TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Viktoria Grivina
The project’s main objective was to talk and learn about racism, immigration and modern European
democracies. Through non-formal education trainers worked to build trust between participants of different origins and religions. We worked with games, debates
and theater in order to discuss the issues of racism and its origins. We looked into its
construction from the micro sphere to the macro sphere. We analyzed our cultural identities
to end up discussing about the construction of European democracies and the new cross-cultural
challenges. Our goal was to study how preconceptions of other cultures and religions are challenged and how the growth of xenophobia and racism in Europe is formed. We worked mainly through games and theater and an artistic project created by mixed groups. As one of the olderst volunteer branch in Europe, SCI has been keen on peace and intercultural development since its first projects in post-war France in 1918-19, in this sense the project on fostering mutual understanding showed continuity and deep-rooted tradition of organization's goals and purposes.
6 Catalans, 5 Bulgarians, 5 Ukranians, 5 Greeks
Most fruitful methods included theater of the oppressed, debates, art therapy, discussions, role-play and intercultural reflection. Participants used digital technologies, photo and video equipment to produce their statements on the issues of racism and discrimination.
Participants learnt about similarites and diversity of one another's cultures, collaborated to reach a common understanding of what racism and discrimination are based upon, how these phenomena can be traced on different levels and how to deal with them both in everyday and in public life. In the end of the project participants created photo collages and other art objects that expressed their shared worldview on the problem.
Results can be seen in the report of the participants: http://www.svit-ukraine.org/2016/08/colorful-minds-say-no-to-racism-yuwg.html
and on the Facebook page of the projecr:
https://www.facebook.com/viktoria.grivina/posts/1093661824024020
I prepared sessions on tracing violence in media and social media, proposed and conducted simulation games, for example, "On the Border", where part of the participants played roles of refugees, and others - of the immigration officers, offered video and interactive workshops on the topic of inequality that takes place on communication and social media level.