RESOLVE: CRD programme aims to promote awareness, understanding & innovation on a local, national, Balkans, EU & international-level focusing on social conflicts affecting young people (YP) throughout Europe: Eastern Europe/the Balkans (Bosnia-i-Herzegovina), Western Europe (UK), Nordic Europe (Sweden), Mediterranean Europe (Italy) & through a Continuous Professional Development Network throughout Europe.RESOLVE: CRD develops innovative reconciliation-focused training methodologies, pedagogical materials & toolkits designed to develop the skillset & competences of Youth Workers, Educators, Trainers, Mental Health professionals, Community specialists etc. working with YP, affected by conflicts – both community-level, violent conflicts & post-conflicts situations.Utilising the expertise of partners based throughout Europe, RESOLVE aims to develop the professional skillsets of youth professionals working on community conflict & post-conflict issues, developing societies’ much needed Community Reconciliation Champions at a time where there exists so much intolerance throughout our communities; youth conflicts; & young peoples’ lives affected by post-violence. RESOLVE aims to ensure that this skillset is standardized through the design & implementation of a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) strategy and promoted through the current RESOLVE: Network launched by UK Partner Asfar, in partnership with Wings of Hope in 2018. The RESOLVE CPD strategy will ensure that each Reconciliation/Peacebuilder professional are suitably trained in their profession with specific focus in working with YP, address the current skills gap, lack of professionalisation of the Reconciliation youth sector & recognition of the sectors’ achievements.RESOLVE aims to develop the reconciliation skillsets in Mental Health professionals who work with young people significantly effected by conflict, post-conflict & community conflict issues through the design of a unique reconciliation training methodology designed for mental health workers, to become key community reconciliation professionals within the youth sector.Linking the Mental Health sector with the Reconciliation youth sector, RESOLVE will design & mobilise a unique pedagogical programme aimed at addressing Burnout amongst Reconciliation community/youth sector professionals. Working in a conflict zone (whether post-conflict, current conflict or on a community conflict level), results in significant burnout for professionals, with limited support of burnout prevention in existence throughout the Balkans or the rest of Europe. Through the strategic design & launch of a awareness campaign, the RESOLVE: CRD partnership will increase awareness & understanding on burnout in Reconciliation Youth professionals & will provide guidance, prevention support & management of burnout to community professionals working in reconciliation with young people.
The project addresses the following:The skills gap of youth workers in the field of reconciliation and peace workLack of mental health support included in reconciliation delivery methods, specifically for youth workersLack of Continuous Professional Development in the youth sector, specifically in relation to ReconciliationLack of burnout support for youth workers working in reconciliationLack of awareness about burnout: its symptoms, effects & how it could affect a youth worker
The lack of professionalism/CPD/burnout support for youth workers is a significant skills deficit, which can affect the youth sector from the bottom up if it is not addressed. Furthermore, awareness was almost non-existent in some of the partners’ countries/minimal in others.There was minimal, if any, focus on the importance of mental health for reconciliation workers in conflict zones, who are on the front lines and act as mental health first responders.
<< Background >> The lack of professionalism/CPD/burnout support for youth workers is a significant skills deficit, which can affect the youth sector from the bottom up if it is not addressed. Furthermore, awareness was almost non-existent in some of the partners’ countries/minimal in others.There was minimal, if any, focus on the importance of mental health for reconciliation workers in conflict zones, who are on the front lines and act as mental health first responders. << Objectives >> The project addresses the following:The skills gap of youth workers in the field of reconciliation and peace workLack of mental health support included in reconciliation delivery methods, specifically for youth workersLack of Continuous Professional Development in the youth sector, specifically in relation to ReconciliationLack of burnout support for youth workers working in reconciliationLack of awareness about burnout: its symptoms, effects & how it could affect a youth worker << Implementation >> The pandemic had a significant impact on the implementation of the project. Many project activities had to be adapted to accommodate the restrictions and were completed virtually instead of in-person. One of the partners left the project without completing the deliverables for which they were responsible and on which other deliverables depended. As such, the remaining partners worked together to complete it. Despite these obstacles, most of the project objectives were achieved successfully. << Results >> IO1: Transnational Report - qualitative research and assessment of the status and needs for professional development opportunities for youth workers in the field of peacebuilding. IO2: Occupational profile & competency framework for youth workers in the peacebuilding sectorIO3: A strategy for embedding mental health services into peace work, along with learning activities.IO4: A manual for managing burnout for youth peace workers.IO5: Training materials for CPD strategy for youth workers