Introduction

Youth work brings change through diversity of its approaches and provides young people with space and empowerment to express. Youth workers are the key element of this process and they are the first to be addressed in order to promote intercultural dialogue and cooperation, provide young people and youth workers with the opportunity to discover the diversity of youth actions in different countries, encourage networking and creation of projects among them. 

The empowering of youth workers/leaders to include intercultural learning component in their work to provide youth with necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to promote peace, intercultural dialog, against hate speech, discrimination and violence is the only way to make a change in the world, a big work done by Youth Workers. 

There is a natural link between global education and intercultural education, which looks at how we interact with other cultures, societies or groups in our country, community, city, etc. All today's societies are characterized by an increasing degree of multi-culturalism and cultural diversity, which makes recognizing and respecting the rights of each minority or majority group, increasingly important. Intercultural education is an effective way to tackle the phenomenon of racism, racial discrimination and intolerance.

Aim and objectives. The main aim of the chapter is empowering of key competences, skills and attitudes of youth workers to provide intercultural dialogue, increase intercultural learning mobility opportunities and enhancing intercultural competences of young people within youth work and non-formal learning in Europe. The chapter’s objectives are the following:

• To share the characteristic elements of the Trainings based on Intercultural competence within Youth Work education;
• To empower youth workers/leaders to explore and integrate different innovative and creative approach, tools, methods and resources in their work with and for young people for promotion, education and practices intercultural dialog and intercultural learning in order to make them confident in running activities in the field of intercultural dialogue;
• To exchange ideas for practical exercises, realities and experiences in intercultural dialogue and explore the applicability of intercultural competences in youth work through non-formal education and creative expressions of young people.

It is an interactional and adaptive cultural process between people from different human groups. It requires a mutual willingness from all the social groups to do not conceive any social or cultural group as inferior or superior to others. Intercultural relations not only refer to the coexistence of diverse cultural realities in the same geographical territory, but each social situation where differences are present and are conceived as an opportunity.

1. Characteristic elements of the Trainings

Opening, introducing and mutual knowledge

Participants decide what will be their attitude during the training course from the very first moments of the training. Whether he has a new group of participants or has worked with him, the trainer has to create and consolidate a positive atmosphere, collaboration and mutual trust - a determining factor for his "positioning, affirmation". The training can start with a brief presentation of the trainer, the goals, the agenda and the time allocated to the activity and will follow with an exercise of knowledge of the participants.

Obtaining new knowledge, skills and abilities

The essence of a training activity is to acquire new knowledge, skills and abilities, and to experiment with new things. The body of the training is built on specific elements of content, methods and exercises that aim to involve participants in significant experiences. The focus on analysis and debugging is fundamental to guiding the learning process, as it helps participants to use their knowledge in the training process and become more sensitive to it. They will not miss the analyzes, especially if a situation in the life and personal activity of the participants is relevant to the content of the training.

Debriefing 

Debriefing is the time of reconstitution and post factum analysis of activity. It has an interactive character and is carried out with the involvement of all participants and the trainer. The role of the trainer will be limited to restoring the steps of the activity by guiding the participants through a series of questions:

- How do you feel?

- What new things have you learned?

- What you didn`t understand?

- What impressed you the most?

- If you've been experiencing this experience again, how would you do it?

There are several techniques to facilitate discussion, but most of them generally follow the following steps:

• Reaction and reflection. Write the group's response to the experience gained over the course:

- What do you think about activity?

- What did you notice, experienced / lived, heard or felt?

These questions help participants to think about the work experience and prepare them for the next step.

• Explanation. Assign time to deduce the meaning of your common experience:

- Why did the activity go this way?

- Name the reasons you behaved in a certain way, you made some choices.

• Broad context. Stay away from your own business and address wider issues targeted during the discussion. Focus on human behavior, group dynamics and values:

- What did you learn from work?

• Application. This is the moment of creating a link between activity and reality and engaging participants in an improvement process:

- What will be the result of the activity?

- Where do we apply the lessons learned?

- What changes can you make?

It is advisable for the trainer to be careful about the answers provided, to repeat for the whole group or to write down some of the participants' statements on a flipchart.

