Expectations at the beginning of the projects
Joensuu 2016-2017: Here are five motivation letters from our student:
1- I wanted to be part of this project because I thought it would be interesting to get to know more about immigration in Finland. I also thought it would be eye-opening to actually meet the young people that have come to Finland as refugees. I’ve never had anything against immigration or the fact that people from other countries come to Finland. Actually I’ve always wanted Finland and the whole world to be more international, so it’s very important and good that Finland is ready to take refugees to live here. One reason for participating in this project is also to see what problems there is about immigration because there for sure are some difficulties too. For example living in another culture without their own family must be hard for the refugees.
I’ve never really socialized with immigrants so for me it’s a new thing to even get to talk to them. I’ve heard some stories about immgirants and they haven’t always been positive. But I don’t want to judge everyone by only couple stories or bad experiences. I believe immigration is a good thing and obviously we have to take people to live here because Finland is a safe place to be. We need to help as much as we can. Immigration can work or at least I want to believe so. Obviously the trip to Spain is a big reason why I wanted to join the project. It’ll be exciting to live in there for a week and collaborate with Spanish people as well as get to know them. I wish we’ll have more of projects like this in the future too!
2- I’ve always been interested about different cultures, therefore I thought this was my kind of project. It would be great to make friends from different countries. And why say no when you get an opportunity to get almost free trip abroad.
Cooperating with international people with different backgrounds seemed interesting and eye-opening as well. It’s nice to have something different to do along with school. There should be more of these kind of projects!
3- I wanted to join this project because it seemed interesting and I wanted to make new friends. One of my goals was to understand what is it like to be an immigrant and possibly improve my english. It is always interesting to meet new people and that’s what I wanted to do.
Also I think it is important that places become multicultural. Perhaps we can learn to understand one another better that way. I’ve always liked talking to foreign people. It is exiting to get to know new cultures and learn about diffirent countries. When I heard about this project, I was interested and wanted to join.
4-I wanted to participate in this project, because I find it very disturbing that the public opinion has turned to more upsetting towards different people. I feel like people are judging others easier that before, and especially people from different countries and people with different lifestyles. I think that the best way to prevent hatred and work for equality is increase the knowledge about different cultures and I can’t do that, if I don’t first learn about different cultures.
I also wanted to know different aspects about Finland and Europe. I feel that I see the way things are done in Finland very differently than people who come from different cultures. They most likely have opinions on things that happen around me that I haven’t even thought about. I’m also very interested about the way immigration is happening in other countries like Spain. It’s important to remind ourselves, that culture affects the way we do things, so other countries have different ways of dealing with the immigration.
5-For active and global citizenship – against youth social exclusion
When I heard about the upcoming Erasmus -project in our school, I decided to find out what it was about although I didn’t quite know what to expect. After the project-leaders had cleared the issue, I knew this was an opportunity worth taking. We are to connect with the young immigrants in Joensuu, which is something I wouldn’t think of doing by myself. We will also travel to Pamplona, Spain, where we meet local immigrants and stay in hosting families. Later the Spanish students will travel here to Joensuu and we’ll host them in return. So it’s an international project in every level.
I wanted to take part in the project, because I’ve never done anything like this before. I don’t know much about the immigrant youth in Joensuu, which is something I’d like to change. They have lived completely different lives than us native Finns, and it’s always interesting to hear different life stories and make new acquaintances. Also, finding out how everyday life differs in Spain is going to be a whole new experience.
I don’t have much earlier experience about immigrants in Joensuu or Finland, but I have visited a refugee centre once and played music there. The people were kind and gentle, which was a pleasant surprise. Also the amount of young people, children and teenagers, made me realize how important it would be to make connections with them. So joining this project would actually show me the importance of making immigrant youngsters feel like home.
I hope this project teaches us tolerance and acceptance towards people of different culture. I also hope that the immigrants involved in this project become more confident about living in Finland and using Finnish as a primary language. I’m very much looking forward to finding out what experiences this project brings us!
Pamplona-Iruña 2016-2017: Here are five excerpts from our students’ questionnaires:
1-I would like to join this project because I think that immigration is one of the most important challenges of our generation. We must find a solution to the youth social exclusion that it causes, and the only way to achieve it is this one: to work together with people from different countries, cultures, with different opinions…
2-My grandparents emigrated to Switzerland in 1960 more or less. (…) They had to emigrate because they were living in Badajoz and there wasn’t any job. (…) My aunt and my father were born in Switzerland and they returned to Spain when my father was 7 months old. In Switzerland, my grandfather worked in a factory and my grandmother as a babysitter. They say that they were so happy there and that the people were very sympathetic and generous with them.
