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Seminar of deaf youth workers in the European Union and its neighbouring countries
Start date: May 1, 2015, End date: Jan 1, 2016 PROJECT  FINISHED 

At the demand of a deaf youth worker in its General Assembly in 2012, the European Union of the Deaf Youth (hereinafter "EUDY") decided to host a seminar of deaf youth workers in the European Union and its neighbouring countries. EUDY noticed that deaf youth organisations face issues and have real needs in accessing the information about youth work since the information is not accessible in their first language which is sign language. Fortunately the EUDY is an unique ENGO providing fully accessible trainings for deaf young people in Europe since they are conducted in sign language. The seminar gives the opportunity to deaf youth workers to be included in the youth work sector thanks to accessible information in sign language. It also allows them to develop together a network of deaf youth workers that shares good practices, useful resources and tools to address better the needs of deaf young people in their countries. The seminar takes place after two previous seminars the EUDY organised in the Baltic region as well as in the Netherlands with the purpose of bringing deaf young people together to exchange their experiences. In both seminars, EUDY identified gaps and needs of the participants in developing their skills in the domain of youth work as well as the needs of organisations to be reinforced and develop better and efficient working strategies to respond to the individuals' needs. The objectives of the seminar are to facilitate the exchange of good practices, achievements, obstacles and other experiences among deaf youth workers; to address the human rights and fundamental freedoms of deaf young people in Europe and how deaf youth workers could promote these in their youth work; to identify obstacles in their professional development and to develop strategic tools; to reinforce the deaf youth organisation in their daily management; to develop the knowledge and competences of deaf youth workers in looking for appropriate funds; as well as to ensure the acquisition of the competences through non-formal/informal education. The seminar will take place in Brussels, Belgium for a period of four days, excluding travel days, and it will reunite twenty-two (22) participants throughout the EU and the neighbouring EU countries. The participants, aged between 18 and 35 years old, are selected by the national deaf youth organisations and they are deaf youth workers or deaf young persons responsible of the daily management of the organisation. Their background is based on their experience in youth work: since they work for the organisation, they have relevant experience and good practice examples to share with other participants at the seminar. The seminar consists of training sessions combined with self-reflective and practice-oriented sessions through which participants gain skills and competences as deaf youth workers. The methodology used is non-formal education and it will be ensured by three deaf young trainers experienced with the conduction of activities following the methods of non-formal and informal education. During informative sessions, participants will receive tools which they will be able to practice themselves through self-reflective workshops, constructive debates and the identification/development of strategies based on good practice examples they experienced as youth workers. They will also get the opportunity to meet with a deaf Member of the European Parliament as well as to visit the staff of the European Youth Forum, both experiences allowing them to face real-life situations of youth workers and to develop skills in networking. At the end of the seminar, participants are expected to gain knowledge on human rights instruments and develop an attitude of multiplier in the human rights education processes happening in the EU and neighbouring EU countries. Finally the participants should develop an understanding of their potentialities and of the opportunities for improved youth work in their country. They will be encouraged to adopt appropriate strategies and behaviours to fulfill their role as youth worker for less advantaged minorities, such as the deaf young people. The EUDY wishes that participants gain solutions, strategies and a know how for high quality youth work. The expected impact on the longer term is the development of youth work quality by the EUDY member organisations and by deaf young persons in the EU and the neighbouring EU countries. Furthermore participants are expected to improve their networking and representation skills within the broad youth organisation sector at local, regional, national (National Youth Councils) and European levels (European Youth Forum). Moreover the EUDY hopes the deaf youth organisations will influence the policy making processes and practice on a better recognition and fulfilment of the human rights of deaf young people since the policy makers and other stakeholders are often unaware of the rights that deaf young people do not benefit yet from.

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