By launching P2P project, MEOSZ and its partners aims at creating peer-to-peer self-help groups in each country and at regional level through an innovative training methodology elaborated for young people with severe physical disability as well as project activities in which physically disabled youngsters can develop and learn from their physically disabled peers in an secure and inclusive environment. In addition, they could actively participate in decision-making processes affecting them by using the power of the community. First, we will examine the social situation of physically disabled youngsters in each country and assess their unsatisfied needs and social problems that they have to face on a daily basis by conducting a survey of 150 persons and 2 focus group interviews of 20 persons. During the assessment, we will reach a total number of 510 people with severe physical disability and professionals working with them. Based on the results of the research, we will develop an innovative peer-mentor training material of 3 components for young people with severe physical disability in the course of 5 international workshops. The training material will help in developing skills and competencies of the mentors involved and enable them to operate independent advocacy groups. The training methodology will be tested during an international pilot training, involving 6 mentors per country, 18 mentors in total. We will improve the training method based on feedbacks concerning the training and the peer group activities. After completing the first training component, mentors will return to their local communities. Based on what they have learnt during the training, they will create self-help groups consisting of minimum 5 members. At international level, a community of 90 young people with physical disabilities will be actively involved in the decision-making processes based on the principle of ‘Nothing about Us without Us’. In addition to personalized development possibilities, the groups will promote the higher-level advocacy of young people with physical disabilities, their social inclusion and active social participation through local initiatives and activities. The groups establish a national and an international network, strengthen their work through an online platform, carry out joint activities and act jointly against any discrimination affecting them. By these activities, they will contribute to the youth advocacy work of the organisations involved in the project at national and international level as well. We will present the results of the project and the research, including the methodology developed, at 3 international events for 270 NGOs that are expert on this field. Additionally, we will send the publication to an additional 450 NGOs concerned internationally, which will also be presented through a social media campaign and the on the digital platforms of the partners.
1. To develop and test a methodology to support the creation of self-help groups through individual and group mentoring for people with reduced mobility aged between 18 and 30. 2. to develop the skills and competences of the peer helpers involved, through which they can successfully coordinate their self-help groups, represent their interests, and take joint action against discrimination, thus increasing their social participation and active involvement. 3. Within self-help groups, participants support each other's development, help each other to solve difficulties, problems and failures, share information, knowledge and experiences.
In the European Union, research shows that the active social participation of young people with reduced mobility is lower than that of their non-disabled peers. This is particularly true in Eastern and Central European countries such as Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, where the major human rights movements have not reached and the social inclusion of people with disabilities has started much later than in Western European countries. Young people with disabilities are often victims of discrimination in key areas such as education, leisure and cultural activities. Young people with physical disability find it difficult to form relationships in their peer communities, make decisions about their own lives, often remain in a child or sick role, rely on the decisions of others, and are more passive than their non-disabled peers. This also affects their social participation, making it harder for them to stand up for themselves or others on issues affecting their community. The project's activities aim to change this by activating young people with reduced mobility, using a mentoring methodology to support young people with reduced mobility to organise themselves so that they can use the power of the community to become more active contributors to their communities.