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Food for Thought is a special event where we mix storytelling with dinner. It’s like bringing two different things together to make people feel close. The event held on September 14th featured a very special guest – Morten Meldal, a Danish chemist and Nobel laureate. His achievements and captivating storytelling made this event truly extraordinary.  Meldal is famous for his groundbreaking work in chemistry, particularly for developing the CuAAC-click reaction, a significant contribution to the world of organic synthesis. What’s even more amazing is that he achieved this milestone independently, showcasing true innovation.  As a new member of the Crossing Borders team, I eagerly took part in ensuring the event’s success, alongside my dedicated colleagues. Together, we worked diligently to make sure that everything was just right for the approximately 70 guests in attendance.  At the beginning of the event, we all had to stand up and say our names and where we came from. It was amazing to hear where everyone was from. There were so many different backgrounds, languages, and stories in the room. It made me feel really happy and connected to everyone. Even though I didn’t know many people there, it felt like I was part of a big family story before dinner.   The evening itself was a mix of intellectual enrichment and a warm atmosphere. Meldal shared his life story, including the challenges he faced on his path to winning a Nobel Prize. What truly stood out was his ability to inject humour into a serious topic, keeping the audience both informed and entertained.  One question from the audience struck a chord with me: “How did you keep going, even when it took so long to achieve something as significant as a Nobel Prize?” Meldal’s answer was simple but profoundly inspiring: “Just do it!” These words serve as a reminder that determination and persistence are the keys to achieving greatness.  After the talk, we all sat down to have dinner together. There’s always something special about sharing a meal with new people. It was a great way to end an evening full of interesting stories and ideas. I couldn’t help but reflect on the unique and inspiring experience I had just been a part of.   So, here’s to new adventures, learning from great people like Meldal, and remembering the motto: “Just do it!” Copenhagen is already beginning to feel like a second home, and I eagerly look forward to more adventures and opportunities in the days ahead.  Authored by Luka TsibadzeA little about me – I’m Luka from Georgia. I’m doing a year of volunteering through the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) in Crossing Borders and that’s part of my story. I am and have always had a passion for exploring new places. Landing in Copenhagen was the start of an adventure I won’t forget. Little did I know that one of the first days of the journey would lead me to an exceptional evening hosted by Crossing Borders.

It was an honour for Crossing Borders to partner with the Danish Afghan women’s right organisation DAKDIF to organise a conference on the Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Entitled Two Years After the Take Over- Challenges and ways forward, the conference was held on July 30th, 2023, in Copenhagen. With some 60 participants from the Afghan Diaspora community, the event was led by two powerful women Tahmina Salik and Elaha Salik from the Danish-Afghan Diaspora Forum in Denmark. There were also Afghan speakers and participants from Austria, Switzerland, and other European countries plus two MPs from Denmark and the UN rapporteur Richard Bennet. Crossing Borders was represented by the Director Garba Diallo and Project Coordinator Giselle Masiera. In her keynote remarks on the unbearable challenges Afghan women face every day for the past two years, the Afghan human right activist Elaha Salik, put it eloquently: “Imagine living in a world where your every move is strictly controlled, and where your very existence is deemed a threat. This is the reality faced by countless Afghan women today. Just being who they are, they risk arrest, torture, and even execution. Their basic rights, such as freedom of movement, education, and the pursuit of happiness, have been snatched away”. Elaha Salik concluded her impactful speech by reminding the audience about the plight of Afghan women in the hands of the Taliban: “If we were in Afghanistan right now, we would have broken several laws today, just by being ourselves. I would have broken the following ones: Traveling without a male guardian Showing my face and figure in publicPassing through a park on my morning runGetting a haircut in a beauty salonListening to music And I even hugged a male friend – which would have been enough for us both to be stoned”. During the discussion and debate the issue which dominated the conference was to engage or not to engage with the Taliban. Some delegates argued that as long as the Taliban are the de facto rulers of the country, they need to be included in the dialogue toward a sustainable solution to the tragedy. However, other delegates counter argued that as long the Taliban continued their brutal war on women, they must be excluded. Hence, the sticking issue was not about the