TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Charis Charalambous
Young Leaders in Action was an initiative within the ‘Peacebuilding in Divided Societies’ program implemented by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), in collaboration with the British Council through its regional Stronger Together program.
Τhe ‘Peacebuilding in Divided Societies’ program aimed to strengthen women and young people’s input to discussions on peace and security, with a focus on peacebuilding, social action, leadership, negotiation, and intercommunal collaboration.
There were 26 participants in this program, aged 18-30, from Cyprus, Iraq, Russia, Cameroon, and Syria. The eligibility criteria for their participation was to:
Demonstrate commitment and motivation to actively participate throughout the program and implement social actions in groups.
Demonstrate good communication skills and teamwork in an intercultural environment.
Be able to speak and write confidently in English.
Have a wish to develop interpersonal relations with participants from all communities in Cyprus.
Participatory and active methods were used to help participants get to know each other, develop their communication skills, identify their values and active citizenship skills, and work together in teams.
During the workshop participants also learned more about gender equality, inclusive peacebuilding, the UN women peace and security agenda and the youth peace and security agenda and how they could apply them in the context of Cyprus.
The program focused on equipping participants with the tools and strategies needed to support them to develop their own social action projects and work together in intercommunal teams to implement them. Four teams of participants were formed and mentored for 4 months. Small grants up to €300 were provided for the implementation of their ideas.
The workshop was considered useful by the participants, and that it enabled them to develop various skills such as communication, leadership, and creative thinking. Also, they appreciated the opportunity to step out of their comfort zones, express their opinions, and collaborate with like-minded participants.
The facilitators received high praise for friendliness, professionalism, knowledge, and the ability to create a positive and engaging learning environment.
I was a full-time member of the (two) trainers/facilitators team and worked for the design, preparation and facilitation of the workshop, as well as the provision of mentoring to two of the participant teams, guiding them in the implementation of their social impact projects.
In total, I worked for 12 days in this project.