Opening Doors, Opening Minds
Opening Doors, Opening Minds
Imagine a world where intercultural dialogue and responsible travel are part of every individual's experience. It's the sort of world that Hostelling International-USA doesn't just dream about - it's a world we are hard at work creating. And now, through a dynamic new initiative, Hostelling International-USA is taking exciting steps forward towards fulfilling its mission of international understanding and exchange.
International Background: In the summer of 2002, the International Youth Hostel Federation launched a global "Youth Hostelling for Peace and International Understanding" initiative. Created in "response to the dramatic, violent conflicts that tear cultures and nations apart," Hostelling International, as a worldwide organization, saw the great need to work together to strengthen our global community. "Youth Hostelling for Peace and International Understanding" is designed to highlight the intercultural dialogue and understanding taking place in over 4,000 hostels in more than 60 countries around the world.
In the United States: At the same time the international program was being developed, national organizations like Hostelling International-USA (HI-USA) were asked to develop their own initiatives that built on the international theme.
Now, HI-USA is pleased to announce the launch of Opening Doors, Opening Minds for members, travelers and the public in the United States. The purpose of this initiative is:
“To build a new generation of global citizens, unburdened by stereotypes, emboldened by open minds, appreciative of their own heritage and understanding of others, through the dialogue and education that comes through hostelling.”
"Opening Doors, Opening Minds" will come to life through several programs designed to foster local and global community interactions, and to celebrate the mission of hostelling. The initiative will also seek to embrace partnerships between like-minded organizations and businesses.
Community Walls
What is it like to live in your community? That's the question that hostellers often want answered when they travel, because they're interested in how people really live, how they think, and what they do. With our new "Community Wall" program, we're going to give hostellers a taste of what they're looking for.
The idea is that HI-USA will be reaching out to youth groups across the country; asking them to create displays about what it's like for them to live in their hometown. What are the best spots in town to visit? What's off the beaten track that only the locals know about? Are there area traditions or ethnic groups that make the town unique? What food should hostellers try when they visit? What is the local historical heritage? What sort of jobs do people have? Are there particular local connections to natural resources or cultural identities? What do people do for fun?
These displays created by youth groups will provide a unique local perspective for hostellers from around the world. Community Wall projects will also be fun for the youth involved, and help them to learn about their own cultural community identity.
Completed Community Wall projects, which may incorporate a variety of mediums, will eventually be shared within HI-USA hostels, councils, and in virtual form on this Web site.
If you have an interest in creating a Community Wall and have a connection with a school or youth group that would like to be involved, please fill out the information below and we will contact you regarding next steps.
Keep coming back to this site in the months ahead to see and hear examples of Community Walls being creating by young people for hostellers from around the world. Hostellers want to learn about American communities from the people who live in them. Create a Community Wall - tell the world what's it like to live in your hometown!
Call For Stories
Click here to read stories!
Traveler's Tales & Testimonials
Ellie
July 1969. America lands men on the moon. I land in a hospital bed in Bezier, France, a fallen victim to car meets bicycle. I had been leading a European Swing Trip, cycling casually on back roads into Marseille where we would have lunch before following the road into Italy. There was my life until THE accident. And my life after it. The klnd of life in which virtually every step taken hurt because of unresolved pain in the leg so badly torn apart. But a life, although departed from it's original intentions of athleticism, the outdoors or extended travel, has been filled with successes, moments of intense meaning, the ability to comfort others.
Two weeks ago I finally went under the knife and got a new knee. A replacement part so desperately needed that I could barely walk. And in the hospital, and here at home since, I have had countless memories of the kids on that trip for whom I was their leader, the places we went and saw, and the incredible connections and opportunities that hosteling provided for me that summer. It is truly the first time since my accident that I have been able to look back at the memories of that trip with relish. Thirty-five years ago on a back road in Southern England, on the way to Brighton Beach, we passed through a village of thatched roof cottages. A woman busying herself by her door looked out and called out joyfully, "American? American? Tea?" Several of us riding together stopped and she said she'd not seen American "children" since World War II in her remote village and invited us for tea. We chatted a few more moments, declined the tea, however, and cycled on.
