Monika Grėbliauskaitė

What do I feel after Comenius project?

 

by Monika Grėbliauskaitė (Lithuania)

 

When somebody asks me what tolerance is, I always think of it as respect of people different in race, religion or simply thinking. Bullying is also unimaginable when we talk about tolerance. Am I right? While participating in Comenius project I have learnt that differences can unite people and it‘s possible to become good friends with people who differ from me. After the time when I had an opportunity to communicate with teenagers from different foreign countries I can‘t stop thinking – why different religion or race call out hatred, discord or even wars in the world?

Last summer I had a chance to go abroad for the first time in my life. I participated in the mobility in the Czech Republic. It was the first time I met so many foreigners and I had to communicate with them. I was so shy at first, but everyone seeing me so confused helped me to feel comfortable. When I found out those people’s living places, heard a little bit of their language and read about their religion, I understood that we are all people with small differences that are not obstacles to communicate.

After spending lots of time together with foreign teenagers, we didn’t want to separate. Then I understood how strongly we can get used to other people even if they are from the other part of the world. After such opportunity to see different world, I can’t understand people who bully or hate people of different race or religion. Like in the popular song, life is so wonderful when you respect and you are respected yourself, when you are friendly and other people are friendly to you. Such understanding came into my heart after taking part in Comenius project.