3-On the one hand, immigrants are persons like us and we have to treat them with respect and with dignity. On the other hand, in my opinion, in the area of Iruña, the population and the authorities treat them well. In Europe, there is a problem with refugees. They are running away from Syria because there is a war and that is creating problems between the governments, because they don’t agree. Also, there are a lot of terrorist attacks (jihadist attacks) and the population is scared of them. Finally, the votes to racist political parties are increasing because of terrorist attacks.
4-Speaking about Europe, I feel so sad when I think about it. I don´t know what the governments can do to help them but I´m sure that they don’t do all they can. I can´t believe how people can´t understand that they are escaping the war. I think that if all of us help a little bit, those people would stop suffering. But, apart from helping people, we should stop that people who are making the war, too, and that’s so important. I want to say that I’m not only speaking about refugees of Syria. I speak about Saharawi, Palestinian, Libyan, Iraqi, African and refugees of all over the world.
5- In Europe there are a lot of immigrants from different parts of the world and at this moment there are coming a lot of refugees, for example from Syria. They are running away from their country because it’s suffering a war and because they want to have a better life. I think it’s good that different European countries are willing to help them, because they deserve to have the same quality of life that we have, they deserve to be happy. Apart from this, I would like to add that we can also help children from poor countries who can’t immigrate to another country for different reasons. For example, we can godfather them or take them here for all the summer, and I think that is a really good opportunity for us and for them
Joensuu 2017-2018: Here are five excerpts from our students’ questionnaires:
1- I want to join this project because I have always wanted to see closely the life of immigrants and Spanish people. I want to see if the life of Spanish people is like in the Serrano Family –tv-show, and I have thought I would like to study at university in Spain. I also think that I should enjoy the things that life has to offer and take the chance to do things that I want to do when I can.
I do have everyday life experiences about immigrants. Three of my classmates in primary school come from Russia. Two of them moved in Finland with their families and one was adopted. Also, my big sister has moved from Finland to the Netherlands to study at a university. What do I think about immigrants is that they deserve the same rights as we do because they are also human beings. But still they should find out what is the law and culture in Finland (or some other country they have moved to) because some of the immigrants do not obey the law. However, in the end my experience about immigrants is not very much and therefore I would like to know how is it like to be an immigrant myself.
I wish that when we are in Pamplona, and when the Spanish people are here in Finland, we would have a lot of time to spend with each other. I know that we probably do not have much free-time but maybe we will have more free-time than we now think. I expect that I will see sights, eat Spanish food and learn and use the Spanish language while we are in Pamplona. I also expect that the Spanish people will be as excited as I am to learn new things about a foreign country.
2- I want to join to this project to get new experiences. I love travelling and I want to travel more. And we have many projects during school where you can travel, but I also want to learn something new. In this project I would get to know new people, and I think I could learn lot from all the people takin part to this project. So I think that this is a great way for me to combine learning and travelling.
I dont really know any immigrants personally, but in Pataluoto we had lots of immigrants studying with us. I never really got to know them, so I dont really know how it is like to live in Finland as an immigrant, and I would want to hear their point of view.
I dont see immigration as a bad thing. I think we need to help those who truly need it and I have nothing against that. I think everybody has a right to get good life and it’s good if people can have it in Finland.
From this project I hope to have good memories, meet new people, learn new stuff and of course see spanish life in Pamplona:)
3- Why do You want to join this project?
I want to be a part of this project, because I want to see other cultures and learn more about other countries. I also want to meet new people.
– Do You have everydaylife experiences about immigrants? Discripe some.
In eveydaylife I only see them in the centre of Joensuu.
– What is Your opinion about immigrants in Joensuu area? (and in Finland?)
I think that it is good that they can live safely in here, but I have also heard some bad things what has happened while they have lived here.
– Wishes and expectations for the project?”
I’m really exited about this opportunity and I hope that everything goes well and this is so
I think that it is good that they can live safely in here, but I have also heard some bad things what has happened while they have lived here.
4- I want to join this project because I am very interested in the Spanish lifestyle and their culture.
I don´t really have an opinion on immigrants in general since I have not dealt with them much.
I wish to learn more about the Spanish culture and lifestyle and also I hope that being in Pamploona will be educating but fun.
5- Why do You want to join this project?
I want to join this project because I want to learn new things about other cultures and this project gives that opportunity to me.
-Do You have everydaylife experiences about immigrants? Describe some
I don’t have much experiences, but I see immigrants at the center of the Joensuu walking in the shops.
-What is your opinion about immigrants in Joensuu area? (and in Finland?)
I think that Joensuu is blessed to have other cultures in the area.
