International seminar on sustainable development and Mediterranean citizenship in the field of youth

WHO ARE WE? Les Apprentis de l’Espérance: based in Paris in 1986, now installed in Marseille. A community of craftsmen, artists and volunteer educators, we are all united by our common belief in cultural and human diversity, wishing to promote mutual respect. We are encouraged by the UNESCO in our intercultural process since 1989. Through creative workshops, meetings and intercultural exchanges, we want to help the social and professional integration of young people involved in the implementation of different projects. We are dedicated to foster international solidarity and sustainable development, using an alternative educational method, recognizing our cultural identity and citizenship, based on art and crafts, sports, audio-visual and new technologies. SUMMARY Join this International seminar on sustainable development and Mediterranean citizenshiop in the field of youth called « Université populaire - Citoyenneté en méditerannée ». In a nutshell, the "Université populaire" aims to contribute to a greater intercultural understanding for youth workers who want to improve their competences to work with and for young people, to share experiences applying youth work at home, and sometimes also want to make contacts for common future projects. Our project is like a laboratory where art and social action fuse and generate evidences of the importance of arts and sport as vectors of democracy. These days will explore and focus positive experiences and practices on the five pillars of the Agenda 21: health, education, culture, environment and human rights. We also would like to highlight and insist on women’s role and responsibility in the education of the future generations, the protection of the environmental protection and the cultivation of peaceful relations. The idea is to focus on some of our local and international current issues in order to bring to the forefront greater human rights issues which we consider as the most important to address through the involvement of young workers in an open debate. The event will take place in Marseille: European Culture Capital in 2013 and European Sport Capital in 2017. THE PROJECT You can find a detailed description of the overall project in the appendix. This manifestation is based on an open debate, and workshops in a multilateral exchange between young people, and social workers. Participants would bring their own testimony about their experiences on projects they were / are developing in their country about the Mediterranean cultures, to develop an ensemble of skills. The project and its non-formal educational practices are intended to become a vehicle to express our social objectives, which are the following: - Encourage civic participation, concerned by status quo of international community - Emphasize the value of intercultural diversity and trigger curiosity about the various country’s traditions in relation to what they have in common: their proximity with the Mediterranean Sea - Inspire a debate about citizenship focusing on the principle of solidarity - Establish a range of solid international partnerships - Promote democracy, freedom of speech and open debate Please note that should you be interested to get involved in the larger framework of the project but can’t take part in this seminar, there are other ways to be involved, as described in the annee. Suggested programme elements for this 2nd "Université Populaire": We aim to create a dynamic week of creative collaborative production to improve social work. Before and after the seminar meetings with others social youth workers and technical partners, workshops and evaluations of exchanges. Visit of the city of Marseille. The seminar is recommended primarily for youth workers, trainers, youth leaders, project managers, EVS mentors/tutors. The number of participants is limited to 10 people per country. The list of eligible countries: Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Turkey, and partner countries neighbouring the EU as listed in the Erasmus+ programme. WHAT WE WANT TO HEAR FROM EACH YOUTH WORKER? We would be glad to hear about your methodology, the subject/themes you'd be willing, interested to address regarding cultural diversity, transmission of traditions and immaterial knowledge, women’s participation, public health, bio-diversity and protection of the environment. We'd like to create a safe place of vivid discussion where participants can freely share their views so we can better understand each other’s realities. We also hope that by giving visibility to third parties involved we could help everyone to get financial help (sponsoring), if necessary. COSTS At the moment of this call, we do not have resources to support the reimbursement of travel costs or to cover food and accommodation. However, we have submitted several funding applications and we do hope that this will lead to a financial support which would in this case be injected in the project and support part of your costs. Still, and in order not to create false hopes or misunderstandings, we prefer to indicate that at the moment, participants and/or their organisations have to support the costs linked to their participation in the project. OBJECTIVES OF OUR COLLABORATION - Promote encounters between youth workers and their network - Foster debate around the topics about citizenship, immigration, proposals for the future - Work on non-formal education to encourage new talents - Generate new professional vocations - Increase further develop professional competences - Create links, expand the circle of cooperation KEY WORDS Social work, storytelling, shared history and knowledge. Against racism, xenophobia. Intangible heritage HOW TO APPLY? Please download and fill in the attached application form. We need an official confirmation with a short presentation of your association and methodology; your interest to join the seminar (proposal of discussion themes, activities), precise dates, and attached application form signed. We are expecting from you to come with images about your work and your social proposal. It will make part of our programation and will be exhibited during the seminary. All the event will be recorded to be broadcoast on Web. Your application has to be send by the 25 of September 2017 by Email only: lesapprentisdelesperance@gmail.com Please inform Object line: UP2 Proposal + your country Selection: by the 2nd of October 2017 Please note that should you be interested to get involved in the larger framework of the project but can’t take part in this seminar, there are other ways to be involved, as described in the annexe. You can still participate in a virtual way: feel free to have a look to it and to contact us about this. Do not hesitate if you have any questions, we would be happy to provide you with additional precisions. Yours sincerely, The team