Midsummer Brings Us Together – Connecting Through Culture, Language and European Values

What happens when young people from different backgrounds meet, share their stories, and discover how much they have in common? This was the starting point of the youth initiative “Midsummer Brings Us Together – Connecting Through Culture, Language and European Values”, a small project supported by Eurodesk Estonia during European Youth Week.

The initiative brought together two young people from Kolkja, a historic Old Believers community in Estonia’s Peipsi border region, and representatives of DBJW Estonia – Brand Ambassadors Mari and Liisa, together with Karin Kõiv from the DBJW Estonia team. Although the project was small in scale, it reflected something that is at the heart of DBJW’s mission: every young person matters, every community matters, and meaningful encounters can happen anywhere.

From an Inspiration Day to a Youth Initiative

The idea emerged after a German language and entrepreneurship inspiration day held at Alatskivi Castle in March 2026. Young people from different backgrounds met, exchanged ideas, and realised they would like to continue the conversation beyond a one-day event.

Rather than waiting for adults to organise something, they decided to create their own project. With support from Eurodesk Estonia, the young people developed a programme that focused on culture, traditions, language, and European values through personal stories and shared experiences.

Why Border Regions Matter

For DBJW participants, one of the most valuable aspects of the project was the opportunity to spend time with young people from the Peipsi region and learn more about their community. Border regions and smaller communities are an important part of Europe’s cultural landscape. Every region has its own stories, traditions, and perspectives, and young people deserve opportunities to share them with others.

Kolkja is known for its unique Old Believers heritage, which has shaped local traditions, customs, and ways of life for generations. During the project, Alisa and Milana shared stories about local celebrations, family traditions, community life, and the cultural heritage of the Peipsi region. For Mari and Liisa, one of the highlights of the project was learning directly from their peers about traditions they had previously known little about. The conversations demonstrated that cultural diversity is not something distant or abstract—it exists within our own communities and becomes meaningful when young people have the opportunity to learn from one another.

Discovering Europe Through Traditions

The project took place in Viljandi, one of Estonia’s best-known cultural cities and home of the renowned Viljandi Folk Music Festival. For most participants, Viljandi itself was also a new discovery. Exploring the city together became an important part of the experience and created many opportunities for informal conversations and shared learning.

During workshops and discussions, participants explored summer traditions from different countries and regions. They compared customs connected to midsummer celebrations, music, family gatherings, community events, and local heritage. What emerged from these conversations was a simple but important realization: while traditions may differ, the values behind them are often remarkably similar.

Across Europe, people celebrate friendship, family, nature, community, and belonging. Young people discovered that these shared experiences create connections that go beyond language, geography, or cultural background. Through storytelling, music, discussions, and creative activities, participants explored how traditions help shape identity while also building bridges between people.

One of the outcomes was a collaborative creative poster where participants collected ideas, new discoveries, and reflections from their conversations. It became a visual representation of what they had learned from one another and how different cultural experiences can enrich our understanding of Europe.

The Role of DBJW Brand Ambassadors

For DBJW Estonia Brand Ambassadors, projects like this represent an important part of active youth participation. Being a Brand Ambassador is not only about representing an organisation. It is about creating opportunities for dialogue, encouraging participation, and helping young people feel that their voices and experiences matter.

Mari and Liisa contributed their experience from youth work, language learning, and international activities while also learning from the participants themselves. The project became a genuine exchange where everyone had something valuable to share. This peer-to-peer approach is one of the strengths of youth work: young people often learn best from other young people.

Small Projects, Meaningful Impact

The project lasted only two days, but its impact reached far beyond the programme itself. Participants gained confidence, developed new friendships, learned about different traditions, and experienced how their own cultural backgrounds can contribute to wider European conversations.

Most importantly, the project demonstrated that European values are not only discussed in institutions or policy documents. They are lived every day through respect, curiosity, inclusion, dialogue, and mutual understanding.

For DBJW Estonia, initiatives like “Midsummer Brings Us Together” show how even small youth-led projects can create meaningful connections and strengthen participation across communities. Because every young person is important. Every community has something valuable to share. And every encounter has the potential to build a stronger and more connected Europe.