Let's Shape Our Future Ourselves

Youth from rural areas grow up to live with limited social and economic opportunities, which negatively influences their social lives, education, mind-forming. Often they become adults unable to voice their opinions at any level – starting from family and up to civic and political participation. A number of serious problems confront these young people: higher unemployment, marginalization, lack of resources, they have no opportunity to visit other countries and meet their peers: they have a very poor understanding of cultures and common values, thus become hostile towards them and do not feel that they belong to any other reality than the one which they are accustomed to be. "Let's Shape Our Future Ourselves" TC aims at providing rural youth workers and youth leader with competences to build the capacities of young people as leaders and encourages civic activism in their communities. We believe that many young people, when supported and recognized in their role, these young people can become peer leaders and educators, involve other young people in development of rural policy, engage in constructive initiatives instead of being the multipliers of hatred and rejection which fuel prejudice. While reflect upon the role of young people as community leaders, exploring the ways of reveling and developing leadership potential of rural youth, encouraging active participation of young people, by means of providing them tools for participation, project creation and management, creativity and community changes and providing participants with space to exchange best practices we can further equip youth leaders from rural communities with knowledge and tools for getting involved in international youth work and encourage cooperation while implementing such projects within and beyond Youth Programme. Specific objectives of TC are: Reflect upon the role of young people as community leaders, explore the ways of reveling and developing leadership potential of rural youth; -Encourage active participation of young people, by means of providing them tools for participation, project creation and management, creativity and community changes; -Provide participants with space to exchange best practices; -Equip participants with knowledge and tools for getting involved in international youth work and encourage cooperation while implementing such projects within and beyond Youth Programme; -Promote solidarity and tolerance of project participants by creating a platform to acquire alternative and positive information about youth from different countries. Working Methods will be those of Non-Formal Education, that means participants will be creating space for sharing and learning among group, will be practical exercises with debriefing, experience sharing, learning by doing. Main types of activities: group work, simulations, interactive exercises, and Forum Theater methodology. Team of Experienced Trainers will support learning process of participants, create space for the learning, and will help them plan implementation of gained skills and knowledge in the real life, after TC and will help them to work out way they will do it in their local communities. Everyday Reflection Groups will help participants to reflect on Day learning Experience and to make conclusions of the Day. Programme will consist from the following parts: 1. Getting to know each other and background, creating the group, building up mutual understanding of the role of young people in rural communities in different countries, as well as sharing their economical and social situation. 2. Understanding of the role of the leader, competences needed to be effective in the community, youth work, tools for engagement of Young people in the community life, project management and creating skills. 3. Application of competences developed during those days in local communities, development of concrete tools for engagement of young people in concrete communities of participants. 4. Development of personal action plans of participants, planning next steps for follow up within the group and evaluation of the course. Young people will be involved in all stages of the project: - by preparing presentations of the communities, exploring needs of local young people before the TC; during the TC by active participation in activities, creating tools for local implementation and follow up, and after by applying follow up activities and involving more young people in local actions. Via evaluation and feedback process, participants will have a say in all stages of the TC.