3 April 2019
Yesterday the final event of the project “Departure, Arrival, Return: yesterday, today, tomorrow”, brought together high school students Leonik Tomeo in Durres and ISS San Pietro Gymnasium in Bari.
Teachers and pupils from both schools, representatives of UNISCO and CDI, representatives from Durrës Municipality, Regional Youth Cooperation Office and Puglia Region Delegation in Tirana were invited in the meeting.
Mr. Claudio Polignano, Territorial Cooperation Task Force of the Puglia Region, welcomed the activity and highlighted that the European Union, Italy and more specifically the Puglia Region, have invested and are investing in hundreds of larger projects in order to ensure sustainability in the region. He also noted that these investments will continue with a special focus on people and their involvement in these initiatives.
Mrs. Dafina Peci, Member of the Governing Board of Regional Youth Coordination Office, explained that in moments of uncertainty or crisis the societies have to reinvent themselves by showing commitment to the fundamental values. Young generation plays an important role in this regard.
Mr. Massimo Avvantagiato, Project Coordinator at UNISCO, made an explanation of the project and clarified that this initiative came from the need for students to be recognized and to collaborate. Albania and Italy share a long and intense cooperation story that needs to be maintained and intensified in order for this friendship to last even for young generation.
Mrs. Lorela Marku, Cooperation and Development Institute, explained that such projects related to human connectivity in the region guarantee sustainable and long-term development and cooperation.
The project “Leaving, landing, returning: yesterday, today, tomorrow” aimed to promote the culture of human rights by creating a laboratory model for the promotion of intercultural dialogue among high school teachers and students from both countries. The students of these two selected schools in Bari and Durrës worked for several months on the migration phenomenon and how it affected the past and the present of the communities. The project facilitated the treatment of students for the history of migration of the two cities, highlighting the values, impact and dynamics of the migration phenomenon.