goal of liberating the country, but the approach visa-vis the Taliban. Fortunately, despite the different views, the conference participants agreed on the following recommendations: Engagement with the Taliban does not entail accepting their rule, instead, mechanisms must be put in place that rather discuss the rights of Afghan citizens Declaration of Afghanistan as a Neutral State: To ensure regional and global security, all relevant political stakeholders in Afghanistan should come together under the auspices of the United Nations to reach a consensus on declaring Afghanistan a neutral state. This status should be tied to the establishment of a political system that upholds democratic values, equal rights, food security, and economic stability. Concerted efforts should be made to counter extremist ideologies and discourage recruitment for future conflicts. Education and awareness programs should be promoted to undermine the influence of radical ideologies. Prioritizing Global Human Security: Afghanistan’s national interest is intrinsically tied to global human security, encompassing access to education, healthcare, equal rights, and food security. Efforts should be made to alleviate poverty and improve living conditions to prevent the perpetuation of radicalization and exploitation of vulnerable groups, especially women and children. Parallel Processes for Durable Peace: A lasting peace in Afghanistan requires simultaneous processes at both national and international levels. Nationally, there should be a consensus on the country’s political future, emphasizing inclusive governance and participation. Internationally, key stakeholders must collaborate to ensure regional stability and global security. Accountability in Aid Donations: Aid donors should create policies that prioritize accountability and transparency. Ground realities should be thoroughly understood and considered to lay the foundation for a healthy society where the rights of all individuals, including girls, women, minorities, and vulnerable groups, are protected, and promoted.

On the 18th of July 2023, six members from Crossing Borders – Furkan from Turkey, Giselle from Brazil, Anna from France, Karolina from the Czech Republic, Kateryna from Ukraine, and Tanya from India volunteered with the South African Embassy to help the Missionaries of Charity in Copenhagen for Mandela Day. On this symbolic date, the birthday of Nelson Mandela, kindness and generosity were requirements. The volunteers cooked different dishes and helped serve the food to 50 homeless people who came for a little comfort. Everybody also had the chance to taste the wonderful birthday cake to celebrate this day in honor of Nelson Mandela. Here are some words from our volunteers: Anna: I really enjoyed being a volunteer for Mandela Day, helping people in need by cooking and serving food for them. It reminded me of the importance of being good, generous, and showing solidarity towards people who need it the most. It was also very nice to peel vegetables, make salad, and prepare all kinds of dishes with CB members; it felt like a family! Tanya: Volunteering at the Missionaries of Charity for Mandela Day was a truly humbling experience. It allowed me to feel grateful for what I have while also acknowledging the responsibility to help those less fortunate. I enjoyed being actively involved on the other side of the kitchen – preparing, serving, and assisting. It was heartwarming to witness the impact of our efforts in brightening the day for those we served. The day served as a reminder that we can all contribute to making the world a more compassionate and caring place. Giselle: Helping to cook, serve, and talk to homeless people in Copenhagen on Mandela Day 2023 gave me different feelings. Of course, I felt good to help and cooperate with an organization that feeds vulnerable people in Copenhagen. Also, I enjoyed seeing the Crossing Borders team working in beautiful synergy with the South African Embassy team to spread Mandela’s legacy of making a positive impact in our community, and we impacted the lives of the people we cared for that day. As Mandela Day is also a day of reflection, I hope for better days for all nations where no one suffers from basic needs, and I wish we find “AMOR” wherever we go. Kateryna: I am delighted to be a part of the Mandela Day organization for the second year now. Working alongside the team has been a joy as we efficiently and swiftly handled all the preparations in the kitchen for those in need. The venue, our team, and the visitors served as a heartwarming reminder of the significance of compassion and benevolence in our world. Furkan: It was a great opportunity to volunteer at the event to help people in need by cooking and serving food with my colleagues and people from the South African Embassy on a special day such as Mandela Day. Also, cooking for more than 50 people was something I haven’t tried before. I enjoyed my time in the kitchen during the preparation phase. The highlight of the day, for me, was the moment I served the food and received a simple “thank you” with a smile. At the end of the day, I left the place with a feeling of relief by knowing I have done something good for the society I have been living in for almost a year.

