IMPLEMENTATION
24th of March 2023
FIRST DAY
GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER
During the morning session, we held an activity about creating our own envelopes. In this activity, participants were walking in the room with a piece of paper with their names and a circle (face). As they were walking with their papers each time and when the trainer said "stop", it was simultaneously suggested to draw a specific feature of the face of the participant whose name was on the paper (e.g., eyebrows, eyes, lips). We continued until we had drawn the whole face. In this way, we had a portrait of each participant which had been drawn by various other participants. Afterwards, we put them up on the wall with an envelope underneath which was used to place some "presents'' and nice words for each person. Within the framework of this activity, we played secret friend throughout the whole week. In fact, each participant had a secret friend from which they were receiving small presents the whole week!
Within the first session, we also played various name games, such as the activity in which you say your name and make a movement. The next participant has to repeat the name and the movement of all the previous ones. It was certainly challenging up to a point. We played the famous two truths and one lie, in which you wrote in a paper two truths and one lie about yourself and others have to make a strong guess to figure out the lie.
In addition, during the first session, we made an introduction to the Training, and we found some rules with the participants, which they signed ;).
YOUTH PASS ACTIVITY
In this activity, participants have been divided into eight groups. Around the workshop room, they were eight stations. Each station was about one Erasmus Plus Competence (e.g., Literacy, Multilingual, Mathematical, Digital, Personal and Learning to Learn, Citizenship, Entrepreneurship, and Cultural Awareness and Expression Competence). Participants with their teams received their Youth Pass portfolio and they had to go around the stations and complete a particular task out of three. For each task of a particular competence they completed, they were going to the "authorities" to receive confirmation through a stamp. To our surprise, most teams completed all the tasks. This was a way for them to understand that Youth Pass is not only about the certificate they receive but about the subjective way in which they develop. It has been given to them space in this way, to reflect on each competence through practical learning, collaboration, and fun.
During the afternoon sessions, participants had the opportunity to explore our hosting village; Pissouri. They had to complete 14 tasks by walking all over the village. See the implementation of this activity here: https://business-in-digital-age-7.webnode.page/tasks-in-pissouri/
SECOND DAY
25th of March 2023
FEARS, EXPECTATIONS, CONTRIBUTIONS
During the morning session of the second day, we continued playing the Blanket game with two sets of participants. Two facilitators held a blanket between themselves. Once the blanket was in place, each group was required to place a participant behind it so that the first person to discover the other participant's name would take them into their team. The winning team was comprised of the most individuals. This was a technique to recall everyone's names from the previous day.
We continued with fears, expectations, and contributions. In this game, each participant had to write post-ed about fears, one about expectations, and one about contributions, which they had to stick on the respective flipchart of each. We called out three volunteers to read out loud the posteds for us to know their expectations, how they will contribute to the project, but also their fears about the project.
Lastly, in the first session, we hold a short presentation about youth work, inclusive youth work methodologies, inclusion and exclusion, and the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010 within the framework of diversity and inclusion.
Inclusive Mapping
During the second and third sessions of the second day, participants were divided into national groups. They had to make on a flipchart a map of their locality, village, city, or community. This map could be either an accurate representation of their community or an imaginative one which represented some parts of their community if, for example, they were coming from different areas. In this map, they had to include accessible and inaccessible areas for different marginalised groups, youth work opportunities and lack thereof. On their maps, they had to stick some notes of their emotions or feelings for different parts of the area, as well as for different buildings and facilities they have placed on the map. In the end, each national group presented their maps and discussed the youth opportunities in their communities.
Debate Activity
On the last session of the day, we implemented a short debate in which we attached "YES," "NO", and "MAYBE" on the floor. When we read a statement, for example, whether working from home is not a normal job, participants had to take a side depending on what they believed. Accordingly, everybody had the opportunity to raise their voices and learn from others. This was an opportunity for everybody to speak up their mind and contribute to the dynamic of the group, brainstorming ideas.
THIRD DAY
26th of March 2023
Inclusion of Target Groups
In this activity, participants were divided into five intercultural groups and received worksheets about different marginalised groups (e.g., Physical Disability, Religion or Belief Discrimination, Multiculturalism, Ageism, and Sex Discrimination ). They had twenty minutes to identify the needs of each marginalised group in the framework of youth work. That is, participants had to find what needs these target groups have in the area of youth work mobilities. Once they completed the worksheets, one person from each group was selected to form a new group. In this regard, we had five new groups all of which included a representative from the previous groups. This methodology allows participants to exchange ideas, brainstorm and not miss any set of important ideas, and points spread out in the discussion. The new groups had another twenty minutes to complete a second worksheet about the summary of the different needs of marginalised groups. Once they completed the second worksheet, they had 15 minutes to prepare a poster coming out with a unique endpoint of the different needs presented throughout the two previous tasks, including this way all voices.
