All partner institutions from the UK, Bulgaria, Romania and Lithuania face intolerance during their activities with youth; inefficient national efforts against disrespect of cultural diversity and need for new strategies in order to deal with it. A part of the youth our partner organizations work with belong to different cultural minority groups and usually, they are the main victims of intolerance. The project has identified as target group trainers, youth workers, involved in youth education. Each partner has identified the needs of his own target group to acquire new strategies to promote respect for diversity and social inclusion; on the other hand to share the strategies each partner is using, enhancing European experience to deal with cultural diversity. The project aims to develop a culture of diversity in order to facilitate the social inclusion of young people belonging to cultural minorities. Project Objectives 1. To increase the professional development of each partner organization through European collaboration, through non-formal and intercultural learning for managing cultural diversity with the means of 2 Short-term joint staff training events. 2. To strengthen the networking among partners developing a new learning e-tool – "DEALING WITH DIVERSITY THROUGH ARTS”, a web TV channel as a true resource of international value, bringing together the best European practices to facilitate social inclusion of young people belonging to cultural minorities. 3. To launch an awareness-raising campaign- RESPECT FOR CULTURAL DIVERSITY The objectives will be achieved through: * 2 Short-term joint staff training events during which the target groups of each partner will learn: - to use theatre of the oppressed for developing a culture of diversity and to stimulate social inclusion of young people belonging to different cultural minority groups - through arts -to create video products against cultural intolerance and its consequences – in terms of digital skills, linguistic competences and knowledge - to use street painting, stencil graffiti, fanzine, mail art with messages for respect for diversity - to use sport against social exclusion - to make friends cooking and sharing bread and arts * DEALING WITH DIVERSITY, the web TV channel as digital network among partner organizations will be used to upload new resources for NGO staff, youth workers, young people being open towards interested organizations and individuals; also, a special field - Collection of best practices in non-formal learning- as a valuable tool for learning will be used by youth workers * The awareness raising campaign- RESPECT FOR CULTURAL DIVERSITY using non-formal methods acquired during the training events * 2 short training events for young people we are working with –according to the model of the 2 Short-term joint staff training events. The project impact on the trainers and youth workers will be very strong. They will acquire digital competences and artistic practices, will create ICT resources, will acquire competences to train youth to develop o culture of diversity, to respect cultural diversity and to stand against intolerance, for social inclusion; Also, the project will have a great impact on youth too. They will become more capable to develop a culture of diversity, to respect people belonging to different cultural diversity groups, to stand against intolerance. The partner organizations will improve their professional capacity acquiring new strategies and practice to deal with cultural diversity; they will become able to organize a wide range of events bringing innovative methods of combating intolerance, of forming youth more tolerant and more involved in the community life, of including those belonging to disadvantaged backgrounds. Due to the project, youth will stand together with the whole community against intolerance, to strengthen the networking among generations. Maintaining the website after the project end and invited new organizations, institutions involved in youth education, youth, trainers as users and journalists, the project results (articles, video products regarding flash mob & street painting, stencil graffiti, fanzine, mail art with messages, new sports games , plays of theater, scenarios regarding cultural diversity) will be used by many institutions working in youth education after the end of the project. Also, the Arising Awareness Campaign – Respect for Cultural Diversity will become a tradition for all partners.
Partner institutions from the UK, Bulgaria, Romania and Lithuania got together to implement this project about inclusion and respect for diversity. All partner countries experience situations of intolerance (related to ethnic origin, sexual orientation, etc), especially among youths, and a lack of efficient strategies at national level to deal with it. With this project, partners, who are organisations working with youths at different levels, decided to come together and share methods and techniques in order to equip youth workers from the partner organisations with tools to promote respect for diversity among youth people and develop successful long term strategies to create a better society. Project partners identified as target group educators and trainer working with youths. Each partner identified the needs of their target group to acquire new strategies to promote respect for diversity and social inclusion and, on the other hand, to share the strategies each partner is using, enhancing European experience to deal with cultural diversity. The project aimed to develop a culture of diversity in order to facilitate the social inclusion of young people belonging to discriminated groups, such as ethnic minorities. The main objectives were the following: 1. To increase the professional development of each partner organization through European collaboration, through non-formal and intercultural learning for managing cultural diversity by means of 2 Short-term joint staff training events. 2. To create a project website containing information about the project, including videos of the activities carried out, which could serve as a point of reference or inspiration for members of the community who wish to use the tools provided in their daily activities with young people, to facilitate social inclusion of young people belonging to minorities. 3. To launch an awareness-raising campaign- Respect for Cultural Diversity The objectives were achieved through: - 2 Short-term joint staff training events during which the target groups of each partner learned, among other things, to use arts (drama, painting, dance) and sports (football, volleyball), and other activities (making bread) for developing a culture of diversity and to stimulate social inclusion of young people belonging to different minority groups. - A project Website containing information about the project, including a section with Videos containing examples of the activities carried our, including best practices in non-formal learning- as a valuable tool for learning will be used by youth workers. - Launching of an awareness raising campaign called Respect for Cultural Diversity. This campaign was first launched via a dedicated Facebook group, due to lockdown and the difficulty in organising public events in the partner countries. Each partner organised different activities in their country to promote diversity, such as flash mob in the UK, or a singing and dancing activity in Lithuania, and so on. - Local activities with young people to implement the methods and techniques learned during the international training events. The project had an impact on the staff of the partner organisations taking part in the trainings. They acquired skills and competences to be better prepared to train youth to develop o culture of diversity, to respect cultural diversity and to stand against intolerance, for social inclusion. Also, the project had a great impact on youth too. Through the activities they have become more capable to develop a culture of diversity, to respect people belonging to different cultural diversity groups, to stand against intolerance. Partner organizations also improved their professional capacity acquiring new strategies and practices to deal with cultural diversity as well as acquiring innovative methods of combating intolerance, so that youths can be more tolerant and more involved in lives of their communities.