Encouraged by success of our previous projects and initiatives we continue to pursue promotion and fostering of interreligious dialogue and acceptance in our youth work, with new partners and broadening out network and impact, furthermore improving the quality of our youth work in interreligious dialogues and acceptance. Throughout Europe, we are witnessing the refugee crises in everyday life. The increase of refugees of different race and religion around us influences the raise of “right” oriented aggressive feelings among mainstream population. The root of the main new age wave of islamophobia starts after the suicidal plane crashes on September 11 in the USA and it rapidly spreads and grows due to more often recent terrorist attacks caused by different extremist groups all around Europe. Due to the very bias reporting of the media – it is always stressed the national/religious/racial background of the specific criminals/terrorists, as if that is important factor of their terrorism. Also, in our countries of Western Balkans we are experiencing the same type of biased media reporting (“Roma guy has beaten the peer”, “Muslim has robbed a store”, “Albanian stole a car”, etc. As well as in the EU countries, the media reporting is biased about the terrorist attacks. Such biased media reporting contributes to faster and stronger development of prejudices and stereotypes, where readers more easily projects: “this terrorist is Muslim – all Muslims are terrorists”; “ISIS is ‘Islamic’ country – all supporters of Islam are ISIS’s supporters and terrorists”, etc. In general, since Europe is mainly built on Christian heritage and antic roots, not much is known about Islam outside of Islamic and interreligious groups. Also, Islam is not the only stigmatised religion, but just the most drastic example. Very marginalised treatment full of prejudices is also given towards many other religions also present in Europe (even more with bigger number of migrants nowadays) – Hinduism, Taoism, Jainism, etc. Responding to all mentioned above, our project’s aim is: Promoting interreligious dialogues and encounters in our youth work, through retrospective view of current refugee crises and islamophobia that is root of many xenophobic outbursts towards refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers. Objectives of the project: - Raise competences of our youth workers to empower youngsters in our communities and raise their competences and motivation for critical review towards media and media reporting, when it comes to religious backgrounds - Promote intercultural dialogue and acceptance among our youth workers and equipping them with tools and methods to further promote those among our beneficiaries - Deconstruction of misapprehensions about different religions and alleged religious teaching about warmongering among youth workers and youngsters in our communities The core activity of the project is – 9 days long training course. It will be organised in the area of Blagaj-Mostar in September 2020. Project will gather 31 participants, trainers and staff from 8 organisations and countries (DE, RS, BA, HR SI, SE, UK and MNE). It is expected that there will be at least 17 participants with fewer opportunities. The course is based on pedagogical understanding of Council of Europe and European Commission Partnership Programme and our own experience and expertise in project management and youth work for interreligious dialogue, inclusion and intercultural learning/acceptance. The course will follow the non-formal education approach, principles and methods and will be based on participants' experience and exchange. All partners will be involved in preparation, implementation, evaluation and follow-up phase and activities during the project, while the preparation team of trainers, facilitators and staff will be comprised of experienced youth trainers and youth workers from applicant/partners from Germany, Serbia, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Project will have biggest impact on direct beneficiaries-participants who will further develop creative and analytical thinking of ways of active citizenship for development of inclusive society through development of quality (local and) European NFE youth work projects dealing with intercultural and interreligious acceptance. Youth in communities are indirect beneficiaries who will benefit thanks to the empowerment of our participants who will further guide, lead and organise those youngsters in communities to get more active in interreligious dialogue for better inclusion and acceptance in society. We expect increase in number of young people that will get their competences and motivation for interreligious dialogue and acceptance further developed, through increased quality of youth work activities for interfaith and interreligious dialogue, as long-term perspective of multiplying and sustainable impact.