An AYH memory of a Michelin map, a remote country road, and a moment of unforgettable history. Many such memories, this many years later, stick. Huddling on a Sunday morning in a church on the Isle of Wight because we'd had to leave the hostel in a cold and miserable rain storm. Where a roof and a bit of prayer weren't such an awful place to be. The ferry ride from Dover and the rough seas. . .unforgettable. The rain again in Toulouse, the sun and the colors of the shadows on the walls at Carcasonne. With the lifting of the pain in my knee from the accident, like a veil, the trip shines now as if yesterday. Perhaps someday I'll go back and finish the swing through Italy, Austria, Germany, and get back to see Paris, too. But for now, remembering in vivid color, sights, sounds, smells, the smell of cheese on my hand in a public park as we hunkered down for lunch - what a wnderful trip it started out to be. And how sweet, so many years later, to pull those photographs from the back pages of my mind, and be ablem, finally to cherish them without pain.
Irene
Hostelling from the Other Side.
I was born in a hostel. From my earliest years the doors of our home were open to people of all cultures and persuasions. Some stayed a day, some a week and one stayed a year. It was exciting. Everyday someone new. I learned to love strangers.
I did not travel because it seemed the whole world came to me. Always someone new and interesting to meet and speak with everyday of my life.
The hostel is gone now. But each day I am out there looking for strangers. Looking for someone new to greet and cheer on and direct to lovely sights and sounds peculiar to this little part of the great wide wonderful world. The world that came to me because our home was a hostel.
Kim
HI-USA ODOM International Youth Exchange Participant“There have been few events in my life that I can truly say have had a profound effect on me, and the exchange in Verdun is one of them. It is only after being home for a few days that I have really been able to see the changes in me and to absorb the lessons that I learned from this amazing experience. I would like to share these lessons with all of you.
Day 1: I learned that when you try to judge someone by how
they look and where they come from, you are usually wrong.
Day 2: I learned that, many times, a great big hug from someone
is all the language you need.
Day 3: I learned to have a deep respect for the heritage of
countries and cultures that have stood the test of time ages longer
than my own.
Day 4: I learned that one country or way of life is not the
center of the universe.
Day 5: I learned that true honor is the result of standing
by your principles in the midst of great threat and fear.
Day 6: I learned that wisdom is gained by listening when you
would have preferred to speak.
Day 7: I learned that laughter is a necessary component of
inner peace and peace all around us.
Day 8: I learned that the creation of a solid group is a beautiful
work of art.
Day 9: I learned that even young people get tired and cranky!
Day 10: I learned that lifelong bonds could be formed in ten
short days when respect, honesty and giving are at the foundation.
These are just a few of the lessons that I hope to integrate into all aspects of my life. Social change begins with one person’s inner transformation and I hope that all of us have returned home better people than when we embarked on this journey.”
Pokman
This is the first time I stay in a youth traveller hostel in my life. There are people from different background, with different ages, spoke various type of languages. How would I expect I end up travelling with two wonderful girls from Columbia and France at Boston for a week?
All three of us have different backgrounds, education, personalities, taste of food. It is the adventurous daring gut that lead the three strangers together to explore Boston.
We went to the freedom trail, Harvard and MIT, museums etc. We got lost on the way back, we chatted inside a grave yard, we made our own breakfast, lunch and dinner on a limited budget.
Even though the whole travelling experience isn't comfortable, it is a priceless memory that money can't buy, college professor can't teach you.
Living in a youth hostel let me meet and greet people from all over the place, widen my view and broaden my horizon.
Art
Seattle, WA
While staying at a hostel in Melbourne, Australia in 2001, I signed up for an Oz Experience tour of the Mornington Peninsula. As I boarded the bus, I realized that, at age 48, I was twice as old as my companions. I thought, "No one will talk to me all day." But as soon as we pulled out, the driver asked to us introduce ourselves, and soon I had more conversations than I could handle. An English veterinarian told hilarious stories about animals and their owners. An Irish couple entertained us, and a German woman wrote two pages of notes, including Chinese translations, for my future visit to Beijing. We had a wonderful time exploring the spectacular coast where Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared in 1974, and enjoyed lunch in Sorrento, Australia's sister to the Italian city. From then on, I never hesitated to stay at hostels where I was old enough to be someone's father.
Karin
Portland, Oregon
I have been hostelling for 18 years, since I was 21. I've stayed in Hostels in England, Scotland, Wales, South Africa, United States and, most recently, Ireland. As a parent, I have always made it a priority to provide travel as an important part of my child's education. For several years, I have been travelling with my daughter Tori, who is now 11 years old.
