The Maze

KA105 – Youth mobility

The hospital room is jam-packed. There’s just “confidants” and “people who share the the same fate”. There is smile between anxiety and pride in the faces. There is merciful glances the kind that you show your child, on the faces of doctors and nurses… Silence … “I was the bad kid that families tell their children before going to bed at nights.. I did not know that the end of the road was dark and hazy. Now I was captured from an illness that deprivation of it was more irresistible than the worst pain of the world…” Then someone else steps forward: “My wife calls me, ‘ where are you? ‘ she asks.

I don’t remember which neighborhood I am in. I’m looking around, I don’t know the environment…” Another one; “My child asked for help from me, I couldn’t even touch her. She gave up and cried herself to sleep on the carpet. That’s when I cursed it and I explained it to everyone … “What he explained was that he was an addict.

Described above are not a scene from American movies… They are from the people who are addicted to alcohol and drugs and who get the treatment at a Communita la Casa del Sole in Italy, and these stories are from the ‘’Addiction Solidarity Day’’ meeting and the moment of sharing their stories… As it can be seen, drug addiction overthrows the lives. In fact, it does not only overthrows but also makes it hard to be adapted to life again. Accepting that you are addicted and starting treatment is also a difficult process. The statistical data that emerge from the research done in this matter are as follows; Following the increased use of cannabis in the 1990s, data indicate that use is generally balanced in the EU countries and falls in some countries. Among young cannabis users in the UK (16-24 years), cannabis use decreased from 28.2% in 1998 to 21.4% in 2016. A school survey in Spain shows that substance use among people aged between 14-18 has decreased from 36.6% in 2006 to 29.8% in 2014. By contrast, it is observed that cannabis use in Hungary, Slovakia and Italy is still increasing among young adults (15-34 age). Again, the rate of cannabis use among young adults in Italy in the past years has increased from 12.8% in 2005 to 16.5% in 2013. Today, as in all the countries of the world, one of the most important problems in Europe, which is seen in the statistics given above, is that in order to combat drug addiction and drug-related crimes that influence more masses day by day, studies involving the Union member states continues within the framework of international contracts and obligations.

We want to realize our project with the aim of drawing attention to drug addiction with our stakeholders and creating awareness in this regard for our young people.

The goals of our project:

• Keeping young people away from drug addiction and raising consciousness on them in this regard;
• Contributing to young people to develop hobbies and directing them to dance;
• Contributing to parents’ awareness of drug addiction;
• Contributing to the personal development of young people;
• Contributing to the cultural exchange;
• Allowing the elimination of prejudices, Contributing to the dissemination of Erasmus Plus program.

Our objectives that combine with Erasmus+ priorities;

Our raising awareness on parents objective combines with the Erasmus+ program priority of encouraging the parents to ‘’share domestic responsibilities’’ which will balance the relationship between private life and professional life, in order to develop/improve the child care.

Our contributing young people to develop hobbies objective combines with the Erasmus+ program priority of creating awareness about how sport (dance) will strengthen the teamwork, intercultural learning and consciousness of responsibility.

Our contributing to personal development of young people objective combines with the Erasmus+ program Priority of creating awareness among young people on global issues.

Our providing cultural exchange objective combines with the Erasmus+ program priority of supporting the training with special purposes about culture for Youth workers.

Our allowing the elimination of prejudices objective combines with the Erasmus+ program priority of combating with Prejudice and support for raising intercultural awareness.