Beyond Auschwitz - Youth Leadership Program
Youth Leadership Program in Oświęcim, Poland
August 2023
From 19-21st August 2023, I joined the One Humanity Institute in the Peace Lab in Oświęcim to co-facilitate a youth leadership program for students between 15 and 18 years old from Oświęcim and Kyiv, together with Nina Meyerhof, Manuel Waelder and Adrian Iacobus.
On their way from Kyiv to Oświęcim, the Ukrainian group experienced some challenges and delays and eventually arrived with several hours delay. Despite their tiredness and exhaustion, they all voiced gratitude and a sense of relief to be in a safe country, far from sirens, bomb shelters and war.
After the initial welcoming and getting to know each other, the local youth took the visitors on a tour around town to show them the living and beautiful side of Oświęcim that is mostly only known for its proximity to the former Auschwitz and Birkenau Nazi extermination camps.
This memorial and museum of a very dark moment in history was to be our first main programmatic point, and so before the youth were able to rest and recharge after the long journey and full arrival day, we gathered them for a sharing circle to prepare for the day ahead, and the visit of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial.
Going to Auschwitz is never easy, no matter how often one has been there, and holding space for a group of youth, some who live next to it, some who came from a war zone and have never been to Auschwitz, is an added challenge and took an extra bit of personal preparation - especially as a young German.
The strong heat added intensity to the visit and so everyone was glad to return to the Peace Lab for a short break.
The sharing circle before the visit had already been filled with many stories from the past - Polish youth and adults sharing about their grandparents’ experiences during Nazi times, as well as their own experiences of growing up and living next to the remains of the camps now, Nina, a jewish 2nd generation Holocaust survivor, speaking about her very personal and family connection to the extermination camp, as well as German 3rd generation sharing about their ancestral and present connection.
In contrast, the circle on the day after the visit was focused more on the current reality and horrors in Kyiv and Kharkiv, as well as what the visit to the memorial had shaken up in the youth. It was moving to hear the students speak about what the horrors of Auschwitz had taught them about the importance of compassion and being human, as well as of solidarity and friendship across cultures and religions.
Following a subtle theme of past – present – future, after the visit to the former extermination camp, the program began to focus mostly on the importance of inner leadership and peacebuilding, including activities on self-awareness and self-knowledge, and a handful of magic tricks thrown in. This exploration of strengths, passions, the Ikigai and a lot of sharing knowledge and expertise with each other gently laid the ground for the final days of social entrepreneurship and possible paths for their future.
I had only been able to join part of the program due to other commitments and sadly missed the last days of social entrepreneurship, the talent show and the visit to Kraków, but was very grateful to have met the youth and their teachers, to have witnessed the growing together and joyful learning that happened amongst the students, and to have been invited to co-facilitate the first in-person youth program in the Peace Lab together with an inspiring team.
Following the 5 days in August, we were then invited to share some learnings and inspiration of the program at a Peace Week event organised on the International Day of Peace on September 21st, which you can watch here!
