TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Javier Milán López
It was a big event that brought together around 300 Roma and non-Roma participants from all over Europe. Thematic workshops and special activities took place.
It was mainly organized by two organizations. On the one hand, Phiren Amenca, which is a network of Roma and non-Roma volunteers and voluntary service organizations creating opportunities for non-formal education, dialogue and engagement, in order to challenge stereotypes and racism. On the other hand, its local partner Nevo Parudimos, that works to reduce economic disparities, social and educational existing in society with special focus on Roma communit.
Objectives were:
- To raise youth voice against racism and discrimination and towards Roma people in Europe;
- To make participants learn more about the situation of Roma in Europe;
- To learn and discuss about Human Rights, antigypsyism, as well as empowerment and activist strategies;
- To share the interests of vulnerable communities and show solidarity towards unfair cases such as Pata Rat community (Cluj-Napoca).
There was a group around 15 facilitators and 30 volunteers from many countries: Germany, Hungary, Romania, Spain, France, Italy, Poland, UK, Slovakia and Czech Republic.
Target group were nearly 300 Roma and non-Roma youths from all over Europe: Bulgaria, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Austria, Poland, Romania, UK, France, Italy, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Greece and Serbia.
The event was focused on 48h actions. Topics of actions were Roma superheroes, school segregation, challenging stereotypes and racism through music, theatre, rythm graffiti or media, used art to raise awareness about the Roma Genocide and Human Rights.
Concretely, I facilitated the activist group, which worked with local community leaders (Pata Rat). We used brainstorming, local community leaders experience exchange and small working groups depending on the action participants wanted to develop (public speech, t-shirts with messages for a march, etc.). We also made a field visit in order to know the community reality in situ so we learnt from first hand life stories.
They learnt about vulnerable Roma situation in Europe, and in Romania in detail, so they became aware of it. Moreover, they emotionally connected to local community members thereby building strong bonds during those days.
Paticipants were able to work together to create a common speech in order to support Pata Rat community at the end of the march.
Participants co-created t-shirts for the march to support local community with local community members.
Implementing the workshop and facilitate learning processes as well as assisting participants to develop their initiatives. In addition, I was the bridge between local community members and participants.
I also facilitated several reflection groups to discuss about issues and corcerns that participants wanted to talk about. Moreover, these reflection groups also worked to evaluate the event (venue, issues addressed, atmosphere, facilitators and volunteers, etc.).