Description
The project addresses the incidents of racism, hate speech, intolerance and intercultural conflicts in the local community in the village of Stroevo. The project aims at raising awareness and promoting democratic values and human rights among children, young people, the Roma and the vulnerable groups via the Raid Cross roleplay. First, the partners will have a 2-day meeting to prepare the project activities. Second, 15 children and adolescents will pass 4-day training on intercultural dialogue, group management and humanitarian law. Third, 42 participants aged 14-29 will take part in the Raid Cross roleplay promoting protection of human rights and intercultural tolerance. Finally, a photo exhibition and a film will be prepared and presented. The project will benefit the children, young people involved and the local community in general. The partners will contribute with volunteers, resources and contacts between the volunteers.
Summary of project results
The project was necessary because it is difficult to change the mindset of young people from closed and isolated communities. The village of Stroevo has a population of mixed ethnic background and it has been a stage of inter-ethnic conflicts and intercultural differences. The adolescents there grow up in a violent environment. They usually experience violence in political or historical terms (through the media and in school) or in entertainment (videogames, movies). Raid Cross (a game of the Red Cross with 42 project participants) is to make young people aware of the reality of armed conflicts and humanitarian action by providing them with tools to interpret the events and situations they experience every day. The project revealed and reinstated certain qualities in young people such as the need to promote democratic values and protect the fundamental human rights of children, young people, the vulnerable groups and the Roma from the village and the region. Racism, hate speech and intolerance in the community fell and an environment of tolerance was created. The fact that the project activities coincided with the beginning of the refugee crisis in Europe helped the participants interpret the events and the information broadcast in the news which is an added value of the planned outcomes. 15 children and young people – mentors from different ethnic background were trained under the project on issues such as intercultural dialogue, sociological concepts, group facilitation and management and humanitarian law. For more information, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/otbor42/
Summary of bilateral results