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Diverse and Inclusive Youth Work for All

2020-2-DE04-KA105-0196262020Youth mobilityfinalized
Countries: DE|GE|PT|AM|BG|MD|BY|CY|MK|EL|BE|TR|UA · Grant: €51,152.61
Inclusion - equityYouth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy)EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy

Objectives

Long Term Training Course "D.I.Y - Diverse and Inclusive Youth Work for All" has been designed by a Consortium of organizations based in the European Union (Germany, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Portugal) and the EU Neighboring Partner countries (Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, North Macedonia, Moldova, Ukraine, Turkey), aiming to support 30 youth workers, educators and youth trainers from Erasmus+ Program and Partner countries in development of their diversity management skills and in learning how to implement a culture of diversity and inclusion in their working environments by increasing diversity-oriented awareness in their work with young people. The project was born out of our concern that many young people in Europe have lack of opportunities and spaces to get involved and to express themselves. Being different from mainstream societies, many are being excluded and marginalized. The education system, family, the media and politics have developed certain patterns of our behavior: fear of uncertainty, being judgmental, rejecting unknown and excluding differences. These are patterns that are often strongly connected to our societal habits and, therefore, can be changed. This is why our organizations from different parts of Europe have developed this project - a long term initiative working with youth workers, youth trainers and educators, trying to develop their diversity management skills and support them in learning how to implement a culture of diversity in their working environments. There is a strong need of change-makers who can professionally work against structural discrimination and under-representation of marginalized groups. There is a need for educators and youth workers who can foster participation of marginalized youth and support them to develop their capacities for engagement. Marginalization, lack of participation and discrimination are strongly connected to societal habits and education. Promoting the acquisition of skills, knowledge and attitudes regarding diversity and inclusion among youth workers, educators and trainers is essential in order to shape better societies where all individuals have the same rights and same spaces to express themselves. We believe diversity is beneficial for any society when it is properly managed. It is not enough to bring diverse groups of people to achieve success in the same way as diverse societies cannot function if they don’t learn it. Though diversity can be managed through different quota regulations, laws and codes of conduct, those can never work if the habits and educational models reproduce stigma and prejudices. This Long Term Training Course has been designed in order to support youth workers, educators and youth trainers to incorporate diversity-awareness and behavior in their work, making sure it exists both in our trainings, projects and initiatives on diversity and in any other project not directly related to the topic. The Long Term Training Course pursued the following main objectives: A) Empowering youth workers, trainers and educators to develop diversity orientation in their work with young people and build their competence in diversity management; B) Supporting youth workers in incorporation of diversity into their working environment, thus, making their work more inclusive and effective; C) Promoting diversity-oriented attitudes and awareness within the European programs in the fields of Education, Training and Youth; D) Introducing key theoretical aspects, the glossary as well as the practical tools, methods and instruments to the youth workers who seek to implement the concept of diversity in their work; E) Discussing how the European Youth Work can reinforce equality and ensure that diverse groups of people get equal treatment during trainings and other formal and non-formal educational settings; F) Strengthening cooperation between involved organizations based in the EU and non-EU countries and developing joint projects on diversity and inclusion within the Erasmus+ programme.

Project partners (13)