Sharing experiences

Each participant comes to the activity with some expectations, with a luggage of knowledge and some experience. A training achieves goals more easily when the trainer creates a good framework for sharing experiences (examples of participants' lives, events that would make them reflect on the topic in question, etc.). The sharing of experiences allows participants to more easily assimilate the theme proposed, to link the learned and to the ones lived, and also to leave room for personal affirmation.

Transfer of knowledge

The transfer of knowledge, experience and ideas takes place not only during the activity, it takes place permanently. It is, however, the trainer's responsibility for the process to start in the activity, immediately after the debriefing, by applying them in current practice. One of the important goals of training is to facilitate as much as possible the use and development of new skills and abilities. How can the participants be encouraged to develop them? How can I apply the lessons learned in everyday life?

Feedback

The trainer must respond appropriately to what is happening during the training course, demonstrating to those present that he is attentive and receptive. Otherwise, the trainer and the participants will be in two parallel worlds. It is absolutely important that he has eyes, ears and open hearts and behaves according to what he hears, sees and feels in his interactions with the participants. The values ​​you promote and give to others should be compatible with your daily behavior and professional activity. Remember that you are a model, showing the children / young people what it means to appreciate differences and respect others.

Evaluation

Evaluation is a continuous process. In the context of training, it has two basic dimensions. Firstly, the trainer examines the impact of the activities and tries to understand if the training was appropriate. Second, he identifies ways to improve training techniques. At the same time, evaluation also helps participants focus on what they learn, giving them opportunities to comment, adapt and control their training processes.

Final conclusions

The final conclusions and the conclusion are the last necessary elements of any training course. It is a moment that helps participants take a look at the way they are going and find out how far they have advanced.

2. How to run activities in the field of intercultural dialogue

Below we present some practical activities that can be organized in separate or integrated activities (adjusting them) in training courses or lessons. We also offer some useful tips for making them successful. Before starting the workshop, you need to be prepared from all points of view:

• Determine the number of participants and who they are, learn as much as possible about them. Each activity involves a certain number of participants, depending on their specificity. It is also important to know the number of people on the list both for the preparation of the space and for covering the needs of such activities: the interaction, the responsibilities of the trainers, etc.
• Make sure you know where meetings will take place, which also applies to participants in planned activities.
• Determine if you work alone or in two. In this type of activity, it is better to have two trainers, both to capture the attention, to better supervise those present, to work efficiently in few smaller groups, and to ensure an open debriding process, feedback and so on If you work in a team, you are distributing responsibilities very clearly.
• Plan the workshop to fix the activities and the real time they are given (the acquisition of new material), including the discussions that follow, opening / closing speeches, debriefing and feedback.
• Prepare and bring the necessary materials. Each workshop requires a set of materials and worksheets. It is important to note that some materials are indispensable to the activity and others can be replaced (flipchart paper and markers - with sheet and chalk, glue sheets - with single sheets and adhesive / scotch tape etc.). In this context, make sure that the changes made do not affect the quality of the training.

Example: The flipchart is a large block of white paper hanging on a rack. Once you've used a sheet of paper, turn it over and write on the next sheet, or you can present a diagram, a pre-prepared diagram.

Ensure that the information on each sheet is:

- easy to understand - titles and names are clear; if a reference issue is presented, explain its importance from the start;

- easy to read - use thick and dark color. The text must be written in large characters to be read without effort.

The advantages of the flipchart are multiple. With its help:

- Prepare the information in time and present it at the right time;

- store a large amount of data that can be exposed throughout the speech without distracting attention;

- You get good mobility.

Interaction is considered a precious tool in training. Familiarize yourself with the planned activities, practice them in advance.

At the beginning of the activity:

• Arrive at least half an hour before starting work to make sure you have everything.

• Wait for the participants and meet them at the entrance to the room

Create a pleasant ambience and a constructive work environment.

• Roll out the activity in the foreseen timeframes, set the rules and present the work plan at the first meeting, because now the expectations of the participants are fixed.

During the activity:

• If you have not memorized the agenda, keep it at your fingertips and consult it as necessary.

• If necessary, remember the rules during the work.

• At the end of the activity, ask participants for feedback.

3. Ideas for practical exercises

INCLUDED/EXCLUDED

Themes:

Stereotypes, prejudices, discrimination

Number of participants:

12-20 people

Duration:

60 minutes

Objectives:

- Experimenting the inclusion / exclusion process: 

a) through a person who includes / excludes and 

b) a person who is included / excluded.

