In 2006 in Russia and Germany, in order to implement the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany in the field of youth cooperation on December 21, 2004, national coordination offices were established – the Russian Coordination Bureau for Youth Cooperation with Germany and the German-Russian Youth Exchange Foundation.
Coordination offices provide practical assistance to the organizers of Russian-German youth, school and professional youth exchanges (methodological, informational and consulting, financial, visa support, assistance in finding partner organizations for exchanges), conduct joint events to improve skills of exchange organizers.
In connection with the 15th anniversary of the establishment of coordination offices, at the 16th meeting of the Russian-German Council for Youth Cooperation, it was decided to hold in person in November 2021 in Hamburg the Russian-German partnership conference of organizers of youth and school exchanges, devoted to this event. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic the conference was held in a hybrid format.
The topic of the conference is “Fair of Ideas – Russian-German Youth Exchanges in new conditions”.
The purposes and objectives of the conference:
- Discussion of the current situation in the field of Russian-German Youth Exchanges (achievements and "points of growth");
- Development of a vision for the further development of Russian-German youth cooperation;
- Strengthening and developing partnerships within the framework of Russian-German youth cooperation;
- Exchange of experience in conducting bilateral projects of youth, school and professional youth exchange;
- Attracting the attention of society, public authorities and the media to the positive experience of developing Russian-German relations on the example of youth exchanges.
Participants are representatives of partner organizations from Russia and Germany implementing youth, school or professional youth exchange projects (school teachers, representatives of professional colleges and youth public associations). The Russian delegation included representatives of the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Udmurt Republic, the Republic of Mordovia, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Krasnodar Krai, Astrakhan, Arkhangelsk, Vladimir, Volgograd, Voronezh, Irkutsk, Kaluga, Leningrad, Moscow, Murmansk, Omsk, Rostov, Sverdlovsk, Tambov, Yaroslavl Regions as well as representatives of Moscow and St. Petersburg, representatives of organizations assisting the development of Russian-German youth cooperation. In total 100 people participated there.
Results: As part of the conference program the participants got acquainted with the possibilities of the dina.international Internet platform for conducting youth exchanges online, discussed the current situation in the field of Russian-German youth exchanges, based on their own experience in implementing youth exchange projects over the past 15 years in general and separately over the past 2 years during the Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, in the brainstorming format the further development of Russian-German youth cooperation was discussed in the following aspects:
- Strategic goals for the next five years (maintaining and developing partnerships; holding joint events on an ongoing basis, including using the online format; searching for new topics and forms of cooperation; involving more young people in exchanges due to the online format);
- What competencies are important for exchange organizers to develop (digital; intercultural; in the field of bilateral project management; in the field of moderation of youth exchange projects);
- Topics of youth online and face-to-face exchanges (ecology; inclusion; culture and traditions; art; professional youth exchanges);
- What tools can be used when conducting exchanges including digital forms;
- How to popularize youth exchanges and bilateral cooperation in general;
- What kind of support is needed for the organizers of youth exchanges from the coordinating offices (financial, visa, technical for conducting online exchanges; advanced training in organizing youth online exchanges, including training to work on the dina.international Internet platform; media creation data bank of successful practices of youth exchanges);
- What steps need to be taken to develop youth exchanges during the Covid-19 pandemic and after the lifting of pandemic-related restrictions (renewal of partnerships; “advertising” to attract participants; preparation and implementation of projects postponed due to the pandemic).
Within the framework of the conference, a working meeting was also held between the Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation G.A. Gurov and the Director of the Department for Children and Youth of the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth T. Tomer.
The key event of the conference was a solemn event dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Russian Coordination Bureau for Youth Cooperation with Germany and the German-Russian Youth Exchange Foundation, which took place in person on November 23 in Hamburg. President of Russia V.V.Putin and Federal President of Germany F-V. Steinmeier sent their greetings to the participants of the event (in video message format). Participants of the event were also welcomed by the Consul General of the Russian Federation in Hamburg A.E. Sharashkin, the Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation G.A. Gurov, the first burgomaster of Hamburg P. Chencher.
The program of the solemn event included: the presentation "Russian-German Youth Cooperation 2006-2021", which was presented by the head of the Russian Coordination Bureau for Youth Cooperation with Germany D.A. Sokolova and the Executive Director of the German-Russian Youth Exchange Foundation T. Hoffmann as well as the panel discussion "Youth Exchange as a Task of the Whole Society" with the participation of the Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation G.A. Gurov, the Director of the Department for Children and Youth of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth of Germany T. Thomer, State Counselor of the Office for Labour, Health, Social Affairs, Family Affairs and Integration of Hamburg P. Lotzkat and the Chairman of the National Youth Council of Russia G.V. Petushkov. Participants of the discussion stated that the pandemic has become an unprecedented challenge for bilateral youth cooperation, and that the main task for the near future is the resumption of face-to-face youth exchanges after the restrictions are lifted, and, accordingly, additional funding for youth exchanges. In addition, further simplification of the visa regime for participants in youth exchanges and the attraction of new target groups were set as priorities.
The program ended with the presentation of the projects of the winners of the Competition of the best digital youth exchange projects – 2021 and a reception.
