TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Kostas Simitopoulos
Concept of “NEw CHapter: Network of Cooperation against Hate”:
It is undoubtful that we live in a European Union that is in the middle of a migrant crisis, sulky economic growth and growing disillusionment. 2015 was marked by the aftermath
of terrorist attacks attributed to the Islamic State and by the arrival of greater numbers of asylum seekers and migrants from Muslim countries. Evidence suggests that Member
States that have seen the highest numbers of arrivals are the most likely to face racistand xenophobic incidents (FRA 2016 Report). Another worrying aspect is the rise of hate
crime and online hate speech. While significant actions were taken in an EU level for tackling these issues statistics show that further action needs to be taken. In a survey
that was conducted among young people 83% of them stated that they have encountered hate speech online, while 2/5 have personally felt attacked or threatened
(survey on hate speech, 2015, CoE). The landscape becomes even darker regarding incidents of racist violence. Based on the UNHCR annual report about incidents of racist violence in Greece in 2015, 225 incidents have been reported. With these in mind, it is crucial for different stakeholders that work with youth to come together and have a holistic approach to tackle discrimination, xenophobia, hate speech, racism and what derives from them.
“NEw CHapter: Network of Cooperation against Hate” is a 15-month and 4-country (Greece, Italy, Denmark and UK) project that aims to provide space and support for
cross sectoral cooperation of organizations and institutions that work with young people in formal/non formal education on combating hate speech and promote human rights
education (HRE). More specifically, NEw CHapter will bring together Youth NGOs, an international network, 2 schools, a counseling body and a municipality in order to
strengthen their capacities in international cooperation and develop competences on identifying and combating the different forms of hate speech and discrimination and
promote the human rights education.
NEw Chapter’s objectives were:
•to encourage and strengthen transnational cooperation among the participating
organizations and support their staff’s capacity building on how to tackle hate speech,
bullying and discrimination through joint training with the use of non-formal and formal
education methodologies
•to explore and share experiences, tools and methods among the partners in order for
both direct participants and institutions to get new insights and knowledge on HRE, and
gain social, intercultural,critical thinking competences for a more inclusive education,
training and youth field
•to create a cross sectoral sustainable network of inclusion ambassadors that will
spread the ideas of “No Hate Speech Movement” on organizational and community
levels through local and online activities to reach a wider audience supporting the
promotion of inclusive and peaceful societies
•to generate synergies and partnerships between the participating organizations and
support the exchange of effective methods, opportunities and challenges in local and
European youth work in reaching out to marginalized young people and in preventing
racism and intolerance among local youth
This staff training brought together representatives of the partner organizations, with aims to exchange good practices and methods on combating hate speech and discrimination and to prepare for the follow-up activities.
The participants of this training were 28 people, aged over 18 years old that are involved in the partner organizations (eg. employees, representatives, members, youth workers, policy makers, teachers).
The trainers were responsible to facilitate and implement the training. With solid experience on the field of innovative learning, non formal education, HRE methodology and familiar with NHSM campaign.
The participants of the project were people from each partner organization that work with youth from different sectors such as youth workers and leaders, ngo members,
teachers, educators, municipal staff and policy makers. By implementing this project, we had a positive impact in a local and
European level by raising awareness, and by bringing together different key stakeholders to share effective mechanisms on how to tackle the rise of hate speech, violence and discrimination between youngsters and reach out to marginalized young people.
Number of participants:
4 participants from each organization (in total: 28). Participants came from Italy, Greece, Armenia, Georgia, Fyrom and Denmark.
During the training participants gathered and had the space for sharing effective tools and methods on combating hate speech and discrimination and received a training on those themes with the use of non formal and HRE methodology.
There was also a selection of the best practices coming from all partners, with special focus to be given in practices that:
-reaching out marginalised young people or those at risk of social exclusion (young people with a migrant background, roma youth etc.)
-promoting intercultural dialogue and acceptance of diversity as well as preventing racism and intolerance among youth.
The methods that were used during the activity:
• Ice-breakers and team building games (mission impossible, my name my story, selfie activity, interview my partner etc.)
• TV show -organization bazaar
• brainstorming and buzz groups
• theoretical inputs
• role playing
• outdoor activities (human rights journalists)
• advocacy workshop
• study visit
• debate and group discussions
The staff training was part of an ongoing KA2 Strategic Partnerships Exchange of Good Practices project.
NEw CHapter included a short joint staff training activity where participants received a training on the themes of the project and had the time and space to closer cooperate. This activity was not the main activity of the project, and worked in a complementary way along with the other set of activities described in the duration of the project (local activities, transnational meetings, creation of handbook and open platform).The added value of this activity regarding reaching the objectives of the project was the following:
-Maximizing the learning impact of the project on direct participants and foster the development of civic and intercultural competencies, democratic citizenship, and human rights knowledge
-Providing the space for exchange of good practices, on the project’s theme among the participants and partners organizations with special focus on reaching out marginalised youth
-Engaging more people of the organization in the project including influencers of each organization such as policy makers, board members, teachers etc.
-Bridging 3 levels of partnership: public and private, business and education, formal and non formal education and foster cross-sectoral cooperation with the aim of more inclusive education, youth and training
-Developing of competences and skills of diverse groups of influencers on the themes of the project and on methodologies of both formal and non-formal education, creative thinking, best practice knowledge management, HRE etc.
-Enhancing peer learning and networking between local authorities, youth work and education; providing opportunities for mutual support & stimulation against hate and discrimination
-Learning more on the NHSM and on Erasmus Plus program and encouragement to implement future activities under this action (especially applicable to newcomers of the action of Erasmus+, YSRN, 10th Primary School of Sykies and General Lyceum of Gouves)
Website of the project: https://newchapteragainsthate.wordpress.com/
I was one of the trainers, with special responsibilities to provide insight on the various topics discussed.