You care You Vote Magazine_1.pdf

Table of Contents
Organizators & Particpants....................................................3
Description of the project ......................................................7
Youthpass...............................................................................8
Political Systems .................................................................10
Europe My House................................................................13
The World Café Method ......................................................16
Rope Debate ........................................................................18
CRAAP Method – Description of Breaking News..............19
Public speech: a decalogue for politicians to attract us. ......21
The Grassroot Method.........................................................22
“Intergalactic Evenings”......................................................24
Outdoor Activities ...............................................................28
City Bound ..........................................................................30
Testimonials and Interviews ................................................31
Final Products about the Project..........................................35

Organizators & Particpants
Organizators:
Participants:

Description of the project
“You Care, You Vote” is a training course that happened in Bușteni, Romania between 19 to 28 June
2022 with 35 participants (including 3 experts) from 16 countries.
The Aim of this Project: to provide youth workers tools and methods to increase youngsters’
responsibility for voting.
The Objectives of this Project:
1. Increasing youth workers competences to apply new methods to stimulate youth participation in voting.
2. Developing spirit of European Citizenship and civic engagement of youngsters in political and social
life of small communities.
3. Expand European cooperation between youth structures in frame of Erasmus+ program.
The Methodology used is based on nonformal education methods including Presentations, World Café,
Role Plays, Theater, Video Creation, Debates. The project activities will be: Preparation, Introduction, Getting
to know each other, Workshops in plenary and teams, Outdoor activities, Intercultural evenings, Visits, Reflection
and Evaluation according to agenda.
Final products: A collection of tools and methods to be applied in daily work to increase participation in
voting.
Accommodation: Vila Cristina Bușteni (https://vilacristinabusteni.ro/) in rooms of 2 or 3 beds with
private bathroom and shower. Food will be served at the restaurant of the pension and there will be 3 meals every
day and coffee breaks.

Youthpass
Youthpass is the recognition instrument
developed for the projects realised in the European
youth programmes. Through the Youthpass
certificate, participation in such projects can be
recognised as an educational experience and a period
of non-formal and informal learning. Youthpass
foresees a process applied throughout the project
life-cycle to support the learning of participants. It
also serves as a strategy that improves the
recognition of non-formal learning in Europe.
You can use the Youthpass Certificate to:
* Better manage your individual training course and
reflect the results of non-formal learning;
* To obtain a social recognition of the activity
carried out;
* Increase your chances of employment;
* Increase your chances of access to various forms
of lifelong learning;
* To brag to friends and family about what you've
learned or to compete with other volunteers.
The Key Competences are:
1. Multilingual competence
Multilingual competence is the ability to use
different languages for communication and to
understand and express thoughts, feelings, and facts
orally or in writing. One would need to know the
grammar and vocabulary of a certain language. The
ability to learn a language in various ways is also
important. Appreciation of cultural diversity and
curiosity for intercultural communication are
attitudes connected to this competence.
2. Personal, Social and Learning to Learn
competence
Personal, social, and learning to learn competence is
the ability to learn to learn, to manage one’s own

learning and to reflect on oneself. It is about time and
information management. Social competences
include working with others in a constructive way
and managing conflicts in a supportive way. Personal
competences include resilience, the ability to cope
with uncertainty and complexity and to show
empathy. The ability to support physical and
emotional well-being is also relevant for this
competence area.
3. Citizenship competence
Citizenship competence is the ability to act as
responsible citizens and to fully participate in civic
and social life, based on understanding of social,
economic, legal and political concepts as well as
global developments and sustainability.
4. Entrepreneurship competence
Entrepreneurship competence refers to the capacity
to act upon opportunities and to turn ideas into action
that has value for others. It includes taking initiative,
creativity, innovation, critical thinking and problem
solving. It requires the ability to work collaboratively
and to plan projects of cultural, social or financial
value.
5. Cultural Awareness and Expression
Competence
Competence in cultural awareness and expression is
the understanding of how ideas are creatively
expressed in different cultures, through different arts.
It involves developing and expressing own ideas. It
requires the knowledge of local, European, and
global cultures and the ability to express ideas and
emotions in different artistic and cultural forms.
Openness and curiosity are important attitudes.
6. Digital Competence
Digital competence involves the responsible use of
digital technologies; communication and
collaboration, media literacy, digital content
creation, safety, intellectual property related
questions, problem solving and critical thinking. It
includes the ability to use information via a range of
digital technologies, to question available
information, curiosity, and open-minded attitude.
7. Mathematical Competence and Competence in
Science, Technology and Engineering
Mathematical competence and competence in
science, technology, engineering (STEM) is the
ability to use mathematical thinking to solve
problems in everyday situations. Competence in
science refers to the ability to use knowledge; to
identify questions and to base opinions on evidence.
It includes the ability to use logical and critical
thinking, to handle technological tools and to
communicate conclusions and reasoning behind
them.
8. Literacy Competence
Literacy competence is the ability to understand and
express thoughts, feelings, and facts orally, in
writing or in other forms, and to interact with others.
It is the basis for further learning. The openness to
critical and constructive dialogue and the awareness
on the impact of language on others are important
elements of this competence.
*Competences = combination of skills, knowledge
and attitudes
(https://www.youthpass.eu/en/)

