Launched in 2015, MEDIActive Youth is an international youth program aimed at enhancing media literacy among young people. 22 young NGOs from Europe and Latin America have seen their capacities increase as a result of two earlier Erasmus+ MEDIActive Youth projects. A Transnational Youth Magazine (TYM), the website www.mediactiveyouth.net, and multilingual online courses have also been developed.
Seven youth organizations from Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Estonia, North Macedonia, and Serbia make up the project consortium. Serbia’s capital city of Belgrade offered a training course on media literacy and blended learning that was hosted by Centar za drustveno ekonomski razvoj – Serbia (CDER).
The TC’s objective was to equip the young workers and trainers from the partner NGOs with media literacy, activism, and blended learning abilities. After the TC, the participants will have the skills necessary to use blended learning to teach young people media literacy. Additionally, the participants hone their writing abilities and begin producing content for the TYM. The participants will gain a variety of skills in the area of media activism and literacy during the TC, including technical competences (the capacity to access media), critical competencies (understanding, interpreting, and critical evaluation of media content), and practical competencies (creating media messages, particularly writing texts for the media; using social networks as platforms for media activism; blended learning).
The project’s specific objectives were to produce outstanding multilingual open educational resources (OER) for cutting-edge blended learning on media literacy and activism, encourage active participation in society among youth NGOs, workers, and activists from seven countries in Europe and Africa, improve their media literacy and media activism skills, and create an information/media hub for youth policy between Europe, Africa, and Latin America by enhancing the TYM and advertising.
The main subject we discussed and wrote about was the issues facing the youth community and how we can address them. On behalf of Center for Intercultural Dialogue (CID), three participants were sent, and our time in Belgrade helped us to grow, learn, and improve as writers.
We encountered new ideas, traditions, and customs, as well as people from various cultures. You have the option to venture outside of your comfort zone and encounter strange scenarios by fully embracing this new culture. You will gain a deeper understanding and respect of the country’s history and its people by fully immersing yourself in this experience, such as through participating in local activities, sampling the local cuisine, and making friends with a range of individuals.
By examining various writing styles and working on our own projects, the course allowed us to hone our creative thinking and problem-solving skills. This ability is transferable to numerous professional settings. Having your writing examined by others is a necessary component of writing. Even while no one enjoys having their hard work and artistic creations critiqued, it is a valuable skill to be able to listen intently and act upon constructive feedback. Additionally, you will have the chance to take into account the writing of your fellow authors as a part of a creative writing program. This aids in the development of your abilities to assess the writing of your coworkers and offer helpful critique.
Your ability to arrange your thoughts and write clearly will be put to the test as you learn to write. Make sure the “bone” of your storyline makes sense and flows in an organized way whether you are writing a short story, novel, drama, film, or children’s story. This kind of reasoning is particularly transferable to the workplace. Participating in the training enhances one’s persuasiveness. For individuals working in the advertising, education, coaching, or communications industries, having the capacity to persuade or inspire others is tremendously useful. This category would include any work that includes conveying a message from one person or organization to another where some sort of action needs to be performed.
You can only become a more well-rounded person by getting together to discuss and exchange views with other people. You will always leave the experience much richer for it if you have the chance to spend time with a variety of people. Putting your thoughts on paper boosts your self-confidence. A more challenging role at work will appeal to you if you feel better about yourself. Writing is challenging, but if you can take the initiative and publish your ideas for others to read and discuss, the difficulties at work won’t seem as daunting.
Shared with us Aleks Nakovikj,
The project will last for 24 months. It began on March 1st, 2022, and is scheduled to end on February 29, 2024.
