New Horizons: Promoting Social Inclusion through Affirming Diversity

Aims & objectives

The aim of the project was to increase the quality of youth work in promoting social inclusion in working
with youth facing cultural and social obstacles. This was pursued through three specific objectives:
• increasing knowledge, competences and practical skills of youth workers regarding intercultural and interreligious dialogue
• educating youth workers on how to support European values among youth facing cultural and social obstacles
• exchanging experiences of participating organisations on how to promote active citizenship and foster social inclusion among youth facing cultural and social obstacles.

Fostering engagement and reducing social exclusion of vulnerable youth is one of the fundamental tasks of partner organisations involved in this project. By working directly with vulnerable youth from different cultural and social backgrounds on local level, youth workers from partnering organisations find it difficult to engage in dialogue with some youth because they experience lack of knowledge and skills, especially intercultural and interreligious knowledge.

Target group & international/intercultural composition of the group & team

Participants were youth workers from Italy, Croatia, Portugal, Slovakia, France, Spain, Estonia, Netherlands and Slovenia. They were engaged in working with disadvantaged youth who face cultural and social obstacles.

Training methods used & main activities

I used World Café to spark discussion and exchange of ideas about dialogue with youth. I used "Orange Islands" exercise to illustrate the process of negotiating and communicating under stress. Moreover, I introduced participants to some important aspects of monotheistic religions through storytelling. To complement the session, I used a documentary movie on religion. Furthermore, I conducted a session using Bohm dialogue. This method, originating from physicist and philosopher David Bohm, is a freely flowing group conversation in which participants attempt to reach a common understanding, experiencing everyone's point of view fully, equally and nonjudgmentally.

I have also conducted non-formal sessions "The Complexity of Identity", "Critical Thinking: Logical Fallacies and Mental Biases", "Four Corners: Supporting European Values, "Exercise: Guess who's coming to the party", "Exercise: Take a Step Forward".

Outcomes of the activity

The main result of the training is increased quality of youth work of youth workers from partner organisations. It entails participants’ improved knowledge, competences and skills regarding intercultural and interreligious dialogue, more effectively supporting European values, promoting active citizenship and fostering social inclusion of youth facing cultural and social obstacles. Other significant results are strengthened international cooperation and transnational sharing of youth work practices.
Info about the project: https://www.udrugaprizma.hr/new-horizons

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

I was responsible for coordinating the project, including preparation and implementation of the training course to achieve project objectives and learning
outcomes, as well as dissemination of results.
I was also responsible for intercultural education and Bohm dialogue as tools for youth work. I coordinated the preparation of training sessions focusing on interreligious dialogue, European values and youth identity, and monitored participants' preparation.

I worked on this training for 7 days as a full time trainer.