Political Systems
Introduction
Before delving into the political systems of the
countries that are a part of the “You care you vote,
you vote you care” program it is urgent that we
clarify some terms related to how a political system
is structured. First of all we should state the basic
differences between a parliamentary representative
democracy and a presidential one. In a parliamentary
democracy the government, headed by the Prime
Minister and his cabinet, possesses executive and
legislative powers while the parliament, which has
legislative duties, is elected by the people and its
members form the government. In this system the
Prime Minister is much more involved in policy
making than the President, who is elected by the
parliament and has a more “moderating” role.
On the contrary, in the Presidential System the
president is both the head of government and the
head of state undertaking both executive and
legislative responsibilities. At this point it is essential
we mention that in all democracies the three powers
(executive, legislative and judiciary power) are
independent without the interference of any of them
to the other. In political terminology this is called
“checks and balances” and it was coined by the
French political philosopher Montesquieu before the
French Revolution to avoid the accumulation of
power to a specific political entity in the political
system. We should also take into consideration that
in every of the above countries voting is not
mandatory, the age limit to be able to vote is 18 years
old and a multi-party system is applied. Finally, in
the case of having one legislative branch we are
referring to unicameralism and when having two to
bicameralism.
Greece
Parliamentary Representative Republic (Unicameral
legislature): The Prime Minister is the head of
government which is formed by the elected
parliament and serves a 4-year term, while the
President who is elected by the parliament is the head
of state serving a 5-year term. The government has
both legislative and executive powers and the
President has a “moderating” role. The Greek
parliament consists of 300 hundred seats which are
allocated proportionally. The current Prime Minister
is Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The Czech Republic
Parliamentary Representative Republic (Bicameral
of state serving a 5-year term. The two legislative
branches are the Senate and the House of Deputies.
The current Prime Minister is Petr Fiala, and the
President is Petr Pavel.
Portugal
Semi-Presidential Representative Republic
(Unicameral legislature): The executive and
legislature powers are shared among the Prime
Minister who is the head of government and the
President who is the head of state, although the Prime
Minister has more executive responsibilities. Both
the Parliament and the President are elected by the

people with the Prime Minister serving for 4 years
and the President for 5. Parliament consists of 230
seats and the current Prime Minister is Marcelo
Rebelo de Sousa.
Spain
Unitary Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy
(Bicameral legislature): The Prime Minister is the
head of government which is formed by the elected
parliament and serves a 4-year term while the
Monarch who is the head of state is technically
absent from policymaking. The two legislative
branches are the Senate and the Congress of
Deputies. The current Prime Minister is Pedro
Sanchez.
Italy
Parliamentary Representative Republic (Bicameral
of state serving a 7-year term. The Italian political
system is considered by many the most
parliamentary due to its electoral system and the
number of political parties which usually form
coalition governments. The two legislative branches
are the upper and the lower house. The current Prime
Minister is Giorgia Meloni.
North Macedonia
President who is elected by the parliament is the
head of state serving a 5-year term. The parliament
consists of 120 members and the current Prime
Minister is Dimitar Kovačevski.
Cyprus
Unitary Presidential Republic (Unicameral
legislature): The President is the head of state and
government and is directly elected by the people in
the presidential elections serving a 5-year term. The
President also has executive and legislative powers
while the parliament which consists of 56 seats has
legislative responsibilities. The current President is
Nikos Christodoulidis.
Finland
consists of 200 seats and the current Prime Minister
is Petteri Orpo.
Lithuania
Semi-Presidential Republic (Unicamerla
legislature): Executive power is excersised by the
President (5-year term) who is the head of state and
the Prime Minister who is appointed by the
President. The parliament consists of 141 seats, the
current President is Gitanas Nauseda and the Prime
Minister is Ingrida Simonyte.

Latvia
consists of 100 seats and the current Prime Minister
is Krisjanis Karins.
Romania
Semi-Presidential Republic (Bicameral legislature):
The Prime Minister who is elected by the parliament
is the head of government serving for 4 years and the
President whose role is more symbolic focusing on
affairs related to foreign policy is elected by the
people for a 5 year term. The two legislative branches
are the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The
current Prime Minister is Marcel Ciolacu and the
President Klaus Iohannis.
Poland
Presidential Representative Republic (Bicameral
head of state serving a 5-year term. The government
has both legislative and executive powers and the
President has a “moderating” role. The two
legislative branches are the upper and the lower
house. The current Prime Minister of Poland is
Mateusz Morawiecki.
Turkey
Presidential Republic (Unicameral): Turkey is the
only country on the list which implements a
presidential system. Executive power is exercised by
the Council of Ministers, which is appointed and
headed by the President. The president is elected by
popular vote and holds a term of 5 years. The
parliament, known as the Grand National Assembly.

Europe My House
Europe my house was a workshop that we developed
in groups. Building a house that includes 14 different
countries, that came together as one working in this
project. This project consist in the construction of a
house or building:
During this project we saw different types of houses
that each group developed. Each group came out
with wonderful and amazing ideas and architecture.
For example:
1) The house “Castle with dragon”
This group consist with 5 people, each one from a
different country:
Jovica from Macedonia
Diana from Finland
Karmen from Latvia
Angelos form Greece
Asya from Cyprus
This is the story behind the “Castle with dragon”:
Once upon a time there lived royalties. They wanted
to build a castle, so they started with foundation - the
values. Those were strong and the same but for their
towers, solitude and personal taste took over. Each
one of them created a personalized space. Good
things need to come the bad, so the dragon came. As
a castle, royalties faced the dragon together, but he
didn't go away, and he never will. The duty of
royalties is to protect the castle and fight the threat
until their death.
2)” The Half House”
“The half house” the group consist of 5 people, each
one from a different country:
Christina from Portugal
Dani from Lithuania
Yigit from Turkey
Alex from Romanian
Enrique from Spain

