Last week the tri-national youth exchange project “JAZDA!” 2025/2026 entered its second phase. We had been looking forward for a long time to seeing everyone again and, above all, to getting to know the new participants! This time, the project took us to the south of France, where we were welcomed by the Foyer International d’Études Françaises (FIEF) in La Bégude de Mazenc.
Set against the picturesque landscape of the Drôme Provençale, the focus was on the artistic forms of expression: theatre, dance and song. In terms of content, we once again addressed the theme of migration: not only did we have the opportunity to meet various organisations and committed individuals, but we were also able to get to know the village surrounding the FIEF and its residents better through shared conversations.
The international meeting centre FIEF was founded by Ernest Jouhy. The educationalist and cultural scientist emigrated from the Nazi regime in Germany to France in 1933 due to the repression he suffered as a Jew and a Communist. Later, he saw the post-war period as an opportunity to promote intercultural understanding in order to make a democratic and peaceful European future a reality. In 1961, he established the FIEF as one of the first centres for intercultural education. Over the course of seven days spent exploring the history of the FIEF, we were able to appreciate the pioneering influence and historical significance of this place for the development of Franco-German youth exchanges and intercultural education since the 1960s.
As a hub for numerous migration movements, the south of France offers a wealth of local connections:
- For example, we visited the organisation “Passerelles” in Dieulefit (https://www.passerellesasso.fr/), which welcomes refugees to the region and campaigns for their rights.
- On an excursion to Marseille, we explored the traces of migration in various neighbourhoods.
- We had the opportunity to experiment with collective movements, group dynamics and modes of communication through theatre exercises.
- We also explored the (migration) experiences of our female ancestors through our own compositions. This exercise was led as part of a music workshop by “Mimesis” (https://mimesis-asso.fr/), an initiative that explores women’s migration and life stories using scientific and artistic methods in public workshops.
Framed by shared dances, games, language activities, theatre, festive receptions and a spectacular final presentation, we spent a wonderful week that inspires reflection, brings people together and encourages us to carry the experience forward.
We are very much looking forward to seeing everyone again in the third phase of the project, which will take us to the Friedland Museum near Göttingen.
‘JAZDA’ is a joint project of the Friedland Museum, the Krzyżowa Foundation, FIEF and IB Freiwilligendienste Göttingen. The project is funded by the Franco-German Youth Office (DFJW). We would like to thank them for their support.