During our most recent trip to Ireland, I had a wonderful and "world-broadening" experience that I will try to relate here. We checked into our hostel on our first night in Ireland. Almost immediately, Tori began interviewing fellow hostellers, introducing herself, and asking where they were from.
Seeing her inquisitive nature and her notepad, Shaheb - a young man from Sudan- asked for the notepad and drew out a game for her to play. Then a Riddle for her to guess. This lead to a 2-day-long riddle-fest between the two, which was wonderful to see.
During that time, I watched each of their eyes light up as they thought of a new riddle to share. I also watched Tori as she recognized that some of her "old standby" jokes had no meaning for someone whose first language isn't English (Shaheb's was Arabic, though he spoke several others). I could see the recognition in her eyes as it occurred to her that our language is ethnocentric, and that she had to adapt her communication style to communicate better with her new friend. (How would I have taught THAT at home???)
As I watched the two of them, in my eyes, the puzzles became larger than themselves. As I stepped back to watch, I was able to see with some awe how wonderful an experience this was. A young, Arabic-speaking, Muslim man from Sudan sharing time, stories and friendship with a young, English-speaking American girl. Both far away from home - and ALL of our lives richer for the experience.
In the hostel kitchen, over our last shared breakfast, Shaheb, a man from Japan, and a woman from the U.S., all told me how amazing they thought Tori was. It made me proud of her, but also proud of myself for making travel an important part of her education. As a single parent, it has not ever been easy to make this happen, but this experience reminds me why I make it a priority.
A last word on this subject: I do not think this kind of experience would have occurred if we had been staying in a traditional-type hotel. I firmly believe that the international network of hostels encourage this kind of connection. For that reason, I will always prefer hostels to any other kind of accommodation as my daughter and I explore the world together.
Ashley
Carrolton, Texas
Last summer was my first real hostel/travel experience and it has opened my eyes. I love meeting other travelers from all over the world. They're usually independent, open-minded, friendly people.
Elizabeth
Belgium, Europe
I am on a world tour, going from hostel to hostel. It is very nice, as I am traveling by myself. A world tour alone but never lonely!
Lindsay
Camarillo, CA USA
Not to sound cheesy but hostelling has changed my life extremely. I have backpacked all over Central Europe for four months and I have met the most amazing people. Hostels encourage communication, sharing and travel. I honestly can't explain the change in my life since I traveled but it has been a great change and I just crave to explore and travel and meet new people and Hostels are what tie all of that together.
Nick
Brisbane, Australia
I have been on the road for about three months now. This is the fourth or fifth hostel I have stayed in and it is very nice indeed. I am traveling by myself and while this may mean some lonely times such as spending the whole of last night at the Seattle Airport, sleeping next to a vending machine. I have met many great people on my trip and have had a generally wonderful time.
Heidi
Some of my fondest memories are of times I spent in hostels as a traveler in Europe in 1985. Whether in Paris, Innsbruck, Austria, or Venice, Italy, my memories hark back to meeting new friends, staying in comfy inns and halls, and eating simple, delicious meals. Today, I'm busy raising a family and working and it's hard to find time to get away. But my oldest daughter and I did just that a few years ago, right here in Wisconsin, with an overnight bike trip. The hostel we stayed at was called Wellspring . . . Thanks!
Victoria
East Greenwhich, Rhode Island
I love hostels. I've met people from all over the world and have heard amazing stories. I have also learned different people's perspectives about the U.S.A. It is really interesting to hear other people's point of views. Traveling and hostelling opens many doors for people. Always remember that the world is yours! You can go anywhere with hostelling.
Miriam
Hostelling opened up a whole world when I gave myself a retirement present of volunteering on a dig in Russia and stayed in a hostel in Vienna, Austria and St. Petersburg, Russia. I met a backpacking lady in Vienna who was on a painting jaunt. She was 84 and had 2 hip replacements. The hostels were so friendly that I have never hesitated to go anywhere else.
One of these days I will go back to Hong Kong to the hostel there. Now I use hostels by preference. I love being able to dump my pack and go walking wherever I want. Total Freedom!! And the desk people are full of helpful advise. I can travel twice as far and twice as long with hostels. This fall will be Australia and New Zealand for 2 or 3 months. Seniors should not think they would be out of place in a dorm -- I learn so much from all my roommates.