The Song behind “The Half House”
The Half House
I have a half house.
Like this, like this, like this
My half house represents Europe.
My half house has Core values.
Like Family, like Democracy, like Festivals
My half house has Core values.
Like Arts, like Diversity, like Hospitality
And here is the pissing dog.
I'm knocking at the door.
My half house has countries.
Like Portugal, with core values
Like Passion and like Pride
Like Turkey, with core values
Like Tolerance and like Tradition
Like Romania, with core values
Like Respect and resilience
Like Spain, with core values
Like Solidarity and like Siesta
Like Lithuania, with core values
Like Loyalty and like Learning
I have a half house.
And my half house needs protection.
Like Education, like Awareness, like Preservation
My half house needs protection.
Like Active Engagement, like Leading by Example
Because my half house is in danger.
Because of the clouds
Like Intolerance, like Lack of Empathy, like
Neglecting Cultural heritage.
My half house is in danger.
Because of the clouds
Like Dividing Politics, like War, like Prejudice
But, in the end,
My half house will be safe.
Because we acted
The Explanation Behind this:
1)The Foundation (Common values)
The common values that we found in both houses:
- Climate awareness
- Democracy
- Humanity
- Tolerance
- Liberty
- Freedom
- Human rights
- Equality
- Family
- Diversity
- Hospitality
2)Walls (Specific values):
Cyprus: Safety, friendly people, sunny weather
Greece: Peace, history, and hope
Latvia: Job, patriotism
Finland: Equality, Efficiency
Macedonia: Tolerance and respect
Portugal: Passion, pride, and hospitality
Turkey: Tolerance and tradition
Romania: Respect and resilience
Spain: Solidarity and siesta
Lithuania: Loyalty and learning
3)Roof (solutions and methods)
-Redistribution of wealth
-Dialogue
-Honesty
-European union membership
-Education
-Preservation
-leading by example
-Active engagement
4)Weather (Threats)
-No compromise
-Corruption
-Natural disasters
-War
-Discrimination
-Modern technology
-Disinformation
-Lack of empathy

-Intolerance
-Neglecting cultural heritage
-Diving politics
-Prejudice
Conclusion:
In conclusion we can say that all the houses were
beautifully designed, and we can also say, that in the
end there were a lot of common values in all the
houses. Although we are different countries, we have
more in common than we think. When we get
together in peace and in harmony, we can do
wonderful things together. This could be an example
of open-minded in the future for all countries. In the
end we understood and respected each other’s in all
different sides as human beings.
These are the photos of the other groups that also
participated in the workshop:
And some photos took during the
preparation:

The World Café
Method
One of the methods that was used to discuss
absenteeism on Election Day was the World Café
Method. It was a flexible, simple yet effective way to
host our large dialogue group. The room was
specially set up as a café with 4 tables. We were
introduced to the World Café process and the topics
were given to the moderators.
The process began with the first of the four
rounds of conversation for small groups of four or
five people seated around a table. At the end of the
twenty minutes, each member of the group moved to
a different new table except the table host. For the
next shorter rounds, they welcomed the new groups
and briefly explained what had happened in the
previous round. Each table had to discuss a certain
topic and the moderators’kept notes. The topics were
the following:
1) Causes of absenteeism
2) Responsible entities to fight against the
absenteeism to vote
3) Effects of absenteeism to vote
4) Solutions to reduce the absenteeism to vote
The most significant component of the discussion
was the diversity of participants who came from
different countries and had their own special and
unique experience of participating in the electoral
processes in their countries.
All the participants shared their thoughts and
insights and the group came to the following:
Causes of absenteeism
Causes of absenteeism could be the loss of
hope,
trust and respect, ignorance, indifference,
lack of information and education. People often feel
that they do not relate with the candidates and their
political agenda or they feel overwhelmed by too
many options. By absenteeism they protest against
the “system”.
Infrastructural problems (distance, access,
mobility) and bureaucracy can also be reasons of
absenteeism.
Unfortunately, a lot of people ignore how
powerful voting is!
Entities responsible to fight against the
absenteeism to vote
Participants mentioned that the government,
educational system and citizens are responsible.
First, governments should be transparent,
accountable, stable, universal and inclusive in order
to gain the trust of the voters.
The educational system and schools should be
apolitical and independent. Youngsters to be taught
skills such as critical thinking and active citizenship
through formal and informal education. Families also
are important for creating active citizens who know
about and fight for their rights.

Effects of absenteeism
Participants of this team visualized their
insights in a step-by-step process. In a creative way
they depicted that abstinence of voting causes mainly
the candidates/parties of preference not to win the
elections, and as a result there could be further
polarization. This could also lead to more corruption,
liberal ideas could not be heard and democracy could
be jeopardized.
Solutions to reduce absenteeism to vote
The most important points expressed during the
discussions can be divided into several groups. First,
all participants agreed that the lack of intention to
participate in voting is determined mainly by absence
of trust in the institution of elections as a way to
change something. This reason was mainly related to
the corrupt behavior of some politicians and parties,
who used the institution of elections to gain power,
but not to fulfill their promises and implement their
political programs. For this reason, most participants
saw a practical way out of working to increase the
candidates' image of credibility and their parties,
which would entail serious behavioral changes
among voters. Thus, the participants were sure that a
mechanism or an independent institution should be
formed that would push candidates in the future to
fulfill their election promises, striving to fulfill them.
Otherwise, the newly created institution will be able
to push elected politicians who have not fulfilled
their promises to be dismissed from their positions.
The responsibility towards voters and the promises
was highlighted as the essential element for helping
people change their electoral absenteeism behavior
and be more active in the elections. The coherence of
actions and words will be the driving locomotive to
improve the political situation in democratic
societies, providing a new look for citizens on
political processes.
The next point, which really worried the participants,
had a technical nature, which is the availability of all
members of society to participate in the elections.
This was mainly due to the e-voting system, which
made it possible for some people, either with special
needs or older people living far from the polling
stations, to vote from home online. However, they
noted that this way of voting would bring new
problems, especially among older people who were
not very good in using computer and did not have
access to the Internet. However, e-voting can be an
electronic tool to address the issue of voting
accessibility by guaranteeing the right to vote for all
citizens. In general, the digitalization of the electoral
system, together with other democratic institutions,
will help people increase their social and political
security by calling on the candidates they vote for to
feel responsible for their actions.
Meanwhile, participants were rather skeptical about
the role of the media and civil society as tools to help
voters be more active. In the case of the media, they
saw not the ability to play a real role as an
intermediary between the government and voters, but
a weapon for politicians to manipulate public
opinion.
Consequently, they were committed to ensuring that
in the future the media would be seen as a impartial
source of information and not as a tool of
manipulation.
The overall experience was very pleasant and
fruitful.

