In September, Oleksii Stislavskyi took part in the Smart Tools: Integrating AI into Erasmus+ Projects training in Brno. The project focused on integrating artificial intelligence into youth work and non-formal education. Training was also devoted to ethical issues in the use of artificial intelligence.
Oleksii shared his thoughts on the project and the difficulties he encountered on his journey from Ukraine to the Czech Republic.
Logistics: the lady who handled the logistics was a ray of sunshine. She helped me choose the best and most comfortable route and was always available. I don’t remember the details very well, but I got the impression that everything possible was done to make the trip comfortable. It wasn’t without its adventures, but everything turned out well.
Location: a small ancient village, old (maybe several hundred years old, maybe a couple of centuries) and place adapted to current needs. It was quite modest: rooms for four, toilets and showers on the floor, but cozy, without discomfort (well, almost, but more on that later).
The downsides were ethnic Russians from Estonia and a Kazakh Russophile from the same place. Well, you understand. Especially the Kazakh, who couldn’t understand what was wrong with listening to Russian music in a shared space. I discussed the situation with the coach and found understanding. After that, everything was fine. I pretended that those participants didn’t exist and avoided them. They were annoyed by this.
*Russia continues its war against Ukraine. Every day, Ukraine is under fire from Russia. Currently, most of Ukraine experiences power outages lasting from 3 to 16 hours every day due to Russian shelling. On the night of December 27, Russia launched a massive attack on Kyiv using cruise missiles, ground-based ballistic missiles, and aeroballistic “Kinzhal” missiles launched from MiG-31K aircraft. In the morning, X-101 missiles launched from Tu-95MS bombers flew into Ukraine, also attacking the capital via the center of the country. The Russians launched half a thousand Shaheds and forty missiles.
People. People were different. Fans of Russian things were a big minus, Armenians, who didn’t all understand why I severely limited my communication after mentioning their visits to Crimea. (According to Ukrainian law and international law, Crimea is occupied, and Russia has the status of an occupying power.) But the other participants were wonderful. My circle of friends naturally consisted of those who did not communicate with Rusnya. My Romanian neighbor (the best!), the Spanish women, who at first seemed unapproachable, more refined, more selective than others, turned out to be wonderful friends. With them, it was warm and sunny. They taught me Spanish and asked me about Ukrainian. In the end, I was even initiated into the Spanish community (but Ukrainian Spaniards). I still remember our time together with warmth.
The learning process. I expected that we would be taught directly: here is this, it works like this, and here. But no. Everything was organized so that for the most part we learned on our own in the process and taught each other. It was interesting, sometimes difficult, but I never regretted signing up. The morning began with meditation and outdoor activities. Most of the activities took place in the hall, but also on walks, in the park, on the grass, in another city, where we wandered around doing quests that several teams had created the day before. There was also existential rap inspired by Albert Camus about teamwork in learning.
Overall, it wasn’t without its nuances, but it was warm, safe, and truly inclusive, not just in words. It was exactly what I needed.