- Living the feeling of being part of a minority or majority group.

- Determining strategies applied in preventing / encouraging members of minority groups to join the majority group.

- Awareness of feelings / emotions related to the status of minority and majority.

- Understanding the needs underpinning the behavior of the majority and minority groups.

Materials:

Stickers glued to the forehead.

Preparation:

Drawing up special rules and recommendations.

Instructions:

1) Start playing by setting rules:

• Only non-verbal communication is allowed in the activity, the verbal is forbidden.
• The game lasts until the trainer announces the end.

2) Ask the participants to close their eyes. Stick a sticker on your forehead.

3) Make sure you have 4 types of stickers (their number is not equal). One sticker should be different from the other.

4) After the stickers are glued, the participants will open their eyes.

5) Give the following instruction: "Dial Groups!".

6) Let the game begin. Stay away and watch the process. Do not interfere in any way.

7) When you feel that nothing is constructive, stop the game (see the instructions for the trainer). Ask the participants to remove their labels from their forehead and examine them.

Debriefing and evaluation:

Organize large group discussions on the following questions:

• How did you feel when the game is over? (Start from the person who had the sticker different from the others, then ask who else thought the game was difficult).
• What happened during the game?
• Have been moments that you considered difficult / easy?

Remember the instructions and ask them if they understood what they had to do and what they did.

• You have remembered certain situations in your life while you play; the exercise provoked
• certain memories / emotions?
• How do you think, why did we organize this game / exercise?
• If you want, you can ask other questions that you find relevant, depending on how the discussion unfolds.
• What is it like to be part of a minority / majority group?
• What strategies are used to become part of the majority group?
• What strategies are applied to exclude members of the minority group?
• How do we feel and behave when we are a minority / majority?
• Why are we trying to include us in a certain circle and why do not we accept someone in our group?

Encourage participants to think about real situations when they were part of a minority / majority group. Insist on the reasons that feed the temptation to include in a group, the desire to exclude those who are different. It is important to realize that the origin of these behaviors lies in the needs of protection, identity, security that are common and inseparable for all of us.

• Exercise ends with "Group Hug" activity. Ask two volunteers to walk in the middle of the room and hug. Then everyone hugs - who and who he wants.

Recommendations for the trainer:

The game is recommended for a group where the participants get to know each other and become close. Participants' names are not allowed to be spoken so as not to influence the game.

Be careful when choosing the person who will have the sticker different from others. It must be someone who, in your opinion, can endure being different from others and at the same time has the capacity to cope with the situation constructively.

The brief and clear "Make Groups!" Is very important. Do not use sentences such as "And now, you form groups in which you would like to work". An instruction made up of two words, sounds like an order, puts participants in a position to react promptly, which means that the group will take a spontaneous, unexpected attitude. Once the groups are formed, the participants will think they have done the task. Continue to show indifference. Such behavior will lead to increased group tension. Thus, participants will try to organize themselves in a different way. Allow the game to continue when you feel that almost all the possibilities have been exhausted or the participants are grouped regardless of the stickers or when nothing constructive happens. You can stop playing when you notice that a person with a "solitary" sticker is under too much pressure, but only then, not when you are personally worried or unable to handle the situation. Allow enough time for discussion, it is important that each participant can express his / her opinion after the game.

DAY AND NIGHT

Themes:

Stereotypes, decision-making, privileges and opportunities

Number of participants:

12-30 persons

Duration:

10 minutes

Objectives:

- Awareness of your own way of action and decision-making.

- Stimulating the ability to extend their care to others.

Instructions:

1) Participants form a circle standing.

2) The trainer explains:

At the "Day" command, all participants will move freely through the room with their eyes open, making various moves - who wants it. At the "Night" command, the participants close their eyes, remain motionless in the position they were at when the word was spoken. The trainer will touch one of the participants (3-5 people) who will regain some "rights". Participants will be reached in 3 ways:

• once touched - open your eyes;
• twice touched - returns to a comfortable position;
• touched three times - returns to the comfortable position and does what he wants.

3) The trainer will follow the actions of the player that has been reached 3 times and has the right to do anything. Ideally, players should help teammates and "resurrect" them.

