(My words may not do justice on how amazing IYM was but I hope my after movie and pictures do.)
IYM was an amazing experience that I will cherish forever. It was my friend, Josh, who introduced me to it and asked if I wanted to attend this year. I've always been interested with history, but I was learning the topic of National Socialism in Germany only from documentaries and books so I thought IYM was a great opportunity for me to deepen my knowledge about it. I've also never taken part in anything like it before and I was excited by the thought of it so I registered.
I honestly didn't know what to expect from it except that I will be learning about National Socialism. But then there was also that part of having to do that alongside at least 100 other young people from all over the world and as someone who's extremely shy and has dreadful social skills, the thought of having to spend and interact with new people for 2 weeks was both exciting and nerve-wracking. But alas, everyone was nice and friendly; and 2 weeks weren't even enough. The minute I got to the Max Mannheimer hostel, I already felt warm and welcomed, thanks to the Teamers.
Workshops & Eye Witness Talks
That feeling of warmth didn't stop there as I felt it too during the workshops. The workshops were all equally interesting and if I could, I would've taken all of it. I took two workshops namely, "Intro to the History of National Socialism" and "Culture of Remembrance." One of the things I loved about the workshops was that we had the freedom in how we would express the things we learned - either through posters or writing down your thoughts, etc. And even though talking was an essential part of it, as a shy person, I never felt forced to do it. I was in a safe environment and I felt comfortable to talk and express my thoughts and opinion. As such, I really learned a lot. Being surrounded by like-minded people who are just as passionate in teaching and learning was also a great motivation. There is also this funny bit from the workshops. At some point, I think by the end of first week or I think it was already the second week, you could see how exhausted the participants were by the lack of energy in the room but everyone was still trying to listen and participate of course. I just find that funny and adorable. The ever so caring teamers were of course there to give everyone breaks.
Then there were the eye witness talks, which were a whole different experience. It was my first time to hear their stories firsthand and one of the most unforgettable for me was the talk with Abba Naor during the basic workshop. He was talking about his experiences, even making jokes at some point but what struck me the most was his way of talking and asking these questions that really provoke you to think. All the eye witness talks were both difficult to hear and enlightening at the same - difficult to hear such horrors that they had gone through but it was also enlightening in the way that you're being educated, that it provokes you to think “this is what they had gone through and you shouldn't let this happen again.” It was remarkable.
Fun at IYM
Of course, it wasn’t all just learning and seriousness for the whole two weeks; there was also time to have fun and relax. I loved how IYM was this perfect mixture of serious and fun. Aside from the workshops, talks, and visits to memorial sites, there were also extracurricular activities such as tours and evening events like parties, Bavarian dance evening, and olIYMpics.
We went to Munich and had a guided tour learning about Munich and its part in the history of National Socialism. We also visited the Ohel-Jakob Synagogue and it was beautiful. After all that learning, we went to a beer garden (my first time!). It was a nice way to end a productive day just chilling and bonding with other participants over countless glasses of beer (or countless tetrapacks of water in my case).
We also went to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and my oh my that place was breathtaking. We went hiking and then went around the city. Personally, I also loved the thrill of waking up early, being in the bus, and going to a far away place. I just wish we could've spent more time there to be able to join more than 1 tour and explore the place even more.
Other activities such as the parties and the Bavarian dance evening made me see and experience more of the German culture. There was also the Fest der Begegnung which I might say was a pleasant event. From the preparation to the actual event itself, there was good atmosphere the whole day with everyone just having fun.
Then there’s the people. The Teamers, the staff, the participants – everyone was lovely.
One of the important things that I also took away from IYM was that I saw how Germans have this collective effort to not let those atrocities happen again and I just wish that us, Filipinos, would have this kind of collective effort too – to learn from our history and educate the youth to make sure that the past doesn’t repeat itself.
There are so much more things that I loved about IYM but I don’t want this to be too long (which it already is). More young people would just have to go there and experience it for themselves. And in IYM, you leave as a better person - with your heart fuller, knowledge deepened, and the desire to make the world a better place, stronger. Words aren't enough to describe how amazing it was and I will definitely never forget it. And… waking up early in the morning almost everyday for 2 weeks was SO worth it haha! I hope to come back soon.
I would also just like to express my gratitude again to IYM and the organizations for giving us the opportunity to attend this year. It was a great pleasure to capturing these amazing memories.
Love and light,
Sophia xx
