An experience of connecting — Vangelis Pappas

What would you say if 100 meters of rope were enough to connect a group, a little more literally than usual? That was my first action as youth leader of the MAKE USE team.

Such a group of young people is constantly renewing, so old and new members need to get to know each other better in order to work effectively within the team. Only then will each individual feel comfortable, productive, and truly belong to this team, thus wanting to participate in its activities. Imagine seeing the similarities we already have as individuals, so that we can get to know each other better.

Starting with simple introductions like who has visited or lives in Larissa, the rope began to change hands within the circle, according to the individuals that feel represented. The possibilities are endless, as we continued with topics that challenge us or bother us, situations where we may feel alone and isolated but ultimately find common points even in our own team. And you know what? We managed to finish all 100 meters because we talked a lot. The more the rope was untangling, the more talkative we became, and the activity drew us closer together.

Even though we are used to online meetings (and they’re useful), face-to-face contact with people we have only known through a screen is valuable. We discover more shared characteristics than we thought.

That’s why we want to get closer to other people, and why not, let our group grow by having new individuals join us, who may want to get to know about and contribute to our work.