Last Wednesday, November 6th, System & Generation volunteers had the honour to participate in the event commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Balkan exodus to Türkiye. The event took place in the rectorate building of Gazi Üniversitesi and was attended by illustrious people such as the rector Dr. Uğur Ünal, the deputy Emine Yavuz Gözgeç, and the governor of the city of Ankara himself, Vasip Şahin. During the event there were numerous exhibitions that showed the cultural richness of the Balkans and how these have been moulded and merged with the traditions and culture of Türkiye, highlighting the coexistence and harmony between cultures. System & Generation volunteers helped with tasks such as checking the attendees, making attendance certificates, organising the furniture, etc. The participation of our volunteers was active but especially that of one of our volunteers, who performed dressed in traditional Balkan clothes.
Personal testimonies of our volunteers:
Sheri from Albania: “The 100-year separation program organised by the Balkan Foundation, along with their collaboration and the way they managed the conference, was impressive. They shared with us how important it is to keep connections, even if you are far from your homeland. As a person from the Balkans, it made me feel very special and patriotic, and I felt warmly welcomed in Turkey.”
Fadi from Egypt: “The day was truly special. It took place at Gazi University, ranked ninth in Turkey. I was captivated by its beautiful architecture and the expansive green spaces. It was an honour to meet people from Turkey, Kosovo, and Macedonia. We played a crucial role in organising the event’s workflow and collecting participants’ names for Attending Certificates. Additionally, my college and I prepared traditional beverages for all the invited guests. The event was organised by the Balkan Foundation. The participants presented captivating videos showcasing their culture and habits, which were fascinating to me. It was an unforgettable day filled with new experiences and cultural insights.”
Julie from France and Klaudia from Poland: “From the eyes of Julie from France and Klaudia from Poland, it was an enriching experience of discovering balkan culture for example the music or the traditional clothing and food. They were in charge of preparing tea and coffee, as well as welcoming guests.”
Gianluca from Italy: “The conference for me was an important time of sharing but at the same time also a fun time . We made Turkish coffee for the people at the conference and it was funny because afterwards we thought about opening a coffee shop together. Then when we attended the conference we found ourselves listening to the Balkan songs and dances, afterwards we wıtnessed testimonies of the people from the Balkans together with other important local people… it was really a nice day and an important time of sharing together with other volunteers and the people who work to make this event possible.”
Valeria from Ukraine: “It was a really cool experience to wear traditional clothes of Macedonia and to explore a new culture in this interesting unusual way. But it was funny that people came to me and started to speak in Macedonian language and were so surprised when I answered that I’m from Ukraine. People at Balkan conference were so interesting and friendly, we communicated a lot and had a great time!”
Pablo from Spain: “Participating in this Balkan Vakfı event has been a most rewarding and enriching experience. Helping in the celebration of this event has helped us to increase our knowledge of the subject, our protocol skills and, above all, to meet and interact with people from different countries in the Balkans. It was a very interesting event where we learned a lot about the journey and importance of Türkiye in the region, enjoyed the music and food and heard the testimonies of the descendants of those who migrated to Türkiye. Definitely an event to remember.”
Ida from Denmark: “Last week, we were invited by the Balkan Vakfı (Association) to participate at their Balkan Conference, that took place at Gazı University in an old fascinating ottoman-style building. There was traditional music, food, and dresses from the Balkan countries, as well as speeches and a documentary movie about the relationship between Türkiye and the Balkan countries. All in all, it was more of a celebration of the brother- and sisterhood between the different countries and its people, than it was of an anniversary of 100 years of separation. Volunteering with S&G there meant for us to help preparing and getting ready the hall before the participants arrived, welcoming and registering them on arrival, making them good Turkish coffee, and supporting the organisers in keeping an eye on everything and helping where it was needed. We met people that had come from many different places to attend the event, and it was joyful for us both to talk with them and learn about their cultures.
