Two (not) different generations

from Balkan Beats 38 - The Shock of Generation

Two (not) different generations

How the European Solidarity Corps has been experienced by different generations

by Roberto Gentile

“Love is love. Love is a solution. Love is a plus”

When you walk along the way to Anagnostara, an industrial zone in the suburbs of Thessaloniki, between export stores and kittens cradled by the neighborhood inhabitants, you cannot fail to notice the rainbow of colors imprinted on the wall of a building that, every year, hosts volunteers from different parts of the world.

Each of them is brought here for different and different reasons, and the experience itself is lived in a different way.

But what are the common factors that unite these volunteers? What differences distinguish them?

To investigate this aspect, I chose to interview two young people who share the same volunteer

project at Balkan Hotspot, but faced at a different stage in their life.

Anastasiia, 18 years old, born in Ukraine and raised in Germany, who decided to take a gap year abroad after finishing high school.

Her volunteer project started on the 1st of September 2021, three and half months ago.

On the other side of the interview, Marco, 31 years old, born in Italy, in a small town in the province of Biella. He decided to leave his country after working as a teacher in middle school for years, and he has been a volunteer from 21 September 2020 until May 2021.

The first aspect I wanted to investigate is related to the motivations they had to experience the European Solidarity Corps.

Tell me about the day you decided to make the application and leave your country?

M: I had not been satisfied with my life for a few years. I was a teacher, but I had changed my mind. Then there was the covid: During the first lockdown I spent three months at home,

and I took stock and started to think. I wanted to change and try a different experience, also on a professional level. I learned about the project through a friend who knew about these reflections of mine, and I began to send various applications, and within a week I was contacted by U.S.B.

A: I was sure to go to university because it was my parents’ expectations. A friend of mine wanted to take a gap year and talked about this project. I was really curious about it, and excited as well. Finally I applied. Then I had the interview, and after a few days I was accepted. At first I was unsure because I thought I might struggle, people might not like me, I was afraid to not take part in the group. But people, actually, are the ones who make me feel better. And now that I think about it, it’s even more curious that, in the end, I applied and my friend didn’t.

I would also be included in the activities of Balkan Hotspot.

What does it mean to be a volunteer?

M: It depends on how much you realize the service you do. For instance, my volunteer project was linked to the field of communication, and occasionally we were a little discouraged because we were not always able to reach large numbers. But if you think that even what little you do has a value, a meaning, then you live your experience with a different intensity. And this brings you to know different environments that you are used to, people who have had strong and terrible experiences, such as the refugees I met, and this opens your eyes.

Why did you choose Balkan Hotspot?

M: The project was consistent with my interests and also with my experiences, having studied literature. And it was in Greece, a country that is not the classic destination for these projects. It was a more original choice.

A: Actually, at first I applied for the HIV project made by the organization Checkpoint, where I contribute with this testing center where people can get HIV tests for free. And since checkpoint collaborates with U.S.B., we decided that

A: Being a volunteer has a special significance, and it concerns the actions I do and how these are linked to my personal growth path. For example, it was extremely important for me dealing with people, dealing with myself, creating bonds and saying goodbye. Because here part of the experience it’s just that: learning to say goodbye to people who have been your family for months. And even if it’s painful, it is something you have to deal with.

Usually, one of the common factors that pushes people to participate in the European Solidarity Corps is the desire to get out of their comfort zone, A situation in which you feel comfortable and in which your ability and determination are not being tested according to the definition from the Cambridge dictionary. A meaning with which we can agree. But what is Anastasia’s and Marco’s personal definition

of comfort zone, and how has this influenced their choices?

A: When I was younger I was quiet, introverted and shy. But in high school I decided to challenge myself, step by step. I give this meaning to the term comfort zone: a bubble around from which I never go out, but rather I help to inflate. And the more experiences I have, the bigger it gets. Coming to Greece has permanently inflated this bubble.

M: A challenge with myself. I felt the need to change. Live with people from different cultures. In a country that speaks a language that makes even the simplest things difficult. It helps you to give the right weight to things. It helped me to be more determined, confident. And even living it at this age made me come to conclusions that I otherwise would not have reached.

In this experience you came into contact with volunteers of all ages. Have you noticed any particular differences between your generation and theirs?

A: I never felt there was a big difference. I think young generations are super open minded and very progressive, and probably the main difference between our generation and the oldest ones is having more resources through social media. Concerning the experience here, If you are older maybe you feel you cannot waste time, if you are young you are more free and living this experience with different concerns.

M: Depending on your age, this project lives differently, the younger you are, the more likely it is to seek social and personal development, if you are older you are inclined to be responsible. I noticed the biggest difference by observing those who had already finished university: the approach to experience is different, and so is that to work. But one thing in common is that if you decide to take this step it means that you have a certain disposition that pushes you to take it, then age plays its part.

In this article I tried to investigate the differences between Marco and Anastasia in their volunteer experience, and there are. Yet, when I asked what their expectations were, the two answers surprised me. Why? Because they were exactly the same.

A, M: I tried to not have expectations, Sometimes expectations create a problem, you risk being disappointed if they are not met. I tried to not see how the city looks like to not be disappointed. Of course I hoped to live a great experience, and I was afraid because it was everything new for me. But in the end, I can say that it’s worth it.

Anastasiia, 18 years old, born in ukraine and raised in germany, who decided to take a gap year and became a volunteer three and half months ago.

Marco, 31 years old, born in a small town in Italy in the province of Biella, who was a volunteer from September 2020 to May 2021.

Even though they don’t know each other, they have never been so close.

What advice would you like to give to each other?

A: Don’t feel smart just because you’re older, or wise. it is not always a matter of experience.

M: Try to live as many experiences as possible, because they open up horizons. And try to live them as intensely as possible, without creating expectations.