MOVED ONLINE: Competencies of Youth Workers in preventing violent radicalization and extremism NEW DATES!

CONTEXT OF THE TRAINING:

Young people are impacted by constant changes in global social and economic realities, and many of them face poverty, exclusion, inequality, and marginalization. Their personal circumstances and wider political, social and economic environment in which they live may make them vulnerable to various radical influences and also violent radicalization. Realities of this emerging trend make it necessary to emphasize the need to work with young people in Europe and its neighboring regions, in order to strengthen their resilience to violent radicalization, and reinforce the openness and inclusiveness of communities in which they live.

In order to determine and illustrate the role of youth work in this regard, the SALTO Euro Med, SALTO EECA and SALTO SEE Resource Centres together with the National Agencies of Erasmus+ Youth in Action of France, Germany, Italy, Poland as well as the European Union and the Council of Europe Youth Partnership have come together:

• to research and showcase positive ways and initiatives in which youth violent radicalization can be addressed and prevented;
• to examine how we can strengthen the role of different actors, in an attempt to compile a long-term strategy about youth work against violent radicalization;
• to provide  training and networking opportunities for youth workers, practitioners from different sectors involved actively in preventing violent radicalization and extremism.

As a part of this strategy there have been realized a study about the role of youth work in the prevention of violent radicalization of young people and four international activities: a conference in Malta in 2017, a seminar in Tirana, Albania in 2018, and in 2019 a training course in Macerata, Italy and a study visit to Belgium.

More information about the strategy you can find at SALTO website: https://www.salto-youth.net/about/regionalcooperation/current/againstviolentradicalisation/

The strategy in 2020 will follow up this process strengthening and developing youth workers competencies in the field of prevention of violent radicalization. It would also like to offer more opportunities for NGOs to share their experience at the local and international level and provide opportunities for networking.

In the framework of this new step, a research about competencies needed for youth workers in the framework of preventing violet radicalization and extremism was initiated. During the 2020 the researcher will present the outcomes of his work and he will also collect feedbacks and information needed for upscaling the final version of the work. The competencies’ research is focusing on the importance of strengthening individual and community resilience as a tool for preventing violent radicalization and extremism. Resilience will be an importance focus for the upscaling of the work in the training and in the research.

The training course “Competencies of Youth Workers in preventing violent radicalization and extremism is the first element of the 2020 strategy.”

The Training will bring together participants from Programmed Countries and from the four Neighboring Regions of the European Union (Eastern Partnership, Euromed, Russia and Western Balkans) in order to reinforce participants personal and professional competencies in the field of building community resilience and in empowerment of youth towards preventing violent radicalization.

OBJECTIVES OF THE TRAINING

DEVELOPING COMMON KNOWLEDGE ON THE THEME

1) To reflect on the key concepts regarding as meaning of radicalization, community resilience, and counter and positive narratives

• to clarify important concepts that will be used during the training course. Support the creation of a common understanding of concept among the group
• to use the local/national reality to develop further the understanding of the participants regarding the topic
• explore and build an understanding of community resilience among the group

DEVELOPING COMPETENCES

2) To introduce and experience the competence model for youth worker preventing violent radicalization and extremism;

3) To provide a space where participants can assess their own competences on preventing violent radicalization and extremism;

4) To support youth workers in developing specific competencies in order to be able to strengthen individual and community resilience:

• personal competences development action plan
• peer & group learning support,
• self directed learning)

TRANSFERING TO MY REALITY

5) To provide participants the space and time to share and work on existing tools and approaches that support the development of community resilience that leads the youth wellbeing especially in critical social and political situation;

6) To introduce and explore Erasmus+ Programme & ESC potential in supporting youth work in developing community resilience

• connected to coming opportunities related to the Erasmus+ &ESC programme;
• Getting inspired by others initiatives/projects on the theme;
• Create a space where they can share and initiate follow ideas of future projects within the topic;
• Share existing tools and resources developed within this long term project
• Support the development network among practitioners/ community of practices

TARGET GROUP:

• Youth workers, practitioners daily involved in work related to prevention of violent radicalization and extremism and in buildling community resilience.

TRAINING DURATION:

• the training is 5 days long, with arrival on the 3rd od August in the morning  (the programem starts after lunch time) and departure on August 8th (of after the evening on 7th of August)