Held on 10 June 2023 at the Union Cultural House, the Couleur Café festival aims to raise awareness about, showcase and celebrate African culture in Copenhagen through performance arts, expos, music and food.  Crossing Borders had the privilege to pitch a stand with educational materials. CB was represented by a strong team of 7 members from 7 countries comprising Brazil, Denmark/Cameroon, France, Lebanon, Turkey, Global and India. The purpose of being part of the event was to promote CB School Workshops, the Migrantour and Food For Thought.  Between the sound of the tambourines, the outstanding African dances, colourful booths, the smell of the delicious food, the CB team invited participants to learn more about our organisation and support us in our projects. We did a Coffee & Climate Quiz and a manual activity to engage people, consisting of leftover filter coffee mixed with olive oil to rub hands to raise awareness about food waste and how to use leftover coffee to protect, heal and keep our hands soft and elegant.   I personally really enjoyed being part of this event. It was a truly nice day with great music and food. The performances were impressive and captivating. We promoted our projects to the participants in a fun way. It was nice to experience this event with CB team! I will remember the moment where all the children gathered to dance and listen to kids’ songs, so cute. I also really liked taking part in organising the event, very enriching.  Let’s take a look at other CB members perceptions about the event:  Giselle: Diversity, culture and good vibes surrounded the Union Building in Copenhagen during the vibrant Couleur Café event on the second Saturday in June 2023. Inspired by the name of the event, Crossing Borders team members devised fun climate action activities to engage the event audience and raise awareness on how climate change seriously affects coffee plantations in tropical countries. In addition, participants left the event with soft hands after massaging their hands with coffee scrub made with leftover ground coffee, giving it a second chance to be used in a sustainable and fun way.   Furkan: Through Crossing Borders, being a part of Couleur Cafe 2023 was a great opportunity for us to promote CB works, projects, and events. Also, listening to African music with cultural dances, tasting traditional foods, and seeing handcrafts from all around Africa was a remarkable experience. For me, the highlight of the event was the activity we made with coffee leftovers. I learned a very useful method to make my hands soft by scrubbing my hands with these leftovers.  Tanya: With an incredibly sunny day and good vibes, Couleur Café proved to be a delightful experience. I enjoyed the opportunity to strategize for the event and engage in brainstorming sessions with the entire team to plan marketing activities. My personal highlight of the event, however, was the amazing food I got to taste that was infused with Jamaican flavours!  Aman: Couleur Café made us travel to Africa through good music, captivating dance, delicious street food and amazing performance art! The CB stand was at a strategically located spot to promote our programmes in Denmark and projects. We used fun methods like quizzes and friendly competition to engage and promote to our Food for Thought, School Workshops and Migrantour. My favourite moment: seeing the participants and the CB members dancing to the rhythm of the drums!   Christoffer: The event was great for talking to people about our Food For Thought and School Workshop events, everyone I talked to was interested in our work. The music performances were also really nice to watch together with other CB members. Would definitely attend again!   Maryam: It was a very festive event with lots of colours and good energy. The music and dances were cultural and new to me, which I enjoyed very much! There was great food, long lines but still worth the wait!  Written by Anna Bonenfant, Intern at Crossing Borders

From 13th to 16th March 2023, the Erasmus+ Project Growing Green Communities (GGC) training took place in Bordeaux, France. Project partners from Finland, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and France met with 8 young students to learn from each other best practices in developing green communities, including urban gardens. Project participants of different ages, nationalities, cultural, educational, and professional backgrounds had 4 intensive days of activities inside and outside the classroom. Our project partner and city host, Salu Terre, took the training participants to visit different projects based on community development, including the first community garden in France. Participants visited interesting green places such ENSAP. School of the Gardens, Jardins de Beaudesert at Mérignac ,the Pedagogical Farm of Les Aubiers, the Alotment Gardens of Les Aubiers and the Ecological Park of Domaine de la Burthe Ardins de Beaudesert Mérignac. The GGC project coordinator Giselle Mesiara mentioned in her GGC training reflection that visiting different sustainability-related projects gives training participants the opportunity to better understand not only what a community garden is and its benefits, but also the challenges and difficulties behind it. “When we see a beautiful community garden, we don’t know all the challenges it had to face to finally flourish in every way”. The training in Bordeaux introduced the realities of a community development activity, including unsuccessful community gardens, the difficulties of obtaining land and committed volunteers, and the