Modern European societies are getting more and more diverse in terms of culture and religion. The present influx of migrants and refugees is causing tensions and misunderstanding between minority and majority groups and many young people are prone to radical or even violent behaviors. The problem stems from lack of understanding between people with diverse cultural background, who often lack the possibility to truly get to know each other’s opinions and values.

We believe that the way to address this problem is to give young people an opportunity to interact more in a peaceful manner and provide them with a safe space for dialogue, which should in turn lead to a better understanding between them.

This project is to teach youth workers and young leaders who work with youth with diverse cultural background how to encourage their beneficiaries how to interact more by creating and sharing their digital stories. Everyone has a story to tell, and those digital stories are always very powerful, since in many case they describe very important issues, such as violence, discrimination or a struggle to find one’s place in the society.

Objectives:
_ To provide participants with an opportunity to go through an intensive facilitator course that will enable them to understand digital storytelling as a method of working with youth with diverse cultural/migration
_ To equip them with the skills necessary to design and implement digital storytelling projects for intercultural dialogue in their own respective communities
_ To enhance participants’ ITC skills and to promote the use of innovative youth work methodology based on digital means
_ To reflect upon the specifics of work with youth at risk of discrimination due to their cultural/religious/national Background and to discover methods for avoiding radical behaviors
_ To establish a network of individuals and organizations interested in further cooperation on the topic of working with youth with diverse cultural background
_ To develop a concrete plan for follow-up projects focus on promoting intercultural dialogue

PARTICIPANTS PROFILE:
_ Youth workers and youth leaders interested in exploring new ways of working with people with diverse cultural and/or migration background
_ Motivated to learn more about the concept of digital storytelling (prior knowledge of photo/video making and editing is not required)
_ Ready to use digital storytelling as a method of working with youth in their own communities
_ Interested in setting further co-operation with similar organizations from other European countries
_ Resident of Portugal, Spain, The Netherlands, Italy, Germany or Poland
_ Being able to communicate in English fluently and older then 18