INTERNATIONAL TRAINING ON YOUTH WORK’S ROLE IN THE PREVENTION OF VIOLENT EXTREMISM OF YOUTH

Aims & objectives

This training was dedicated to sharing best practices in youth work as a method of prevention of violent radicalisation of youth. Participants had a chance to meet different youth workers and trainers coming from diverse backgrounds. Sharing good case practices and learning from each other to respond to youth extremism in Europe was main addressed need during the training. Topic of violent extremism among youth has been major problem in European context due to emerging migration religious extremism and xenophobia.

As ECYC promotes open space youth work and non-formal education as main learning tool to address youth issues in Europe and develop young people's potential, prevention of violent extremism and radicalisation is one of the main priorities to ensure this. ECYC is a network of different NGOs in Europe, coming from different cultural and political backgrounds, thus to ensure inclusive approach ECYC needs to address the importance of cultural diversity and prevention of extremism among its member organisations in order to promote promote inclusive approaches of youth work. It envisions to create democratic environment for young people to actively participate in the community-based activities in their countries.

Target group & international/intercultural composition of the group & team

Main target group of the training were youth workers and youth leaders coming from both EU and Council of Europe members states, representing different religious, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Participants from countries listed below were involved in the training:
- Azerbaijan
- Armenia
- Belgium
- France
- Germany
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Romania
- Serbia
- Sweden
- Turkey
- Ukraine

Training methods used & main activities

Methods and publications used during this trainings were:

- working in groups
- simulation activities
- working road maps
- prototyping
- ''word cafe'' and other format of presentation
- introduction to main concepts through activities from CoE publications, ''All Different, All Equal'', '' Preventing violent extremism and radicalisation''.

Outcomes of the activity

- During the training participants had a chance to share their nations’ policies and responses to extremism/radicalisation among youth, therefore good case and bad case practices were shared.
- By the end of training programme participants were more clear on the role of youth work in preventing radicalisation among youth and got to know different policy realities on extremism in Europe
- Training programme empowered participants to break different stereotypes existing in Europe
- Training programme encouraged the creation of strong youth workers network who fight for cultural understanding and prevention of extremism among youth
- Training programme achieved to promote partnership building attitude among youth worker in order to ensure strong follow up after the Training Course

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

- Developing training programme with 3 other co-trainers and project team based on needs of the participants defined through the application form
- Deliver sessions using non-formal education tools and methodologies
- Participate in preparation and evaluation meeting of project team
- Facilitate discussions and encourage team work among participants
- Provide feedback to the work of co-trainers and support their educating experience

I worked on this training for 6 days as a full time trainer.