Erasmus+ Make art not walls

In a European context marked by the rise of the far right, the spread of negative discourse on
immigration - amplified by the media and social networks - helps to reinforce social tensions and to
legitimize increasingly restrictive migration policies.
In the face of these developments, it becomes essential to reaffirm Europe's fundamental values,
grounded in solidarity, human rights, and the recognition of diversity as an asset.
In youth work, migratory journeys strongly shape lived experiences, relationships between different
groups, and collective dynamics. Understanding these realities makes it possible to better support
young people and to give value to the plurality of their stories.
Popular education and artistic practices are essential levers for encouraging self-expression,
deconstructing stereotypes, and creating spaces for dialogue, thereby contributing to a more inclusive
society.

Objectives:

We wish more specifically to:
Understand contemporary migration dynamics at both global and European levels
Analyze European migration policies and their impacts
Develop critical thinking towards dominant narratives on migration
Create and promote alternative, positive, and empowering narratives
Experiment with different artistic media and tools to communicate messages
Exchange and valorize good practices among participating organizations on the project’s
themes

Participants:

We are looking for professional youth workers who have an interest in geopolitics and global
education.
It is important that participants are able to integrate the learning outcomes of this training into
their professional practice and contribute with their own experience during the sessions.
Suitable profiles may include social workers, teachers, community educators, trainers,
youth leaders, NGO staff, or any professionals involved in projects related to global
citizenship, international solidarity, media literacy, or conflict analysis. Participants with
a migration background, those working directly with migrants, and people ith artistic
profiles are especially encouraged to apply, as these will be considered strong assets.
We encourage the participation of individuals with diverse profiles, experiences, and learning
needs, as this variety enriches the collective process.
The training will be conducted in English. A good level of English is required for this
training (understanding and being understood).

Participants will come from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and levels of knowledge. We
expect each person to have enough distance from their own experiences to talk about them,
share insights, build upon them collectively, and be open to constructive challenge. This
training is a learning space, and each participant is invited to adopt a pedagogical
mindset throughout the process.
We ask everyone to remain respectful and attentive to the sensitivities and perspectives
of others, especially when discussing complex or emotionally charged geopolitical
topics.
As part of this training, we will reflect on our professional posture, which includes examining our
own assumptions, biases, and the narratives that shape our understanding of global events.
All participants are expected to be on time and actively engage in every session.
We will also live collectively during the training period, and participants will be asked to
contribute to some daily tasks to support the group’s well-being.
The training will be conducted in English. A good level of English is required for this training
(understanding and being understood).

Methods:

The training will be based on methods and tools of non-formal education.
Participants are active in the training, and they will be proposing energizers and workshops, as
we can learn better by experiencing tools and being in action.
Theoretical content will be proposed by the trainers with a participative methodology, but most of
the training will be based on knowledge sharing and mutual enrichment between the whole
group where participants will bring and share their experience on the topic.
Methodologies used (fish-bowl, moving debates, skim reading, etc.) are all participative and
developing collective intelligence.
Centred on individual and group learnings, the planning will be adapted to the needs of
participants.
The training will alternate modules focusing on pedagogical posture, media
education, geopolitics. We will have a theoretical part, but also an artistic part on this training,
we will experiment different tools and have an exhibition.