European Voluntary Service (EVS). Our programs are adapted to the specific needs of our partner associations and to the expectations of the participants. Beside enthusiastic volunteers, we have a team of 3 experienced employees. Gwennili organizes exchange programs taking place in Brittany in France or in other European countries (Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, Poland, Norway, Serbia, Hungary, etc.). These bi-, tri- and multilateral exchanges (with young participants from two, three or four and more countries) are five to ten days long. We organize these exchanges with partner associations in different European countries. On the one hand, we set up intercultural youth exchanges with schools, professional schools, universities, etc. On the other hand, we also organize international workcamps and exchanges on specific topics (theatre, photo, environment, identity). In general we consider that the language should not be an obstacle. It is not at all necessary to speak the language of the other participants. Teamers and translators help through different kinds of activites the young people to communicate during the exchange. The exchanges are mainly supported by the French-German Youth Office and the European Commission. Moreover, we ask for a participation fee in order to cover the costs for the hosting, the travel, the program and the translation. OUR AIMS The name of our association is GWENNILI, what signifies swallow in Breton. You find this familiar bird everywhere in Brittany and Europe. Living near by the people, it’s also a migrating bird and so it symbolises exchange for us. Our association is rooted in South Brittany, far away from any other European country. Our intention is to create links between people from here and elsewhere and to link the local action with an international context. Our aim is to let discover the European realities through direct confrontation with them. In experimenting Europe you understand it. We want to help people to understand better the present changes of society and especially their international dimension. These evolutions concern our life as citizen, our professional life, short, our personal life. We aim especially to young people because they are the actors of tomorrow. To sum up : *YOUNG PEOPLE’S TRAINING to increase their civic commitment. By deepening their knowledge of the social, political and economic context of the neighbouring countries and learning about democratic values. *OPENING MINDS in order to live together with other cultures. *INCREASING PROFESSIONAL SKILLS through encountering new methods, mobility and the development of language skills. *CO-OPERATING WITH THE OTHER, so that skills do not counteract each other but complement each other.