TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Sofya Piradyan
The project “Challenging Discrimination in the Forum Theater” took place in Yerevan, Armenia from June 2th to June 12th.
Aims to contribute to mutual understanding and intercultural learning.
OBJECTIVES
1. Developing skills for project 31 participants from AM, BG, MD, RO, TR, UA for carrying out activities against discrimination in their countries.
2. Encourage youth organizations, youth workers during to use Forum Theatre non-formal method in projects / activities meant to prevent marginalization and discrimination against young people belonging to minorities and immigrant communities.
3. Realizing plans of activities to be developed in the communities of participating countries regarding marginalization and discrimination.
The project met several of the YiA priorities, but mainly: participation of young people, cultural diversity and fighting against marginalization. The way how it meets participation of young people and fighting against marginalization is approaching the Forum Theatre method which is by definition a participative method. The cultural diversity was tackled by the participation of young people belonging to so different cultural and social backgrounds.
World Armenian Youth Network jointly with its partners: Donetsk city youth center of arts "EkoArt", Vira Association, YMCADOBRICH, TENDO and Dortyol Bedensel Engelliler Genclik ve Spor Kulubu,
We used the forum theater as a good tool in youth work and youth participation.Participants gօt skills and information in Forum Theatre Method,
A performance was prepared and played for the local community in Armenia,
Activities
• Forum Theatre workshops
•rehearsals of the performance
• energizers/team building exercises
• group discussions/ reflection groups
• study visits to local institutions and community
• study visits to local surroundings
• intercultural nights
• forum Theatre performance
Evaluation
• looking at the number of participants and interventions in the Forum Theatre performance
• centralization of reflection group ideas
• filling in questionnaires regarding the initiative ideas of the participants (for developing anti discrimination activities) at the beginning and at the end of the training
• games/interactive methods of evaluating the satisfaction of participants with the training (accommodation, content, trainers, etc)
• evaluating the promotion activities and the number of young people that got to know about our project
• organizing a workshop at the local level in order to spread the results of the project, for young people and youth workers from different organizations that work at grass roots level.
The Methods of non formal education eased the contact and peer to peer contacts and intercultural exchange. The presentation of discrimination acts from different countries were show parts of the present situation around Europe and motivated the participants to search for a common solution.
The project let the young people to know that we work together and learn from each other. During the exchange the participants presented their own countries, own heritage, traditions, culture, habits, languages and tried to teach each other. Supporting interaction among peers can foster some of the most fruitful learning because peers often share a deep understanding of each others’ common challenges, experiences, and practices, and have developed valuable expertise in their fields. We used the forum theatre as a good tool in youth work and youth participation.
The core themes which was approached during the project were anti discrimination and minorities. The youth exchange was useful for the participants because they acquired a more in-depth perspective on what the phenomena of anti discrimination supposes, which are its roots and development phases to the point of social exclusion. Understanding these aspects they can be more enabled to implement activities with the young people, meant to prevent and struggle against discriminatory behaviors. Since in all our partners’ countries minorities represent a sensitive aspect of the society, youth workers need to learn about how non-formal methods could be useful in raising awareness regarding these categories. The Forum Theatre workshops was the main activities through which all these issues were approached and discussed by the participants together. The group tasks allowed the participants to share discrimination examples they observe or experience in their countries.
Full time trainer