- Date of the project: 23 June - 1 July (including 2 travel days)
- Participants: Bulgaria, Ukraine, Georgia, Jordan, Spain, Croatia, Germany, Cyprus
- Hosting organisation: Drujestvo Znanie
- Hosting country and National Agency: Bulgaria
Time zone: GMT+2
Official language: Bulgarian
Calling code: +359, Emergency call: 112
Currency: Bulgarian lev. Exchange rate:
- 1 EUR =1.955 lev
- 1 lev = $0,58
about the project
The Youth Exchange ‘Hate speech less’ was designed to provide the target audience the greater understanding and responsiveness to social and cultural diversity, that is strongly connected with a the language of hatred and neglect in our society.
Nowadays, it is extremelly easy to manipulate the mass-audience opinion through the different media tricks and internet web. And easy as well to create fake or emotionally rich messages in the tune that give birth to hatred and apathy between representatives of different denominations, political views, countries, nationalities, and sexes.
That is why this YE accents hate speech, that appears because of different religions and nationalities in the society, issues linked to sexism, agism, racism, and homophobia. And it is very important to give to youngsters the greater understanding that this world has to evolve. Democratic views and attitudes towards minorities will create a positive economic and cultural situation in every single country, and therefore - a better standard of living.
The goals of the project are to:
- Increase the sense of responsibility, understanding and acceptance of minorities and migrants, to reduce the axistence of stereotypes and hate speech among the people
- Develop methods of youth work that can contribute to solving the issue of hate speech, young migrants, issues of radicalism, minorities of religious and political societies
- Hold the idea of resistance the hate speech through the texts and media-materials
- Find a balance in the information world
- Build more positive attitude towards the European project and its values in the peace building process, increase international capacity of partner organizations
- Promote diversity and dialog between different cultures
- Help participants shape public opinion in their home countries by giving them the tools and knowledge about hate speech
- To contribute the gender equality among European youth
Details and Activities
- Day 1: Participants arrive
- Day 2: Participants get to know one another through team-building exercises. Induction training on hate speech. Cultural evening
- Day 3: On-job workshops on understanding the different forms of online hate speech and assess their impact. Cultural evening
- Day 4: Outdoor activities; searching the real examples of the war in civil society. Free time in the city
- Day 5: Practical workshop. Cultural evening
- Day 6: Practical work on sub-projects. Cultural evening
- Day 7: Proceeding joint practical work. Free time in the city
- Day 8: Presentation of the projects. Evaluation. Farewell party
- Day 9: Participants depart. Departure time: TBC
Cultural evenings! During the stay we will all organise cultural evenings where all countries will present, how unique they are (dances, songs, food, traditions, ect.) The cultural presentation will have to be prepared together with other participants from each country and last about 15 minutes. Participants are welcome to make it as creative as they can.
Participants can play music, sing songs, play quizzes, teach others national dances, explain traditions, invite for a national food, launch performances and competitions. Therefore, participants are asked to bring some typical food from their native countries.
Venue
The project will be held in Bansko town in southwestern Bulgaria, located at the foot of the Pirin Mountains.
Accommodation for all the participants will be Hotel Casa Karina, situated in a picturesque landscape, located at the follwoing address: Kralev dvor 5, 2770 Bansko, Bulgaria. Accomodation and food (breakfast, lunch and dinner) for the duration of the activities will be covered by the Erasmus+.
Participants will be allocated in 3-4 bedded rooms. Every bedroom has a bathroom. Rooms will be divided according to the same gender, but different nationalities. Wireless internet connection is available in the hotel.
Direction how to get to the venue:
Participants will need to use public transportation to get from Sofia to the project venue. For that, they will need small change – 1.60BGN ( approx. 0.80 euro) for subway ticket and 16 BGN ( 8.11 euro) for bus from Sofia to Bansko.
