Project dates: 01.04.2019 – 31.08.2019
Sector: Youth and education
Target group: Young people from different ethnic and cultural background, living in Kumanovo and/or the neighboring rural areas.
Specific objectives:
- To promote youth activism and engagement in the secondary schools in Kumanovo;
- To address hate speech in schools and promote the hate free concept;
- To promote intercultural dialogue and cohesion, through direct participation in joint youth activities and initiatives regardless of ethnic or cultural background;
- To promote art and culture as a means of youth participation;
Description:
Young people in Kumanovo are living in ethnically and religiously divided town. The division is clearly visible. They are attending separate schools and have no contact with their peers. That is the main reason for many stereotypes and hate speech towards each other.
This is the main reason for the creation of the ‘Shake up the town!’ project.
The project’s main goal is to break the existing barriers between young people, to promote culture of inter-ethnic collaboration and youth activism. The project is focused on young people from different ethnic and religious groups, and aims to create mechanisms for mutual collaboration and active citizenship (with focus on youth participation) that will aim to become self-sustainable even after the finishing of the project.
Main activities:
- Training course for high school students
Building the participants’ capacities on the topics of human rights, interethnic communication and collaboration, advocacy, youth activism and mechanisms for youth participation. Raising the awareness of the young people of a multicultural society, fostering intercultural dialogue and understanding, and the negative effects of stereotypes and hate speech.
- Final event: Open air festival
Presentation of the activities and outcomes developed from the training course.
- Evaluation event:
Evaluation of the overall process and discussion of ideas and opportunities for further dissemination and engagement of the young individuals for a multiethnic society based on the principles of human rights.