Last month, our team from Youth Plus had the incredible opportunity to take part in Equality Unites: Empowering Youth for Gender Justice, an Erasmus+ KA152 Youth Exchange hosted in Bursa, Türkiye from May 14 to 22, 2026.

Organized by Bursa Uludağ University and approved by the Turkish National Agency (Project No: 2025-1-TR01-KA152-YOU-000298039), the exchange brought together 42 young people from six countries (Germany, Turkey, Spain, Hungary, Croatia, and North Macedonia) for eight days of learning, connection, and meaningful action around gender equality and women's rights.

What the Exchange Was About

The project was built around the premise that change begins with understanding. Over the course of the week, participants explored gender equality as a fundamental human right, examined women's rights and gender-based discrimination across different cultural contexts, and reflected on the social norms and stereotypes that quietly shape everyday life.

What made this experience different from a typical workshop or conference was the approach: everything was rooted in non-formal education. Instead of lectures, we learned through interactive workshops, group discussions, role plays, simulations, and storytelling sessions. We reflected on our own lived experiences, challenged our own assumptions, and built something real with peers from across Europe.

Highlights from the Week

Every day brought new energy. Some moments that stood out:

• Thematic workshops where we dug into topics like intersectionality, gender-based violence, and media representation. Not from textbooks, but through real stories and creative exercises.
• Cultural Evening, where each delegation brought a piece of home: food, music, traditional clothes, dances, and videos showcasing what gender equality looks like in their country today. It was one of the warmest nights of the whole week.
• Intercultural activities that pushed us beyond our comfort zones and helped us see familiar issues through completely different eyes.
• Reflection sessions each day where we processed what we'd experienced, made connections to our own communities, and thought about what we'd do when we got back home.

All sessions were facilitated by Lecturer Feriha Vural and were designed to be inclusive and participatory. Every voice had space.

Where We Stayed

The group was accommodated at the Nilüfer Hatun Guest House on the Görükle Main Campus of Bursa Uludağ University, an eco-friendly and comfortable facility that became our home for the week. Rooms were intentionally mixed by nationality, which meant the intercultural learning didn't stop when the sessions did. All meals were provided by the university, and the campus location gave everyone easy access to everything they needed.

What We're Taking Home

Each of us left Bursa with more than a Youthpass Certificate (though we did receive those too). We left with a stronger vocabulary for talking about gender equality, practical tools for recognising and challenging discrimination, and maybe most importantly, an international network of peers who share our commitment to building more just and equal communities.

For the Youth Plus team, this exchange was a reminder of why we do this work. Young people from six different countries, six different political and cultural contexts, came together and found far more common ground than difference. That's not nothing. That's everything.