hard work of a door-to-door community approach. GGC participants had a realistic experience of a community development process, which laid the foundation for the development of the Growing Green Community framework. In addition to external activities, the collaborative methodology of “learning from, with and about” was implemented. Where each project partner had the opportunity to present their professional expertise and innovative ways of collaborating to achieve the goals of the GGC. The active participation of young people in the process of mapping the needs of the GGC will be analyzed in the next phase of the project. The knowledge generated during the GGC training activities in Bordeaux was in connection with the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), 11.7 (Provide Access to Safe and Inclusive Green and Public Spaces), 12.3 (Halve Global Capita Food Waste), 13 (Climate Action) and 17.16 (Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development). The NGO Crossing Borders, which is a major implementer of project activities that meet the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations in Denmark and globally, is leading the Erasmus+ project Growing Green Communities. Blog Author: Mesiara, Giselle

Written By: Giselle Mesiara The main objective of the BRAND project is to raise awareness among young people about fast fashion and its effects on the environment as well as provide youth workers with all the materials and tools necessary to inform, influence and train young people towards more ecologically friendly fashion choices to create a greener and sustainable fashion future. Why are sustainable fashion initiatives the need of the hour? Recommended read: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/fashion-industry-carbon-unsustainable-environment-pollution/ BRAND Project Meeting in Copenhagen On the 11th and 12th of May 2023, Crossing Borders (CB) hosted one of the transnational project meetings of the Erasmus+ BRAND Sustainable Fashion project in Copenhagen. The 6 partner organizations gathered at CB’s facilities to discuss and plan the final stages of the ECO-FASHION Toolkit and the upcoming project results. The CB team organized a dual sustainability event to host the BRAND project partners. On the sunny afternoon of May 11th, the project partners and other CB guests walked along the Sustainable Fashion Migrant Tour route to discover the hidden gems of the many thrift, upcycling, vintage, and second-hand stores in the vibrant neighbourhood of Nørrebro. The route was designed by CB BRAND project collaborators to present different forms of sustainable fashion businesses in Copenhagen through a migrant perspective, inspired by the CB Migrant Tour project.  After the tour, participants attended a Food for Thought Sustainability event with Karen Blincoe, an expert on the subject, who invited BRAND Coordinator Lena Gruber to speak about the BRAND project for an audience of 30 people. Lena mentioned the BRAND project objectives of increasing awareness about sustainable fashion consumption among young people and sustaining future generations. Food for Thought is a monthly social event organized by CB as the name suggests bringing important themes of our modern society for reflection. It also includes the incredible experience of a community dinner in Copenhagen, where participants have the opportunity to talk about the topic and interact with different people and of course enjoy a fabulous vegetarian dinner prepared with love by immigrant women in Denmark. Stay tuned for BRAND Sustainable Fashion Results The first project result, the ECO-FASHION Toolkit, will be released soon! It will provide a dynamic and interactive experience designed for young people and youth workers. Follow BRAND on social media for more details about the BRAND Sustainable Fashion project and access to the Eco-Fashion toolkit. Instagram: @youth4sustainablefashion Facebook: www.facebook.com/BRANDboost4sustainablefashion/ Website: www.brand.erasmus.site

11 Crossing Borders from 10 different nationalities departed from Copenhagen Central Station on the 12th of May to experience 3 sunny days of team building activities in the calm and relaxed atmosphere of Samsø Island, DK. Samsø became Denmark’s first sustainable energy island, due to its commitment to become independent of fossil fuels by 2030. The island is known as Denmark’s Vegetable Garden due to its large production of potatoes and other vegetables. Crossing Borders team members had the opportunity to visit many amazing places on the island guided by Garba Diallo, including the Energy Academy, which serves as a meeting place for discussions on sustainable development between residents and visitors interested in green energy. We then visited Samsø’s Nordby village, bought some local products, had ice cream by the pond and relaxed for a while. In the afternoon, some of us went to the Labyrinten and it was fun to answer tricky questions about the world and get lost, but in the end, we managed to end at the right place and get out of the maze. The bike group biked to Issehoved hills and down to the sea and took memorable photos. Crossing Borders team building was experienced in all senses, from organizing the trip, sharing household chores, small conversations in pairs or deep sustainability discussions and other discussions in group, sharing personal stories around bonfire and favourite music and experiencing the sensations that it brings to others, dancing with Turkish music and playing fun games at the bonfire. Everything was simple, genuine and fun.

