EXPLORE: Motivating Youth into Intercultural Dialogue Erasmus Project

Project Title

EXPLORE: Motivating Youth into Intercultural Dialogue

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 : Strategic Partnerships for youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy) ; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

Failing to understand the global interconnectedness, the more complex cultural, social and political context in which we live, can lead to intercultural misunderstandings and conflicts, like the ones that we are currently living in the EU regarding the migration flow. We need to arm youth with the right concept of Intercultural dialogue as it is a tool to prevent conflicts and to engage in conflict transformation. Indeed, intercultural learning as a social and political aim promotes a world view in which people are actively engaged in processes that facilitate intercultural encounters, understand the potential of diversity, interact with which other as equals, question power relations and take action for a more just society.

To empower youth, we need to empower youth workers and boost, first of all, Youth work that is known as a tool for personal development, social integration and the active citizenship of young people. This 2-year-project – “EXPLORE: Motivating Youth into Intercultural Dialogue” – aims to support the capacity building of youth workers and invest in the quality in youth work, by developing and sharing effective methods (storytelling, gamification, intercultural local encounters and creative communication) in reaching out to young people and work on intercultural competences in order to prevent intolerance among youth, engaging them in an intercultural dialogue mindset and strengthening knowledge and acceptance of diversity.

For this we will gather different public and private institutions from 5 countries that have: (1) the same need to diversify methods to reach out to youth on intercultural dialogue, facing lack of motivation of youth to engage or even some misconceptions of youth workers regarding the topic (for example, oversimplification of intercultural learning); (2) different contexts and experiences on intercultural learning with youth; (3) different knowledge, tools regarding intercultural skills (ICC) training and approach to youth, worthy to share on a EU level; and (4) common will to improve the quality of youth work in each organisation, strengthening cross-cooperation and a multidisciplinary approach.

Therefore, the objectives of the project are:
– Invest in the capacity building of youth workers on intercultural competences and youth motivation promoting high-quality work and innovative methods of reaching out to Youth;
– Learn, adapt and develop knowledge, competences and tools to work on diversity, intercultural learning and intercultural dialogue, using creative methodology like local intercultural encounters/immersion experiences, gamification, storytelling, among others;
– Promote the exchange of good practices regarding ICC training and youth work among public/private partners from 5 countries, strengthening cross-cooperation;
– Broaden the definition of culture, youth motivation and intercultural learning crossing approaches of public/private entities, addressing stereotypes and misunderstandings;
– Strengthening the strategy of communication to the target-group, through exchange of good practices between public bodies, cooperatives and small-medium size organizations.
– Contribute to the sense of belonging, as European Citizens and motivate participants to learn more about EU through
transnational workforce and mobilities;

We will create a journey of empowerment of youth workers on Intercultural Learning: (i) starting with exchange of good practices and methodologies on a transnational level using digital tools as Map Platforms; (ii) transnational training and creation of activities using Storytelling and Gamification methodology applied to intercultural learning; (iii) transnational training on Local Intercultural Encounters or Immersion Experiences (events, projects, etc.) and exploration of Creative Communication; (iv) finishing with a practical Booklet “Motivating Youth into Intercultural Dialogue”, disseminating the outcomes of the project.

We expect that this project will make a contribution for the professional development and recognition of youth work and youth workers that will be aware of the complex perspectives on intercultural learning and contact, learn creative and practical methodology to better engage youth into intercultural dialogue and will learn how to better communicate with the next generation of change makers. Additionally, we will reinforce an international network that will continue to cooperate and create new initiatives.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 101952 Eur

Project Coordinator

Consorzio Social Lab Società Cooperativa Sociale & Country: IT

Project Partners

• Freguesia de Cascais e Estoril
• ASSOCIACAO ANIMAM VIVENTEM
• Awesome People
• Pi Youth Association
• SDRUZHENIE WALK TOGETHER
• Etnie Associazione di Promozione Sociale onlus