TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for José Branco
This project consisted of one mobility for youth workers, namely a training course. The context of the project was based around recent, and still ongoing, events of new immigration routes into the European Union, especially of people from Muslim countries, which are seeing an increase in prejudice and fear among some people in Europe. With this fear and prejudice having already resulted in violent repercussions in various countries, we see a need to work to equip young people and youth workers with the kinds of values and attitudes we believe are pertinent to construct a new and improved multicultural Europe, as well as key skills and competences, as well as concrete exercises the participants can utilize in their local realities to contribute to more knowledgeable, understanding and equitable local communities, in facing this new Europe.
The objectives of the project were:
1. Improve youth workers’ skills with practical tools and experiential non-formal activities on conflict, conflict management, prejudice and migration issues;
2. Improve youth work quality and enhance the role of youth workers and NGOs as social facilitators spreading European values and a culture of peace;
3. Develop the competence of empathy as a skill linked to positive conflict management;
4. Enhance the participants’ attitude in transforming conflict situations into learning opportunities;
5. Share among youth workers and partners common concerns about issues of conflict, conflict management, migration and prejudice, exchange good practices and tools;
6. Enhance international cooperation, including trust between participants and organizations;
7. Promote heightened recognition of the educational value of NFE activities for building a more aware and understanding Europe.
The target group were youth workers, staff from youth organizations and other youth active on social activities and organizations.
The involved countries were Romania, Poland, Czech Republic, Portugal, Denmark, Netherlands, Latvia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, Slovakia and Turkey.
Many methods were used in order to achieve the expected results. Among them were Theatre of The Oppressed based methodologies, Brainstorming, Debriefing, Individual and Group Reflexion, Group debate, Game Based Learning, among others.
The training can be considered successful having in consideration the achieved objectives. The group of participants transmited throughtout the training activities and in the evaluation forms this feedback on how useful and resourceful the training was. Also during the follow up activities we could witness how the learnings were disseminated successfully and how the participants aquired knowledge that could be spread in their communities.
I was one of trainers of the project participating in all activities as a full-time trainer. I participated in the design, testing, planning and delievery of the training activities.