Review of the international seminar "Breaking Barriers"

The International seminar "Breaking Barriers" organized by RSU SU happened on 22nd May. This year, the main task of the seminar was not only to break down barriers, creating a friendly atmosphere for both Latvian and foreign students, but also to discuss and find common solutions for social problems such as racism, sexism, homophobism, etc.

Adapting to the distance learning process, the Breaking Barriers seminar which happened in English also took place online. 30 RSU students applied for the seminar, improved their knowledge on various topics and met new people at the seminar. Also in the week before the seminar there was an option to participate in bingo "Travel the World".

To get to know each other better, the first task of the participants was a game during which the participants of the seminar asked each other questions and filled in bingo boxes about the person. During the bingo, the participants talked freely and shared their answers.

After the bingo, Lauma Bilinska gave a lecture on intercultural communication. At the end of the lecture, the participants shared their experience in communication between nationals of different countries.

Then there was an interactive "art therapy" led by Julia Volonts, during which the participants of the seminar could express their feelings in a creative way on a white piece of paper. After the treatment, the participants shared their experiences of feelings and events related to travel, loneliness, desire to return home, etc.

Many thanks to our sponsor - the publishing house "Jumava", which helped to create gifts of gratitude to the lecturers of the seminar.

After a short break, the participants were invited to a "Confession session", which included various discussions, suggestions, exchanges of experience on situations related to discrimination. This activity was especially important, because the described situation descriptions were based on the previously anonymously submitted experiences of RSU students and seminar participants.

The last activity of the seminar was the interactive game "The perfect country", where the participants of the seminar were divided into groups as ministries of different industries. The aim of the game was not only to create a prefectural state together, but also to get to know each other better in order to cooperate and achieve the jointly set goal.

At the end of the seminar, the participants were able to share their experience in a free atmosphere and continue the evening by playing various games.

Picture with participants of the international seminar "Breaking Barriers"