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Peace in Diversity

2023-2-BE05-KA153-YOU-0001684682023Mobility of youth workersfinalized
Countries: BE|PL|AL|BG|DE|HU|IE|XK|MK|RS|ES|UA · Grant: €77,529
Bridging intercultural, intergenerational and social dividePrevention of conflicts, post-conflict rehabilitationCommunity development

Objectives

The “Peace in Diversity” project was initiated by the Association of Service Civil International (Antwerp, Belgium) and was implemented with its 11 partners: Projekte Vullnetare Nderkombetare (Albania), EdUcAntwerp Vzw (Belgium), CVS Bulgaria Sdruzhenie (Bulgaria), Service Civil International - Deutscher Zweig E.V. (Germany), Útilapu Nemzetközi Építőtábor Hálózat Egyesület (Hungary), Voluntary Service International (Ireland), GAIA (Kosovo), Center for Intercultural Dialogue Association (North Macedonia), Stowarzyszenie Jeden Świat (Poland), Mladi Istrazivaci Srbije Udruzenje (Serbia), and Servei Civil Internacional de Catalunya (Spain). The project aimed to increase the activity level and the quality of the European youth work in connection to supporting peacebuilding and peaceful coexistence in diverse communities. Our project participants from 11 countries became actors of change in their organisations and beyond. More concretely, our objectives were: a) to build the capacity of 13 European organisations and their youth workers on the topic of peacebuilding and peaceful coexistence on a micro level, in diverse groups and communities; b) to promote practical tools for peace and nonviolent conflict resolution that can be used by the youth and youth workers in diverse communities; c) to enable the partners to organise peace-related activities that bring the best results and lasting change to the participating youth; d) to improve communication and conflict transformation skills of the youth workers and their ability to motivate young people to consciously support peaceful coexistence; e) to enhance networking opportunities among European NGOs; f) to help European youth organisations work more effectively for a better and more peaceful Europe; g) to contribute to the Erasmus+ Programme goals and the European policies in the field of youth; h) to promote inclusion, civic engagement and a sense of responsibility for societal processes. These aims corresponded to the following needs, diagnosed in the project creation: a) the need to demonstrate to the young people that peace starts with how we treat our neighbours and community members and motivate them to consciously support peaceful coexistence; b) the need to underline the importance of daily behaviour and that young people do have an influence on the world through the small, daily acts they perform, by each microaggression or microaffirmation; c) the need to work with the youth so that they grow into leaders who can resolve conflicts without recourse to any type of violence; d) the need to equip European professionals and volunteers working with young people with expertise and tools to build and sustain peace on a micro level among the youth living in diverse groups and communities; e) the need to enhance and develop the capacity of our partner organisations as peace promoters; f) the need to take co-responsibility for the peaceful future of Europe.

Project partners (13)