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Catalysts for change: Alpha volunteers
Start date: Mar 1, 2015, End date: Nov 30, 2015 PROJECT  FINISHED 

The main objective of the project „Catalysts for Change: ALPHA Volunteers” is developing social cohesion, solidarity and mutual understanding between young volunteers and young people with disabilities, but also promoting active citizenship among young people; effectuating activities, non-formal learning experiences to improve skills for personal development and to facilitate young volunteers professional life. The project’s activities are focused on knowledge and connections, in other words activities that develop skills, related to innovative attitude and adaptability, effective interactivity with others, working in different cultural environments. In recent years, the understanding of disability has changed, meaning that social barriers define peoples disabilities and not their individual deficiencies. Acceptance in society, reducing barriers decreases the effect of disability, increases skills and chances of integration and social autonomy. But still, when we mention disability, most people understand inability, young people with disabilities are not treated as "normal" persons and they are not helped to ignore their handicap that accompanies their hole life. For this reason they do not have friends, they are not interacting with other young people, however, the integration of these young people in community is a matter of human dignity, collective consciousness and recognition. These are some of the needs and problems that young people with disabilities have. The four volunteers involved in the project, alongside 30 young people with disabilities will be involved in organization and implementation of foreign languages workshops, but also in other areas involving the home of volunteers and interest for all young people involved . We will have a Social Theatre Club / Theatre of the oppressed. In these activities young people with disabilities, volunteers and professionals will learn and play together, the novelty of all of these lies in the fact that these games and activities require creativity and freedom. The discipline of game means no restoration of the right to dignity, the ultimate goal being that all young people to realise that they're better than they believe they are. The method is a psycho-social one, because it allows the development of skills related to self-discovery and personal boundaries, and the analysis of others behavior. Young volunteers will participate in training sessions, meaning non-formal activities. Some of the methods used: volunteers will be invited to express their thoughts and feelings making finger puppets that will have names and will represent different characters. Later life scenarios will be created, interacting with the puppets; also trainings about facilitating access to cultural information of persons with disabilities, and so on. Each week at least once per week there will be outdoor activities, a powerful source of learning experiences - a relaxing, free environment, offering many challenges to young people, so that learning and development becomes strong, inspiring and likely, changing behaviors, creating strong relationships between young people who are based on mutual support. Volunteers will conduct activities among young people with disabilities. During the six months they will have the opportunity to visit the resort Sovata - the mine, Praid saline,Turda Salt Mines, Museum of straw hats from Crişeni and Sighisoara. Long-term benefits for the four volunteers are: personal development, increasing creativity and acquiring new skills; development of self-confidence; contributing to Mures counties community development, understanding better the problems of persons with disabilities; gaining experience in working with people with disabilities; gaining the chance to become an example for others; adding personal experience in curriculum vitae; testing skills that are needed in social fields; learning romanian language; living a multicultural experience. By volunteering at Alpha Transilvana Foundation they will increase their personal development and worldviews. So they will be able to increase as human values. Besides they will receive a beautiful experience, because volunteering at the foundation requires involvement, that is essential as an aspect for the development of knowledges.

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