Refugees reflections

Project description: The aim of this project is to raise the awareness of young Europeans and partner countries on the issue of migratory movement towards Europe and the consequent demand for international protection by a large number of people in the European Union.
We want also to transform the vision of the phenomenon of the humanitarian emergency into an opportunity to enrich the European society, respecting its principles and constitutive values.
Encourage young people to acquire critical analysis skills in order they could analyze and understand the dichotomy between the constitutive principles of the European Union, such as solidarity and respect for human rights, with the economic and political uncertainty of the European context today. Participants will be invited to develop innovative proposals for the integration policies of the EU’s foreign population.
Immigration and international protection are very important themes for young Europeans and refugees, since they represent the future of European society together. This TC intends to promote a challenge and a commitment to the integration and the formation of a society based on the fundamental principles of the European Union. For these reasons, this TC is intended to educate young people about refugees, offering information so that they know in a holistic and comprehensive way this phenomenon, both juridically, socially and humanitarian. The methodology of the course will be based on non-formal education, using
group dynamics, active participation, moments of group reflection, etc.
This TC will involve young people from ten different EU countries will enable the exchange of experiences about the situation of refugees within the different geographical realities of the EU.
To meet this objective, the participating countries chosen for this TC are those who are directly involved in the reception of applicants for international protection or refugees such as: Greece; Spain; Italy; Malta; Bulgaria; Germany; Belgium; Sweden; Hungary; Turkey. Participants from these countries will be young people who are studying in the field of international protection. The trainers will be people with experience working directly with applicants for international protection.

Working methods: All the exchange is done through the methods of non-formal education. The activities are for example brainstorms, plenary discussions, simulations, role plays, team building, energizers, ice-breakers and many others. Non-formal education is voluntary, no hierarchical and all its methods are based on the concept of learning by doing.

Main aim: The Training Course, by using the non-formal education methodology, is directly aiming at creating a safe learning environment for the participants, environment that would facilitate the development and acquisition of new skills, competences and attitudes. “Refugees Reflections” will offer a range of activities that will create the proper environment for learning, using non-formal education methodology mostly based on active listening, creative and visual methods, socializing, according to every participant’s learning style.
All the participants, after attending the course, will be able to support youngsters from their areas in boosting their thoughts about refugees and people who are seeking asylum. Through workshops, activities, guidance and coaching, supporting them in different aspects that will lead them to think about the reasons that made a lot of people leave from their countries, leaving behind their houses and family.
After the TC, as we don’t want to finish it as a “one time activity” but to give the inputs to be active at local level. With their new competences, and with the help and support by their NGOs and the Training Team, they will become able to implement new activities and workshops to make a positive change in their societies.

Objectives: Within the training participants will be able to:
– Enhance participants competences on career guidance, counselling, orienteering, and coaching with practical tools to use them in their respective countries.
– To raise awareness among young Europeans on the issue of migratory movements towards Europe and refugees, as well as to provide technical information on the EU’s system of international protection, both legally, socially and humanitarian.
– Promote an approach based on the positive integration of refugees, as a social opportunity rather than a social issue.
– Encourage young people to acquire critical analysis skills regarding migration and international protection, developing ideas and proposals for a positive integration of refugees in the EU.
– To create a space for the exchange of experiences between the participants of the different countries, making a comparative analysis of the different realities and social responses to the refugee question.
– Create an international platform with the participants of each country on mechanisms of social responses that favor the integration of refugees and seekers of international protection.
– Empower the role of the Erasmus + programme and Non Formal Education as tools to boost the awareness of migration to youngsters in strategic countries of EU.
This project has been funded with support from European Commission, approved with Reference number 2017-2-ES02-KA105-009747.

Participants’ profile: This project has been designed and developed to be addressed to Youth Worker and Leaders, Youth Activists and those active in youth organizations or dealing with youth matters.
The participants will come from different backgrounds and areas of expertise, in order to favor a wider exchange of good practices, ideas and challenges, favoring at the same time values such as interculturalism, tolerance and respect, while developing skills such as teamwork in an intercultural group, critical and
creative thinking and problem solving.
Key assets for selection will be:
– Motivation
– Experience
– Possibility to use the outcomes of the TC
– Will to undertake in follow-up activities
– Gender Balance (1 male and 1 female participant or 1 male and 2 female participants per country)
– Minorities, economic difficulties, coming from rural Areas, or other disadvantaged background.