Rope Debate
One of the activities we did during the project "You
care you vote" was called "Rope Debate".
This activity took place in a “playground” that was
divided into two sides. Each of them was
representing either an agreement or disagreement
with the following statements:
The essence of this activity was to visually
demonstrate the way that particular statements are
perceived by the participants by joining one side or
the other. Afterwards, participants from each side
took turns and defended their positions making
arguments.
Not once arguments strong enough could make the
participant question their original opinion and join
the other side.
Even Though, all of the questions above were very
well received and created a fruitful discussion, the
flower-cauliflower dilemma was appreciated the
most.
Overall, this activity was beneficial for several
reasons. It improved our skills concerning speaking
in public, defending one's position, being in the
center of everyone's attention and having a
constructive debate without emotional involvement.
In general, stepping out of our comfort zone.
Participants' approved!

CRAAP Method –
Description of
Breaking News
Participants were divided into 6 teams of 5 people
of different nationalities. We were provided with 6
different images, one per each team, which had to
be interpreted to make an attention-grabbing
Breaking news release. Later, the Breaking news
had to be presented to other teams and at the end
each team had to evaluate the work of other groups
according to CRAAP method.
1st
group: Greta Thunberg is a thunder.
Greta Thunberg was detained in Italy for
organizing an unauthorized rave party on private
property. While Thunberg’s level of responsibility
in planning and organizing the event remains
unclear, some speculate that her involvement may
have been an unconventional approach to raise
awareness about climate change.
2nd group: Putin “playing” with dogs.
The Russian government unmasks US spies
masked as dogs. Russia manages to brainwash them
into working for its interests.
3rd
group: Boris Johnson breaking the law.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is caught cycling
without a helmet while talking on the phone. He was
stopped by the police and demanded to put his helmet
on. It later emerged that the reason for not wearing a
helmet was Johnson's rare phobia of anything
touching his hair.
4th
group: UFO in Busteni? Busteni is cOnFUsed…
During a Real Madrid vs. Busteni match, the
broadcast is interrupted by a UFO sighting in
Busteni. The UFO presence sparks panic, with some
individuals praying and others experiencing mental
distress. Attempts to interview people prove futile
and nobody can provide any useful information. The
broadcast returns to the match without obtaining
clear answers about the phenomenon.

5th
Artificial IntelliJane. Interview with scientists
who have created a realistic AI robot that looks and
acts like a human.
Science exceeds its limits and creates an Artificial
Intelligence robot named Sofia that looks and acts
like a human. During the interview scientists explain
how AI works and it leaves us worried that AI could
end humans. At the end of the interview technical
issues occurred, and it turned out that one of them is
a robot.
6th group: Macron is drunk.
French president Emanuel Macron was seen drunk in
a french pub. Witnesses claim that the head of the
french government was behaving in very
inaproppriate way and insulting all the guests of the
bar. But eventually not everyone is offended by
Macrons behaviour as the journalist find a guy who
is delighted about this encounter.
To evaluate the reliability of the information we used
the CRAAP Test Worksheet that contains the list of
5 elements that must be taken into consideration to
properly evaluate the information. The Currency is
about the timelessness of the information, Relevance
is the importance of the information for your needs,
Authority is about the source of the information,
Accuracy analyses the reliability, truthfulness, and
correctness of the content and Purpose serves to
evaluate the reason the information exists.

Public speech: a
decalogue for politicians
to attract us.
The term "decalogue" typically refers to a set of
principles or commandments, originating from the
Greek words’’deka” meaning "ten" and "logos"
meaning "word" or "doctrine."
In politics, it metaphorically represents a set of
fundamental guiding principles or rules within a
specific political system or ideology, akin to the
well-known example of the Ten Commandments.
These core values shape decision-making and policy
formation.
The methodology of this session involved initially
dividing participants into small groups of three
individuals from different countries. The purpose of
these group meetings was to engage in collective
discussion and identify ten examples related to the
topic that would connect all participants within the
group.
Afterward, all the groups presented their choices and
discussed how they came up with those ideas and the
ways in which those examples are connected to them.
Another task involved working in two larger groups
based on the previous choices of examples. The
objective was to collectively identify and highlight
the ten most important aspects, forming a decalogue
of significance.
Once the two documents, resulting from the
individual work of each group, were received, they
were presented to all project participants. Each
choice was specifically discussed, leading to a
productive and engaging debate.
Our lists become the foundation for future tasks that
we will undertake during the "You care, you vote"
project. They will help us find inspiration for the next
challenges we will face, such as filming a video or
creating a comic.

The Grassroot Method
At the 6th day of the project, on a Saturday, the
participants had a task to create a comic. It was not a
simple comic, it had a technique to it – the Grassroot
method.
What is?
Grassroot method was developed by Leif Packalen
and Sharad Sharma, two psychologists, who wanted
to create a communication tool.
The main premise was to draw a comic that states a
clear message. In this task drawing skills are not
important if the message is noticeable. And with that
in mind people got to work.
The Process
At first everyone was lost, scared to start in any kind
of way. The reason was that the people did not trust
their drawing skills. Once people started the creation
with the recommended measurements, creating the
scenario, the drawing came more easily.Only a few
of the group said that they would change something
in their work, most of people being satisfied with the
final result.
In the exhibition it was seen that the final comics
came out well, as can be seen in the pictures here.
The pictures were understandable and the story clear.
We were not expecting the result to come out so well
and everyone was amazed by it. Even the
organisators were skeptical about the involvement of
participants but in the end their expectations were
met and even surpassed. Here are some photos with
the creations of the participants:

The Conclusion
This method is a great way to get out of one’s
comfort zone, develop one’s skills in the arts and
express one’s imagination. It’s much better done
individually because one holds control of their
creative work and can adapt to their own needs and
ideas.