Power, Influence, and Advocacy
This session started with a small presentation on the importance of Advocacy and the different types of it (Lobbying, Campaigning). We explained the term "Grassroots" and how it is directly associated with the community and their needs. Participants had time to prepare an individual flower in which they had to find a problem in their community (the grassroots of it), and they had to think of a change they had to implement. The petals of the flower represented the influencers in their communities that have access to power. In this way, participants could find some time to think individually about who they may reach in case they want to implement a change within their community.
FOURTH DAY
27th of March 2023
On the fourth day, we had our trip to Limassol! We first visited the city-kingdom of Kourion which was built on the hills of the area and overlooked and controlled the fertile valley of the river Kouris. According to archaeological finds, evidence suggests that Kourion was associated with the Greek legend of Argos of Peloponnese and that its inhabitants believed they were descendants of Argean immigrants. The once-flourishing kingdom was eventually destroyed in a severe earthquake in 365 AD.
We went to the Greco-Roman theatre - the site's centrepiece, which was built in the 2nd century BC and extended in the 2nd century AD. The theatre has been restored and is now used for open-air musical and theatrical performances - mainly during the summer months - making it one of the most popular settings for high-calibre cultural events.
We then visited the multifunctional seaside Park; Molos, which is at the centre of Limassol and is considered one of the most beautiful in the Mediterranean basin. Currently, Molos Limassol is a wide promenade framed on both sides with delicate palm trees, where part of the boardwalk is made in the form of small pools. On the Seaside are several wooden piers, which are also places for walking.
The previous day, participants were given instructions to complete a series of tasks as a guide while exploring the multifunctional park. The tasks in Molos included questions such as if the multifunctional park is accessible or safe for all groups of users, which social activities are planned there, if all groups of users can participate in these activities, to which extent can the capacity of the infrastructure support those social activities, or what equipment/ infrastructure is missing, etc.
FIFTH DAY
28th of March 2023
NGO MARKET
On the morning sessions of the fifth day, participants had to prepare two flipcharts; one of their organisation and the youth work activities they implement and one about the best practices they gathered as a preparation activity (see preparation activities here: https://business-in-digital-age-7.webnode.page/pre-activities-pda-1/). The purpose of the activity was to spread out information about youth work participation in their communities. After the finished their flipcharts, each national group created a "Station." We implemented an NGO and community Market in which one person from each group was fixed at their stations for 10 minutes while the others were going around the stations to learn more about each team. After 10 minutes, the fixed person changed so everybody had an opportunity to learn more about other organisations and best practices in communities. This activity allowed the flourishment of new partnerships and future cooperations.
ACTIVITY TOOLKIT
In the third session of the day, participants were divided into 5 intercultural groups. Each group received a target group of marginalised individuals (e.g., visual impairment, physical disability, unemployed youth, youth from rural areas, migrants, and abused women). They also received a worksheet which they had to complete within the session about inclusive youth work methodologies. In fact, participants had to come up with an energiser, a team-building activity, and a main activity, all of them which would be inclusive for their target group. We provided them with some toolkits to get some inspiration.
JOURNALING
Lastly, on the last session of the day, we performed some self-reflection tasks, in which participants got exposed to some tasks (e.g., identify the reason for doing everything you do in your life, identify the five core values of your character, etc.). Journaling is quite important for understanding oneself. By, for example, identifying the reason for doing everything you do in life, you gain a sense of purpose. On a similar wise, identifying the core values of our character helps us align what we do with our values. For example, it is quite important if we value honesty to not fall into diplomacy but into transparency and genuineness. This is inseparably linked with our ability to understand others and recognize other people's attributes in us.
SIXTH DAY
29th of March 2023
Conclusion of the project
In the morning sessions, we start finalising pending things. The first thing we did, was that the participants had to explain; and even implement some of the energisers they came up with (if it was possible). As such, all groups presented their inclusive for their target groups' activities (incl. the energiser, the team-building activity, and the main activity). We then continued with the presentations of their videos. Each national group had to create a short video of their experience in Pissouri which you can find and watch on the follow-up sections of this webpage. We then continued with participants completing the evaluation of the whole mobility.
In the afternoon, we had our secret friend and youth pass ceremonies! The project was concluded excellently with everybody forming a very lovely group. We cannot wait for Georgia!!!