The route to understanding

Özet, Erasmus+ Project Results platformunda yayımlanan İngilizce metindir.

Amaç

Migration – and especially the situation of refugees – is one of the main topics in public opinion all over Europe. The New European migrant crisis or European refugee crisis arose through the rising number of refugees and migrants coming to the European Union, across the Mediterranean Sea or Southeast Europe, and applying for asylum. They arrived and are still arriving in a moment of time where many citizens in European countries feel threatened by foreigners. There is a raising concern in Europe that massive flows of refugees and migrants may be in infiltrated by violent extremists which without evidence is presenting bad public image and therefore leads to rising of fear and xenophobia and discrimination against immigrants.
With this project we call for a dialogue, to share opinions from all sides to develop better informed opinions. We also believe that knowledge is the key to understanding and compassion.
The main aim of the project is to invite youth workers to reflect upon their own competences and attitudes towards migrants and refugees and to bring back home enlarged competences for fighting discrimination, intolerance and hostile attitude in local communities of the partner countries. This is why participants come from countries where migrants and refugees are entering the European continent at first place.
This training course is organized for representatives of youth organizations from different European countries, to create a common strategy. As the crisis is a cross-border problem, it only makes sense to coordinate our actions in a European framework.
Training course will take place in September, 2019 in Ohrid, Macedonia.
Participants countries are: Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia and Macedonia.
During TC we will follow all of the important elements of non-formal learning, such as interaction, cooperation rather then competition, using experiences of participants, being flexible in needs of the group, following group dynamics process, holistic approach etc.
The objectives to reach of this project are:
– to exchange knowledge between representatives from 5 different European youth organizations about the European Refugee Crisis: its origins, global effects and how countries deal with it, including the public response;
• to get a thorough understanding of concepts such as stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination;
• To raise awareness on the reasons of ignoring, generating fears from immigrants
• To raise awareness on universal human rights of immigrants;
• to fight against xenophobia and racism towards immigrants and to develop intercultural sensitiveness
• to promote intercultural, inter religious dialogue and respect for human rights;
• Rising awareness of violent extremism as a cause rather than a consequence of immigration and influence of media related to immigration
• Understand the EU policies towards migration and local realities in participating countries,
• promoting European cooperation between youth organisations and engage youth with immigrant backgrounds in organizations’ activities
• Develop new initiatives in the field of migration and mobility for young people within the framework of the Erasmus + Programme
• to promote the Erasmus Plus program.

Uygulama

The training course is the main activity of the project. we aim at increasing the capacity of 5 European organisations by supporting the professional development and enhancement of the competences of their youth workers in fostering creativity, participation, sharing, cooperation, mutual learning and innovation in the field of non-formal learning. With this seminar, we intend to provide youth workers, trainers, activists, educators with the opportunity to meet, share opinions, learn from one another, establish friendship for future cooperation, while creating a suitable environment for dialogue, which will lead to understanding and compassion and improving the public image and methods. The group consists of 30 young people, from 5 countries. A lot of opportunities for sharing experiences and networking!

Each partner organization will select 5 participants and one group leader. Participants are young people who are expressing desire to learn more about different cultures, specifically, to learn more about the challenges young migrants face in their search for better life.

Sonuçlar

The outcome of this project will be focused on various types of results. The participants of this project should develop their skills in order to raise voice in the society related to this phenomenon on migration issue. This project should result in:
– learning about the refugees/migrants search for better way of life;
– understanding the reasons for fleeing;
– carrying out activities in a non-governmental entity (for example, a youth organisation, a human rights organisation, an organisation working on specific social rights or with specific target groups etc.) or in a local authority (for example, local community centers, youth centers, information office of a Municipality, school communities, etc.),
– tackling migration, refuges, asylum issues, discrimination and violence,
– motivation and capacity to develop further projects for and with young people on topic migration, refuges, discrimination and asylum seekers;
– raise an interest to the local authorities to fight against social exclusion migrant, refugees and asylum seekers;
– to learn and to develop their professional and personal competences;
– to give motivation in their organisation/institution in the field of migration;
– prevention of anti migration and anti discrimination attitudes;
– promoting of the rights of the refugees/migrants, their acceptance in the society and providing assistance in the everyday life;
– raising awareness about refugees/migrants acceptance in the society.