“Culturally welcomed”

Asukoht: Sfantu Gheorghe, Romania

Toimumise aeg: 01.12.2019 – 08.12.2019

Saatvaks organisatsiooniks on Avatud Ühiskond MTÜ. Koolituse eesmärk on tuua kokku üliõpilased, noored, vabatahtlikud, õpetajad, õppejõud, koolitajad, õpipoisid, noorsootöötajad, ja haridustöötajad, et vahetada kogemusi mis võimaldaks paremini toetada kaasava ühiskonna mudeli juurutamist ning vähendaks kogukondades rassismi, ksenofoobiat ja ebatolerantsust. Osaleja peab olema vähemalt 18 aastane ning vanuse ülempiir puudub.

Õpiränne on üheks programmi Euroopa Noored kandvaks ja arendavaks jõuks, sest selle kaudu kujundatakse tulevikku silmas pidades noorsootöö kvaliteeti. See toimub peamiselt läbi rahvusvahelise kogemustevahetuse ning noorsootöötajate täiendkoolituse, aga ka rahvusvaheliste võrgustike ja partnerlussuhete arengu toetamise. Noorsootöötajate õpirände kaudu edendatakse väga erinevaid tegevusvorme – alates diskussioonidest Euroopa noorsoopoliitika päevakorralistel teemadel ja lõpetades konkreetsete projektide teostuseks vajalike partnerlussuhete arendamisega.

Noorsootöötajate osalus õpirändes panustab samuti organisatsiooni tegevussuutlikkuse arengusse.

Aastal 2018 pööratakse Erasmus+ programmis erilist tähelepanu noorsootöötajate pädevuste arendamisele ja meetodite jagamisele, mis aitavad edasi anda meie ühiskonna põhiväärtusi ja ära hoida noorte radikaliseerumist.

Projekti töökeel on inglise keel ning sellest lähtuvalt on projektiga seonduv informatsioon ning registreerimine lisatud vastavalt. Korduma kippuvate küsimustega on võimalik tutvuda siin. Kõikide küsimustega võib meie poole pöörduda eesti keeles: info@uhiskond.ee

General information and description of the project

The training course “Culturally welcomed” is on 01.12.2019 – 08.12.2019 in Sfantu Gheorghe, Romania, including four team members from Estonia. The partner organisations are from: Hungary, United Kingdom, Estonia, Italy, Turkey, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta and Greece.

Make the following definitions clear: culture, multicultural, intercultural, intercultural education. How to handle the phenomenon of intercultural connections and strategies: intercultural differences, stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination. How to support the development of intercultural competences of young people we work with based on their needs. How to communicate properly based on the different communication codes and understand the behavioural norms, schemes and forms of young people from different cultural backgrounds. How to prevent stereotypes becoming prejudice and discrimination and bullying young people with different cultural background e.g. being 2nd generations migrants or refugees. How to avoid cultural challenges within intercultural teamwork and how to use its’ values for successful cooperation locally and European level. Make a solid partnership in order to realise youth exchanges according to the proposals of the Erasmus+ programme.

The overall aim of the training course is to train youth workers, youth leaders to be able to work with young people with different cultural background, e.g. refugees, migrants, foreign kids or young people coming home from other countries and build up a successful intercultural team locally and European level. To recognise stereotypes, prejudices and prevent or stop social stigmatisation of young people with different cultural background. By using appropriate intercultural communication, being able to understand the communication and behavioural norms, schemes and forms of young people with different cultural background.

Learning objectives of the training course are:

• To get acquainted with cultural differences and its’ impact on people’s behaviour;
• To become multipliers of intercultural education and being able to adapt the knowledge and attitude of intercultural education for the needs of different target groups e.g. working with refuges kids, migrants kids, foreign young people, etc.;
• To be able to work with intercultural team of young people locally and European level;
• To develop youth work competences in order to be able to work with refugee, migrants and foreign young people or young people coming home from abroad;
• To explore typical challenges working with intercultural teams and to invent prevention  strategies for challenging situations and how to adapt it according to the needs of different  target groups;
• To improve efficient communication in different intercultural situations (e.g. education, business, private life);
• To deepen the knowledge on cultural dimensions as stereotypes and prejudices and its’ influence on the intercultural cooperation;
• To be able to understand and analyse the different behavioural norms, schemes, forms of others cultures. To be able to “read” the messages based on the communication codes of other cultures;
• To be able to handle the possible misunderstandings and challenging situations in intercultural situations;
• To analyse the roles and negative consequences of stereotypes in the lives of young people;
• To explore the process how stereotype can become prejudice then discrimination in the intercultural connections;
• The influence of social stigma on the victims – to explore the typical behaviour patterns of young people who are bullied because of belonging for certain groups e.g. refugees, 2nd generations of migrants, etc.
• To be able to prevent the influence of stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination in intercultural connections.

