"We are Different but Together"
Youth Work for the Unity of Minority Groups
Training Course

19-26 August 2009, Baku, Azerbaijan

Educational Centre for Youth is delighted to announce national Training Course under the title of “We are Different but Together” with the financial support by the Council of Europe, European Youth Foundation. The project will gather 25 perspective youngsters from the ethnic minority communities living within the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan with the purpose of building solid network seeking sustainable cooperation, development the art of tolerance for ensuring a peaceful living together the young members of ethnic groups in Azerbaijan. As important support activities to the Network, the project will also include capacity enhancing measures through training efforts in order to ensure that young people are motivated and achieve better skills in preparing for their participation in the Network.

Aims and objectives:

• To set up a solid network of youth from ethnic minority communities for sustaining effective communication, cooperation, mobilization and integration among them.
• To establish initiative groups striving to develop and make constructive changes in own communities.
• To help to address issues of concern to the young member of ethnic communities and other civil society groups and to communicate these concerns to the municipal, province and state levels;
• To facilitate improvement of the young people’s inter-ethnic and inter-confessional relations regionally in Azerbaijan by enhancing the inter-ethnic dialogue, also ensuring the inclusion of smaller ethnic and religious minorities;
• To support and empower young members of minorities and indigenous peoples to advocate for their rights;
• To encourage development actors to incorporate minorities' and indigenous peoples' rights into development policy;
• To promote opportunities for dialogue between young members of minorities, indigenous peoples and development actors.
The main activities during the TC will be concentrated on capacity building of participants in order to multiply the effect of the project to broader sphere and mostly TC will focus on building cooperation among minority groups and to facilitate their mobility. Moreover the TC will provide unique opportunity for all to represent their culture and traditions, cuisine and so forth in the cultural evenings that will be particularly devoted to one minority group every day.

Participants will be trained how to contribute for the development of civil society in their community through the TC. They will get especial sessions how to design project proposals and manage civil society organizations. Subsequently Youth Initiative Groups (YIG) will be created for each minority group and they will propose and develop project ideas concerning the solution of problems existing in their community. The projects of YIGs will be realized in every participating minority group and it directly will serve to preserve collaboration and integration among the young people of different minority groups as well as to build Azerbaijan Youth Minority Network(AYMN) striving for social cohesion and development in the future.

Methodology

The entire programme will be based on non-formal and informal educational methodologies combining theoretical inputs and practical activities through workshops and simulations with full of funs. Moreover intercultural evenings will be organized that will be a proper ground for every participant to introduce and represent peculiarities of own cultures.

For the conduction of the TC, we will orientate on the following principles:

• Hand, Heart and Head - Holistic Approach (Skills, Knowledge and Attitudes)
• Safe Space (Trust in the place and methods/ Values based)
• Communication and Mutual Understanding (Open Mind)
• Responsibility for one’s Own Choice (Participation)
• Interactive
• Trainees-Centred
• Learning from Experience
• Take into account individual and group learning (using group as a resource)
• Motivation
• Personal contribution
• Multiplier effect
• Non-formal approach with theoretical inputs

The concrete working methods will be varied and interactive in order to ensure a balance between theory and practice. Taking into account the diversity of participants in terms of culture and working experience, the methods will provide an easy communication and will allow all participants to fulfil their needs through a progressive and valuable intercultural learning experience.

Venue

International Youth House, Baku, Azerbaijan

How to apply?

For eligibility, the participants of the project should be from ethnic minorities living in the territory of Azerbaijan.
To apply submit your motivation letter (max.400 words) and CV to office@ecy-az.org or ECY office till the deadline – 10 August 2009.

There is no any participation fee. Boarding and lodging will be provided by organizers during the TC.

For further information:
Address: S.Mehdiyev 93, 9th floor, Baku, Azerbaijan
Tel/fax: (+994 12) 434 22 03
E-mail: office@ecy-az.org
Web-page: www.gtm.az