Stichting yEUth proudly took part in the Erasmus+ Seminar “Transforming Narratives”, hosted by Waves to Home  and Utøya on the island of Utøya, Norway from 10/08/2025 to 15/08/2025. This international program brought together young people from Norway, Ukraine, Sweden, Spain, Jordan, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Palestine, Estonia, the USA and Lebanon to explore and address storytelling as a tool for reframing personal and collective stories and strengthening democratic resilience, democratic engagement, social cohesion and active citizenship.

Exploring storytelling and democratic resilience within youth work
The seminar aimed to raise awareness about democratic resilience and storytelling, while equipping participants with hands-on skills and critical thinking tools. Through workshops, group dialogues, and creative sessions, participants explored:

 The story of the island of Utøya
 The stories we hold within ourselves
 The stories we hold within our communities

Interactive activities included a walk within the island, a kintsugi workshop where we looked inside ourselves and through creativity learned to not hide the damage but to highlight and embrace our own history and what makes us unique and strong, storytelling sessions where we learned more about the stories other participants and their communities hold, a film screening highlighting hope and resilience in times of war and displacement, a storytelling session where we connected deeper with nature and with ourselves.

Intercultural Learning on Utøya
The island of Utøya brought an extra dimension to this seminar, by being a place filled with such rich history of democracy and youth engagement. The commitment of the community to build Utøya back up after the 22nd of July 2011 is tangible in the air, as well as hope. Having this seminar on the topic of transforming narratives and storytelling on the island of Utøya, blended non-formal
education with immersive cultural experiences.
Participants enjoyed:

 Team-building games and daily reflections
 A cultural night celebrating food, dance, and traditions
 Sessions provided by participants exploring different dimensions of storytelling

This intercultural space encouraged not only skill development but also empathy, creativity, and lasting friendships across borders.

A Participant’s Perspective

“To be part of a birthday memorial on the island has to be the most special moment during this seminar for me. As a group, we listened to the words that the family had written about this person, after which flowers were placed in their name on the memorial. This is a tradition that happens on the birthday of each of the victims of the 22nd of July attack, as to not forget them and to honor their existence, their hopes, and their dreams.”
— Mariska, representing Stichting yEUth

Looking Ahead
Stichting yEUth is proud to contribute to meaningful projects that connect youth through learning, action, and shared values. We thank Waves to Home, Utøya and all participants for their collaboration and positive energy.

Stay tuned for future Erasmus+ opportunities where we continue to foster inclusion, sustainability,
and empowered youth leadership.

This article was written by Mariska, volunteer at Stichting yEUth and representative during this Youth Seminar.