TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Ana Teresa Santos
"Be Borderfree" was the second activity of the year of “Borderfree Solidarity” for 2017, that aimed at contributing for the quality of international cooperation and youth work, with focus on solidarity, sociocultural diversity, young migrants and refugees.
It's specific objectives were:
• To exchange best practices and know-how for working with youth on the topics of intercultural dialogue, equity and social justice, migration and international cooperation, coming from the IYNF network as well as from other structures and movements;
• To provide participants with educational tools to tackle intercultural dialogue, equity and social justice;
• To stimulate active participation in social justice with focus on young migrants and refugees;
• To develop guidelines for quality youth work within these topics.
The activity involved a total of 34 participants engaged or highly interested in youth work with young refugees and migrants, several of them with own migration background. Countries of origin and countries of residence of participants: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Eritrea, Germany, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Syria, The Netherlands, UK, Vietnam
Carried out in the multicultural city of Frankfurt, the activity allowed the participants to talk about their own experiences with migration-related youth work and research on it online, to have expert input on the related topics and to get in direct contact with institutions, organisations and initiatives working on this topic.
The methods used include team building with experiential approach, the board of learning objectives, theatre of the oppressed, open space, working groups, whisper groups, steaming groups, human, shared decision making in plenary, field visits to local initiatives working with young refugees and migrants and input sessions on human rights, EU institutions and laws, migration policies.
The training developed the sense of solidarity and responsibility among participants with migrants and refugees. It also prepared participants for taking actions to support refugees and migrants adopting a human rights-based approach. Participating organisations had the opportunity to connect with IYNF and other organisations taking part in the seminar, which widened their network and outreach. Participants and participating organisations were exposed to new ideas, approaches and suggestions.
The hands-on experience has motivated many participants of the activity to multiply their learning by talking about it in their local community, it motivated at least a couple of participants to write articles about the topic and others to organise or help organising events in their hometowns to promote Human Rights for all.
Another highlight of “Be Borderfree” is the draft of the Guidelines for quality youth work for the promotion of intercultural dialogue, equity and social justice in relation to young migrants and refugees. The finished outcome of this work can be found by following the link: http://www.iynf.org/2018/01/iynf-presents-working-migrants-refugees-guidelines-tools-methods
As coordinator of the team of 3 trainers, one of my main responsibilities was to articulate between the support team and the trainers' team.
I have engaged in all phases of the activity:
Prior to it, I had a lead role in designing the project - its aims and objectives, and the activity plan - methods, and took part in the preparatory meeting.
During, I worked as a team with my two colleague trainers, facilitating the sessions and providing input through non formal and experiential learning methods. We used session plans that served as guidelines for the team to follow the flow of the programme and sessions, where specific objectives and methods were described, and when necessary we adapted the plans; we also shifted sessions between us, to provide a better learning experience for everyone. At the end of each day I facilitated a feedback meeting of trainers and shared the outcomes with the support team. As a representative of IYNF, I was also responsible to make the link between participants, the activity and the macro level of intervention of IYNF, facilitating a networking experience.
After the activity, I took part in evaluation and reporting, internal and to funders, and took care that the outcomes would be included in IYNF work and followed up at the last international activity of 2017.