“Mellowproject for newcomers of international youth work II” is the project which combines 3 activities. One preparatory meeting and two youth exchanges – one in Germany and one in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project is follow up of two projects which are improving methodology and cooperation between partner organizations as well as empower youth for self-organizing of youth culture events and one which was focused on urban youth culture directly. This empowerment of youth through the guided learning process and in cooperation of youth centres is one of the main objectives of the project. This is especially important since young people next to empowerment had the support of organizations and other peers for practising youth culture activities which in small communities are marginalizing them. The project gathers four partners who work with youth in urban youth culture field, applicant form Germany, partners from Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina and partner from Serbia. Project participants are active in the different sphere of urban youth culture and youth activism. Other objectives which we had addressed together are focused on intercultural learning, intercultural cooperation and sharing of different experiences in urban youth culture. It is coming as one of the topics at the project which had enhanced international cooperation between participants and partner organization and empowered young people. Activities had enriched all participants since they have had the possibility to see what youth culture is in other participating countries and especially in the host countries since the project had taken place before Creative August event in Banja Luka and in the urban youth culture park, Mellowpark www.mellowpark.de which is offering a lot of possibilities to the young people of hosting district and it visitors. Being hosted in cities like Banja Luka and Berlin are is giving an excellent impact on participants since youth urban and street culture is very developed and mostly affirmative accepted. Both of the venue places are very big (for hosting countries national standard) and are youth- friendly, are covered with areas for a different urban art project and with green areas as well. In the case of the project in Berlin, its Mellowpark is as well one of the biggest parks of this type in Europe.
Project had gathered 88 participants in total among which 40 participants per youth exchange: 32 participants active in the different sphere of urban youth culture and youth activism and 8 group leaders, one experienced youth workers who are helping young people in recognition of street culture, organizing of culture events for young people and one who is young person from different isolated communities active in youth culture per participating partner. Because of it together to intercultural learning, intercultural cooperation and sharing of different experiences in urban youth culture are coming as one of the topics at the project which will enhance international cooperation between participants and partner organization and empower young people to participate in the project and share their local urban youth culture on it. Next to its interculturality, linguistic competences, organized safe and planned learning and networking participants had as well gathered many skills related to performance, planning, understanding, youth programme and mobility opportunities which are existing. The project has strong local impacts since participants of it where in constant contact with other public events - Creative August and Mellowpark visitors and had shared their project experiences with them. During work, moderators had used the non-formal methodology. This type of project work and participation achieved major successes in youth non-formal learning, especially in social skills as well as that it increases the willingness to take responsibility, in support with relevant local and international stakeholders focused at youth, art, street culture, urban life, constant change in the society and needs of youth. Cultural diversity and cultural learning are crucial for this project that’s why we choose partner organizations which on first look doesn't have so much common but culture and practice of youth work in all of them are different in general curricula and yet the same in goal and target group support which does this project focusing on.
DONATORS AND PARTNERS
The project "Mellowproject for Newcomers of International Youth Work II" and "Urban Youth Culture and Communities III" is co-funded by the EU Erasmus + Programme of the European Union - EU. European Commision is not responsible for any upload content. Such content represent the view of its authors only.