The methodology of the training course:

The course is strongly based on experiential learning (learning by doing), with adequate time allocated for debriefing and reflection throughout the whole program as the process will be highly personal and aim for attitudinal changes, therefore, the reflection is very important part of the process (as the educational team is well aware of). Generally, the working methods will be rather non-formal and participative. The methods are chosen in a way to allow for a maximum of substantial learning effects, meet the needs of the group and encourage a high level of participation in a very unique way in the process of the training. It is very important to take the “real-life” cases and the experience of the participants, their organizations and from other youth workers and from the field. The working methods used this training are chosen so that to offer the possibility of equal involvement of each participant, every person being stimulated to dialogue and intercultural learning, to reflection and experiential learning, to activation of personal resources. Our main goal is to build long term relationships between the participants and partners. The training has a draft program, but the activities will be constructed and adapted to group needs taking into account reactions of participants, their feedback, their expressed needs, their experience and the group process. The training includes the evaluation part which will consist of a questionnaire and will also be focused on process and reflection on information and methods used in training reported to personal experience and changes they can bring inside organization.

Partner organizations:

1. YOPA – Hungary,
2. Beat Bazaar– United Kingdom,
3. Avatud Ühiskond MTÜ – Estonia,
4. Associazione Vele Corsare– Italy,
5. Genclik ve Degisim Dernegi- Turkey,
6. INOVACIJU BIURAS- Lithuania,
7. Evolution Trade Union- Latvia,
8. Active Youth- Malta,
9. HYP- Greece

Who can participate in the training course:

Participants should be 18+ years old, motivated to take part in all stages of the project (preparation, realization, follow up), have a fluent command of English language, the gender balance in the group is advisable but not compulsory.

Participants must be youth workers or local youth leaders, able to use the new gained skills and experiences in their youth work.

✓ Youth workers, youth leaders who directly work with young people with different cultural backgrounds e.g. refugees, migrants, foreign kids, young people coming home from other countries, minorities, Roma young people, etc.
✓ Having organisational support for further cooperation;
✓ Open to recognise own stereotypes and prejudices and work on these;
✓ Willing to adapt intercultural education into their youth work realities based on the needs of their target groups;
✓ Ready to take part in the whole project;
✓ To be able to communicate English language.

Project venue:

The training course will be hosted in the Education Center in Arcus. It is a small village in the outskirts of Sfantu Gheorghe, with a calm surrounding. 3-4 participants are going to be accommodated in one room with its own bathroom. Food will be arranged in the restaurant at the venue, there will be three meals every day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. The place has its own training room.

Sfantu Gheorghe is the capital city of Covasna County, Romania. Located in the central part of the country and in the historical region of Transylvania, it lies on the Olt River in a valley between the Baraolt Mountains and Bodoc Mountains. Sfântu Gheorghe is one of the oldest cities in Transylvania, the settlement first having been documented in 1332. The city takes its name from Saint George, the patron of the local church. Sfântu Gheorghe is one of the centers for the Székely people in the region known to them as Székelyföld in Hungarian – which means “Székely Land”and it is home to the Székely National Museum.

Relevant information:

The Erasmus + Programme will cover 100% of the accommodation, food and activities and will reimburse 100% of the travel costs for the participants – up to 275 euros. It is recommended to have a disposal for small expenses. Take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions. Please fill in this form to apply Whereas you have problems with the internet form, please fill in the .docx and send it to info@uhiskond.ee. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch: info@uhiskond.ee. Participation fee is 40€. 

Participants will receive a  “Youthpass” certificate which describes and validates the non-formal and informal learning experience gained during the project. Youthpass is a European recognition tool for non-formal and informal learning in youth work, developed by SALTO, initially for the Youth in Action programme. Youthpass is for projects funded by Erasmus+ youth programmes and helps the participants of those projects to record their learning and skills development, which could then be used to support job applications or applications for further courses for example. The applicants will be notified 10.04.2019 the latest.

Registration deadline:  01.11.2019