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Building Skills for Effective Youth Advocacy

2023-3-HU01-KA152-YOU-0001777502023Mobility of young peopleongoing
Countries: HU|RO|SK|UA|RS|SI · Grant: €44,687
Promotion of alternative forms of participationDigital skills and competencesKey competences development

Objectives

Our project had several main objectives, all of which contributed to the creation of an inclusive and accepting community. We aimed to build on existing foundations in order to bring about meaningful and lasting changes both in the lives of the sending organizations and the participants, in line with our long-term goals. The most important objectives of the project were as follows: 1. Raising awareness about the diversity of participation forms so that every young person can find the most suitable one for themselves: This goal was essential because we observed that in the surrounding countries (from which our partner organizations also sent participants), not only is civic awareness generally low, but there is also a limited understanding of the opportunities and realities related to ethnic identity. Unfortunately, we have found that many minorities still carry the burden of historical grievances, which is why it was important to offer them a new perspective—one that enables them to discover new opportunities and perspectives in their own countries, associated with the advantages of minority identity. Once this foundation is in place, we can move forward and train young people who will stand up for their own rights and the rights of their communities. 2. Supporting young people in acquiring the knowledge, skills, and competences necessary to become effective advocates for their own causes: This second stage logically builds upon the first. Participants became familiar with the principles of diversity and inclusion and learned how to integrate these principles into their daily lives. They can best take advantage of this by receiving our support and gaining knowledge that enables them to actively promote both their personal interests and those of their communities—highlighting the opportunities inherent in diversity. 3. Improving young people’s cultural awareness and sensitivity, while creating opportunities for them to engage with people from other countries: It was a top priority for us to create a space or forum where individuals from these different countries could meet, not only to spend meaningful and quality time together, but also to learn, develop, and explore the benefits of diversity and inclusion in such an environment. While we believe that theoretical knowledge and principles are important, they mean little if not connected to practical, real-life elements. This is why we designed our project in this way. 4. Connecting youth organizations with active young people to foster future cooperation: The final stage of our project was to facilitate encounters and networking opportunities between youth organizations and participants. The quality and structure of such meetings are crucial—they can be highly fruitful if well-organized and facilitated, but a poorly managed experience can discourage young people from engaging in similar activities in the future. Therefore, we developed a specific methodology and strategy to ensure the best possible outcomes. After the project, we wanted to ensure that participants would not lose the knowledge they had gained, but rather apply it in youth organizations—not only for their own benefit, but also for the prosperity of their communities and broader society.

Project partners (6)