CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS

TRAINING – SEMINAR

“ CULTURE, MEDIA, RELIGION AND NATIONAL IDENTITY IN YOUTH WORK”

TAVANKUT, SERBIA, from 1st to 10th of November 2016

Volunteers’ Center of Vojvodina is organizing a training­-seminar for 25 youth workers, activists and volunteers who work with young people. The participants from 8 countries will gather for 10 days, to learn, share, challenge, create and change.

The main topics of the training will be:

• youth exclusion, unemployment and nationalism; individual and collective identities
• role of institutions in inclusion/exclusion through their impact on young persons’ identity
• Balkan mythology; Balkan stereotypes and how to use them creatively
• Inclusion, denationalisation and social cohesion through creativity and art
• Erasmus+, learning and recognition of non­formal learning
• Youthpass.

VCV conducted a research in May and June 2016, examining the perception of youth about Myths and it’s influence on their beliefs. The results of the research will be the starting point for the creation of the methods implemented on the training­-seminar, mostly focusing on questioning beliefs, creating critical thinking, and tools for searching for facts instead of taking things for granted. The results of the research will be presented during the training­seminar.

The program will be revised according the needs of participants and common understanding of the group.

The program will be divided in four main parts:

1. Team building, sharing expectations, experiences, research results and learning about current state of youth unemployment and inclusion and nationalism among youth in all countries;
2. Learning; Identity and different layers, its formation and influence of different institutions on it (medial, culture and religion);
3. Getting deeper into Balkan’s culture, mythology, religions and stereotypes, introduction to backcasting strategic approach
4. Creation of new tools and methods for youth work on the topic of nationalism and identity, linked with diversity and inclusion through creativity and art; based on previous sessions and learning outcomes;

We will invite experts to share their experience and knowledge regarding roles of media, religion and culture (art) on nationalism and identity formation.

The training-seminar will gather 25 participants from Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Greece, Albania, Germany and Serbia, interested in the topic, willing to develop long­term programs for youth, fighting exclusion, nationalism and stereotypes.

Advantage will be given to youth workers and group leaders that are working with minorities, with unemployed young people, or with youth that have fewer opportunities in any way. Also, an advantage would be if the participants are intended to be group leaders on the upcoming youth exchanges.

Velebit Association Kuterevo, as a partner organisation for this project, is searching for 2 participants to join this project!

The application form should be filled and sent to kuterevo.volunteers@gmail.com not later than 16th of October!

Selection of participants will be done by 19th of October!

Practical aspects

• Accommodation and food will be covered through the project. Food will be vegan with vegetarian option, seasonal and domestic as much as possible.
• Travel costs will be covered 100% for participants who come by land, and 60% to participants who travel by plane, but we still strongly advise travelling by planet­friendly means of transport.

This training will be followed up with two activities:

1. Youth Exchange (YE), which will take place in Trstenik, Serbia, from 13.03.2017 to 23.03.2017, with GAIA Kosovo, SCI Germany, CVS Bulgaria, CID Macedonia and SCI Hellas
2. Youth Exchange in Novo Brdo, Kosovo, from 05.08.2017 to 15.08.2017, again with GAIA Kosovo, SCI Germany, CVS Bulgaria, CID Macedonia and SCI Hellas

We are looking forward to receiving your applications

Kuterevo team 🙂