“Intergalactic
Evenings”
During the first Intergalactic Evening, Poland,
Lithuania, Czechia, Macedonia, Spain and Cyprus
presented a little bit of their culture: some snacks,
drinks, dances, history.
Cyprus was presented by Asya, Kemal, Xenia and
Kiveli. The Cypriots brought for us some delicious
snacks, such as halloumi cheese, shioushioukkos and
pastellaki.
Traveling from the islands to European lands, we
have Macedonia presented by Leon and Jovica.
Ajвар, Ajvar is a condiment made principally from
sweet bell peppers and eggplants. Then is homemade
Rakija, from apple and grape. Macedonia wines and
Resana sweets finished decorating the table.
Going to north Europe we can find Czech Republic,
well represented by John and Karin. From czechia
there were candy bars - Kofila, Minonky, Tatranka,
Milena, bombons - Jojo Vexta & Kyselé zizalky and
traditional Czech beer.
Bordering Czech Republic, there’s Poland, from
where Harut and Maria came. Michałki, Ptasze
mleczko, Kiełbasa, Czekoladowekarmelki,
Czekolada Wedel, Grześki and Cukierki ze śliwką
were the delicious polish sweets and snacks that we
tried.

A little more to the north, on the frontier with Poland,
there’s Lithuania. Dani and Beatrice presented us
with tinginys, šakutis and saldainai.
Finally, on the Western Europe we find Spain,
represented by Alvaro, Vidal and Enrique. Jamón
serrano, tortilla and lacasitos (Spanish M&M’s)
were the Spanish delights they brought for us.
The second intergalactic evening contained colorful
countries such as Italy, Portugal, Finland, Latvia and
last but not least, the two best friends Greece and
Turkey.
About Portugal, lovely Sara and Christina informed
us about the islands of Portugal such as Madeire and
Azeros. Also there was this fun dance called
“Malhâo”. About the food and snacks of Portugal, we
tried Charizo, Filedes de Cavala, Sardinos, Salad de
Atum can feijaô frade which means tuna salad with
black eyed peas.
Latvian presentation done by beautiful Sintija and
Karmen with our beloved leader Igor. They informed
us about the celebration of summer solstice which is
the longest day of the year. Also, they informed us
about symbols of pagan gods.

About Finland, the beautiful girls from Ukraine
Diana and Jane also presented Ukraine too.
Finland’s old name was Suomi which means “Land
of Lakes” and they told us about the Lokos Island.
The interesting fact about Finland is that a high
percentage of people there are lactose intolerant and
they are introverts. They also brought a snack named
Lacrise.
About Ukraine, Jane represented the country with her
traditional Ukranian dress named “vyshyvanla”.
Interesting fact that Ukranians have an mobile app
called DIA which contains all official documents
such as ID and passport. They brought an Ukranian
chocolate and briefed us about traditional meal
“borsch” and sernike which is chocolate cookies.
Italian part of the night presented by lovely Ilaria and
Giuseppe. They explained that Italy is divided into
20 regions. Ilaria comes from Lazio and Guiseppe
comes from Puglia. Interesting fact that Italy is the
country with the highest number of sites on the
UNESCO world heritage list with 58 recognized
sites. About snacks, they brought us tarallini pugliesi,
salame cacciatore and pecorino romano.
Turkey is presented by Eren, Yiğit and Atakan. Yiğit
teached us a fun and challenging dance called
“Horon”. Also they informed us about the founder of
Turkish Republic and father of Turks “Kemal
Atatürk”. At the end they did a short quiz with prizes
from Turkey. About snacks they brought some
pişmaniye, lokum, köme, leblebi. We also tasted a
beverage called “Rakı” that magically turns white
when mixed with water.
Greece presented by lovey Anna and Angelos. They
brought some delicious stuff that are tzatziki, extra
virgin olive oil, paximadi, pasteli. About beverage
they brought some Greek beer called Mythos and a
strong drink called “Raki” homemade by Anna. At
the end they fed us well.

Romanian traditional evening, also known by where
we benefit of nice food through Fabi, Bogdan, Tolea,
Ancuta and Alex.
Food
- Babic (smoked pork salami)
- White cheese
- Yellow alanina
- Samale (cabbage rolls)
- BBQ mici (skinless sausages)
- Dessert: Fried donuts
Drinks - Tzuika (romanian traditional drink made of
plums)
Music, stories and even Dracula was there as well!

Outdoor Activities
Vote for Veed (weed)
A vote box filled with the votes of ignorant people,
people that don't know for what exactly they are
voting. They are addicts and in an illicit dream...
filled with frustrations and wicked consequences,
with dead and dark leaves.
The sticks illustrate the humans of any society in the
world, who are willing to have the opportunity to live
in a country where justice, equality and wealth are
dominant.
Next to them are stones, which show the ideas which
give meaning and ideas to humanity. They are strong
as stones, but I need to be moved forward making
them life and state motos of any country.
In front of them is broken wood which illustrates
human society's broken expectations because of
political corruption and leadership who promised
something but, as a rule, after elections they stop
serving their people. Meanwhile, there is garbage
with broken wood as to show the whole populist crap
that politicians produce.
However, the last element of decoration is the sun as
people never stop struggling for their values, hoping
to deserve the best future for all of them.
TV Representation of EU Elections
We represent the president’s speech during his
campaign and the people attending the event.
Everything through the eyes of a TV and the
population watching it.
The tree represents society.
The parasites that are coming from the ground are
threats (fake news, corruption) that want to destroy
society.
They are trying to overrun society.
But a part of society has good ideas and makes great
decisions and wants to reach out for the sky and be
better, to save society.
Duality of life: the parasites are dead plants that try
to overrun the living society, but there are also alive
plants (at least for a couple of days) that still grow
and can thrive with the right decisions.

