Trainer Profile: Elisa Chiodi

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Training: International Voluntary Youth Projects as an educational tool to promote peace and understanding (24/06-01/07/2007, EYC Strasbourg, France)
Organised by: Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organisations for a period of 6 days.
Description: The main aim of the study session was to study the notion of cultural diversity and to reassess the concept of intercultural learning in the context of voluntary service in order to explore new relevant competences, methods and activities when dealing with intercultural learning in a workcamp. The study session also focused on different ways of encouraging intercultural awareness among volunteers and involved communities into their everyday life.

Objectives of the study session were:
§ to look at the aspects of ICL in relation to aims of the voluntary service (international voluntary youth projects in particular)
§ to deepen the knowledge of ICL processes and issue of tolerance within youth projects
§ to share examples, both good and bad practices and experiences in the voluntary service projects when dealing with intercultural communication
§ to explore links between ICL and non-violent
§ Conflict Transformation and study the educational approach for implementing it in practice (during the youth projects)
§ to work on concrete ideas of actions in the youth projects for promoting respect of cultural differences and ICL competences
§ to plan a follow-up (on individual, organisational and institutional /Alliance levels) with recommendations on each step, when preparing and running an international voluntary youth project (from recruitment of volunteers to evaluation of the project)

Profile of participants

§ Active member of an organisation dealing with international youth projects.
§ Multipliers: volunteers, projects leaders, trainers or staff members who can use and help spread the knowledge in their organisation.
§ Motivated: interested in taking active part in the study session, and in using the output of the study session afterwards.
§ Experienced: interested in contributing to the study session with their experience with the topic.

Methods: participatory techniques, working groups, simulation games, image theatre, presentations/lectures, open space.

My responsabilities: set the programme, propose and select methods, run sessions and activities, adapt the programme to the participants' needs, evaluate and plan a possible follow up (the team was composed by 5 trainers and a CoE educational advisor).

Outcomes: new/adapted methods and concrete projects proposal on how to better promote Intercultural learning through voluntary service and youth work.

International dimension: the 35 participants were from several CoE member states, South Korea, Japan and Mexico. The team was composed by an Italian, a Greek , a Dutch, a Danish and two German trainers.
Reference person: Bastian Kuentzel = CoE educational advisor (external) (bastian.kuentzel@de.cisv.org, +49-170-4000725)

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Training: Citizenship, history and migrations: how to build global and active citizenship (05/05 - 11/05/2006, Santa Marinella, Italy)
Organised by: Youth Action for Peace (Italy) for a period of 5 days.
Description: The final goal was to develop and implement proper tools to work on the topic and to realise actions towards
to development of intercultural understanding and active participation and citizenship.
Main objectives of the activity were:
· To give the possibility for young people of the different regions, from all backgrounds, to
learn from each other and share cultural similarities and differences (to value past
experiences and to understand the origins of our identity in order to prepare and educate
ourselves for a wider intercultural and inter – religious dialogue).
· To foster the links between the youth of different Western, Central and Eastern European
Countries just as Europe started to have a new face
· To strengthen and improve interregional
and crossboarders
cooperation and to
organise future projects connected with the topics of the seminar.
· To involve in the planning of future activities young activists in order to take into
consideration their needs and ideas, to promote youth participation and active citizenship
in the project building process.

Target group: Young activists, youth workers and volunteers from EU programme countries (as per the YOUTH programme).
The project gave priorities to participants coming from poorer regions of Europe, and to those
facing economical, social and personal difficulties on a more general level.

Methods used: lectures and presentations, working groups, open space, individual work, simulation games.

My responsibilities: set the programme, propose and select methods, run sessions and activities, adapt the programme to the participants' needs, evaluate and plan a possible follow up (the team was composed by 3 trainers).

Outcomes: proposals for inter-organisational cooperation (Migration Kit, Travelling youth exchange about the situation of refugees in Europe, other proposals) and methods organisations can use to speak about migrations during their daily activities.

Participants were from: Italy, Greece, Latvia, UK, Romania, Slovenia, France, Palestine, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Hungary and the Netherlands. The team was composed by an Italian, a French and a Palestinian trainers with the support of a French sociologist.
Reference person: Adina Pop = Organiser (adina@yap.it, +393290556654)

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Training: To prepare, to lead and to evaluate a youth euromed project (15/04 - 22/04/2006, Versailles, France)
Organised by: Concordia France for a period of 6 days.
Description: The objectives of the training were:
-to establish common standards about roles, rights and responsibilities of the leader and to clarify the concepts related to these matters
-to facilitate the communication and the intercultural proximity
-to help the coordinators to find their own position, role and way of leading a project
-to exchange good practices
-to give information about the international network and ways of working of the different partner organisations

Target group: experienced youth leaders and workers

Methods: simulation games, forum theatre, lectures, workshops, working groups, participatory techniques.

My responsibilities: set the programme, propose and select methods, run sessions and activities, adapt the programme to the participants' needs, evaluate and plan a possible follow up (the team was composed by 4 trainers).

Outcomes: new training experience in the field of euromed cooperation for 16 youth workers/leaders; proposal for a follow up at larger organisational level.

Participants: 16 youth leaders/workers from Italy, France, Turkey and Morocco.

The team was composed by an Italian, a French, a Turkish and a Moroccan trainers.
Reference person: Alexandra Polleau = Co - trainer and organiser (alesk7@yahoo.fr, +33 (0)6 18 66 11 78)

Current Occupation:
Development Executive, WAGGGS

Work Experience:
I now work as Development Executive for the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

From July 2007 I worked in cooperation with several voluntary service and youth organisations in South East Asia and Central America with the purpose of developing voluntary service and youth work in the region (Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Korea, Mexico).
My main tasks were: training of human resources and capacity building in different working areas.

From December 2003 until February 2007 I worked for Youth Action for Peace Italy (www.yap.it) as Secretary General.
During this period I was responsible of:
Office daily administration
Organisation and facilitation of statutory meetings and events
Human resources management and coordination
Financial administration
Project building, management, evaluation and reporting
Fund raiser
Long term voluntary service coordinator
Public relations: representant toward funders, national and international partners, national and international institutions
Responsible for internal and international training courses
Representative toward the Italian Youth Forum (FNG, www.forumnazionalegiovani.it)
Missions abroad (Europe, Middle – East and Asia)

Educational Pathway:
Non Formal Education

2007 Training on Participatory Strategic Planning and other participatory methods (Institute of Cultural Affairs UK). This course permitted me to increase my competences in the field of active participation and facilitation as such.

2006 Training on fund raising (Youth Action for Peace International). The course helped to better understand the diverse world of public and private fund raising and to improve my skills as fund raiser for the organisation I was working with (Youth Action for Peace Italy).

2005 Training on Project cycle management (Annarella youth centre, Rome). Putting together my experience and the training course allowed to become a very seld confident project manager and coordinator.

2003 - 2004 On job training for trainers. From the very beginning of my working activities at YAP Italy in February
2003, I received regular workshop on training skills and techniques. Since the end of 2003 I became responsible of national and international training programmes (the organisation was used to run around 10 training courses per year). All trainers I worked with during the last 4 years taught me something I after integrated in my work.

Since 2003 I have read and studied a huge number of educational publications and documents about training and training methods.

Formal education

BA+MA in International and Diplomatic Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy.
Master degree thesis on human rights law.

Curriculum vitae:
Not available