“YENIversary” Networking Weekend 2024

What does the journey of a person from Valencia who is looking for answers about how minorities live look like? My impression is that it was characterised by self-reflection. We were given a deep insight into the centuries-old, complex history of the Valencian community and its struggles for land, which still have devastating consequences today. But we also saw hope in his travels as he visited and documented other minorities threatened with extinction. One of the big questions that stuck at the end was how allochthonous and autochthonous minorities can work together.

In the workshop on "Non-Violent Communication," the particpants explored the four key components: Observation, Feelings, Needs, and Requests. Participants learned how to properly identify and articulate these elements to create more compassionate and effective interactions. Through interactive exercises, they practiced observing without judgment, expressing our feelings, identifying our needs, and making clear, respectful requests. By the end, attendees were equipped with practical skills to phrase and use non-violent communication in their daily lives. This transformative approach aims to enhance understanding and resolve conflicts peacefully.

On Saturday afternoon, Jenny Browne and Eva Eppler from YEN’s partner project RISE UP, created a minoritised languages quiz based on the project's language maintenance questionnaire published in 2023. They shared insights and comparisons on language varieties and uses, with focus on Aromanian/Vlach, Burgenland Croatian, Cornish, and Seto languages. 14 participants enjoyed the interactive nature of the quiz, matching sound clips to which language they hear, learning more about language families, and sharing thoughts about resources and language endangerment. The quiz aims to be a blueprint for future initiatives to spread awareness about and engage with the project’s chosen language communities.

With the challenges modern societies are facing today, the discussion was focused on the questions of what minorities and minority youth can give back to the society in general. Minorities can contribute significantly to society by driving economic growth through entrepreneurship and workforce diversity, fostering innovation and creativity. Their advocacy for social justice and equality leads to policies that benefit the entire community. Minority professionals enhance education and healthcare, improving outcomes and providing cultural competence. Additionally, their involvement in policy-making and environmental responsibility promotes fair and sustainable practices. Overall, minorities enrich the socio-economic fabric, creating a more inclusive, innovative, and equitable society.

Can you map your place, your home? What form do you give to it? What elements? Using examples of transnationalism and the history of the Sinti and Roma and the Yiddish communities, Leah invited us to question what connects us to a territory. With a catalogue of questions she asks herself while travelling, we could consider what places tell us about history and, therefore, the cultures that left their marks.

Leading up to the YENiversary, YEN curated a special YEN YouTube playlist featuring old videos from the YEN archive. Using the JUFA movie room, everybody gathered to enjoy a nostalgic journey through past campaigns, seminars, travels, and events together. It was a lot of fun to find active members or some familiar faces in some of the videos. Interested? You can still watch all the videos on our YEN - Youtube channel.

As there was no need for the participants to share their dances, we decided to have a second open stage! During the event, one of our participants collected sentences from different minorities to develop an interactive theatrical play with other participants. It was inspiring how all of the minority languages came alive.