This land art represents a box of empty promises.
Politicians tend to make beautiful promises, in order
to attract attention and votes from the population.
Some of these promises are:
- environmental (parks, green spaces, planting trees,
etc. ...)
- infrastructural development (new buildings for the
homeless, roads, public transport.)
- health care (equal access to health care, a new
hospital.)
In the end it's just an empty box of unfulfilled
promises.
We have hope that might change in the future
The oracle of the gods. In the past there were kings...
Now we have politicians, diplomats, and presidents.
People nowadays honor politicians just like how they
praised their gods. They make offerings in the altar
of the politicians for their desires to be gratified.
We also played some fun games in the forest. The
first game was called the driver game where we were
in pairs and one participant was the driver and the
other was the car. The participant that was the car
must have his eyes closed and the driver must lead
him to drive in order not to fall or hit the other people.
The second game was the trust game .This gamer is
all about trust because we split into groups of five
people one person was in the middle the other four
were around him and the person in the middle must
have his eyes closed and his feet also very closed, be
very relaxed and let the other people push him but
also be very careful not to let him fall on the ground.
The third and last game was the game the was the
more fun we were split into pairs and we had to count
but not in the usual way .We had to count from one
to three but we had to create our own code instead of
saying the number in the typical way we either make
a movement with our hands instead of telling a
number or we made our sound with our mouth. For
sure it was very funny and interesting!

City Bound
On the 3rd
day of the project the participants were
divided into groups having to impersonate a team of
young journalists hired by a publication to make a
report about the city of Busteni.
Each team was tasked to come up with a
representative name and to take a photo or video
report about Busteni. The report should include de
following elements: positive and negative aspects,
local vs European aspects, interaction with local
people and some photos/videos with them, discover
a local story or legend (for example, the story of the
statue in front of the train station, the cross on the top
of the mountain, the waterfall).
After the city bound, we went on a hike to the local
waterfall and took a group photo:
As a result of the activity the teams created 3 videos
and 2 articles describing the life and beauty of
Busteni from a European point of view. They tried to
emphasize the day-to-day problems of the citizens
and to understand the daily activities that keep the
city running.
Links to the videos:
The Horror of Busteni: The Lurking Bears
https://youtu.be/12R5glL8K5U
Avengers in Busteni: https://youtu.be/4lqgCJshIdI
The Citybound of Busteni:
https://youtu.be/A0hiChUn6LI
Link to the articles:
J-spot Magazine:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZtDNjIAT91w4H6
nnyr2YQV8vXpzUq_NG/view?usp=sharing
Citybound Report of Busteni:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/18ItQwdGT07
TD20t7EQTPUaEOXAsHcZFk/edit?usp=sharing&
ouid=113406491752433629974&rtpof=true&sd=tru
e

Testimonials and
Interviews
The participants were very satisfied with the
educational and outdoor components of the project.
The discussions were considered effective to figure
out the diverse perspectives of the participants and
drive a constructive dialogue around improvement of
the voting systems in national states.
Besides, the participants loved the activities with the
local people a lot, which let them discover the
perspectives of Romanians as a case to look at the
voting.
In addition, tools such as CRAAP and World Cafe
supported participants to stimulate the activity and
discussion by bringing very rational and reasonable
causes about voting problems. The confidence that
the most significant way to reach some sort of
political sustainability is the election that all
participants valued.
It has been one of the best
experiences in my life. Erasmus
plus offers a very permanent and
beautiful experience for young
people and adults. Getting to
know people from different
cultures in the same community,
taking part in group projects with
them, and sharing our thoughts and feelings brought
me great memories. Thanks to the group work and
presentations we made throughout the event, my
self-confidence and motivation increased. We had
the chance to talk and share ideas about the effects of
the state and policy structures on the voting process,
which gave us knowledge and a worldview. Thank
you for everything. (Asya Caginer, Cyprus)
Thank you very much Erasmus
plus for providing us this
wonderful opportunity. Every
day of my stay in Romania was
very educational, informative
and full of experience. I met
very nice people from all over the world. I realized
how important voting is in a country. European
people, wherever we are in the world, I think we are
strong together. (Kemal Caginer, Cyprus).
Participating in this training
course, was a great opportunity
to practice active citizenship, to
learn new things and challenge
our perspective on the things we
already knew, get out of our
comfort zones, create new
connections with people from 16
diverse backgrounds and
countries, and grow culturally, individually, and
professionally.
Working together to complete the tasks we were
given made me realize, once again, that despite our
different political systems, we all wish for a world
with less corruption and fairer governance. Our
commonalities, almost always, overrule our
differences.
A big thank you to the organizers at ODEN
Association for making this seemingly ’boring’ topic
so interesting, creative, and entertaining, and to
Youth Dynamics for providing opportunities like
these to the youth of Cyprus.
A message from the project:
Young people care. Also…
When you care, you vote. And when you vote, you
care! (Kiveli Marinou, Cyprus)
I attended a very interesting
Training Course in cooperation
with Youthpath and ODEN in
Busteni, Romania.
For the first time I was in a TC with
participants from 13 countries
The project was about active
citizenship, caring and voting. Through non formal
education participants had the chance to learn about
other countries' political systems , different teaching
approaches ,how to distinguish fake news and check
on accurate resources. Participants improvised a lot,
created charts, articles, posters comics and videos.
Overall, it was a fruitful and unique experience
which equipped us with life and work skills. (Anna
Antonakaki, Greece)

