Polarization is an issue that trespasses borders, and thus, cannot be tackled without seeing its manifestation within different contexts. This is one of the pillars that this training session on polarization prevention aimed to provide by gathering young people from 4 distinct nationalities, putting them together not only to make them learn about how to tackle polarization in their realities via the theoretical teachings of the instructors, but also via the interaction of the group itself and their exchange of personal experiences. This form of education, informal learning, had many benefits for us in different aspects. When it comes to the theoretical dimension, we have dove through simplified frameworks to analyze complex social situations such as the intertwining of polarization and conflict or the underpinning of polarization as a phenomenon. However, practical translations of the built knowledge were a crucial component of our learning experience. De-polarization practices were learned by the facilitation of group dynamics and the sharing of others’ best practices.
On a more personal level, we are happy to say that this opportunity completely surpassed our expectations, as it did not only fulfilled our professional needs as engaged young people working to fight extreme polarization, but also our inner self. We were able to learn how to better work with people from different backgrounds, enrich our cultural knowledge, broaden our linguistic horizons and create memories with the team that will surely remain on our minds for years.