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Bridges of dialogue, spaces for sharing
Start date: Apr 1, 2015, End date: Jul 1, 2016 PROJECT  FINISHED 

Tulime Onlus is an association involved in international cooperation: it has been engaged for more than eleven years in Tanzania, Uganda and Nepal for the promotion of cultural sharing, awareness activities about ecology and human rights respect. The association promotes, since 2012, the EVS Programm by hosting young people in Palermo (where the headquarter of Tulime Onlus is based) and sending others in Africa and Asia. The experience gained in the field of youth mobility has increased the logistical and organizational capacity of the association about the management and coordination of individuals and groups; moreover, it has enhanced and affirmed the skills for an effective implementation of activities aimed at promoting volunteering as an opportunity for personal growth and for the creation of a closer relationship with the most disadvantaged communities, promoting intercultural dialogue and the respect for the environment as key factors for a positive change in one’s lifestyle. The place where the project will take place (Palermo city) is strongly multicultural due to the great impact that immigration is having on the Sicilian coast. This situation of the context goes together with the status of deterioration of many areas of the city in Palermo and, in particular, the areas in the city center, with a strong presence of migrant population. The project will promote actions aiming at the reinforcement of young people sense of belonging to a European community based on the values of solidarity and voluntary work. The specific objectives of the project are the promotion of the culture of volunteerism in the social sector and in the field of international cooperation: in this way, volunteers can become actively involved within the social context in order to understand their needs, feeling part of the creative process of change; this project will ensure that the 3 volunteers will live a strong and multicultural experience that can be a stimulus for a future commitment that will always aim at the creation of dialogue and peace-building. The project will involve 3 participants, whose profile should include a basic knowledge of the English language, communication skills and creativity, initiative, adaptability, interest in the project themes (multiculturalism, anti-racism, environmental re-evaluation, etc.). The main activities will include awareness campaigns, the management of social networking and organization of events for the promotion and fund raising that the association is carrying on in the city of Palermo; activities in elementary schools aiming at the development of a greater awareness on the issues of integration of foreign students, migration, anti-racism and discrimination. The activities will take place in schools with a large presence of migrant pupils who live at risk of social exclusion, involving also their families; activities in the most degraded areas of Palermo and context analysis studies (interviews, reports, etc.) will be proposed, in order to plan the restoration of these areas through gardening, painting, construction of urban furniture with recycled materials, organization of events to involve the local communities in this process. The methodology that will be used is based on the “Community Cooperation” as a model of relations among different (and distant) cultures, where the commitment of each individual aims at the achievement of shared goals. Another methodology used will be the “Education to Earth” that promotes the respect for the environment as a value that can be acquired through games and the interaction with nature: it is particularly effective with children and therefore mainly used in activities in schools. In all the activities a participatory approach will be adopted: it foresees flexibility and capacity to remodel the activities themselves to adapt them to the aspirations of young people, while respecting the project purposes. It is expected that the planned activities will encourage the acquisition of new skills and abilities by the 3 volunteers, as well as skills in the understanding and management of current issues such as environmental degradation and intercultural dialogue. A concrete result from the activity regarding environmental rehabilitation of degraded areas of the city is previewed: it will have a long term impact on the indirect beneficiaries (the local community) promoting a greater awareness about the importance of taking care of the spaces of their city for a peaceful and collaborative co-existence among people coming from different cultural backgrounds. Another result will be the acquisition of the value of active citizenship. The direct beneficiaries (3 volunteers) as well as the indirect ones (the local community, the students and their families, etc) will become active participants and ambassadors at the advantage of others, promoting a process of social changing, new methodologies and greater awareness based on the values
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