Gene
"When I bicycled in Germany, Holland, Denmark and England in the summer of 1939, I appreciated staying in many hostels. Contacts with people in the hostels helped me understand the conditions of local people. I learned more about the reasons for Hitler's aggressive policies etc.
In recent year I have supported growth of hostels in our Northwest. It is still a pleasure to meet international as well as U.S. travelers at our hostels."
Mary Emma
"As I have helped establish hostels in Washington State, it has been exciting to have hostel manager dedicated to serve hostellers. I was always pleased to talk with travelers and learn of their appreciation for hostel atmospheres. At the Seattle hostel it is always great to talk with international travelers. It is good to see their interaction and activities with those of other countries.
One reason for my involvement in the hostelling movement is that building friendships between people of the world is the basis for building peace in our world."
Jacqueline
In 1999-2000 I spent a year traveling around the world. During this time I stayed in a lot of hostels, some official HI-AYH hostels and others that were just cheap hostel-style accommodations. The thing I loved most about the hostels were the people I met. Where else in the world will you find people who will just strike up a conversation with you, ask you to share a meal with them, arrange to go on a day trip with someone you just met, or just find people to share a beer and stories with at the end of the day? Everyone there shares the same love of travel and adventure which is great. I got my best travel advice from people I met in the hostels and the best thing was running into them again and again as I worked my way around Southeast Asia and India.
Everyone pretty much has the same route so it's like running into old friends again. That's the thing about the hostelling lifestyle, you meet lots of great people and you keep running into them. It can be lonely when you are on the road for months at a time without any of your friends or family with you but as you get to know people and as you keep running into each other it makes the world seem like a much smaller place. Whether it's hanging out having a beer on the roof of a hostel in Jordan and watching Indiana Jones movies or going on a hostel sponsored trip in Jerusalem to watch the sunrise over Mt. Masada, these are all memories that I will never forget and which helped make my trip complete.
Click here to hide stories!
Anyone who has ever spent a little time in a hostel common room knows that hostellers are full of good stories. Tales of unexpected journeys, fascinating people, and wonderful discoveries all seem to flow after a good day of exploration.
Now, here at HI-USA, we want to start collecting and sharing great hostelling stories as part of our new Opening Doors, Opening Minds Initiative. And while we love all travel stories, we primarily want to know your story about how hostelling has impacted your life. Has hostelling broadened your horizons? Changed your outlook? Challenged your perceptions? We want to hear about it! We would also welcome your thoughts about how hostelling can impact society as a whole.
More stories will be added in the months ahead. In the future, we will also occasionally feature some stories in our monthly e-newsletter HI-USA Travel Bytes. Authors of featured stories will be sure to get recognition and a special gift of thanks.
International Exchanges
HI-USA provides opportunities for young people to participate in formal international exchange programs. The number of programs, their locations, focus, etc. vary from year to year, but all are generally designed to provide opportunities for young people from different countries, cultures, religious backgrounds, ethnic heritages, etc., to come together to learn about each other and to sow the seeds of friendship, respect and peace on a personal level.
I.O.U. Respect International Exchange Program
Summer 2009, France
Introduction
From July 31 - August 14, 2009, young people ages 18-23 years old from Germany, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, France, and the United States gathered in France for the fifth IOU Respect international exchange program. Hostelling International is proud to deliver this meaningful learning experience. The program is an intensive experience of living, sharing and learning together in an effort to bridge cultural divides.
Program Objectives
Hostelling International's IOU Respect program prioritizes dialogue and learning opportunities to increase tolerance and respect in its participants. Through a series of engaging, fun, challenging workshops and time spent living and exploring Paris and Annecy, France together, participants will:
- Develop friendships that transcend the program.
- Gain a common understanding of the meaning of respect.
- Demonstrate respect for one another at all times.
- Develop awareness, open-mindedness, and respect for other cultures and civilizations.
- Recognize the similarities between the people and cultures of different countries.
- Learn about each others countries, especially the host country.
- Gain communication tools to respectfully engage others in dialogue that leads to mutual understanding.
- Develop and use skills that enable them to be effective advocates for peace beyond the IOU Respect program.
- Know about the values of hostelling.
Meet 2009's Participants
Britney Simmons, Washington D.C.
During IOU Respect 2009 I had the pleasure of meeting and living with 23 remarkable people from 6 different counties which included France, Germany, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and my home country the United States. The experience was extremely amazing and one never to be forgotten.
