Stop Labeling Yourself!

Aims & objectives

Training course "Stop Labeling Yourself!" aimed to understand and learn stereotypes and prejudices inside oneself to be able to cope with stereotypes and prejudices in youth work and to be able to avoid and fight discrimination resulting from stereotypes and prejudices. Objective was to analyse participants' own identity to understand discrimination inside ourselves and continue from there to analyzing stereotypes, prejudices and different types of discrimination. After the training course participants were prepared to carry out small workshops related to identity and stereotypes and prejudices in their organizations and communities with local youth.

Target group & international/intercultural composition of the group & team

Target group of training course “Stop Labeling Yourself!” were 21 youth workers from 10 different countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Turkey, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, France, Belgium, Romania and Bulgaria.
Team was composed of:

Heleri Alles - trainer and organizer (Estonia)
Ignas Dzemyda - trainer (Lithuania)
Jekaterina Agu - support staff (Estonia)
Kaisa Keizars - support staff (Estonia)

Training methods used & main activities

Various methods were used as group discussion, group building activities, self-assessment, role-plays, innovative tasks, blog groups, reflection diary and learning buddy, practical task, work in pairs, debriefing sessions in cycle etc.
For example, participants had to discover their own identity using identity molecule do do it. First open examples were done by trainers and participants could develop their personal molecules. After they could share it in small groups and then debriefing was done with trainers. Privilege and non-privilege were discussed. In another task participants could take a new underprivileged role and discover how their life would change. Another method to analyse discrimination included a movie on Rwandan genocide. Discrimination based on sex was analyzed via debate between men and women. In end of training participants could build up short workshops themselves on the topic and carry them out with Estonian youngsters.

Outcomes of the activity

Outcomes:

- Participants are able to analyse their own identity and recognize their own prejudices and stereotypes
- Participants are aware of stereotypes and prejudices and are able to avoid labeling people while working with youth
- Participants are aware of discrimination stereotypes and prejudices can led to
- Participants are aware discrimination leading to exclusion such gender discrimination, racism, xenophobia etc) and are prepared to stand against it
- Participants are able to carry out mini-trainings (workshops) for youth to discover their identity and learn them to recognize stereotypes and prejudices and avoid labeling people
- Participants are able to develop themselves personally and socially, follow their learning and use Youthpass as tool, process and Certificate
- During the activity more than 70 youth and youth workers were included in the workshops carried out by participants and made more aware of stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination it can led to.
- Participants have carried out similar workshops in participating countries, including around 400 youth in total
- Partners have develop various new project ideas and created long-term partnerships

All information about activities, follow-ups and media coverage can be found in blog:
http://stoplabelingyourself.blogspot.com
There is also a video available:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMRQPzNf84Y

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

I was the main organizer of the training course and full-time trainer. I was involved in preparation, implementation, evaluation and follow-up of the training course.

I worked on this training for 8 days as a full time trainer.