Debriefing and evaluation:

• How do you feel now? Why? (free, cherish freedom, you are not alone, somebody helps you, etc.).
• How did you feel in the awkward position when you were still?
• What did you want most then?
• Is it really happening when you really want someone to help you?
• Who helped a colleague re-become free? Why did you do it? How do you feel?
• If team members are helping each other, what could you say about such a team?
• Why in our team / team was this situation created? (lack / presence of a leader, team spirit, it's hard to move from word to action, etc.)
• What lessons should we take from this exercise?

STEALING NAPKIN

Themes:

Stereotypes, prejudices, culture

Number of participants:

12-20 people

Duration:

30 minutes

Objectives:

- Awareness of the fact that each is the holder of an extraordinary intellectual and creative potential.

- Strengthen confidence in your own forces.

Materials:

Napkin (paper).

Instructions:

1) Give each participant a handkerchief.

2) Tell them to put the handkerchief in their pockets in such a way that a corner hangs out and is easily removable from the pocket.

3) Give the group only the following statement: "This handkerchief is all you need in life to be happy and content. If your handkerchief is taken, you die out and get out of the game. "

4) Without giving any further explanations, start the game: "Prepare, start!"

Recommendations for the trainer:

• Most participants run one by one through the hall, trying to evade the handkerchiefs of other participants.
• When only one person remains "alive", stop the game.
• Ask the participants what happened, repeat the rules and start a new round.
• Repeat the game a few times until someone realizes that they do not have to take away the handkerchiefs of others because they do not need them. Their handkerchief is all they need.

Note: Participants may create alliances to protect themselves.

Debriefing and evaluation:

When the game ends, ask the participants to sit in the circle. Organize the group discussion by asking the following questions:

• What happened?
• Why did you do this, if you have your handkerchief?
• Is there something similar in life?
• What makes us fulfilled and why to take more than we need?
• Is this behavior characteristic of the culture we live in?

WHAT I KNOW AND WHAT WAS TALK TO ME

Themes:

Stereotypes, prejudices, discrimination

Number of participants:

12-20 persons

Duration:

90 minutes

Objectives:

- Awareness of the dimension of stereotyped thinking.

- Demonstrating the spontaneous learning of stereotyped thinking.

- Detecting the elements of culture that favor the development of stereotyped thinking.

Materials:

- Flipchart

- "What I Know and What I Have Been told" questionnaire.

Preparation:

Getting to know the questions in the questionnaire. Preparing posters.

Instructions:

1) View flipcharts everywhere in the room so that participants have access to them.

Write in advance, on each of these posters, the name of an entity (for example, old people, male, female, teenager, Catholic, Muslim, poor person, disabled person, Arab, refugees, Orthodox Christians, solitary mothers, folk music singers etc.)

2) Ask the participants to move freely through the room and write on each poster a heard or known information about the group indicated.

3) Provide enough time for each participant to write what it considers important.

4) Then divide the participants into 5 groups and give them 1-2 minutes to read the ones on each poster. After that, each group will discuss what they read.

5) Give groups a questionnaire containing questions for discussion.

Debriefing and evaluation:

• Give each group 15-20 minutes to discuss and prepare a small report that will be presented in the big group. You emphasize that it is not necessary to follow the order of questions in the questionnaire during reporting.
• Each small group reports their findings in the large group.

Recommendations for the trainer:

It is important to emphasize that stereotypical thinking appears almost automatically and that we are all marked by stereotypes. It is extremely important to be aware of this. Also, mention that culture also influences how we think and behave.

Emphasize that learning culture begins in childhood. Small, we assimilate unwritten rules that later, to a great extent, dictate our attitudes and perceptions. In childhood, we accept many things without analyzing them, without asking whether they are true.

Specify that stereotypes are often learned spontaneously, but discarding them requires considerable conscious effort.

QUESTIONNAIRE "What I know and what was talked to me"

a) What do you think about what you read? Do you agree with your ideas?

b) Where did you learn / learn what you wrote?

c) How did you find out this?

d) How could you forget this?

e) Is it difficult to talk about the behavior of other groups without judging or evaluating them?

f) How do we adopt cultural norms?

g) Do people re-examine the cultural norms that are presented or perceive them as "something that is offered and can not be changed"?

h) What is the role of group pressure in maintaining stereotypes?

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