TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Nelly Paytyan
We have developed the “HateBusters! Empowering Youth Workers to Combat Hate Speech” long-term project to support youth workers and youth educators to address hate speech in a safe and transformative way.
The project pursues the following objectives:
A. Building a community of HateBusters - youth workers, educators, youth activists and youth organizations able to develop local activities and campaigns combating hate speech online and offline.
B. Building capacity of youth workers and youth educators in identifying, addressing and confronting hateful speech and narratives.
C. Increasing the competencies of youth workers and educators in the field of anti-hate speech activism and Human Rights Education as well as campaigning as a tool.
D. Mainstreaming anti-hate speech and HRE methods in youth work and developing future HRE-related projects in partner countries.
E. Assuring a long term, sustainable increase in quality of partner organizations' and youth workers’ work with combating hate speech, cyberbullying, and other human rights violations. F. Exploring various good practices and developing local campaigns, educational activities and materials that support youth workers and educators to combat hate speech.
The long-term project has 3 main phases։
Training Course | 22 – 30 November 2023, Dilijan, Armenia System and outreach development activities | Local Campaigns in participating countries | 15 December 2023 – 15 February 2024
Evaluation Seminar | 14 – 22 March 2024, the Netherlands
36 youth workers and educators from the European Union (the Netherlands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Spain) and Neighboring Partner countries (Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine).
The training methods used in this activity likely included a combination of the following:
Workshops: Interactive sessions where participants were engaged in discussions, case studies, and practical exercises. These workshops would have focused on developing skills in identifying and addressing hate speech, as well as designing effective campaigns.
Role-playing: A method used to simulate real-life scenarios involving hate speech and human rights violations, helping participants practice responses and build confidence in addressing these issues in various contexts.
Group Discussions and Brainstorming: Facilitated discussions and brainstorming sessions allowed participants to share experiences, exchange ideas, and explore strategies for confronting hate speech both online and offline.
Collaborative Projects: Participants likely worked in small groups to create local campaigns, educational activities, or materials that would be used to combat hate speech in their communities. This encouraged teamwork, creativity, and the application of knowledge gained during the training.
Case Studies: Reviewing real-life examples of hate speech incidents and human rights issues helped participants understand the complexities of these problems and the best approaches to addressing them.
Interactive Learning Tools: Use of online platforms, multimedia presentations, and other interactive tools likely helped to enhance engagement and make learning more dynamic.
Peer-to-Peer Learning: Encouraging participants to share their experiences and insights from their home countries, creating a mutual learning environment where everyone could learn from each other’s successes and challenges.
Workshops on Campaigning: Teaching participants how to design and implement effective anti-hate speech campaigns, with a focus on strategy, messaging, and target audience engagement.
The outcomes of this activity were as follows:
Creation of a HateBusters Community: A network of youth workers, educators, youth activists, and organizations was established, all equipped to tackle both online and offline hate speech. This community facilitated the exchange of best practices, resources, and collective action.
Enhanced Capacity to Confront Hate Speech: Participants improved their skills in identifying, addressing, and effectively confronting hate speech and harmful narratives. Youth workers gained the tools necessary to respond in real-time and educate others.
Increased Competencies in Anti-Hate Speech and Human Rights Education: By engaging with topics like anti-hate speech activism and human rights education (HRE), youth workers and educators deepened their understanding of how to incorporate these issues into their daily work and activism.
Mainstreaming Anti-Hate Speech and HRE Methods: The project encouraged the integration of anti-hate speech and HRE methods into youth work practices across partner countries, ensuring that these principles became embedded in ongoing activities and future projects.
Sustainable Quality Improvement: The activity led to long-term improvements in the quality of the participating organizations' work, focusing on combating hate speech, cyberbullying, and human rights violations. The initiative created lasting, meaningful change in these areas.
Development of Local Campaigns and Educational Materials: Through the exploration of various good practices, participants developed local campaigns and educational materials. These resources supported youth workers and educators in their efforts to combat hate speech and educate their communities effectively.
As a Senior Trainer, my key responsibilities included:
✔ Program Design – Developing the structure, methodology, and content of the training, ensuring alignment with the project’s goals together with the other senior trainer and the junior trainer.
✔ Facilitation & Delivery – Leading interactive sessions, implementing methodologies such as Theatre of the Oppressed, World Café, and team discussions, and engaging participants in meaningful discussions and activities.
✔ Evaluation & Reporting – Conducting midterm and final evaluations to assess learning outcomes, collecting feedback, and compiling reports on the impact of the training.
✔ Team Coordination – Collaborating with fellow trainers to ensure a smooth learning process and maintaining an inclusive and dynamic training environment.