Background Europe still has a need for more inclusive societies, where citizens pay roles in democratic processes. The young generation and the youth work targeting them has a key function in such progresses as well as the non-formal education, which can develop the youngsters on one hand by informing and sensitizing them regarding the members of vulnerable groups (e.g.: intercultural understanding, social acceptance) and on the other hand regarding their active citizenship (e.g.: cooperation skills, responsible actions, communication skills, self-reflective, conscious way of thinking). More initiatives prove in cases young people can have a successful personal experience related encounters with the members of vulnerable groups, when they can experience themselves through games the advantages and values of inclusive, democratic societies and the disadvantages and harms of exclusive and authoritarian societies they can internalize much better the values of the first ones than only through participating in theoretic courses, where personal experience and encounter with vulnerable groups are not ensured. More cases prove that direct sensitizing is less effective regarding the attitudes of the participants, when the method is indirect, and during an attractive activity the participants happen to think about the questions of inclusivity, meet the issues and personal stories of vulnerable groups and can participate in open discussions and find their own answers in a facilitated but not direct methods. The different kind of online and offline games are getting more and more popular among young people. The detective games are very sufficient for groups cooperation, discussion and taking responsibility, which are key factors of active citizenship and bring the issues of vulnerable groups and inclusivity closer to the young people, in case the story of the game or its characters have connection to vulnerable groups and social issues. The Autonomia Foundation has realized such a detective game together with more than 10 vulnerable grass root organizations, two of the three partner organizations participated in this game and have been inspired to share experiences and build a methodology regarding this topic Aims: Creating a methodology regarding social responsible detective games, which focus on active citizenship and inclusivity. Plan game descriptions according to the special needs of the four participating countries (Hungary, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic), and realize game sessions in order to make more active, socially responsible citizens the participating youngsters. We also will bring the attention of the youth work scene on this tool, which can be used in the sensitizing and empowering work of them. By materials, which can be used by any of them, we will inspire them to start similar initiatives. Activities: - Staff training – sharing good practices related to this topic, and ensure training regarding game methodology. Create the base of the social responsible detective games in youth work. - Selection of (vulnerable) young people, who wants to become game facilitators - Creation of the methodology - Creation of the four domestic game description in international cooperation - Blended mobility of 32 young people together with their training in order they can participate in the creation of the description of the four domestic games, and be game facilitators and/or charachters in the given - 4 game sessions during the multiplication events, when 700 students, 80 youth worker experts and 40 media representatives together with 36 foreigner participants experience the detective games all together in the four countries. - Creation of a video about the four game sessions and the reflections of the participants. - Conference, where the results and methods of the project will be shared with 60 participants representing youth work and non-formal education organizations, NGOs working with vulnerable groups, decision makers on the education field and media workers. Results The creation of the methodology and the country-specific game descriptions and the video the know-how of the social responsible detective games will be available for all youth workers and non-formal educators who are interested in using this innovative tools in their work. The trained and experiences 32 (vulnerable) facilitators will be able to hold similar game session also afterwards, and use their gained competences in their own organizations and other initiatives focusing on the issues of active citizenship, the empowerment of vulnerable groups and the sensitization of the youngsters towards these groups. The 700 young people participated in the game session developed their competences related to active citizenship (communication, cooperation, discussion, decision making, self-reflexion etc.) and get more sensitized regarding the issues and challenges of vulnerable groups, seeing their own responsibility regarding this issues and groups.
The organizations involved in the project shared their theoretical and practical knowledge of non-formal educational activities on empowering vulnerable groups and socializing. Within this, the main focus was the development and delivery of methodology for social detective games and the development and implementation of specific games methodologies. The inter-organizational knowledge transfer activities included in the staff training in Cyprus and a management meeting in Bulgaria. The main methodological information was summarized by the Autonomy Foundation, with the cooperation of partner organizations and the professional support of Detectivity, which was able to support the work of local teams in the future as well as to develop the professionals during the dissemination of the methodology. In the fall of 2019, each partner recruited and selected at least 8-8 youth, some of whom belong to vulnerable groups, in order to represent those groups credibly, both in the design and implementation of games developed at country level. The youth workers also attended local and international (January 2019) trainings and were able to study the central methodological material. Along these lines, the national teams developed their own game plans, each of which focused on a locally relevant social groups (Roma in Hungary and the Czech Republic, blind and Muslim in Bulgaria, refugees in Cyprus). The methodologies of the games have been documented in writing to provide support and inspiration for other similar initiatives. The completed games were attended by young people and professionals - 218 local and 51 foreign – proved by attendance sheets, too - attending these events, who provided feedback on their experiences, impressions and feedback on the methods used. The participants found the games basically exciting and entertaining, which also had a significant impact on their social attitudes. In the first, experimental version of each game, a member of the project coordinator attended a management meeting and made development suggestions to improve the game plans. The closing event took place in Prague in October 2019, where besides the partners' staff, Czech (25) and foreign (6) participants and professionals participated and got acquainted with the theory, practice and results of social investigative games. Further closing meetings were held in Bulgaria and Cyprus, where methodological dialogue and further cooperation opportunities were discussed. The completed central methodology is available in the language of each partner country and in English, while descriptions of local games are available in the language of the given country and in English. The resulting methodology materials were sent to hundreds of organizations and professionals active in the field of youth work. In addition to the closing event, personal events of dissemination were held several times by Bulgarian partners. Many of the games were held in addition to the attendance list events indicated in the project report, and the Hungarian game is still available and usable for student groups after the closing. Thanks to our communication activities, thousands of European citizens have become aware of the method and impact of social investigative games and the social values they convey have been passed on to them.