I had the opportunity to have this
great, unforgettable experience in
the Erasmus+ training course
"You Care, You Vote," which took
place from June 19th to 28th in the
beautiful town of Busteni,
Romania.
With the collaboration of 16
countries' organizations, the course aimed to raise
awareness about what the European Union actually
is and what factors we should consider when electing
politicians, through workshops, discussions, and
games.
During the training course, I had the chance to meet
people from 13 different countries, including my
home country and even participants from Lithuania.
I learned about their voting systems, cultures, and
most importantly, realized that we don't differ a lot!
Every single day I spent there was wholesome, and I
was constantly learning something new! (Danial
Heidari, Lithuania)
As a participant of "You Care,
You Vote" Erasmus+ project in
Buşteni, Romania, I want to
share my experience. Bringing
together vibrant minds from 13
diverse countries, our shared
goal was to delve into the
essence of EU voting mechanisms and its pivotal
significance. As we came together in intense
discussions, we explored the intricate web of
legislative norms unique to each nation, fostering a
profound understanding of the democratic process.
Beyond the realm of words, our creativity knew no
bounds. Our group transformed ideas into
captivating visual tales, including videos, comics,
and a myriad of artistic expressions. This fusion of
creativity and intellectual prowess allowed us to
convey our thoughts about the democratic systems
and the essence of our respective cultures.
Yet, it wasn't all about work. There were also
sightseeing activities that let us visit other cities like
Braşov and Bran as well as general outdoor activities
that were full of positivity, nature and energy. As
each day culminated, we indulged in cultural
evenings. This was our chance to relax, share
laughter, and embrace the rich cultures of our diverse
backgrounds.
This Erasmus+ venture transcended the confines of a
mere project. It was a transformative experience that
not only widened our understanding of EU voting
intricacies but also redefined the boundaries of
friendship. As I reflect upon those days, I'm
reminded of the unbreakable bonds we formed,
uniting us in our appreciation for democracy and the
beauty of cross-cultural connections. (Atakan Arslan,
Turkey)
I want to share this captivating
journey of the "You Care, You
Vote" Erasmus+ project in
Buşteni, Romania. Gathered
among peers from 13 distinct
countries, we embarked on an
intellectual and creative
journey to discover more about
the EU voting systems and their far-reaching
importance.
The project was full of engaging dialogues that
exposed the diverse legislative landscapes within the
EU. As we exchanged insights and experiences, I
marveled at the power of democratic processes to
shape societies across the continent. The fusion of
knowledge and lived experiences was a testament to
the richness of our collective understanding.
Yet, the magic extended beyond just discussion and
work. Through creative activities like videos,
comics, and visual creations, we translated our
newfound knowledge into dynamic narratives that
resonated across cultural boundaries. We were also
able to travel to surrounding cities and see places
much different than in our country. Our cultural
evenings where we talked about our countries and
shared food offered a taste of the world through
delectable dishes brought much appreciated warmth
and togetherness to all of us.
As I reflect on this unforgettable experience, I'm
struck by the unity that underpinned our diversity.
This project, from a Turkish perspective, exemplified
the essence of Erasmus+ by fostering cross-cultural
friendships and nurturing a deeper appreciation for
democratic processes. The bonds we formed and the
insights we gained continue to resonate within me,
reminding me of the power of collaboration in
shaping a better future for all. (Eren Guven, Turkey)

Participating in the "You Care,
You Vote" Erasmus+ project held
in Buşteni, Romania was an
unforgettable experience. It was
an immersive journey of
intellectual and insightful growth
as well as an opportunity to form friendships and
create unforgettable memories. As one of the
representatives from 13 distinct nations, I found
myself immersed in discussions that allowed me to
learn some of the intricate layers of EU voting
practices and their profound impact on our societies.
Coming from Turkey, a nation rich in history and
diversity, I was fascinated by the variety of
legislative norms presented by each country. Our
daily deliberations went beyond textbook theories,
delving into practical aspects that highlighted the
essence of democracy within our respective borders.
However, the project wasn't just confined to
discussions and debates. It was a celebration of
creativity and culture. Through the lens of videos,
comics, and other visual mediums, we translated
complex ideas into engaging narratives that captured
the essence of our discussions. Our cultural evenings
allowed us to partake in a global buffet of flavors, as
we were able to taste all kinds of different food and
drinks from each participant's homeland. Visiting
other cities like Bran and Braşov was also very
enjoyable and a breath of fresh air.
As I reflect on the experience, I'm reminded of laughs
and enjoyable moments throughout the entire
project. This project, more than anything, was a
reminder that regardless of our backgrounds, we are
united by the shared values of democracy and the
profound impact of our votes. With newfound
friendships and enriched perspectives, I return to
Turkey, carrying with me the spirit of unity that
defined "You Care, You Vote." (Yigit Demir, Turkey)
Going into the project
approximately half of
participants didn't expect
anything exciting, as for
many of us it was also our
first Erasmus project,
but, oh boy, were we wrong.
Voting for many people isn't an interesting topic. It
reminds us of long lines, bad candidates, and
unnecessarily long debates. In this project we saw
voting from a different perspective. We saw how fun
can the debates be with other people who care about
the future of their country. We discovered the
newfound importance of making a decision that
represents one's view. Most importantly we gained
motivation to promote the voting process!
Combining the different workshops, caring
organizations, that even showed us how to party
Romanian style, and people that were there made an
environment that showed how to grow and how to
develop skills to help other people, most importantly
our communities.
Thank you for the amazing experience! (Rasio
Perspektiva, Latvia)
This project impressed me with
its thoughtfulness and depth
with which the topic was
presented to us. Each
participant was respectful to
each other, the organizers
always helped the participants
and adjusted to the individual characteristics of each,
but at the same time kept the schedule and discipline.
We were all a friendly and fun team. We were taken
to the mountains, to look at wild waterfalls, castles
and cities. We were entertained with local food and
were even introduced to a wild fox that came to our
barbecue. I am very grateful to the Cyclo Project ry,
which was able to give me the opportunity to
immerse myself in the study of the problem of social
activity of young people regarding voting and
elections, since this topic is now more relevant than
ever and I believe that I can use the knowledge I have
gained in my future professional work. (Vorobiova
Yevheniia, Finland)
The Erasmus+ “You
Care/You Vote” project was
a well-designed initiative
for youth activists and civil
society organizations to
promote voting behavior in
their communities. Role-
playing, filming, cartoon drawing, group research
methods combined with active outdoor training
sessions made the project very effective and
productive. A set of diverse learning tools helped all
participants with different backgrounds, ethnic and
religious identities to feel as if they belonged to one
global community with the goal of building a
sustainable future. To do this, it was necessary to
reinforce or stimulate voting behavior at the

