Project dates: 26.04. – 05.05.2015
Project place: Kastoria (Kostur), Greece
Deadline for application: 15.03.2015
The training “Balkan (re) vision” will take place in Kastoria for 10 days (26/04 – 5/05/2015) bringing 32 youth workers together. Participants are expected to be aged 18-30 from 10 countries of the Balkans and Europe (Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, Cyprus, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Croatia and Greece) who are dealing with the promotion of inter-cultural understanding and tolerance and to be familiar with these situations in their home countries.
During 10 days, the participants will be involved into several formal and non-formal education methods of intercultural dialogue and human rights in order to acquire new skills, attitudes and gain new knowledge and experience on how to use these methods in order to break the stereotypes and prejudices among Balkan countries, as well as to deal with human rights and social issues of Balkans such as xenophobia, nationalism, racism, homophobia etc. At the end of the program we will strive to reinforce the already existent network of partner organizations, which during the years of our organization’s operation, have consisted our basic partners as well as to design a new plan of actions in the framework of the new program “Erasmus plus”. The “Balkan (re) Vision” is an upgraded training program following the implementation of the original “Balkan Vision”. It aims to utilize the experience gained by our organization during the six-year engaging in social issues in the Balkan area.
Throughout 6 years of experience dealing with social issues among Balkan countries and fighting with the ghosts of the past, USB is coming to the advanced version of the very first project which has been presented by USB in 2008 by title Balkan(Re)vision. In the project 20 youth from 10 countries of Balkans and Europe will participate, participants from partner organizations with strong cooperation with USB and organizations which want to build capacity on non formal education dealing with social issues. The project will increase awareness and experience of the benefits of intercultural learning and developing intercultural communication skills.
Therefore the main goal of the project will be to enable participants to build knowledge and appreciation of their social, cultural, linguistic and religious diversity and to enhance the ability to relate to and communicate across cultures. So this project through intercultural learning methods and youth participation will strive to break stereotypes and prejudices, to reinforce the networks between Balkan countries and to make future plans for collaboration. It will create environment for significant conversations across profound cultural difference. Engaging a full range of local, national, and international experiences and perspectives, the project will work toward offering methods for reducing conflicts, thus generating sustainable solutions to the complex questions of our time.
Activities on our training course:
Intercultural learning (fighting prejudices, tolerance, respecting human rights and differences), youth participation (European citizenship, Erasmus plus), sharing past experience in implemented projects, making action plan and brainstorming ideas for future collaboration in the Erasmus plus 2014-2020, non-formal education and informal way of learning, using set of instruments and methods of experiential learning based on active and dynamic approach to work, networking.
Objectives:
- to develop and improve the use of intercultural learning methods, non-formal educational methods
- to develop partnerships for new potential projects for the Erasmus plus
- to enhance the already established network of NGOs of South East Europe-participants of the previous Balkan Vision project and to expand the network with new organizations
- to improve the quality and to increase the interest of international youth projects in South East Europe
- to enable participants to develop multicultural competencies that will assist them in their future professional, civic, and personal endeavors
- to increase the participants’ diversity awareness including national and international perspectives
- to assist participants in their ability to engage in a dialogue on issues of diversity, inclusiveness, human rights, European citizenship and multiculturalism
- to provide opportunities for participants to practice their diversity skills in multiple settings and to break the stereotypes and prejudices
Participant profile:
- Be above 18 years old
- Be able to work in English Interested in the topic of the training course
- Highly motivated to learn and share their own experience with the other participants
- Be able to attend the entire duration of the training course
- Give a follow up and share what they have learned after the training course with their sending organization (CID)
Financial details:
- Food and accommodation will be covered 100%. The participants will be accommodated in Anastassiou Hotel (http://www.anastassiou-hotels.gr/anastassiou/portal.php?aciton=hotel_kastoria_hotels_kastoria_family_business_hotel_kastoria_lake_parking_homepage&language=US)
- Travel expenses will be covered up to 180 EUR. The participants will be reimbursed after the end of the training course.
Sending fee (payable to CID): 500 MKD
Participation fee: 30 EUR
Apply here