Developing an Oppressive practice in International mobility project Erasmus Project

Project Title

Developing an Oppressive practice in International mobility project

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Capacity Building for youth in neighbouring and enlargement countries

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy)

Project Summary

If you need a summary under 3000 characters with spaces this is it.

This project brought together 8 countries to investigate the issues related to anti-oppressive practice within international youth work. Within the sphere of international youth work, trainers, coordinators and partners (hereafter called practitioners) have a duty of care to create a positive intercultural learning environment for participants of their international projects. However, depending on the practitioners’ own knowledge of the cultures they are working with and stereotype they may hold, it is possible for them to display an attitude of oppression, even if they are not aware of it. This could be manifested in the language or expressions they use while delivering the international programme. There can be many reasons for this. The common ideas about race or religion within their nation could be a factor as an example.

During the course, we explored this topic and gained the experiences of participants from the group, and work towards a common definition of what anti-oppressive practice within international youth work means and what are the common practices that need to be followed in order to deliver this.

The aims of the course were as follows:

1. Teach the pedagogical approaches of anti-oppressive practice and how to effectively
implement this into non-formal education with young people and youth workers, teachers or
mentors.

2. Promote the area of the Western Balkans for further cooperation in projects under the
Erasmus Plus framework.

3. Identify common issues of inclusion and participation for young people in the EU and Western
Balkans, then suggesting methods and approaches to overcome these.

4. Address areas of conflict related to all partners national realities, identify what lies and the
core of each and promote empathy as a method of resolution.

5. Look at reflective practice as another tool in managing anti-oppressive practice.

6. Develop a common understanding of anti-oppressive practice within international youth work
and create common practices that need to be followed for its implementation.

After the course, we developed a publication which took in the learning from the course and
developed a best practice guide for anti-oppressive practice within international youth work linking
EU and West Balkan Nations as well as a website that shared the results and information about the topic.

The project lasted for 8 days and was based in North West Bosnia. The participating countries
in this project were Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, United Kingdom, Netherlands,
Portugal and Estonia. We concluded the project with an evaluation seminar in Serbia inviting 2 participants per country.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 34527,6 Eur

Project Coordinator

UDRUZENJE OMLADINSKI CENTAR KOSMOSKLJUC & Country: BA

Project Partners