Game of Cultures: inclusion of young migrants and refugees

“Winter” is coming. More than a million migrants and refugees crossed into Europe in 2015, continuing this trend in 2016 and 2017, sparking a crisis as countries struggle to cope with the influx, and creating division in the EU over how best to deal with resettling and including people. This training course will focus on the work with local communities and not specially in working directly with migrants, asylum seekers and refugees themselves. Inclusion of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees is very hard in communities which lack the openness and are not aware of the issues and challenges associated with it. Working in the intercultural competences of local communities throughout Europe is a key element for a healthier relationship between all parties and a better Europe towards the future. This training course is focused on intercultural learning in the field of youth and alternative approaches towards it. Taking different points of view (arriving and hosting) to the situations and possible conflicts, we will be exploring and using different tools that youth workers can use when organizing activities related to cultural diversity, but also giving space for discussion and theoretical considerations. This training is not only for Youth Workers who work directly with refugees and migrants, but for all those who work in multicultural environments and work in communities who face the challenge of newly arrived cultures. Game of Cultures is the 2nd edition of an intensive training course with 6 full training days. Main aim: - to support, empower and develop the competences of youth workers so that they can act on their local youth communities in order to create multiplier agents, promoting and encouraging intercultural dialogue in their local communities in order to enhance its openness to the inclusion of migrants and refugees, with a mid and long term perspective. Objectives: - Reflect on the current European and National realities concerning the flux of migrants and refugees and their inclusion; - Learn and develop knowledge, competences and tools to work on diversity, intercultural learning and intercultural dialogue; - Create awareness of the importance that influence of culture has on person’s behavior and identity; - Raise awareness on the cultural differences between different European countries and to what extent this impacts the inclusion/exclusion of migrants and refugees in different societies; - Develop tools, activities and sustainable strategies to promote inclusion of migrants and refugees; - Explore the potential of young people as actors of inclusion and change on a local level, on a mid and long term perspective; - Share good practices related to youth work, inclusion and active participation - Acknowledge the Erasmus+ Programme as a tool for intercultural learning, Youth Work and inclusion; - Develop an informal network of youth workers and youth leaders tackling the Refugee Crisis and promoting follow up projects and initiatives. Methodology The training course will use the principles and methods of Non Formal Learning and will include input sessions, experience-exchange sessions, reflection-groups and discussions. Participants will assume a very active role during the program sharing their knowledge, experience, ideas and questions related to the topic. The working methods will be varied and interactive in order to ensure a balance between theory and practice, between information and application. One specific quality of this training course is the focus on projects and concrete use of learning products, therefore participants will be supported and guided on the development, implementation and evaluation of their own tools or projects for intercultural learning and dialogue. This is an intensive training course with 6 full training days of about 7 hours working time per day. There is one free afternoon, but other than that it is to be expected a demanding schedule. Target groups - Youth workers - Trainers - Youth leaders - Youth Policy Makers - EVS mentors/tutors Working language: English Team of trainers: Saro Rossi (Italy) and Rodrigo Vilarinho (Portugal)