The strategic alliance in the project JustNow -- A Toolbox for Teaching Human Rights aims at merging methods of (historical ) human rights education, implemented in the innovative simulation game approach of MICC, with diversity learning . Simulation games are usually time-consuming, while in many educational contexts time resources are scarce. Nevertheless, the simulation game approach especially in historical human rights education offers the possibility to impart complex knowledge. At the same time, it allows active participation of the participating youth. The partners would like to offer the JustNow learning materials which can be used in youth work in a flexible way. The four partners from Germany, Croatia, Netherlands and Poland have sound, long-lasting experiences in processing the mentioned topics for non-formal and formal educational settings. The strategic partnership consists of four European organisations. One reason is the expertise of these partners in the fields of work but at the same time the intercultural and multi-dimensional work mode will reflect on the learnings materials. We see the strategic partnership as a chance, to further strengthen the cooperation between our organisations. In six transnational meetings, the partners will compose and compile texts, learning materials and videos mainly in English and some translations in German, Russian, Arabic and Polish, which are available for download on the website of JustNow. All downloads are free of charge. Through multiplier trainings 50 to 60 youth workers, teachers and peer-educators will be enabled to use the materials in their work contexts. At the end of the two-year project symposiums will take place in the four countries. These events will reach 250 people directly. As we offer the JustNow materials as OER we expect to reach 5250 people in two years. The high-quality product JustNow is especially aimed at youth to support them in creating and seizing learning opportunities. The openess of the simulation game approach allows self-determined participation. Through the innovative approach to create small learning modules, organisations active in the youth field receive a collection of materials which allow to conduct high-quality educational programmes that are the right fit for their needs and target groups.
The aim of the strategic partnership “JustNow – A Toolbox for Teaching Human Rights” was the development of methodological-didactical materials related to human rights education, combined with a simulation game and diversity learning in non-formal and formal youth educational work. The idea of starting this strategic partnership was the outcome of internal evaluations and requests put forward by organizations and schools that previously participated in the Model International Criminal Court (MICC) project. The partner organizations from Croatia, Germany, Netherlands and Poland have been cooperating for eight years on the implementation of the MICC project, which has been funded by the Youth in Action Programme, later on by the Erasmus+ Programme since 2009. During the Model International Criminal Court project, young people simulate final pleadings of historical cases that were heard before the International Tribunals, namely the Nuremberg Tribunal, the International Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Ruanda. Additionally, they are attending human rights workshops, as well as a training in international criminal law. In that context students get to know more about the background of the conflicts, learn who was responsible, but also learn that a fair trial is the basis for sustainable justice and the protection of human rights. These youth meetings happening through the MICC project are designed for a week and they are in English language. This makes the access difficult for many young people because of a language barrier, their economic situation, or their school work, or in the case of refugees – their residency status. The main objective of the strategic partnership was to create a learning platform with various educational materials, which can be accessed and used by everyone. The JustNow interactive learning platform is designed to support teachers, youth workers and young peer educators to actively create and use learning approaches for human rights education, which are part of the MICC project. In order to make the abstract subject of human rights accessible to young people and relate it to their own life situations, the learning platform offers different materials for different types of learners. The platform offers activity plans, exercises and timelines as well as audiovisual content such as short animation movies which will help young people to learn about human rights, diversity, basic democratic values and the rule of law independently or with the help of an educator. With the innovative approach of small-scale learning modules, this toolbox allows everyone to implement needs-tailored, innovative and engaging educational workshops. Beside the cooperation in the MICC project, the initiators have been working together in other projects and fields. During this partnership all of them brought their expertise and knowledge, which is visible in the intellectual outputs and impact of the project itself. The Kreisau-Initiative e.V. contributed to the development of methods related to new approaches and tools in teaching contemporary history, especially with online tools. The Polish partner, Fundacja Krzyzowa brought an expertise in the creation of materials which are using the approach of learning from dilemma. HERMES contributed with new concepts on historical human rights education as well as with experience in pedagogy. The Dutch partner, the IAIE introduced the scientific dimension to diversity-based learning and contributed a lot with including and having refugees and people with migrational background as beneficiaries of the project. Through the project six transnational meetings and eight multiplier events were organised. The multiplier events gathered 212 participants coming from 25 countries of Europe and the MENA region. The JustNow materials reached over 11 000 beneficiaries from more than 106 countries all across the world, which is an outcome which went beyond the expectations of the partner organizations. The intellectual output of the project contains three animation movies, eighteen activity/workshop plans and four timelines created by the representatives of the partner organizations. The intellectual output is summarized on a learning platform which is translated into five language, additionally the animation movies were translated into eighteen languages. The JustNow Toolbox had a huge impact on the development of new methods in teaching human rights. The benefits of this project are already visible in the formal and non-formal educational field (based on the reports which we are receiving from beneficiaries using the intellectual outputs), which is a motivation for this strategic partnership and other civil society organizations to continue developing this toolbox in the future too. JustNow - A Toolbox for Teaching Human Rights: www.teachjustnow.eu.