PRESENTATION OF iEARN
ON 3-d WORLD SUMMIT ON MEDIA FOR CHILDREN HELD IN GREECE THROUGHT
VIDEO CONFERENCING

" Introduction of iEARN and BV

IEARN is the network of schools which work internationally on projects by using of the Internet and communications via e-mails.

Balkan Voices (BV) is initiative from 10 countries from Balkan region to communicate, collaborate and try to make a change despite all crisis in the region.

There is a team of students and teacher-coordinator for every project in schools. Each coordinator or one student presents work of the team in his/her country.

Summit is organized at least one time in a school year. It is very interesting and it has very big importance. It is great opportunity for all students and teachers which are participants to make new friendships, to express their opinions, discuss about topics, exchange experience etc.

The last, but not least, of all actions is presentation of the project on the Internet with building a Web site where one can find everything about whole project work, list of participants, results of the questionnaires.

Minela, Bosnia and Hercegovina

" BV building bridges across digital divide

In some schools there are many computers, and students are able to use them and connect to Internet whenever they need to. That makes things much more easier for them, and they can always be in touch with others. They can communicate and be informed about everything.

Others have much less computers and students don't have access to the net. In some schools there are no PC's at all, and some students even don't know how to connect to internet. But this fact and situation does not mean that students should stop communicating and learning from each other, because there are many ways to solve this problem.

- If there are no PC's in our schools we should use someone's PC in order to communicate with others.

- Other way to overcome digital divides is to organize seminars and conferences in which will the members as much as they are able to present places they come from.

- One of the most important things is that the host is technically prepared with all necessary equipment.

- Also one of the main qualities is hanging around with other members of this project like that we are
able to see all things we have in common, and of course to find out more about all of them.

- Conferences motivate people to proceed with that friendship by technical devises.

Bojan Nikolic, Yugoslavia

" BV projects/activities/initiatives

My name is Ralitsa from Bulgaria and I will be presenting to all of you what are the main projects of BV, what are the activities we take part in, and our main initiatives. To be honest with you I discovered BV project a few time ago but ever since I was enchanted by its ideas and goals. Because according to me what is the most important issue in our modern society is to teach tolerance and understanding amongst different nations, peoples, societies, youth. And that is what Balkan Voices is trying to inspire in The Balkans Youngsters.

We consider that the best way to start to STAND each other and be tolerant and understanding, is to know our history, to know what are the problems that mainly concern us and find out that after all we are not that different, we all have one and the same roots and even our traditions are common and similar to one another!

That is what all discovered on that Balkan conference which is now being held in Sofia. We discovered during the lovely music nights that we dance to and enjoy similar music, we found out that there is common language for all of us: the one of rhythm and sound, we taught one another different steps and moves, we did all this TOGETHER and in good understanding: with no quarrels, nor arguments, nor any conflict, we learnt how to look only for the better side of one person, to consider them as a human being as a brother or sister and not as the DIFFERENT GUY FROM THE OTHER COUNTRY.

And that is happening with the contribution of the common projects we are all trying to participate in with some ideas, materials and of course web sites most of the time(which again proves that our world is embracing the new technologies). For example we are now preparing materials about common history of the Balkan peoples. Believe me it was a great pleasure for all of us discovering the special places which Hungarians, Romanians, Bosnians, Croatians, Bulgarians chose to show to the rest of the participants inviting everyone to visit those wonders of nature and human prosperity to marvel the splendid waterfalls, mountains, natural reserves, churches, castle and many more, that they found extraordinary and representative of the countries they came from. While some were inpatient or worried before their turns to speak came we somehow got to the conclusion that after all we, the youth, are the future of our world, and more precisely of the Balkans, where problems are unfortunately still quite considerable, but when we manage to listen and hear to what we say, when we learn how to be tolerant and patient, that's when peaceful solutions of every conflict could be found, and there is no need of spilling innocent blood! This might sound too utopian to you but we believe it is possible and hopefully each of as would seek its realization!

Ralitsa Hubanova, Bulgaria

" How we communicate in B V - lists, conferencies, interesting stories

Hy! My name is Popa Daniela and I represent school "Stefan cel Mare" from Romania more exactly Focsani.

We, Balkan people can communicate with each other in English which is an international language. We also can communicate with the help of computers. Some children don't know how to work with computers, so I think that you should introduce special hours to help them.