community level, recognizing the value of every vote
in shaping a prosperous, secure and peaceful future.
The main issue raised by most participants was the
decline in trust in politicians and political parties in
their promises to be real agents of change, as
communities in different European countries believe
that politicians regularly fail to stick to their political
agendas. At the same time, they show the opposite
effects in response to high social expectations that
damage democratic institutions. However, the
participants were unanimous in their vision that
voting in elections is a responsibility of every citizen,
which must be supported in every community to
strengthen democratic institutions and states. (Youth
Human Impact, Poland)
Thanks to the
Erasmus program
plus ARD LAG
PRESPA Resen
Realizes another
successful training course YOU CARE, YOU VOTE,
YOU VOTE, YOU CARE in Busteni - Romania from
19-28 June 2023.
Every day spent by our candidates in Romania was
very educational, informative, and full of many new
experiences gained and acquaintances of wonderful
people.
As a candidate country in the EU, I realized how
important voting is for the future of young people in
a country.
In the future, we hope for more jointly implemented
projects with Organizer Oden Nehoiu, Romania.
(Ard Lag Prespa Resen, North Macedonia)
I was really amazed by the
participants of this Training Course
and their eagerness to learn methods
to use to make more people vote,
techniques that I have learned as
well and I feel like I am ready to
influence more youth people like me to vote, because
with small steps you can climb any mountain in the
world. This course was the best experience that I can
recall. This is the kind of mobility that makes me
being proud of being an European citizen, because at
my age I have a sense of my values and ideas of the
world and I have happily realized that youth people
from all around the EU have the same points of view
which I really find refreshing and I am looking
confident that the future will be better than the
present on any aspect I can think of, because
likeminded people can move mountains if they put
the effort and I feel like the people I've met in this
mobility are this kind of people for sure. (Alex,
Romania)
Interview with Igor Markovitz
from Latvia, participant with
interest in building a career as
politician who would like to
dedicate his life to EU policy
making and encourage youth to
get involved in politics, he
wants his own example to be the message to transmit
to youth instead of some words he could say. So,
youth will become politically active. He doesn't
smoke.
Interviewer: What do you think of Democracy?
Igor: It's a good question, it's good if used in
appropriate way. If a society knows about it has
awareness and has respect and trust to each other
Interviewer: Has the EU been good for your country?
Igor: Yes, but some things like the influence of big
countries in small has not been so good but it's the
fault of Latvian politicians for shutting up in
exchange of EU funds. Poland and Hungary do it
better, and the Vise grad in general.
Interviewer: What do you think the EU should
change?
Igor: Reduce bureaucracy so people in remote areas
would become more connected to it.
Maybe change the capital of EU every year.
Maybe places like Busteni are the capital city so
lawmakers get out of their comfort zone.
Interviewer: Do you think the project has been good?
Igor: Yea it's amazing and I like it, it's good.
The info and all the activity were not boring, it was
the perfect quantity of information to make the
product. And with a perfect selection of participants,
organizers picked them very well.

Final Products about
the Project
During the final days of the project, the participants
were divided into teams tasked to make videos and
posters/flyers about the topic of the project “You
care, you vote, you vote, you care”.
Here are some examples of the posters made during
this time:
The participants also filmed 5 movies with multiple
messages like the importance of voting,
manipulation of cult leaders, the lies of the
politicians. Here are the links of the videos:
Wedding:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuBhKpsAZcE
Igor vs Tolea:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1NBRFZbsy4
That’s Life:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBOR6yCNHg
Q
Vote It Off:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_99F8Bajy5U
Ketchup Cult:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqI3fsuV7o4

ODEN Association (acronym for the Organization for Democracy and Non-formal
Education) is an experienced organization, founded in May 2011. The number of
members is over 20, and there are many sympathizers.
The activities of the ODEN Association are focused especially on non-formal
education and promoting the values of democracy among the youth of the local
community. Taking advantage of the fact that most of the association members are
working in the national education field, workshops on non-formal education are
organized very often with youngsters from the Nehoiu area. The main subjects are
media, culture and the arts, ecology, and the environment. The main activities were
the ecologization of the Buzau and Nehoiu valleys, land art workshops, mountain
ecology, and ecotourism. The association’s members participated in a visual
campaign about responsible attitudes, healthy food, and protection of the
environment.
Another aim, which is desired to have a growing-up dimension, is the involvement
of an important number of youths in international exchanges of any kind, especially
through the Youth in Action program. The ODEN association desires to be a facilitator of young people's access to those
programs.
A special current activity is the debate club DACII (an acronym for Academic Debates and Intelligent Ideas Confrontations),
held in partnership with Nehoiu’s High School. There are more than 20 permanent members, and the regular activities
consist of weekly meetings with training, games, and occasional participation in national tournaments.
The association’s members were involved in many trainings and seminars and were leaders in some Youth Exchanges,
activities made under the Youth in Action Program, especially through the Youth Foundation Buzau, with which they have
a tight relationship.
Starting from 2020 until 2027, ODEN Association is accredited for Erasmus+ projects that make it possible to plan many
interconnected international mobilities following the Erasmus+ priorities and enhancing international partnerships.
https://www.facebook.com/YouCareYouVote
https://www.facebook.com/Asociatia.ODEN/
https://www.instagram.com/asociatia.oden/
This project has been funded with support from
the European Commission. This publication
reflects the views only of the author, and the
Commission cannot be held responsible for any
use which may be made of the information
contained therein.

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