During my two-week stay in Paris and Annecy, France, not only did we have the opportunity to bond, share our cultural views, and learn from one another, but we also genuinely befriended each other, making the experience seem like it was being shared with an extended family.
When I first discovered that I was accepted into the program, the thing that I was most worried about was the dialogue secessions, thinking it would be 24 people arguing back and forth trying to defend their culture or religious beliefs, so needless to say the first dialogue secession I was pretty nervous. I thought maybe I didn’t know enough to defend my country, and I wasn’t very religious so I couldn’t speak much about that. After we began to talk I became a lot more comfortable, we actually talked; no arguing or judging. Everyone was very respectful and understanding of each others’ views and beliefs. We each expressed our views on the topics and heard the views of others. It was both educational and interesting.
Although we did learn a lot through dialogue we also gained knowledge through fun. Programs such as culture night and country game night allowed us to teach and learn about the others’ culture, food tasting, partying and playing games. Then there were the many outings that we took to various places such as the Louvre and the Lac de Annecy firework show, where we learned some of the culture of France. Through all the various teambuilding exercises, dialogue secessions, tourist outings, and self-building activities, I believe we actually grew to be better people and learned that as different as we may seem, we are a lot alike and all affect the world that we live in.
Christopher Griffin
Words can not truly express how grateful and blessed I am to have been able to participate in the 2009 IOU Respect Program. The entire cultural exchange and learning soared beyond my expectations, making me view the world from a more global view, a perspective of great awareness. The international friendships that I have made have come to make me realize that we are all just people at the end of the day and that our differences are simply what make us unique, not incompatible. Through this awareness I have come to realize that world peace is possible, but can only be achieved through the means of cultural exchange and education.
Having never been out of the country, this was the perfect first time experience to launch me off on my quest for further cultural exchange experiences. This experience has created a thirst for more cultural exchange, education and traveling. While reaping the positive benefits of this program, I also wish to educate people about this program, thus enabling more people access to the positive effects of this program. One of the many things that I have learned during the program was that one should never be selfish with opportunity and education. Therefore, I must share this opportunity and education with others in a quest to make a small difference towards a more peaceful and unified world.
Jose E. Sanchez
My experience at IOU Respect was one of discovery and realization. As I got off my 10 hour plane ride at the Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris, I realized I was coming into this program with very uncertain expectations. There was, of course, the opportunity to visit an amazing country with such a rich culture, history, and language. There was also the opportunity of interacting with youth from different cultures and backgrounds. However, my personal goals were quite unclear. The minute I arrived at the D’artagnan Hostel, it became evident why I was there. From that day, and every day following in the program, I encountered some of the most interesting and genuine people I’ve ever met. We shared stories, experiences, and thoughts, from the most trivial to the most defining experiences of our lives.
We debated, questioned, and disagreed about some of the most important issues in our world, while still being able to end the day sharing a café, busting moves on the dance floor, or jamming under the stars. Every day of the program, I saw the need for the existence of differences in beliefs, in histories, in thoughts, in lifestyles…and I also saw the possibility of this coexistence in a peaceful and respectful way. That’s when I realized the importance of the individual in making this happen. I saw the reason why I was there and the potential I had to be a powerful agent in making this possibility a reality.
Samantha Johnson
Having the responsibility of being one of four people representing the United States during the IOU Respect Program was an honor and an absolutely incredible experience. I was intimidated before the program because I was worried that I lacked knowledge about my own country and culture to answer burning questions that five other countries may have for me. My anxieties faded away, however, once I met all the participants and team leaders from Egypt, France, Germany, Morocco, Tunisia, and the US. I realized that we were just a big group of peace-seeking adults from all over that had the desire to change something in the world. Over the course of two weeks we opened up to each other about family, religion, politics, beliefs, traditions, fears, insecurities, goals, hopes, and so much more. Because of that openness, we realized how similar we all are and how few differences we actually have, even though we’re separated by thousands of miles.
I was honestly surprised to see how easily everyone got along. I expected some tension because we came from such different backgrounds but there wasn’t any! We didn’t always agree with each other, but everyone respected one another and taught each other something. My time in France with IOU Respect was very inspiring and refreshing. I now feel like a more confident global citizen with friends all over the world. With this experience I plan to encourage future exchange programs so others from all walks of life have the chance to learn about cultures and beliefs other than their own. I look forward to building a culture of peace in my own community and all around the world!
