This year, EYFA provided a diversity of spontaneous small-scale workshops and trainings for youth groups in unforeseen political situations and supported new projects in local groups struggling against discrimination and with right wing extremism on a local level. Due to the strong interest and active participation from our network, we extended this activity from the initially planned 6 to, in total, 12 workshops in 2016.
What happened?
As this project aimed to respond to unpredictable situations, e.g. this year’s border crisis, the facilitators offered quick action and support. Our partner groups, through the framework of this project, were able to address several interrelated topics by sending or requesting workshop facilitators to improve community-based, grassroots responses. Much attention was given this year to support media and campaign work, in contexts when the public attention on the border crisis was high, and on trauma support, in cases where youth activists had faced right-wing extremist violence. Further, one-off support can help groups to overcome conflict and existing hierarchies within their structures.Workshops offered in this realm included ‘Anti-Oppression, mapping power, and putting consent into practice’ and ‘Facilitating Safer Spaces’.
Objectives

• Strengthen non-formal education as a tool for grassroots groups to promote inclusive & peaceful societies;
• Share concrete tools and skills for youth grassroots activists on demand, adequate to local situations;
• Respond immediately to emergency situations of exclusion in our network;
• Disseminate and test resources for grassroots groups combating exclusion.

Outcomes

• Shared concrete tools and skills with 165 youth grassroots youth activists;
• Among the 16 trainers and the 10 volunteers and interpreters, non-formal education was supported as a tool for the promotion of inclusive and peaceful societies.

This project was made possible with the financial support of the European Youth Foundation – Council of Europe.