A Journey Beyond Borders: Embrace the Barriers Association
Every great change begins with a big dream established in a small geography. Our story blossomed in 2022 in the warm and friendly atmosphere of Malatya, with a handful of volunteers coming together who believed in social transformation. Initially taking our local steps under the name “Ender Association,” our main goal was to touch the lives of disadvantaged individuals around us and amplify their voices. However, as we took to the field and began one-on-one work, we clearly saw that barriers are not limited solely to physical constraints. Language barriers, economic impossibilities, geographical distances, and, most importantly, social exclusion fed by societal prejudices… We defined every situation that prevents individuals from realizing their inner potential as a “barrier” and redrew our roadmap with this broad perspective. With this transformation, we decided to expand our name and vision and walk as the Embrace the Barriers Association.
Our mission is to tear down all these physical, social, economic, or cultural walls that restrict individuals’ full and active participation in society. We see promoting equal opportunities, continuous learning, and social awareness through our projects not just as a duty, but as our corporate reason for existence. We believe that when every individual is
supported in line with their interests and competencies, they can make invaluable contributions to a fair and inclusive future.
Our vision is crystal clear: to build a world where everyone—especially individuals with disabilities—can be at the very center of social life without facing any discrimination. While building this world, we draw our greatest strength from the youth. As we empower them
both personally and professionally, we aim for them to internalize volunteerism, empathy, and an unwavering sense of solidarity.
Our Core Principles and Values The values we have adopted since our establishment have been our guiding stars in every step we take:
Solidarity: We are stronger together; we grow by supporting each other.
Inclusivity: We create an environment where every individual is accepted with their differences.
Transformation: We trigger positive change by creating social awareness.
Innovation: We produce creative and sustainable solutions to problems.
These principles form the raw material of all our processes, from our first local activities in Malatya to our international partnerships.
Our experience working with youth and local communities has been our association’s greatest learning laboratory. The social cohesion projects we launched locally in 2023 for individuals with disabilities showed us how to build a bridge of empathy within the community. We wanted young people not just to be implementers in these processes, but also idea-generating leaders. As a result of this belief, we broke our shell in 2024 and expanded into the international arena. When we successfully implemented our first Erasmus+ youth exchange project, seeing the spark of that global vision in the eyes of disadvantaged local youth was our greatest reward. Being accredited as an official Eurodesk Multiplier in the same year took our capacity to deliver international opportunities to youth and inform them about European citizenship and active participation to a whole new level. Today, we take pride in mentoring young people to transform their innovative ideas into social benefit through our R&D work and technological solutions.
Right at this point, being a partner in the Young European Shapers (YES) project holds a much deeper meaning for us than just a strategic step. Our motivation to join the YES Network stems from the desire to combine the pure energy and inclusivity experience we have accumulated locally with a collective mind at the European level. Being a part of this community means joining a solidarity ecosystem that transcends borders. YES is a platform that advocates that young people are the founders not only of today but also of the future, giving them the power to shape their own communities. As an official partner of this network, we eagerly look forward to sharing our story, the challenges we face, and the solutions we produce with stakeholders across Europe, while also being inspired by them.
As the Embrace the Barriers Association, we believe we will add a multifaceted experience and a unique perspective to this qualified network. In particular, our areas of expertise—such as the social integration of disadvantaged groups, the development of accessibility standards, and the integration of technology into social innovation—will enrich the network’s diversity. We are ready to open up the inclusive methodologies we developed in our fieldworks and our effective information power within the Eurodesk network for the use of other members. The collaborations we hope to realize with other members will not be partnerships that remain only on paper; they will be joint youth initiatives that ensure the mutual mobility of youth workers, facilitate the transfer of good practices, and observe multicultural sensitivities. Thanks to the synergy we will produce together, we think we can establish a collective mind mechanism to overcome the barriers in every country’s own locality.
Our greatest expectation from the YES Project and this valuable partnership is for every participating young person to discover their inner potential and transform into an actor of social change. The impact we aim to create together is a wave of awareness spreading outward. As a project partner, we aim to contribute to building a more inclusive, fairer ecosystem across Europe where the voices of youth directly echo in decisionmaking mechanisms. Beyond the cold language of official reports, we want to leave a sincere mark on the life story of every young person we touch. What inspires our work is the determination of a young person wanting to change the world from a wheelchair, or the happiness of an individual expressing themselves in an international project by overcoming the language barrier. We are here to spread this inspiration all over Europe with the YES Project and to build a boundless, barrier-free future together.
