Search for European Projects

"TuMìAmì": intercultural youth exchange for reciprocity, integration and interaction among cultures
Start date: Aug 1, 2015, End date: Feb 29, 2016 PROJECT  FINISHED 

The increasing globalization and people mobility and the spreading of the mass media have triggered changes in all spheres of human life: Traditional patterns of belonging break and come together to shape new expressions of culture. In this situation the young people between 18 and 25 years old, with less experience, with fewer opportunities, with an individual identity less marked and developed, and a future without certainty and stability, feel themselves "nomads" , always in search of new references. While remaining strong the inexorable trend toward cultural uniformity through the overall process of "westernization", several elements of varieties and distinction between the groups are still alive and active. They often emphasize reactions of fundamentalism, racism and self-closing where a young weak and disoriented can easily fall. In this way, the pluralism and diversity of traditions, customs and languages, which in themselves constitute grounds for mutual enrichment and development, may lead to an aggravation of the identities that gives rise to clashes and conflicts. In this current situation, young people need, therefore, to open to new experiences that lead to the knowledge of new forms of integration and dialogue and that allow, on one hand the maintenance and establishment of its own cultural identity and, on the other hand, the recognition of multiple cultural expressions for the development of mutual respect of their peculiarities. The overall objective of the project “TuMiAmi” is bring 20 young people (between 18 and 25 years and from 4 different countries) to reflect on the concepts of identity, culture and intercultural that starts from the reflection on the self (identity), passes through the knowledge of the others (cultures) and finally arrives to investigate the interaction between peoples and cultures (intercultural). The participant will be able also to gain greater awareness of the competences, skills and knowledge that they really acquired and developed during the project. Through a combination of rational and well-planned activities based on non-formal learning and on learning by doing that stimulate the peer education, the young participants will be guided to acquire technic-organizational skills, attitudes and competences which will aim at self-knowledge, personal development, strengthening their self-esteem, increase the sense of initiative and active participation, acceptance and understanding of cultural relativism and of new forms of integration. In order to ensure the achievement of the objectives and results described above, the project "TuMiAmi" will provide a steady communication between the participating organizations, an Advanced Planning Visit in Serbia to train the future team leaders and some pre-departure meetings between the participants from the same country. Following these preparatory stages, a youth exchange will take place in Palermo between 25 September and 9 October 2015, that will be the core of the whole project. During the first eight days, exercises and games (simulations, role play, group activities, discussions, debates, evaluations etc ..) will be proposed by a facilitator. They will enable participants to test themselves and to participate in an active and dynamic way by preventing the occurrence of passive moments. From the ninth day on, the activities will be more practical and will try to stimulate creativity and manual skills of the participants. Indeed they will be challenged in the preparation and organization of the intercultural festival "TuMiAmi" and the Final Gran Gala. The young participants will create cultural itineraries on topics related to tangible elements of each culture by devising ways and strategies to make them interact to each other. In this phase will be fundamental the contribution of young people belonging to the foreign communities of Palermo. The design of the itineraries will be considered the key point of what the participants will learn during the first eight days of the exchange. They will later be collected in the final output of the project: the "Travel Diary". Participants will be also able to get in touch with the local community and foreign communities, by producing a mutual impact which will turn out to be positive and purposeful for both parties. In addition, the participation during the festival of public and private institutions, civil society organizations, international bodies, national and local television broadcasters and the organization of multiplier events after the exchange will ensure that the benefits of the project related to the dissemination and sharing of democratic values such as tolerance and non-discrimination, the sense of active citizenship and the thrust towards youth initiatives and policies, will produce a long-term impact both nationally and internationally.
Up2Europe Ads

Coordinator

Details

6 Partners Participants