TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Marina Luka
On one hand, we wanted to focus on intercultural learning in a broader sense, give an overview of the main theories and concepts, and develop the facilitation skills of participants.
On the other hand, we wanted to open doors to different religious spaces and communities, to better understand the realities of each other.
The project aimed to promote a mutual understanding through field visits.
We met different religious places, organizations, and
projects to know more about their realities, and see the impact of these initiatives on the community and peacebuilding.
We invited professionals to exchange experiences, and
create connections to promote interreligious dialogue as a tool for youthwork.
The project brought together 27 youth workers from 8 different countries: Finland, Italy, Greece, Hungary, Spain, Jordan, Türkiye, and Ukraine.
In the center of the seminar, we placed dialogue. Therefore, we implemented several field visits in religious sites:
-Experiential learning-field visits (including preparation and debriefing)
- Peer learning: experience sharing related to facilitation in interreligious groups and community building
- Open space to exchange educational tools and
best practices, raise and discuss questions
- Drama and situation-based activities to practice problem-solving.
- Non-formal education activities to discover the participant's identity and relationship to the topic.
The hands-on approach and the sightseeing met very much the needs of our participants. Based on their evaluation, they had the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the religious diversity of Budapest, learn more about the theology and customs of the religions that we tackled, and the program contributed to fighting taboos and stereotypes related to religion.
From the side of the host organization, I took the role of the project coordinator, but I co-facilitated during the activity.