TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Annamaria Papini
The TC aimed at promoting Nonviolence and Peace-building supporting the personal and professional development of Youth Workers (teachers, educators, activists, etc.) who needed to expand their proficiency on the matters for their work with young people, and their community in general. The beneficiary works in the field of Nonviolence promoting their values through events, campaigns, and publications.
Participants were adults who work with young people in various contexts. They were all passionate about the topics and committed to deepen their knowledge, while living a once-in-a-lifetime experience of reflecting, sharing, and learning.
Participating countries were: Italy, The Netherlands, Bulgaria, Spain, France, Turkey, Hungary, Kosovo, UK.
The team counted 3 trainers (from UK, The Netherlands, Turkey), a support member from The Netherlands, and a professional trainer and mediator in the role of Mentor for the staff.
The team organized a variety of activities referring to the non-formal learning method. Trainers made sure that all learning styles would be addresses defining sessions that would trigger participants' interest alternating theory and practical exercises. Among the other methods we proposed thaatre activities, debates, self-reflection moments, walks in nature while sharing stories, role games, etc.
Participants improved their knowledge of the history of Nonviolence, its values, challenges and focal points.
The learned to analyze, prevent and possibly solve a conflict situation on a personal, interpersonal, or intercultural sphere.
They were presented with exercises to practice conflict resolution and communication skills.
They were able to widen their perspective on the themes, reflecting on their engagement and how they can take action both in their personal and professional spheres.
They met people from various countries and had the chance to confront with different cultural heritages, challenging their stereotypes while helping develop a broader nonviolent international community.
The training was a success according to participants' evaluation and comments through out the TC and at the end of it. A few projects are being implemented as a consequence to the ideas flourished during the activities, multiplying the effect of the course and broadening the actual beneficiaries.
The experience has been recorded on ToNoWo web site https://towardsanonviolentworld.org/erasmus-trainings/tonowo-2/ the sites of partners organisations and Facebook.
I participated to the TC collaborating with the team as a full-time trainer.
I was also project coordinator:
- designing together with the other trainers the project agenda, content, and activities
- in charge of the application
- defining and managing all logistics, budget, communication with partners, team meetings and preparation, participants' travels, etc.