Welcome into a multicultural Europe

"What are the reasons for forgetting, for losing art, customs and traditions? Why do discrimination based on religious orientation, ethnicity or cultural preferences occur? What means „positive discrimination” ?" These are just some of the questions that arise when we are talking with young people about the events that are presented in the media. As we look back, it seems clear that it has never been easy to find ways to recognize, understand and accept the specific needs and differences, further more, to live with them in harmony.
The idea of this project is to build a new way of thinking about different cultures as a tool to develop the participants within the organisation, and a way of developing the NGO itself. In this light, the main reasons underlying the project are that young people could be able to discover the meaning of art, traditions and customs, thus fighting against discrimination. To discover and to become aware of the social realities from Europe, in order to strengthen their sense of European citizenship, to discover themselves and to learn through non-formal education methods.
The main objectives of the project are the non-formal intercultural learning, understanding, promoting art, their own traditions as well as those of other cultures, explaining the cultural differences and promoting a behavior for eliminating discrimination in order to understand what European citizenship means. All these goals we will achieve with a group of 30 young people from 6 countries, with ages between 16-28 years old.
In order to achieve these objectives, the project includes non-formal education activities through discussions, presentations, exposures, workshops, group playing and other creative, innovative and participative learning methods. The duration of the main activities will be of 12 days, during which the participants will discover and learn a variety of things about art, tradition and customs of the all involved countries.
The indirect beneficiaries will be other groups and members of the communities involved in activities.
We want to generate in young people that will be tomorrow's adults, trust, acceptance and understanding. In order to get to listen to each other as equals it requires time, patience and sensitivity. On long term, this will reach to generate values, norms and beliefs common with those who are sharing. The differences which will persist in this case will be the basis for the respect of personal freedom, acceptance of others point of view equally and understanding of our responibilities.
The project will be based on non-formal learning methods and will be highly participatory and experiential.
The project is also build for NGO development issues. Through the project we want to provide NGO youth with a variety of skills that will help them to improve their own performance and that of their colleagues or theirs NGOs members.