TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Elena A. Russo
The overall aim of this training course is to provide project participants with the useful tools and good practices for conflict transformation and
for achieving peace.
The specific objectives of Pace is Made of Small Things include:
• supporting the professional development of youth who would like to work or already work in the
field of conflict resolution and peace-building;
• reflecting upon and discussing the types of conflicts that impact the life of youth in local communities
and the wider European region;
• equipping project participants with the practical tools to understand, manage, and resolve conflicts;
• providing conflict transformation strategies that avoid violence and lead to peace;
• developing youth activism and youth leadership;
• promoting good practices for social inclusion regardless of nationality, ethnicity, religion, gender,
sexual orientation, etc.;
• promoting EU citizenship, EU awareness and democratic values;
• Exchange of project ideas, building up future projects and partnerships and exchange of best practices in youth work
24 participants (youth workers) coming from: Italy, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Czech Republic, Gerogia, Croatia, Russian Federation.
Training team: 2 Italian senior trainers and 2 Georgian junior trainers
Trainers facilitated non-formal learning activities that stimulated learning by doing, in its
extension of learning by idual and group experience. In fact, each participant was the trainer of her/his training, as sessions are simply spaces that anybody can fill and live differently. Initiatives and working proposals challenged participants’ viewpoints and encouraged tolerant and open-minded interaction in a multi-cultural non-formal learning environment. As well as supporting the development of competences, the trainers will pay special attention to supporting the emotional growth of the young participants.
The TC stimulated creativity, active participation, and sense of initiative and involvement of
the young people in society. For the achievement of the learning objectives, a variety of
interactive working methods such as workshops, role-plays, outdoor activities and plenary discussions were used, according to the specific
learning needs of the participants and their organizations, in order to cover all aspects of the project themes. Every training day had a peculiar topic: Teambuilding; Thinking out of the box; Judgments; Responsibility on actions; With-in with-out conflicts; Me, the other and the universe.
PArticipants explored, enforced and developed in awareness and initiative:
• self-development;
• advancement of their key and topic specific competences;
• increased curiosity about “others” coupled with an increased understanding of diversity, pluralism, and democratic values;
• improved English languages skills, multilingual and multicultural communication skills;
• increased motivation to be a “generator” of positive and peaceful change within the local, regional, national, European, and international
community.
Project writer, senior trainer and responsible for the training design both in its agenda and in its methodology aspects.