TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Ilaria Esposito
Under the development of the European brunch of WAGGGS global advocacy campaign “Stop the Violence, speak out for girls’ rights” – A training seminar was organized by Europe Region WAGGGS supported by the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe.
Aim:
to empower girls and young women to develop the skills and confidence to claim their rights and the rights of others to prevent and combat violence against women and girls.
The training targeted youth leaders and workers active in WAGGGS Member Organizations throughout
Europe. Participants who were actively involved in developing projects or activities in preventing violence against girls and young women (or interested in doing so)
in their organizations, were recruited so they could multiply the results of the training through peer education and capacity building at local and national level. We also extended an invitation to partner organizations of
the Europe Region WAGGGS, and national and regional representatives of the White Ribbon Campaign, YMCA Europe and YWCA also participated in the seminar, which provided the participants with a different perspective.
In total the group consisted of 31 participants from 18 countries. The Planning Team
The team was composed of trainers active in national and international level in member organisations of the
Europe Region WAGGGS. The trainers also have different roles in their organisations, and some of them were able to bring an external perspective, being already involved in representing the Europe region at
Euorpean level and in the statutory youth structures .
The Planning team were as follows:
1 person (Europe Office WAGGGS, United Kingdom) 1 person (World Office WAGGGS, United Kingdom)
1 (Hungary)
1 (Danemark)
1 (Italy)
1 (France)
Non-formal education, experiential learning, learning by doing as well as active participation are the main methodologies used in all Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting activities. During the seminar, different methods were used including plenary and
small group work:, role play games, open space technology, wall writing, silent march, exhibition, working and cluster groups, different kind of brainstorming, simulations. During the training participants also designed multiplying activities in order to involve other young people at national and local
level in partnership actions. By working in groups participants experienced peer education and support to become actors of their self-development. The training comprised of four main parts.
Participants, worked mostly on planning an action plan to lobby and advocate with their organization towards their government to implement, sign or ratify the Istanbul Convention - Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. After that they had the opportunity to meet a Cypriot MEP in the European Parliament working on the issue tackled during the seminar, present their action plans, and sharing ideas of implementation. Linking the capacity building seminar with the direct experience of advocating towards an European Institution.
Chair of the planning team covering lobbying and advocacy sessions, super-visioning action plan and follow up sessions. Coordinating the trainers team making sure the flow of the training seminar was smooth and that the Human Rights based approach was present in all of their sessions.