If somebody would ask me now if organizing an international project is easy to do...I would say... don't do it.
It really is tiring and stressful. Selecting the participants, asking colleagues to assist you, putting up the debates with the students, organizing the mobilities , buying tickets, staying within the budget, meetings with the families, preparing the Documents, trying to accommodate all the students and guests , preparing the program, substitution of the teachers so that the ordinary lessons may go on as usual , the lists, the stamps and signatures ,, the meals, the food, the busses and transport ... and then... when the actual week of the meeting in your country starts ... then also arrives the confusion and everything that may go wrong....and at this moment you say... who made me do all this !!
And so after 20 years of international projects I continue saying... who prompted me to do all this.... well.. there will be some reason for this..
The reason is that first Comenius and now Erasmus remains a major important and decisive experience in the school life of our students and the teachers.
It suffices to look at the faces of everybody present here to understand the significance of being an 'ERASMUS student'
ERASMUS enhances the cooperation , it helps in acquiring relationships, it teaches you to work in a team, to resolve problems , to find unexpected solutions to problems, (for instance what if the bus get stuck.. the entire group transforms into an open air party...)...ERASMUS forces you to recognize the difference between people and to reinforce your own identity.
It helps you to overcome stereotyping and prejudices.
Next these meetings make our students happy , gentle and cooperative , but above all they make them mature , assist in their autonomy and independence , it makes them responsible citizens.
And now..you understand that while the fatigue will pass and the Memories and emotions will remain you'll realize it has made you a better person.
This week is coming to a close. Tomorrow our guests will leave and the time has come to say thank you.
In alphabetical order of the countries I say thank you to my long lasting friends Natalia Pamukova, Zoi Peresteri , Joanna Barteczo and Sevda Karabacsak.
Thank you, Grazie. It is very easy to coordinate a group of such fine ladies , who are intelligent , flexible and generous as you are.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart the precious team of colleagues of Claudia Occhipinti, Marta Lo Monaco, Grazia Altavilla, Salvo Gallo , Vanda Egidi, Loredana Rizzo, and Lia Urso. Their work is the success of this week.
Behind each good coordinator there is always a work team and a staff consisting out of the principal Maria Rita di Maggio, Maria Luisa Condo, Lillo Scardino and Gaspare Luppino and the head of the administration Andrea Gibaldi who all supported me each moment and for anything that I requested.
My special thanks go to prof.ssa Di Gloria who developed together with the students the graphic part of the national culture representation, proff. Mormino and Lo Pinto who put themselves at our disposal to organize the activities.
Thank you to the colleague friends who accepted our invitation to be here tonight.
Finally ...but certainly they merit to be mentioned in the first place...I want to thank the foreign students and my very special Italian Students.
You are very special guys and girls, you have learned the Debate and you have matured as men and woman.
Thank you guys for being available, grazie thank you dear parents who performed a great availability for the foreign guests , thank you for all the times... and there were many, that you displayed your satisfaction and your contentment.
Looking at your happy faces tonight erases all the fatigue and this makes me realise that this is the real reason for which the ERASMUS project is the most beautiful thing that Europe has accomplished.
Enjoy your evening.
Have fun.