Unity Exchange Network

Unity Exchange Network was born in August 2023 in the Netherlands, under the guidance of Ömer Kartal, with a simple but powerful idea: young people can create real change when they come together with a shared purpose. Today, our activities continue mainly in the Enschede region, and our team officially consists of six members.

We are an informal youth group shaped by diversity—both in profession and education. Our members include students from different disciplines and individuals with varied professional backgrounds. What unites us is not a single title, but a shared commitment to youth work, learning, and action. Several of our founding members already had experience in the European youth movement, and in 2023 we collectively decided to take a more active role in the Erasmus+ world by researching the programme deeply and preparing ourselves to contribute through projects and partnerships.

Why we exist

We formed Unity Exchange Network to work more effectively on youth-related issues and to create spaces where young people can:

• develop personally and socially,
• gain awareness about the world around them,
• strengthen their skills and confidence,
• and become active, beneficial contributors to society.

Our strength comes from our team structure: we bring together different perspectives, different skills, and different energy—and we treat that diversity as an advantage in designing meaningful youth initiatives.

What we do

Our youth work focuses on practical, accessible activities that build impact step by step:

Environmental Sustainability & Green Innovation
Environmental and climate issues are one of our main focus areas. We organize local cleanup actions in parks, support awareness meetings in schools and neighborhoods, and run social media campaigns encouraging eco-friendly habits. We believe small actions—done consistently—create visible change and inspire others to join.

Youth Empowerment & Entrepreneurship
We hold interactive group meetings aimed at improving young people’s skills in communication, creativity, and problem-solving. Our sessions encourage a growth mindset and help young people gain the confidence to turn ideas into action—whether through community initiatives or entrepreneurial thinking.

Cultural Exchange & Dialogue
We actively support intercultural learning by building connections with young people from different backgrounds. Through cooperation with schools and youth organizations, we create opportunities for young people to explore cultures, present their own identities, and break down stereotypes. For us, cultural exchange is not a “nice extra”—it’s a core tool for building social cohesion.

Our international advantage

Our group’s reach extends naturally across borders: three members study in the Netherlands and three study in Germany. This gives us a unique opportunity to share outcomes and spread impact in two countries, strengthening our dissemination capacity and international networking potential.

Our reality: limited resources, strong motivation

At the moment, Unity Exchange Network operates without a budget. We keep our activities alive through the personal contributions of group members. This is challenging—because youth work and international cooperation often require resources—but we refuse to let financial limitations define our future. Our aim is to use project-based opportunities, especially through Erasmus+, to secure the support needed to grow, professionalize our work, and bring our activities to an international level.

We’re here because we believe youth work matters. And we’re building something long-term: a network that connects young people across cultures, strengthens dialogue, and turns motivation into meaningful social impact.