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Body positive, bo to, co czujesz jest ważne!

2022-3-PL01-KA152-YOU-0000934152022Mobility of young peopleongoing
Countries: PL|DE · Grant: €18,645
Bridging intercultural, intergenerational and social dividePreventing racism and discriminationMedia literacy and tackling disinformation

Objectives

The project entitled ‘Body positive, cause what U feel is important!’ was the result of a grassroots initiative by young people from Poland and Ukraine. Although initially the partner was to be a German organisation (difficult contact during project implementation), the contract was amended after approval by the National Agency and a Ukrainian organisation was involved. The project was implemented as originally planned, as the young people from Ukraine also wanted to reflect on the theme of the project. The project was a response to the need for European integration of young people from Poland and Ukraine by addressing important issues for young people. Nowadays, young people are subjected to enormous pressure from the media, peers, lost in the search for the ideal of beauty, which does not exist or may be perceived differently. Great emphasis is now placed on the visual aspect, and people who do not fit into certain canons of beauty are often rejected, discriminated against, their self-esteem declines, which can lead to psychological disorders, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts. The theme of body positivity was a response to the growing number of complexes and discrimination based on a person's physical appearance. By implementing the "Body Positive: Because What You Feel Matters!" project, we aimed to raise awareness among young people from Poland and Ukraine about body acceptance. The project aimed to highlight that every individual is unique, regardless of appearance, and to promote the concept of body positivity, which encourages full acceptance and love for one’s body. We also wanted to highlight to participants that the body is inseparably linked to the psychological and emotional spheres, and that a person should be seen in a holistic way, not just defined by physical appearance. Additionally, the project aimed to enhance participants’ self-esteem and raise awareness that images presented on social media are often edited, making them unrealistic. Another goal of the project was to develop participants' interpersonal, social, and intercultural competencies, including key skills such as communication, empathy, openness to diversity, and tolerance, through international exchange of experiences, group collaboration, and the creation of materials promoting a positive approach to body image. We also aimed to broaden and develop knowledge about European countries, discover common Polish-Ukrainian values, strengthen language skills, and expand cognitive horizons, while fostering international connections. The project also aimed to enhance international cooperation and foster the development of partner organizations by gaining experience and expanding activities related to organizing international youth mobility programs. This included development in areas such as working with youth through non-formal education methods, fostering international collaboration, acquiring new foreign partners; as well as increasing knowledge about innovative work methods , the preparation and settlement of EU projects.

Project partners (2)