Twenty participants – ten from Ukraine and ten from Austria – will go hiking in the Carpathian mountains in Ukraine for ten days (15.-25.8.2014). During their time together, they will overcome obstacles and reach summits while sharing their ideas and visions for the future. We live in a globalized world, countries can no longer stand isloated on their own, and neither can their inhabitants. Humanity is connected in different ways with regard to politics, economics and ecology. That fact becomes visible especially in view of the current situation in Ukraine. In order for human society to live together peacefully, it is necessary to understand each other and our respective positions mutually. Mutual understanding, in turn, is made possible by language skills and cultural knowledge. The need for intercultural competency is great. Within the framework of this project we are addressing all those needs: participants can improve their speaking and general language skills in the foreign language, while at the same time acquiring cultural knowledge about the partner-country and gathering intercultural experiences. "Trees and Dreams" may seem a bit naive and simplistic. Nevertheless, those “dreams” stand for ideas and issues concerning the future of the participants. How will it be possible for future societies to live together peacefully? How can we live in harmony with nature and stop the destruction of the environment, while at the same time satisfying our needs for progress and increasing prosperity? These and similar questions will be the topic for discussion for the participants. They will discuss problems and possible solutions, compare their views about them and see whether their visions for the future are the same and, if not, whether they still could be realised in a way that would satisfy everyone’s dreams. The “tree,” in turn, serves as a symbol that will accompany the whole project. In reality, we will pass many trees while hiking: but the tree will also be more than that. The tree will serve as a metaphor and starting point for our discussion. The main languages of communication will be Russian and German (the participants’ natives languages), which means that half of each day will be in Russian, while the other half will be in German. Sharing the common experience of hiking allows participants to grow together as a group and helps create a good atmosphere in which participants can talk about personal points of view and dream together about the future.