https://usercontent.one/wp/crossingborders.dk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Ukrainian-youth-visit.mp4?media=1733222032 On March 1st , we were both honoured and grateful to host the delegation from our Ukrainian partner, Klitschko Foundation, at Crossing Borders in Copenhagen. What would turn out to be an exceptional warm and emotional visit started with the presentation of the Great Debate Camp winners, which took place last November in the western part of Ukraine. At the camp, youth participants inspired us with their stories, and also shared their strong motivation and determination to be part of the Democracy Hub project. That is a formidable demonstration of Klitschko’s determined efforts in empowering youth to be the change they want to see in their own lives. On the basis of that, we were looking forward to welcoming the youth group, showing them around the city, and at Crossing Borders’ own headquarters, where we ended up spending an exciting evening together. During the visit, we had a session of the Fabo Learning Lab where our participants got the opportunity to engage with and be part of the global learning platform. After the session had left everyone both a little wiser and hungry for more engagement, we all went to the Danish Institute for Parties and Democracy (DIPD). Here, Director of DIPD Lisbeth Pilegaard gave us a warm welcome and then a great chance to discuss democratic values and its vital importance in society. None of us wanted to miss out on commemorating this day, so we took lots of group photos during this special visit. Late in the afternoon, we went back to Crossing Borders’ offices and invited all our guests to participate in CB’s monthly event, Food for Thought. This evening was spent in the company of award-winning Afro-American musician, professor and storyteller, Norman Fearrington. The many and often surprising stories about a long life spent as a musician for the likes of Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Santana, John Coltrane and David Bowie came to a halt when all of Food for Thought’s participants introduced themselves and it turned out that Ukraine was heavily represented in the crowd. Norman stopped his storytelling for a time and visibly moved started to talk about the invasion in Ukraine and how much the devastating situation was on his mind. He praised the Ukrainian youth for not giving up hope and for continuing their quest for education, travel, and friendship amid this terrible time. It was a moving moment for all at the event and a reminder to not take anything for granted. Norman’s heartfelt speech to the youth group visiting us was an unforgettable moment. At the end of the visit, many hugs were exchanged between CB’s project coordinators, volunteers, and the youth group. Presents were awkwardly given, and friendships forged. It was indeed a successful and educational visit. Anna, Inna, Mariia, Yelyzaveta , Vitalii and Olena and all the Democracy Hubs participants have inspired us and made us proud.  The special partnership with Klitschko Foundation has created a solid foundation for further and a longer-term collaboration, and we are glad that we can contribute to Ukrainian youth fighting for their dreams. We are thankful to our partners, the Klitschko Foundation and the New Democracy Fund for making this project possible. Video Credits: Crossing Borders & Klitschko Foundation

Anti-racism and Civic Courage Training (ACCT) is a transnational project focusing on the decrease of discrimination, including multi-dimensional discrimination and racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance. The partners also aim at combating discrimination, hate crime & hate speech across the EU.  On January 25 and 26 2023, partners from Berlin, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Álora, Sofia and Bratnik came together in Berlin for the kick- off meeting of ACCT.    During this meeting, the consortium had the opportunity to get to know each other better and set the priorities of action for the project life, next 24 months. ACCT envisions to prevent as well as fight intolerance, racism, xenophobia and discrimination expressed in the forms of antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, anti-roma discrimination and other forms of prejudice in rural communities across the EU.    