TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Aiste Slajute
The aim of the training course was to up-skill participants as No Hate Speech Movement activists and to work together on challenging racism, religious intolerance and islamophobia, sexism, homophobia, disablism and all forms of intolerance that can and is shared on-line and off-line; to explore counter narratives that fights the prevalence and tacit acceptance of hate speech and to develop local and regional campaign and education activities to make activism for equality and inclusion more effective.
Specific objectives were:
• To provide participants with a safe space to share their experiences and skills in the areas of equality , human rights and social inclusion in national and international contexts;
• To stimulate discussions on the renewed framework for European cooperation in the youth field (2010-2018);
• To support participants while developing new tools for making activism more effective by using music, video, ICT and knowledge of human rights;
• To raise knowledge of historical struggles for peace and freedom between South and North of Ireland;
• To stimulate pro-activity, citizenship and participation around young people in Europe and neighboring countries;
• To explore how we can build solidarity across all marginalized groups in our activist work, especially where there is conflicting ideas.
This TC will brought together 43 people from from Ireland, Lithuania, UK, Greece, Georgia, Spain, The Netherlands, Azerbaijan, Albania, Turkey, Poland, Romania, Hungary, France and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia from 15 different organizations. Participants were mainly NHSM activist (on-line and off-line) and youth work practitioners who are working directly with young people in the area of human rights.
We used non-formal education, interactive methods, such as experiences and expertise sharing, group work, facilitated discussions, simulations and daily reflection sessions. This TC also had strong emphases on using creative methodologies, such as video making and photography, also guest speakers inputs.
Through Solidarity LAB we mobilized youth activists and presented a counter narrative that fights the prevalence and tacit acceptance of hate speech in all its forms. Thus, as a result of taking part in this training course participants gained/ improved the following knowledge and skills:
• Knowledge about No Hate Speech Movement Campaign and social media;
• Historical struggles for peace between the Republic and North of Ireland; hurtful past (and present);
• Opportunities and possibilities that Erasmus+ program offers to young people;
• Developing creative tools for making activism for equality and inclusion more effective;
• Human rights, equality and social inclusion in general terms and LGBT, religious division, Traveller and Roma Communities in Ireland in greater detail;
• Networking, mobilizing and capacity building in international youth work field;
• Skills of creative self expression through music, video, ICT and/ or human rights workshops;
• Self-awareness through active participation and project dissemination;
• Confidence building while working in inter-cultural and age diverse group, and in creative workshops;
• Presentation and public speaking skills, when sharing experiences and caring out presentations; • Oral/ written communication skills when taking part in the workshops, discussion groups after the inputs and guests presentations;
• Ability to relate to others, team building and problem solving skills when taking part in group building activities; living and working in age and culture divers group;
• Conflict resolution and decision making skills when working in small groups and caring out tasks;
• Critical thinking and ethics when examining examples of 'input' guess speakers; also through discussion groups;
• Self expression through English language, as it was an official language of the 'Solidarity LAB';
• Building professional and personal networks while working and living in a big international group.
#KeepCrossingBorders is a campaign created by youth activists during the international Solidarity LAB Training Course.
I was preparing, running and evaluating the training, as well as coordinating trainers team of four people. So involved from the idea and creation of the application to the final reports.