The first "mobility" of our project that was due to take place in Romania was moved online due to COVID restrictions. The 6-day awareness-raising training (TAT) tackling anti-discrimination is currently taking place online, with the lead trainers in Arad, Romania.

70 participants are being trained in 4 online groups, by 2 certified trainers. The training follows the AWOD pedagogical programme that leads to:

• Developing self-awareness of participants’ personal and cultural identity;
• Developing appreciation for socio-cultural diversity;
• Developing empathy, critical thinking, and communications kills;
• Recognising own and others’ stereotypes and prejudices and their manifestations;
• Examining own roles in perpetuating or confronting discrimination;
• Identifying personal and group actions for change;
• Transferring and disseminating the learning.

1st online mobility: 20-26 June 2021
2nd online mobility: 12-18 July 2021
3rd online mobility: 19-25 July 2021
4th online mobility: 26 July - 1st August 2021

With groups having completed their training and the final one starting today, the feedback from participants has been really encouraging, despite the fact that we can not meet them face-to-face. 

Growing up, something I’ve always desired was to find a more impactful way of promoting diversity, inclusion and equality. Joining these trainings gave me the opportunity to educate myself beyond the surface level on discrimination and on how to take social action. There were a lot of introspective activities, which I really enjoyed, as well as many debates on the topic. I learnt to actively listen, to share my mind freely, to tell apart stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination and how to spot them in different forms or environments.

Andrada Elena Popa, 17, Colegiul Național de informatică Matei Basarab”

Short Peer Training Practice Workshops
In the 4 months following the TAT, to be certified by EPTO as “Peer Certified”, participants will organise short anti-discrimination workshops in their home communities (at least 6 hours), using the training methodology. Back home, the peer trainers will work in pairs and organise at least 35 short local workshops in total, that will reach 400 additional youth. Peer trainers will provide a complete online report for every workshop (including data on the number of participants, age, context, schedule, agenda). EPTO and the partner organisation will provide the necessary support.