To achieve this, ACCT unites people from diverse backgrounds such as civil society organisations, activists and community leaders, for Civic Courage trainings. These trainings are designed to establish a safe space of contact among groups that are directly and negatively affected by different types of discrimination and people that are not affected directly. The latter are trained to reduce prejudice and bias against marginalised groups in the communities they live in, as well as practising everyday civic courage. At the same time, participants facing discriminatory practices and incidents in rural communities will be empowered spaces for inclusion created together.     Over the coming months, the consortium will work towards the designing and testing of the trainings before starting to offer them to the communities.     ACCT is an EU-funded project engaging with the priority of the CERV Call “Fighting against intolerance, racism, xenophobia, discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes”.     The consortium for ACCT consists of:  Comparative Research Network (Berlin, Germany)  Perspekt Initiative (Hamburg, Germany)  Crossing Borders (Copenhagen, Denmark)  Imagina (Álora, Spain)  Stowarzyszenie “Dla Ziemi” (Bratnik, Poland)  Association on Refugees & Migrants- Bulgaria (Sofia, Bulgaria)     Want to know more? Get in touch:   Maxine Cottreau, Project Coordinator, Comparative Research Network e.V.  E-Mail: maxine.cottreau@crnonline.de  Phone : +33662271499  Web: www.crnonline.de             Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.      edit post Blog Food for Change March 6, 2023 Facebook Twitter Google+ Linked In Pinterest edit post Blog A Week in the Life as a Project Assistant. In Estonia (Where else?) March 1, 2023 Facebook Twitter Google+ Linked In Pinterest edit post Blog Our recent journey on Democracy February 15, 2023 Facebook Twitter Google+ Linked In Pinterest edit post Blog Food for Thought ‘I tell my story, therefore I am’. January 24, 2023 Facebook Twitter Google+ Linked In Pinterest

By Maryam Alaouie Everybody loves food, but have you ever tried a slice of discussion? A sip of chat? Have you ever just felt so full after a delicious dialogue? If yes, you definitely want to hear about our new ‘recipes for conversation’!  On the 13th of February, Crossing Borders was in Berlin for the kick-off meeting of our brand-new European project ‘Food for Change’. In partnership with CRN from Germany, Euro-net from Italy, Kainotomia from Greece, Novo Mundo Azul from Portugal, and Active Youth from Lithuania the project offers an innovative food-based approach to dialogue and social issues using universal concepts like food. The project is based on dinners that involve young people cooking together, sharing food, and with the help of the ‘recipes for conversation’ which will be provided for the participants, initiating conversations that allow the youth to share their stories on personal, societal, and political issues that affect their everyday lives with peers on a local and European scale. With this project, we aim to develop innovative food-based methods to engage youth in intercultural dialogue that contributes to the social inclusion of marginalized youth, who are affected by poverty, disabilities, discrimination, or mental health issues. By participating in the dialogue dinners, they will gain social and professional competencies that we expect can strengthen their employability. Furthermore, ‘Food for Change’ is promoting two of the main values of Crossing Borders which are the importance of storytelling and highlighting the cultural diversity of food. We believe, through these dinners, that sharing food and stories will enhance the youth’s feelings of community and belonging. In addition to cultivating the mental health of these participants, the dinners also have a positive impact on the participants’ physical well-being with healthy seasonal food recipes they can cook together and learn to use in their daily lives. Being a part of a community will make us more resilient during difficult times in our lives, imagine all this…with food? The perfect recipe to a fulfilling evening! Stay tuned to hear more about how this project will develop on all of our social media platforms!