The itinerant Exchange for Youth Workers was held in Italy on March 19-25, with 17 participants from 8 countries.
The project’s idea was based on experiential learning - movement and application of innovative tools such as nature & art therapy, journaling techniques as well as various non-formal group activities to reflect on the practices of working with young people with fewer opportunities.
“You deserve a circle of inclusion and influence, but it's up to you to create it.”
The project aimed to assist youth workers to:
Reflect on the challenges and opportunities of working with inclusion groups.
Connect physical & mental learning and document the non-formal learning process.
Share their competencies and good practices on the topic.
To collect and further disseminate the innovative tools & methods.
Implementation
Participants walked through a part of the Cammino Materano hiking path - 75 km in 3 days around Puglia, a region in southern Italy. This project provided unique experiences, such as a pasta-making workshop, lunch in nature prepared by the students of a local cooking school, warm hospitality by Italian families, interaction with locals, and discovery of an amazingly rich cultural heritage along the way. Each day had a new destination for the participants, due to which they got the chance to stay at and explore at least 6 different cities and towns.
INEDNET staff members Anna and Davit mentioned: "Walking was often accompanied by activities & guided discussions around the topic, while participants were collecting stamps in the Cammino Materano traveler’s passport at different checkpoints along the road. In the settings of nature and sustainability, the non-formal activities effectively complemented each other and developed the narrative of compassion, understanding and perspectives crucial to youth work practices. This was an amazing experience with several innovative elements."
During the project, our staff members held a 30-minute non-formal activity for the group based on the issues of human rights, inclusion and discrimination. Participants had the chance to experience and reflect upon the social, cultural and other obstacles facing youth from different backgrounds as well as think about the conditions differing from country to country.
Impact
Through immersion into the nature and local culture of several cities and villages, the participants experienced diverse situations while overcoming physical and mental challenges. This contributed to effective cross-cultural interactions, discovery and adoption of many creative methods and approaches to be applied in youth work. The activity was a success, as we received positive feedback from both participants and organizers.
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