Erasmus+ training course “Think outside the box” proposing to explore how cultural diversity can be used as a positive and powerful tool within local youth work activities and European youth exchanges by active participation of young people. Applicant organization was the Asociatia Clubul Tinerilor din Sfantu Gheorghe – Sepsiszentgyörgyi Ifjúsági Klub (Romania). The partner organization was Inovaciju Biuras (Lithuania).
The aim of this project was to train youth workers, youth leaders to be capable for preparing, implementing, and evaluating workshops on cultural diversity in local level and within youth exchanges as part of preventing radicalization of young people. I think this aim was implemented.
General objectives of the training course was:
1) To raise awareness on cultural diversity and to develop competences for using cultural diversity as a positive and powerful tool within local and European youth work.
2) To understand and develop different ways of active participation of young people within cultural diversity projects.
3) To make youth workers aware of the importance of cultural diversity in local, regional and international level and to develop skills and attitudes to motivate and actively involve the young people in human rights, youth projects as preventing radicalization of young people.
Methods planned to use e.g. individual work, pair work, organizational work, mixed group work, field activity, light theatre method, theatre of oppressed, Dixit card exercise, montages, interviews, statutes, debate, aquarium discussion, etc. E-booklet on youth work goes intercultural for public use. Most of those methods were realized also. I got new experience about some of them, how it works in practical way. So it was interesting for me. Maybe some of them were more childish and should be used for students or pupils. Using some of them I got more knowledge about different cultures, traditions, customs. I liked that some methods was using step by step, trying to know each other in good way at first. It was interesting to stay in the multicultural evening, trying different dishes, listening different stories about traditions, customs. I got new experience about visit society of Roma people. It was great to work in groups and teams with different people also. I realized that we are different but also we are the same in many points.
It is good and interesting experience about living in different country, meeting new people from different countries, improving English language skills.
