For-Ex

Background of the project: “Culture takes diverse forms across time and space. This diversity is embodied in the uniqueness and plurality of the identities of the groups and societies making up humankind. As a source of exchange, innovation and creativity, cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature. In this sense, it is the common heritage of humanity and should be recognised and affirmed for the benefit of present and future generations.” Article 1 UNSECO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity

The youth exchanges are conducted with young people from different backgrounds and different cultures in the Program countries and Partner countries. Although a friendly and democratic atmosphere is aimed to be created in the youth exchanges, there sometimes arise difficulties and misunderstandings due to the different cultural backgrounds. Thus the young people’s learning process may fall at risk. Youth leaders should have some certain competences on preventing conflicts and misunderstandings based on cultural differences. “For-Ex”, which is abbreviation of For Exchanges, is the training course to bring together the youth workers and youth leaders from the Program and Partner countries to develop their competences on working on intercultural learning process, referring and creating tools to promote mutual understandings and active participation of the young people in the youth exchanges.

Aim: The aim of the training course is to encourage youth workers and youth leaders to use an intercultural learning experience in order to empower the quality of the youth exchanges by developing participants’ competences on intercultural dialogue and drive their active participation in youth exchanges in Erasmus + Program.

Objectives:

* Reflect on participants’ own cultural identity
* Mirror the participants how the others see them
* Identify and analyse common elements of intercultural dialogue
* Address the necessity of cultural sensitivity and mutual understanding
* Experience intercultural conflict management: discrimination and xenophobia
* Improve the quality of the youth exchanges by drawing attention to useful tools
* Equip participants with new skills on generating tools for intercultural learning
* Measure the impact of the tools
* Follow up with new youth exchanges

Profile of the participants: The training course was designed to give an opportunity to the youth workers and youth leaders who:

• are experienced in the youth field
• have been the youth leader in (a) youth exchange(s) before
• are motivated to work and create together during the training course
• are able to communicate (no need to be advanced) in English, which is the working language of the training course
• would like to disseminate the training course in their environment
• are willing to cooperate in the future programs with the other participants

During the training course, accommodation and meals will be covered by the project budget. There is no participation fee. Travel reimbursement will be distributed to the participants according to the distance of their country by km as it is in the Erasmus + Program rules. There will be 2 or 3 participants from each organisation. This call is open to Program and the Partner countries.

If you would like to take part, please send your interest to: epeka.tr@hotmail.com