TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Maria Kousoula
Brief Description of the Training Course
COFFEE (Colorful Fighters for European Empowerment) was a Training Course about youth workers, youth leaders, members and volunteers of youth organisations who work or willing to work with LGBTI young people. It brought to Greece 30 participants from Sweden, Greece, FYROM, Italy, Turkey,
Cyprus, Slovakia, Romania, Lithuania, Spain, Bulgaria, and Belgium who wanted to increase their skills and knowledge on LGBTI issues. Through the activities of this training course which were based on nonformal education, participants had the opportunity to understand the problems and concerns of LGBTI young people and they acquired essential knowledge on human rights and the rights of the European citizen. They also learned how to recognize and how to break the stereotypes and fight homophobia and transphobia in their own organisation. Finally, they were trained on how to support and integrate LGBTI young people in their activities and organisations and to organise actions for fighting intolerance and hate speech.
Objectives of the training
• The understanding of the phenomena of homophobia, transphobia, and intolerance, and the need to fight in order to achieve respect, solidarity, and tolerance in society.
• The capacity building of youth NGO members, volunteers, or youth workers on LGBTI issues and on how to support and integrate LGBTI young people into them.
• To break the stereotypes and prejudices towards LGBTI people, especially within youth organisations and in the society.
• To exchange good and bad practices between North and SouthEastern countries.
• To raise awareness towards the different and the promotion of human rights.
• Participants to understand the role they can play in promoting values, such as respect for diversity and equality.
• To support and strengthen the role of nonformal education.
• To establish a non-formal network between the participants and partner organisation and to develop new projects.
• The organisation of follow up activities in participant countries and the dissemination of the project's results in their societies and organisations.
The target group of this project was 30 youth workers and active members of youth organizations coming from Sweden, Greece, FYROM, Italy, Turkey, Cyprus, Slovakia, Romania, Lithuania, Spain, Bulgaria, and Belgium.
The activities of this Training Course were based on nonformal education methods in order for the participants to understand the problems and concerns of LGBTI young people and to acquire essential knowledge on human rights and the rights of the European citizen.
Through the activities of this training course which were based on nonformal education, participants had the opportunity to understand the problems and concerns of LGBTI young people and they acquired essential knowledge on human rights and the rights of the European citizen. They also learned how to recognize and how to break the stereotypes and fight homophobia and transphobia in their own organisation. Finally, they were trained on how to support and integrate LGBTI young people in their activities and organisations and to organise actions for fighting intolerance and hate speech.
Co-trainer.