TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Nour Alothman
The main aim of the activity was to raise awareness among young people and the general public about (im)migration and asylum in Europe in the context of the European elections. The objectives were to:
• provide accessible and fact-based information about the European asylum system
• highlight structural disadvantages and dysfunctions affecting asylum seekers
• promote understanding of the lived realities of refugees in Europe
• advocate for fair mobility opportunities for people with fewer opportunities
• encourage critical reflection on migration policies and European responsibility
• empower migrants and refugees by sharing information about their rights
• foster intercultural dialogue and encounter in public space
• Public event in Bremen city centre with open participation
• Participants included:
• young people with and without migration or refugee backgrounds
• local residents and passers-by
• members of migrant communities, including cooperation with the Syrian community in Bremen
• Team composition:
• “Your Open Voices” project team
• cooperation partners: Servicebüro Jugendinformation Bremen and NaturKultur Bremen
• multicultural team with experience in migration and youth work
• Intercultural encounter strengthened through shared activities, food, music, and dialogue in public space
The activity applied interactive and experiential non-formal education methods, including:
• VR experiences and laptop-based digital games simulating migration routes and refugee stories
• educational board games illustrating challenges in asylum procedures
• role-play simulations where participants experienced perspectives of:
• asylum seekers
• migration offices
• job centres
• NGOs and support structures
• workshop input on the history and functioning of the EU asylum system
• discussion formats on rights, opportunities, and support mechanisms
• geocaching activity to strengthen participants’ connection to their city
• intercultural community day with food, live music, and informal dialogue
All methods were designed to be accessible to a broad public audience.
• High public engagement and interaction in Bremen city centre
• Participants gained new knowledge about EU asylum systems and migration realities
• Increased empathy and perspective-taking through role play and VR experiences
• Migrants and refugees received information about their rights and support structures
• Strengthened intercultural dialogue through cooperation with migrant communities
• Raised visibility of migration-related topics in the context of the European elections
• Many participants reported discovering new perspectives and cultural connections
(As a public open event, participant numbers were not fixed, but interaction levels were continuously high throughout the days.)
My responsibilities included:
• Leading the conceptual design of the activity within the “Your Open Voices” project
• Developing the educational programme on (im)migration and asylum in Europe
• Planning logistics and coordination of daily activities
• Leading key activity formats, especially:
• role-play simulation on asylum systems
• VR and digital game-based learning stations
• thematic input on EU asylum history and structures
• Coordinating cooperation with Servicebüro Jugendinformation and NaturKultur
• Supporting intercultural programme elements with the Syrian community in Bremen
• Facilitating participant interaction, discussions, and reflection
• Supervising a small facilitation team during implementation
Nour showed a vast knowledge of the (im)migration and asylum system in Europe and was also a great facilitator of the non-formally as well as informally staged activities with the target audiences. Because of the very public setting, the facilitation required a high level of flexibility, process-led moderation, vivid communication skills and open-mindedness to a diversity of people's backgrounds of knowledge, skills and attitudes.