Representatives of Rezekne municipality participated in the project “Wake up” in Turkey
In early February, Guntra Kuzmina and Edgars Jukna, head of the municipality of Rēzekne, and the public relations specialist of the municipality of Rezekne, took part in the European Union's “Youth in Action” project “Wake up” (“wake up”) in the Turkish city of Akchakocha. Young people from nine countries, including Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, Germany and others, participated in the project.
The aim of the project was to combine the various ideas, experience and knowledge of participants to write new projects and also involve other young people in international activities. A number of lectures on the search for cooperation partners in other countries were organised within the framework of the project, as well as the writing and implementation of international projects.
This project focuses on anti-smoking campaigns and projects as smoking, especially among young people, is a serious problem in all countries. For example, researchers have concluded that every six seconds a man dies from smoking diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, chronic lung disease and cancer. As the participants of the project were told by a doctor of the city of Dužes of Turkey, in Turkey, where approximately 74 million people live, the number of smokers is so large that every day they spend a number of cigarette packets equivalent to 50 thousand doctors' remuneration. In total, approximately one third of the population is smoking in Turkey. In Latvia, this figure is even higher – 36 percent of Latvia's population is smoking, which is the fourth largest smoking number among all European Union countries. In addition, the number of smoking young people – aged 13-15 – is smoking 40 percent of young people.
The participants also shared their national experience in reducing the number of smokers. As the participants of the project observed, the measures taken in all countries are similar – photos and inscriptions on cigarette packets, loyalty phones, as well as increased taxes on cigarettes. It should be noted that in terms of anti-smoking activities Latvia is even a step ahead of several other countries, for example, with strict restrictions on smoking in public places, with a law prohibiting smoking in the presence of a child, as well as with various social shares, for example, two years ago in Riga there was a share of the promotion of a cigarette against carrot in Riga.
On the last day of the project, when the participants were familiar with the situation in the field of smoking, both in each Member State and in the world as a whole, the participants formed projects that motivated young people not to start smoking or to help stop smoking.
For the project participants to be better acquainted with each other, young people also had to present the place they came from. Latvian representatives presented their country and the municipality by singing the Latgalian People's Song and others in the dance “thousand, present.” At the Latvian table, the participants of the project of the other countries had the opportunity to taste the sweets of the candy, “Laima” sweets, as well as the cheese. Latgale's photographs had also been taken by Latvians. By showing the books, Latvians received a number of positive words about the beauty of Latvia.
Project participants from Latvia managed to establish contacts with representatives from organisations of different countries, so it is planned that friendship and cooperation will continue, although other people of Rezekne have the opportunity to participate in international projects financed by the European Union.
Madara Laksa,
Public relations specialist of the municipality of Rezekne