Participants of the Reflect to Connect: “It was an unique experience, where it felt like family and values truly worked”
In June 2025, a training called Reflect to Connect took place in Weimar (Germany), bringing together young people from Belarus, Italy, and Germany. The project combined artistic practices, reflection, and international dialogue to work with difficult pasts, explore the impact of totalitarianism, and discuss ways to resist it. We asked the participants a few questions about their expectations, impressions, and personal experiences of taking part: How did the training influence their perspectives? What changed in their perception of historical events and personal experiences? What insights and ideas did they take away with them?
What expectations did you have when going to the Reflect to Connect training — and how did they match reality?
Iva Sh.: I joined the program without any specific expectations — I had no idea what exactly awaited me or in what format everything would take place, so I felt mostly intrigued. But already on the first day, after a few sessions and getting to know the group, I started feeling genuinely interested and engaged. Now, after the program has ended, I can confidently say that this training has become one of the most vivid and memorable experiences for me. I’m left with only warm memories. And that means a lot, considering that over the years of my activism, I have participated in many programs and trainings.
Participant: I attended the training with the goal of deepening my knowledge about totalitarianism in different countries — to understand how people live today with the consequences of those events. I also wanted to incorporate this context into my creative and community projects. Now I see that my perspective has truly changed. I view the impact of totalitarianism differently — both what happened in the past and what still exists today. Personal experiences and my own traumas are also being reinterpreted in new ways. I think this experience will help me cope with challenging external circumstances and understand the world around me a little better.
Which activities or formats resonated with you or impressed you the most? What will definitely stay in your memory from this training — and why?
Anastasia N.: I was most impressed by the excursion to Buchenwald — it was a very powerful and emotional experience that will definitely stay in my memory.
Participant: What pleased me the most was the very fact that such diverse people from different countries came together to talk about things that affect us all. I gained a lot of knowledge from communicating with the other participants, but it wouldn’t have been as meaningful without the practices led by the trainers: for example, reflection sessions helped give more significance to personal experiences and the events of the day — thanks to them, we better understood how each of us perceives what happened. Lectures provided guidance for discussions, and breaks for connecting with our bodies and ourselves helped not only to rest and recharge, but also to feel a sense of connection with each other.
Iva Sh.: I myself am a trainer in the field of non-formal education, so it is always important for me to look for new approaches and methodologies for working with groups. In recent years, I rarely encountered anything truly new, as many practices are repeated across programs. But Reflect to Connect was a real breath of fresh air for me: most of the approaches and methods used by our trainers and experts were completely new to me. This is what I took with me from the program.
I was also very impressed by the structure of the training itself — the perfect balance between theory, practice, intellectual work, and creative work. But the main thing that stays in my memory is the people. I was incredibly lucky to be part of a large group where everyone treated each other with respect and care. I had an association with living in a large friendly commune, where it felt like being in one family, and where values and self-management truly work. It was an absolutely unique experience.
Why do you think it is important to talk about difficult pasts and historical memory? Did your attitude toward these topics change or get reinforced during the training?
Anastasia N.: Talking about difficult pasts is important to prevent the repetition of wars and conflicts, as well as to reduce the risks of their emergence in the future.
Participant: To understand why we have become who we are today. Thanks to the training, I gained confidence in the importance of staying true to myself and maintaining critical thinking. I realized that this can be valuable not only for me but also for the people around me. After all, only I truly know how to hold on, overcome limitations, and support others.
What did the international exchange component give you personally? How did communication with participants from Germany and Italy influence your perspectives and your understanding of how others view the experiences of Belarusians?
Anastasia N.: The conversations with participants from other countries were especially valuable: it was interesting to learn how they perceive historical events. I realized that personal stories are far more impactful than generalized information.
Participant: It was upsetting to realize that many participants didn’t know what is happening or has happened in Belarus. I was truly surprised by how different our experiences and, at times, perspectives on the current world are. But at the same time, I gained a very important understanding: this diversity is not a problem; on the contrary, it is valuable and necessary, and something we can learn from one another.
Iva Sh.: I feel that I gained a lot from this international exchange — as an activist, as an expert, and simply as a person. I discovered new materials and sources to study political ideologies more deeply and understand how they operate. Although Belarusians mainly shared their personal experiences of living under an authoritarian regime — which was extremely important for me — I was also able to learn more about the contexts and current events in Germany and Italy. This helped me better understand how and why there is a shift from democracy toward authoritarianism, what rhetoric local politicians and media use regarding migrants, the situation in Belarus, etc., and how this influences European youth’s knowledge, or lack thereof, about international political processes.
How would you answer the question: what can we do to reduce injustices in the world and preserve the memory of those that exist today?
Anastasia N.: We can reduce injustices by creating safe spaces where people can share experiences, support each other, and make visible what is often silenced.
Participant: Honestly, it’s hard for me to believe that any single practice can significantly reduce injustice — the scale of the problem is too large. Sometimes it seems that even small good deeds cannot outweigh all the pain and evil happening in the world. In such moments, I focus on something simple: recording, photographing, preserving testimonies. This won’t immediately change the system, but it is a way to prevent the truth from disappearing, to keep it in memory, and to give people a chance to be heard.
Did any ideas emerge during the training that you would like to turn into a project and implement?
Iva Sh.: One of the most powerful insights for me was realizing the value of our Belarusian experience of living under a dictatorship and the importance of our voice. I feel this especially strongly now, as anti-migrant and racist sentiments are on the rise in Europe and around the world, and far-right politicians are coming to power.
I am convinced that by sharing our experiences with European youth, we — Belarusians — can make a significant contribution to preserving democracy in Europe. I would definitely like to implement a project that serves this purpose, and I am now nurturing this idea, looking for an interesting format to bring it to life.
What would you recommend to young Belarusians who want to apply for similar trainings but are still hesitating? What should they expect, be ready for, and do to get the most out of it?
Anastasia N.: I recommend applying always, even if it seems like there’s no chance. The main thing is openness and willingness to participate: listen to others, share your own experiences, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Participant: I would advise not to hesitate 🙂 and just apply. If you have a genuine desire, that’s already enough. But I would also recommend — to them and to myself — not being shy about sharing your thoughts and feelings, because these trainings are truly a safe space for that.
* The material is published anonymously for safety reasons.
