United Games of Nations

Intro

"If man is able to create conditions for war and destruction man is also able to create conditions for peace and understanding.""

United Games of Nations is all about creating those conditions, where in younger and older people from various countries, religions and cultural backgrounds can meet, where prejudices and misunderstandings become smaller and peace and understanding is able to grow.

United Games of Nations (known also as just United Games or under the abb. UG) is an intercultural youth exchange programme (or kind of net) founded in 1989 in Graz/Austria by Dr. Werner Greis. It provides the opportunity for youth exchanges in Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, Serbia and India. In each of these countries there is a "national" organisation that co-operates with the others on some activities and also organises its own programmes for young people by young people. Those organisations mostly work as NGOs. In general, UG works with young people on international level creating the conditions for peace, understanding, communication and co-operation in Europe.

Brief history of United Games and the most successfull projects so far

* 1989
United Games Austria are founded in Mürzsteg by Dr. Werner Greis

* 1990
UG International and UG Hungary are founded
First international performance of United Games

* 1991
UG Germany and UG Czech Republic are founded

* 1991, 1992
UG Youth Festivals take place simultaneously in four European countries

* 1992
UG starts to cooperate with other international youth exchange and children‘s rights organisations in Europe

* 1993
UG Slovenia are founded
The UG Youth Festivals take place simultaneously in five European countries

* 1994 – 1999
UG initiates youth exchange meetings for young people from all war zones of Former Yugoslavia. The young people call themselves the Post Pessimists, UG helps to develop the Post Pessimist Movement as an independent NGO, 1999 the Post Pessimist receive the Global Youth Peace & Tolerance Award at the UN in New York.

* 1995
United Games Serbia & Montenegro are founded
The UG Youth Festivals take place simultaneously in six European countries for the 50th Anniversary of the UN
The United Games/Peace Child Musical is performed simultaneously in seven towns in seven European countries on 10th June 1995 at 08.00 p.m; more than 1 000 young people on stage

* 1996
The UG Youth Festivals take place simultaneously in six European countries
UG Bike Tour, Berlin - Brussels

* 1997
UG Youth Festivals - The first Indian delegation travels to UG in EuropeUG Bike Tour, Berlin – Prague – Olomouc

* 1998
First UG India take place in Bangalore, Karnataka, India
UG Youth Festivals in six European countries
The Children‘s Opera „Brundibar“ on tour Mürzzuschlag (A) – Terezin (CZ) – Berlin (GER)

* 1999
UG Youth Festivals in six European countries and in IndiaDevelopment of the UG Young Voices European Youth ResolutionMillennium Young People‘s Congress in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; UG International Mentorship for the Congress

* 2000
UG Youth Festivals in six European countries and in India
UG joins the "International Year for a Culture of Peace", declared by UNESCO and the UN General Assembly
UG starts the two years international youth exchange project to write the "Young People‘s Book on Non-Violence"
UG starts the two years project of building a village school in Banjarpalya in India

* 2001
UG Youth Festivals in six European countries and in India
UG delegations from Europe help to build the school in India during the UG India Festival
UG organises two Editorial Camps for the "Young People‘s Book on Non-Violence" in Hungary and Slovenia

* 2002
UG Youth Festivals in six European countries and in India
The Foundation of the official town partnership between UG municipalities and regions in Europe
The Opening of the Born Free School in Banjarpalya in India
The final work on the Young People‘s Book on Non-Violence in Italy
UG becomes a member of the International Organisation Committee of the World Congress of Youth in Morocco 2003

* 2003
UG Youth Festivals in six European countries and in India
Publication of the "Young People’s Book on Non Violence" in Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, India, Italy, Norway, Serbia & Montenegro and Slovenia
World Congress of Youth, Casablanca, Morocco, "Tolerance - Solidarity – Sustainable Development"; as official member of the International Organising Committee UGI coordinates and supports the organisation of the World Congress of Youth

* 2004
UG Youth Festivals in six European countries and in India
UG Youth Festivals start to include youth-led development action projects into their overall festival programme
Development of the Global Village Project idea by beginning to organise The United Games 2005 – Youth in Action – Mission Control Centre as its pilot project
Development of the Youth /Adult Co – Management Book idea in cooperation with Peace Child International

* 2005
UG Youth Festivals in six European countries and in India; United Games 2005 – Youth in Action – Mission Control Centre (MCC) - In cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences (FH Joanneum) United Games connected youth-led development action projects in six European countries as well as in India and Ghana/Africa through Internet coordinated by a Mission Control Centre at University in Kapfenberg/Austria.
World Youth Congress in Scotland; 18 UG Young Voices participated as delegates in the 3rd World Youth Congress in Stirling/Scotland. UG is a member of the international Congress Advisory Committee
Co – Management Book Process - UG in cooperation with Peace Child International began the Co – Management book writing process

* 2006
UG Youth Festivals in six European countries and in India; Global Village Project 2006 - In cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences (FH Joanneum) and the University in Graz United Games connected simultaneously youth-led development action projects in 15 countries on four continents. Five UG countries were also involved with their UG Festivals. All projects were coordinated by the Mission Control Centre at the University in Kapfenberg and through the IT Platform
Youth/Adult Co – Management book was finalised and published
United Games joined Peace Child International European wide project called "Faith in Europe"

* 2007
UG Youth Festivals in six European countries and in India, 10th Anniversary of the UG Festival in India
Workshops on "Faith in Europe", a project by Peace Child International, in most of the UG countries

Projects

UG Festival

The main project of United Games is the so called "Festival" - which is actually an international youth exchange, which takes place in all the UG countries, usually in May, June or September (and during Autumn in India). Groups of cca 5 - 15 young people from each of the partner countries have the chance to spend a week together, working on different issues (usually in workshops with some certain aim, on some certain topic). Through different topical teambuilding games, cooperation in the workshops, active quest in the history and our common past and searching for relations in the present days, young people have a chance to see and better understand the differences and coherence of their respective cultures. The meeting should help better understanding of our common heritage and perception of the fundamental values we are all sharing.Since 2005 the participants work on the so called "Action Projects" - local development projects.

Town twinning

United Games of Nations initiated an official Town twinning between Berlin-Köpenik/Germany, Izola/Slovenia, Olomouc/Czech Republic, Subotica/Serbia, Veszprém/Hungary and Mürzzuschlag/Austria

External links

* [http://www.unitedgames.org Official Webpage]