Stories Across Borders

Startpagina
België
Blankenberge
Stories Across Borders

Real stories from global citizens. Transforming borders into bridges, one story at a time.
🌎🌏🌍

28/07/2026

We welcomed our first audience from outside Belgium! 🙌

A group of Irish students, winners of the debate competition, explored the topic of global citizenship through an interactive keynote by Yelena Bouckaert.

Having spent several months abroad, both as a student and as a professional, Yelena shared her personal reflections on what it means to be a global citizen.

She associated three key qualities with global citizenship:

1️⃣ Curiosity
Global citizenship starts next door, not far away. You don't have to travel to be curious about other cultures and life stories, the unknown is all around you. Sometimes it just takes the courage to talk to someone you see every day and to ask who they are and what they value.

2️⃣ Humility
The more you discover, the smaller you feel. Travelling taught Yelena how much is still out there and how small a part of it she is. But feeling small isn't about hiding from the world, it's what lets you reach out and connect.

3️⃣ Groundedness
Every global citizen needs a warm nest. Studying or working abroad is energising and enriching, but everyone needs to come home from time to time and feel connected to their roots. Being a global citizen means learning about others while also affirming your own identity and the values you hold.

To conclude, Yelena emphasised that human connection is essential to nurturing these three qualities and, ultimately, to becoming a global citizen.

29/06/2026

What happens when stories cross borders and people meet people?
👉 You get momentum 🙌!

Over the past 9 months, Stories Across Borders has brought together 800+ attendees during 10 events.

Stories Across Borders is currently powered by 10 Audience Partners, 40 Speakers, 1 Communication Partner.

An exciting journey so far, built on collaboration, connection, and a shared vision. In the years ahead, SAB will continue to spread the message of global citizenship through storytelling.

19/05/2026

✈️ Bruxelles, l’aéroport du monde ✈️

Last week, together with , we organised an inspiring evening on identity, belonging, multiculturalism, and life between different cultures and languages in Brussels and beyond.

The central idea? Brussels is like an airport: a place where you can meet the world.
And the message clearly resonated. The Q&A lasted 30 minutes longer than expected, the room was full of energy, and all the cookies were finished. 🍪

A warm thank you to Salamata Diallo, emerging voice at Stories Across Borders, for her keynote and for carefully curating and moderating the panel.
Thank you as well to Soulaimane Ali, Melkis Kembo Makilutila and Téné Coulibaly for sharing such honest, nuanced, and powerful perspectives on cultural identity, belonging, and lived experiences. 🙌

Evenings like this remind us why dialogue, representation, and spaces where voices can be heard truly matter.🌏🌍🌎

07/05/2026

🎥 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 & 𝐖𝐓𝐕! 🎥

The reportage was mainly filmed during the keynote, organised by Stories Across Borders, at the school Sint-Jozef Sint-Pieter in Blankenberge, Belgium.

At the event and during the interviews,

Hannes Van Cauwenberghe, co-founder of Stories Across Borders, emphasised the importance of moving beyond “us vs them” thinking and fostering global curiosity, critical thinking, and cultural awareness among young people. According to Hannes, it is crucial to open your mind for cross-cultural collaboration and to foster a curiosity to learn across borders.

Bjorn Accoe, speaker at Stories Across Borders, highlighted the importance of connectivity and the leverage that value-driven entrepreneurship can bring in creating a better future. According to Björn, global citizenship does not start with travelling but starts with radical responsibility: for yourself, for society and for each other. In an era of increased division, he calls for bridge builders to rise up and connect through stories and actions.

🎬 The full reportage is available via: https://focus-wtv.be/europareeks/school-in-blankenberge-zet-in-op-dialoog-tegen-polarisatie

Filmed by Regionale Media Maatschappij (Focus & WTV / Picstory) | Edited and voiced by HOWEST University of Applied Sciences

05/05/2026

“Make mistakes. Learn. Keep moving forward.”✨

Have a dream and follow it.
Because trying already puts you in a position to succeed.📈

It’s not failure that defines you, it’s not trying at all.
Effort opens possibilities. Inaction closes them.💡

There are always choices, always paths, always chances to grow.
And in that room, it was clear there were many dreams waiting to be lived.

Don’t limit yourselves to the roles society assigns.
Choose your direction. Define your own path.🍀

This was Kamuntu at Festival🙌🏻

28/04/2026

More than a concept it’s a way of living, a mindset, a skillset, and a powerful statement about how we see our place in the world. 🥳

The idea of being a citizen of the world isn’t new. One of the earliest voices was the Greek philosopher Diogenes of Sinope, who, around 400 B.C., famously described himself simply as a citizen of the world. And history has shown he definitely wasn’t the only one who thought this way.

✨ Woodrow Wilson, the 28th U.S. president (1913–1921), imagined a world united through cooperation. As a key architect of the League of Nations, he helped lay the groundwork for global collaboration and peace.

✨ Albert Einstein, best known for developing the theory of relativity, was also a passionate advocate for world peace and international cooperation. His voice reached far beyond science.

✨ Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and co-chair of the Gates Foundation, often describes himself as a global citizen using innovation and philanthropy to tackle challenges that affect people everywhere.

At Stories Across Borders, we connect today’s global citizens with audiences around the world and help them share their stories. Through personal experiences, they show how a global mindset often grows from curiosity, cultural exchange, and the courage to step beyond borders.

💬 Do you know someone who truly embodies global citizenship?

Tag them below or tell them about Stories Across Borders. Let’s celebrate the people building bridges across cultures. 🌏🌍🌎✨ .

21/04/2026

Some things come with a price. Dreaming doesn’t.💫

So dream - and dream big.Then go even bigger.
Because what once felt huge can become small when you keep growing. 📖

Limits change. Vision expands.And sometimes, believing it is the first step to becoming it.🌎🌏🌍

Thank you Kamuntu for sharing your thoughts! ✨

16/04/2026

🏖️Milestone for Stories Across Borders! 🏖️

We are now also officially active in Belgium’s coastal region 🇧🇪

Last month, we had the privilege of facilitating the keynote of Bjorn Accoe at -Jozef Sint-Pieter in Blankenberge, near the Belgian coast line. Moments like these remind why Stories Across Borders was created.

In a world that sometimes feels more divided and inward-looking, we believe in something different:

➡Curiosity about other cultures
➡Learning from new perspectives
➡Thinking long-term about the world we want to build
➡Creating value that goes beyond borders

Because stories shape how we see the world.

So here’s a question for you:
What story do YOU want to bring into the world? 🌎🌍🌏

14/04/2026

Each interaction is a chance to build bridges!✨

In a world where walls are continuously being constructed,
the keynote of kamuntu was a reminder that connection is still a choice.💫

Through words, through stories, through interactions,Bridges are being built between people
A simple but powerful idea that Ben landed:
“Go where you can grow, express, and truly be yourself.”
And above all dreaming of a better world is still free.🌎🌏🌍

Thank you, Ben, for your sharing your well-chosen words.🙌🏻

09/04/2026

🎤 “ slam for peace. Slam to share.”

A voice used not just to speak,but to soothe, to reflect, and to give meaning to what often goes unspoken.
From streets to stories, from silence to expression a reminder that words can heal, connect, and inspire.
Encouraging a generation to think, to express, and to own their narrative.💫

This was Kamuntu at Festival✨

Thank you, Ben, for turning words into something that truly connects!🌎🌏🌍

Adres

Weststraat 86
Blankenberge
8370

Website

https://www.storiesacrossborders.org/

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