TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for ILIANA PETRIDOU
Through mainly non-formal learning activities, the participants were able to explore the nature of conflicts affecting their own and the others’ cities and societies, gained more knowledge and better understanding on the subject, and identified ways in which the conflict can be managed and confronted – conflict management and peace building. The participants had the opportunity to present their own ‘walls’ in their society and also find their own common creative approaches to ‘dance’ through these walls.
24 young people participated from 6 different countries (Cyprus, Turkey, Germany, Montenegro, Greece and Serbia) with the aim to examine terms like conflict, walls, barriers, peace, creativity, art.
On the arrival day, we only met the participants late in the afternoon when they all arrived and we
did some ice breakers and getting to know each other activities. On the first day of the activity, we
did some name games and then we organised a treasure hunt in the city of Nicosia, for various
reasons. Firstly, it was a team building activity and secondly they had the chance to explore Nicosia
and its walls and the different conflicts and barriers that exist in the city. In the second half of the
day, we explored the terms of conflict, conflict resolution, peace making and their definitions. The
participants had the opportunity to share their fears and expectations of the training.
On the second day of the training, we used World Café activity to explore the different conflicts that
exist in different countries and how are these resolved in personal, social and national level. We
then used Theatre of the Oppressed tool to give the opportunity to the participants to find solutions
in a conflict. In the afternoon session we had some simulation activities that gave the opportunity to
the participants to put themeselves to someone else’s position.
On the third day we explored some of the causes of conflicts, such as lack of communication and
through different activities, we came to some conclusions on how communication could become
more successful and in this way, we could avoid conflicts (active listening, I-messages). We then
used the method of simulation to implement alternative dispute resolution as a way of conflict
resolution and peace making. In the afternoon session, we asked the participants to share creative
ways that can help in peace making through art from experience they had in their country.
On the final day of the training, the participants prepared an action plan for each country on how to
promote conflict resolution and peace making through art in their countries. In the end we had an
evaluation of the program.
Every afternoon, after the sessions had finished we divided the participants in three different
steaming groups, where they had the opportunity to reflect on what they had learned and what
impact the activities had on them.
The training was based mainly on the understanding and resolution suggestions of conflict. Our goal was not to purely provide a body of fixed knowledge but rather to focus on developing critical and creative thinking skills and cultural understandings, for enhancing social integration in European and not only cities.
http://www.yeucyprus.org/international/
The team of trainers was consisted from 3 trainers: one main trainer (myself) and 2 junior trainers.