THE INTERCULTURAL AGENDA OF YOUTH MOBILITY

Objectives: If young people are to play a full, valued, respected and respectful role in their local, national and European contexts, they need mobility of ideas, attitudes, expectations and practices. They need this for their encounters with linguistic and cultural otherness abroad, at home and in virtual environments. Such mobility also lies at the heart of respect for fundamental human rights and engagement with inequality and conflict. Viewed from this broader perspective, facilitating mobility in and for young people, including those in disadvantaged positions and with fewer opportunities, presents a considerable challenge to youth workers. The participants therefore: • explore understandings of the conceptual and practical dimensions of young people’s mobility in the 21st century; • link mobility, intercultural awareness and the diverse environments of young people; • develop further their own facilitation competences for intercultural youth work; • learn how to act as youth leaders in a mobile environment. Methodology: Practice oriented and supported by the tools of narrative and dialogic methodology. We employ the use of an online learning resource and several intercultural learning tools, among them those developed by SALTO and the Council of Europe. Activities during the course will develop along the following thematic directions: • Understanding mobility: exploring a variety of differing understandings of mobility and some underlying themes rising from these differing perspectives. An important theme being intercultural sensitivity or awareness. • Experiencing mobility: considering varied experiences of mobility, as well as the skills and awarenesses required of civically aware young persons and youth facilitators. • Mobility of identity: looking at mobility as more than simply travel and linking it to our complex sense of identity/ies. • Mobility of home: recognising the value of mobility of ideas, attitudes, expectations and practices and coupling that with a strong sense of home. • Mobility of persepctives: recognising the importance of moving from a mono- to multi-perspective when interacting with others. The profile of the participants can be defined as follows: • Active youth workers and leaders from youth organisations • Experience in working with young people • Ready and committed to developing and supporting new initiatives and projects within the new programme Erasmus+ • Ready and willing to get involved in the preparation stage and for the full duration of the training course • Ability to communicate and work in English