TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Mayssa Rekhis
The theme of the WFD 2014 was "Can youth revitalize democracy?". It was then decided to select a delegation of 300 young participants from all over the world, to train them during 4 months (online through a specific online platform, and in Strasbourg, so that they can move forward the limitations and frustrations related to dysfunctionning democracies to take a solution oriented approach, to dream democracy and to develop new prototypes of democracy.
participants were from all over the world (Americas, Asia, Europe, Australia and Africa).
The specificity of this training activities was the use of non formal methodologies and approachs in a formal setting which is the WFD.
The training was in 3 phases:
- Online training and preparation: from July to October 2014 : an online platform were developed, and the team of trainers, we developed series of training sessions, using non formal methodologies with videos, forums discussions, group works...
- Youth meeting in the EYCS (residential training): from 31st of October to November 3rd : the 300 participants were divided in different groups and each of them was with one or two trainers in order to finalize the preparation and affine the knowledge and competencies related to the topic.
- Youth participation to the WFD (3rd to 5th November): the youth delegation was present in the WFD, and they presented 4 democracy prototypes sessions in parallel with the Labs were they presented, using non formal methods (one was a theater play).
- Evaluation and follow up: 5th- 6th of November: held with the whole group in the EYCS.
The young people were able to dream democracy and to let others (experts and political schools students...) dream with them new prototypes and new models of democratic societies.
They also had very powerful inputs in the WFD, due to the extensive preparation and training they had beforehand.
And they even launched side events and a Global Action : The shake democracy challenge to interact with young people worldwide.
Full time member of the team: Designed and codesigned session outlines, animated online learning sessions, and residential sessions with one of the groups (a 15 participants group).