Youth Exchange “Sports for Inclusion” was held in Liepaja, Latvia, 3 September – 10 September 2019 and it gathered 40 young people from 7 European countries – Latvia, Romania, Spain, Lithuania, Turkey, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic.

The partner of the Latvian NGO RASIO Perespektiva is our Ecoworld Rhodopes Association.

The project “Sports for Inclusion” was financed with the support of the European Commission’s “Erasmus+: Youth in Action” administered in Latvia by the Agency for International Programs for Youth.

The main objective of the youth exchange was to involve and inspire young people to become more open to sports and other outdoor activities instead of staying bored at home, playing video games and not being active in general. Objectives of the project were promoting inter-cultural learning through sports and the role of the sport as a tool for integration of youth; involvement of youth into sports through non-formal methods more deeply and promotion of social inclusion through sports; as well as developing social and creative skills of youngsters through sports.

Promotion of sport as a method for improving cultural learning and social inclusion was used during the project. The sport is a perfect way to integrate youth with fewer opportunities in the society and youth community. It seems that sport is an innovative method to break many stereotypes and prejudices,   especially about youth with fewer opportunities thus contributing more to the inclusion processes.

Our organization has sent 5 young, active athletes to participate. Three of them participated in the Erasmus + Youth Exchange for the first time.

Upon their return, they shared the positive emotions and new friendships they made in this youth exchange.

Ismet, who is a student at the National Sports Academy – with his fellow students;

Dimitar and Donika, who are national taekwondo competitors – with their co-workers, associates and the young people who train.

Vito and Evgeni, who are also students – with their friends in Smolyan and fellow students in Stara Zagora and Veliko Tarnovo.

Everyone states that this participation in the Sports for Inclusion project has enriched them and they will also be willing to participate in other Erasmus + projects.