In Balkan countries we can sing, dance and tall about similar traditions. At Ester, Bulgarian and Romanian people should shake hands to do a party where everybody should leering painted eggs and their traditional food eat cazanaa and should say interesting stories about their own countries. Another interesting way to communicate in Balkan countries is that you the coordinators should do many others summits in iEARN, especially in BV.

Another interesting way to communicate, in Balkan countries is that we should do many others Summits to meet each other.
I ask a student about the differences between Romanian and Bulgarian language and I found out that some words sound alike.

So, I will say to you only few of that words but in my language: computers, cazanac, da, a se hrani, tarta, mama, apa, musica, vin, masa etc. In English these words mean: computer-computer, cazanac-cazanac, da-yes, a se hrani-to feed, tarta-cake, mama-mother, apa-water, musica-music, vin-wine, masa-table.

Popa Daniela, Romania

" All possible BV products, results and outcomes

I am Oliver Marcetic from Croatia and I am participant of BV project. Balkan Voices project's products, results and outcomes can be very widely interpreted. There are lots of possibilities which we can and will use to make something good of it. We the youth are finally encouraged to make something out of our lives in a positive way. Balkan Voices gave us an opportunity to express ourselves and achieve products that can also be used outside borders of project. As products we can use short project books (for example: Balkan folklore book with customs and traditions), various brochures, CDs with interactive project presentations and web sites. As results we can provide some of the most precious gifts… knowledge spreading, learning about positive things and reaching the right information easy, quick and efficiently.

Better communications are also result of organized conferences which are encouraging students to express their thoughts and expand productivity. Exchanging information affects developing social and educational skills by students which are provided by Balkan voices project widely.

Oliver Marcetic, Croatia

" Positive impact of BV on youth in his/her community, country and all BV countries

I am Jane Stojanovski from Skopje, Macedonia. The work on this project is very interesting for me, because its very dynamic and lets me learn many different things, so I can choose what I like. I like the contact with students from other countries and learning as much as possible about them. I think its important to have a friend from another Balkan country, because friendship and love are the most important things in everyone's live. Good friends always solve their problems and stay friends forever. They don't fight, they are never sad and they are the best company. Exploring each others countries, all the participants in this project learn something new and interesting. We don't keep it for ourselves, but we share it with the others. It's the best change to learn about Balkan tradition, folklore, history and lifestyle and to realize that all the Balkan people have so many common things, but still, there is a difference between all of us. That difference makes the Balkan more interesting and also it can get all of us together and share our experiences that can be very useful. We are striving interesting information not only about the past, but for the present and also hopes for the future.

Jane Stojanovski, Macedonia

" Youth perspective, how iEARN and BV helped them in accomplishing their visions for better future

My name is Adam Majors. I have been working in iEARN for 3 years. I took part in several projects and international meetings.

-Young people need to have a peaceful and safe future, a world, where we can fulfill our ambitions and can hope our plans will became real.

- Using the Internet we get help to live in nowadays world of globalization. This way we have to know many students from distant countries and also have the possibility to meet face to face during the international meetings.

- I am sure that all iEARN projects and Balkan Voices help us to make our dreams come true. These projects have proved that we are similar in many ways our languages, customs, ways of life, everyday problems are very close to each other.

- We are able to develop beautiful discussions and conversations despite all the political tensions among our countries. Balkan Voices project pointed out that young people are open minded, free of prejudices. We can tolerate all the ethnical and religion difference. We believe that wars and hate are meaningless, they destroy all of our valves and the Balkan have got so much valves as any other country on Earth. This region is especially rich in human resources. Would we get more help in applying the newest technologies we could do our best to enrich the whole mankind.

Adam Majoros, Hungary

" How we can change the future with knowledge, skills, learning and BV

In this modern world, when the democracy in our countries is the time to make a change. Especially young people have a lot of opportunities to change the future with the knowledge that they get in school on computers and learning foreign language. But on Balkan there is a problem of too many appetence young people who don't find any prospective for them at home. They see their future somewhere outside. But they are not welcome there. They should find the future at home. Now is the time to change the future for Balkan.

We must be aware that the future of our countries and Balkan depends on our future. Young people should use their skills and projects as BV find a new perspectives.

Maja Molan - Slovenija