TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Nebojsa Nick Djeric
Eastern Europe Studies Centre has organized training event on intercultural dialogue and intercultural learning topics under the framework of the project “United Students of Belarus Rally “USB 2014”: Promoting the Intercultural Dialogue ”that has implemented in period from 2 – 5 October 2014 in Vilnius, Jovariškės, Lithuania.
The whole idea behind the project was to gather Belarusian students from Belarus and other countries for a rally, during which they could communicate, share experiences, meet each other, as well as participating in various training activities and interactive discussions.
Topic of multicultural dialogue and intercultural learning was based on the discussions that took place last year, during training on leadership. The participants together with the lecturers were discussing about how Belarusians could make their skills work in a broader context, how could they initiate more progress and change in their society and improve their image worldwide, since today not much is known and valued about Belarus.
Main objectives and activities of the project were related to how to promote inter-cultural dialogue, intercultural learning and mutual understanding topics between young people in multicultural environments.
The United Students of Belarus (USB) Rally was an opportunity to meet Belarusian youth studying around the world, to exchange experience and contacts, as well as to join the informal international network of Belarusians residing at home and abroad known today as the USB - the United Students of Belarus.
The geographical boundaries of the community where extend from the Baltic countries, Belarus and Russia to the Western and Southern Europe.
On this training were participated:
- Belarusian youth (18-35 years old), studying abroad;
- Belarusians studying in their motherland;
- USB alumni (former students that participated in previous USB Rallies).
The working language of the training was English, but during interactive discussions, participants were used Russian language too.
Total number of participants was: 21
The working methods used on this training were non-formal education and informal way of learning.
The program activities that I delivered to participants were: name games, energizers, team building games, different workshops and exercises that are related with intercultural dialogue, mutual understanding and intercultural learning topics, real life simulations, role plays, inputs, individual and presentations in small groups, interactive discussions, debates...
This year USB Rally was devoted to the development of multicultural dialogue in attempt to establish an lively and reciprocal conversation with other cultures, develop an open and active society through development of Belarusian identity.
The ultimate goal of this year’s Rally was to contribute to establishing the Belarusian society as a unique community, which also open to equal cooperation within the international sphere.
Themes that training course covered:
- Intercultural dialogue between Belarus, Lithuania and Poland: between realities and possibilities
- Understanding of culture and multicultural dialogue (identity, challenges, problems and their origins)
- Simulations - from multicultural to intercultural societies (the promise and the reality)
- Intercultural learning and concept of diversity (values in Europe)
- Intercultural learning competences in practice
- Country representation in the international community – strategies and approaches for youth
Participants were in the position to be very active on training activities during whole training sessions. Trainer has prepared program with interactive content that helped participants to learn and to get/share knowledge in an friendly working atmosphere.
In this project behind myself, were involved experts that are presented different topics:
- Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Eastern Europe Studies Centre
- Dr. Vilius Ivanauskas, Eastern Europe Studies Centre
- Dr. Aurimas Švedas, Vilnius University
- Prof. Michal Kopczynski, University of Warsaw
- Andrei Stsiapanau, European Humanities University
- Dalia Bankauskaitė, Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius university
As a trainer, I have created and delivered program activities for training on intercultural dialogue and intercultural learning topics during the United Students of Belarus Rally “USB Rally 2014”, using an interactive and participative approach methods.
This project financially has supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania (http://www.urm.lt/default/en/) and organized by Eastern Europe Studies Centre (www.eesc.lt)