– Wishes and expectations for the project?
I hope that everyone has great and fun trip in the Pamplona and also that the people from Pamplona likes the school, people and nature in Finland.
Pamplona-Iruña 2017-2018: Here are five excerpts from our students’ questionnaires:
1- I would like to join this project because I believe that it is important that the members of the European union live together and because throughout this exchange we can share the different cultures and knowledge about other countries. On the other hand, I think it’s a good way to practice and get better at my English and to get used to speak in English. Also because I did an Exchange with another country of the European union and I really liked the experience of traveling to another country.
In order to improve the inclusion of youngsters in risk of social exclusion, I think it is very important to create jobs, with good conditions and a living wage, thus to become independent or to live with this salary and cope with the expenses. I also believe that it is very important not to discriminate (by age and by sex) and have no prejudices when it comes to giving a job. Sometimes I think that it is necessary to put in the place of people in need to understand them and try to help them. On the other hand, I think economic aid to young people (in case of not having work) is very important to be able to live every day until they find work.
About my wishes and expectations for the project, I think I would learn about other cultures, in this case the Finnish culture, and learn about their habits and characteristics. I would also like to see the educational system that they have, because I’ve heard a lot about and I would like to meet it in person. In the same way, I’d like to be able to show our culture and traditions through visits to emblematic places. On the other hand, through this Exchange, it seeks to meet people and make friends, so in this way, reinforcing the bonds between the members of the European union. Additionally I’d like to live this experience to improve my English and to be able to practice it.
2- On the one hand I would like to join this project because I think that is a good experience. From my point of view everybody should do this exchange to learn other cultures, to keep in touch with new people and to improve English. On the other hand Finland is a country that I admired since I was a child.
I have some immigrant friends from many parts of the world. We treat them as like as the other classmates. But I have never had any friends in risk of social exclusion.
For the inclusion of youngsters in risk of social exclusion I think that everybody must have the same human rights independent of the race, the religion, the sex… The most important is to respect all opinions and accept them. To get this, it could be a good idea doing a campaign to explain the problems of the youngsters in risk of social exclusion. In this way, everybody would complain that we have to work to reach the inclusion.
I think that this project would be so useful and would improve myself. Living with other family in other country may change my point of view. If I go to Finland, when I come back I think that I would be able to speak English better and fluently. Apart of this I will help youngsters who are in risk of social exclusion.
3- I think this project is a good way to learn more about other cultures, improve my English and establish new relations.
Last year I worked as a volunteer with Caritas, organizing clothes for people who need them, so sometimes I had to give them their clothes. A lot of people went there, specially women from Nigeria and other villages of Africa, very polite, but unfortunetely without the basic resources.
I think we should make activities where youngsters in risk of social exclusion could participate, teach them our language (in case they do not speak it), try to integrate them in free time activities with other people so they can make new friends and enable them to teach us their culture.
About my expectations, I look forward to enjoying this project, and I think It will be really interesting. At the end of this project, I would like to enrich my English, know other people , open my mind to other cultures and learn to get on well in different areas.
4- I would like to join this project to know more about cultures from other countries, which in this case is Finland. To see the education of the country and how the teachers teach to their students. It could be a great point to know the day-to-day of the family, to get on well with them and to meet new friends there, and if have a good relationship we will want to see each other again. I think that’s the most important of an exchange because it can make us to be more respectful with the culture of other countries.
I think that if you have some neighbours from another country whose child gets on well with yours and you with the parents, it will improve the inclusion of youngsters in risk of social exclusion. That way, when the child gets older, he will not think that they are different because the other child is from another country and because of the skin colour and religion. That happens too, when you make friends with another person who is from another country, different skin colour or religion. When you are a child and you want to play and your parents don’t tell you who to play with itis better because this way you may play with a child from anthor country and it makes you to be more tolerant and not to exclude other people just because he or she is from another country or skin colour.
I wish that I get on well with my exchange student and his or her family and to have fun with them. I would like to make friends there too and enjoy that week. At the end of the exchange I would like to have a really good relationship with him and in the future he can come to my house on holiday and I would to go to his house too if he want to. Also, if he is on holiday or looking for a job in my country I will help her.
5- Joining in projects which the goal is to improve our social situation (wich is not the best) is a great way to learn and to grow as a person. It’s important to work on this as teenagers because we are the next generation and we should be aware.
To improve the inclusion of youngsters in risk of social exclusion, education is the base. The truth is that we don’t often work on social problems at the school. Different social movements that work on this kind of subjects are not known, they don’t have any visibility. We must change this.
I would like to realise how far this affect in our society. Finally, I would like to know how we can fight those problems working together.
Erasmus blog 