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EU CARES.

Project aim

The EU-CARES project aims to address collective trauma and support reconciliation processes among young people from war affected countries through storytelling techniques fostering active participation, constructive dialogue and critical thinking. The recognition of different narratives and creation of new collective ones as a holistic method for fostering youth engagement, especially among displaced youth, will raise the capacity of youth CSOs to mainstream peace-building best practices.

Insights discovery

Collection of best practices and exploration of main narratives on Western Balkans conflicts;

Think Tanks involving 176 young people, representatives of local authorities, educational institutions and stakeholders;

International Training Course for 24 youth workers on using storytelling to help youth understand trauma and explore resilient community building;

Local storytelling workshops for 105 young people with production of a storytelling catalogue;

Final round table conferences and a storytelling exhibition encouraging networking and dialogue.

Addressing collective trauma requires a multifaceted approach. It necessitates acknowledging the historical injustices or traumatic events, validating the experiences of those affected, and working towards reconciliation and healing. Storytelling and the sharing of memories become crucial tools in this context, as they help create a shared narrative that acknowledges the past while fostering empathy and understanding among different groups.

VIRTUAL HANDBOOK (click here)

Project activities

Learning, teaching & training activities:

Let’s Think Tanks

Local activities with 176 participants involved in 7 think tanks in Italy, Poland, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Montenegro
Think tanks to challenge young people and stimulate their critical thinking by exploring the main narratives and different perspectives related to the Balkans conflicts and the situation of young generations related to minority communities, cultural and ethnic divisions, and collective trauma. There will be a social debate platform focusing on the importance of storytelling as a tool to address reconciliation, intergenerational trauma and social inclusion of disadvantaged young people. On the other hand, Think Tanks in Poland and Italy will aim at exploring the role of young people as peace-builders in the EU and the storytelling best practices for social inclusion and integration of disadvantaged i.e. displaced young people. OTB will offer a European Development perspective.

Location: Palermo, Italy; Wroclaw, Poland; Belgrade, Serbia; Sarajevo/Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Shkoder, Albania; Podgorica, Montenegro

International Training Course

24 youth workers, 1 trainer and 1 storytelling expert during 7 days. Objectives:

Define collective trauma, post-conflict reconciliation and human rights;
Analyse collective trauma speeches and behaviours;
Recognize a manifest or latent intergroup conflict to prevent new violence;
Identify key dividers and connectors between young people from the different countries;
Assess how youth workers can support reconciliation through storytelling, collective memory and mutual understanding of shared history;
Explore storytelling techniques and tools;
Testing of the e-Toolkit.

Location: Palermo, Italy

“We Are All Stories” Workshops

The workshops exploring one of the storytelling techniques presented in the e-Toolkit will be organised in each partner country, involving 15 young people, 2 youth workers and 1 trainer. 3 storytelling workshops will be organised in each partner country. Expected results:

Measured improvements in youth workers and young people’s emotional, creative and social skills, i.e. active participation and conflict resolution;
Raised awareness on human rights, reconciliation and collective trauma related to Western Balkans societies;
Consolidated European collective identity with open transnational and intergenerational dialogues.
1 storytelling expert/arts practitioner in each of 7 events (105 young people and 14 youth workers in total)

Locations: Palermo, Italy; Belgrade, Serbia; Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Shkoder, Albania; Podgorica, Montenegro; Wroclaw, Poland.

Dissemination events

National Multiplier Events:

One national final conference will be held by each partner organisation to disseminate the project results with 40 young people, youth workers, policy makers in the youth field, representatives from educational institutions and stakeholders in youth work reaching a total number of 285 people

International Final Conference:

The final international conference will be held in Sarajevo with 45 participants. Among them there will be 2 young people and 1 youth worker who will have participated in a storytelling workshop in their partner country. They will have been selected to attend the conference in order to provide a moment of intercultural exchange between the young participants and youth workers and to support the wider visibility of the outputs produced during the workshops.

Final Dissemination Event:

Final dissemination event with the European Stakeholders will be held in Belgium with 40 participants reviewing the project achievements and focusing on future planning.

NEWS

Get to know

EU CARES.

Project aim

Insights discovery