To get from Sofia airport – Terminal 1
Outside of the terminal you will find white mini bus with sign TRANSFER SHUTTLE /or simply ask any of the stuff where is the free shuttle to Terminal 2/. Once you get in –it will drive you / about 7 min/ to TERMINAL 2 of SOFIA AIRPORT. From there you can get metro / subway /taking the blue line/ - From Sofia airport terminal 2 to station called SERDIKA, there you have to change with the organge line towards OBELYA OR LOMSKO SHOSE and you have to get out at the 2nd station which is called CENTRAL RAILWAY STATION. Once you get out from CENTRAL RAILWAY STATION you will see large blue building with the sign Central Bus Station. Inside the station you will be able to get the tickets for the bus. Please check the image below:
To get from Sofia airport – Terminal 2
Once at Terminal 2 of Sofia airport –please go out of the building turn left and go all the way down on the road and you will get to the / subway station of Sofia airport/ 2-3 min walk. From there take the blue line/ - From Sofia airport terminal 2 to station called SERDIKA, there you have to change with the organge line towards OBELYA OR LOMSKO SHOSE and you have to get out at the 2nd station which is called CENTRAL RAILWAY STATION. Once you get out from CENTRAL RAILWAY STATION you will see large blue building with the sign Central Bus Station. Inside the station you will be able to get the tickets for the bus. Please check the image below:
To get from Central Bus station to Bansko
Once you arrive at CENTRAL RAILWAY STATION go out of the station and you will see large blue building with sign Central Bus Station. From there you can buy ticket to Bansko. The journey will be about 3h and it will cost you 16 Bulgarian leva. There are few buses a day running from Sofia to Basnko with departing times schedule: 09:45; 11:25; 14:00; 16:45.
If you are arriving after 16:45 and you are not able to get the public bus there is option for renting a private shuttle that needs to be paid by each of the passenger and it’s upon request.
Participant Profile
The project will accept five participants from each participating country. We are looking for participants who:
- Older than 18 years
- Have previous experience in social or political activities; an active social life; interest in social sphere
- Awareness in journalism and photography will be taken into account
- Have high level of English
- Important! Participants are kindly asked to bring laptops with basic video editors (at least, one per group) and gadgets suitable for video-making (cameras, smartphones)
- Participants with specific talents (painting, dancing, singing, etc.) or workshop/presentation on related topic are welcome to share them with others
- Bring positive energy, enthusiasm, good mood and be ready to participate in all activities
Travel cost for every country:
- Ukraine - €275
- Georgia - €275
- Jordan - €275
- Spain - €360
- Croatia - €275
- Germany - €275
- Cyprus - €275
Important!
Participants are asked to bring their private hygiene necessities, any medicine that they use.
Partners
Every partner has to accomplish the following tasks:
- Select participants according to their motivation and interest, as well as gender balance and target group (5 participants from each partner country). The activities will develop in a fun and interactive way, with a strong focus on intercultural interaction
- Defining team-leaders and support them on the every partner meeting; organising the group of participants, preparing them in a right way, planning transportation etc
- Prepare the group for an intercultural experience by providing basics information about the Erasmus+ program, Youthpass, details about the YE and guidance for the activities that are to be prepared
- Intercultural evening – should be as interactive and fun as possible. The presentation should be personalised, focused on the themes (e.g. media and politics studies, social issues, diversity etc), and if possible, should involve the rest of the participants
- A presentation video briefly introducing the group members
- Writing report of the project
Money REIMBURSEMENT
100% of accommodation, food, and travel costs will be covered with the support of Erasmus+. Participants will pay their tickets to the venue and will be reimbursed approximately in 1-2 months after the end of the project.
It is important to remember about travel cost limits in order to be reimbursed. It is necessary for participants to have travel and health insurance (NOT reimbursable).
Travel must be economy/2nd class for a plane, train or bus ticket. No taxi costs will be refunded unless there is no public transport that covers a journey.
For reimbursement participants have to collect and save TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: boarding passes, invoices and receipts.
Hosting Organisation
Znanie Association is NGO established in 1990 and based in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The lifelong learning is our mission and because of that we gather the strengths of different experts in order to organise training and educational activities for professional and personal development for people in every age in order to create a better society. The main priorities we are working on are:
- Personal development
- Train the trainers
- Professional training and education
Znanie Association has expended experience in non-formal education activities. The organisation has more 100 implemented projects funded by European Social Fund, Human Resources, Development Operational Program,Workshop for Civic Initiative Foundation, Life Long, Learning program and Erasmus + program.
All the projects are focused on non-formal education (interactive teaching methods), training for trainers and teachers, increasing of the quality of education and training providing, youth activities and intercultural dialogue.
Since 2011 Znanie has cooperation with Sofia University as field organisation for students in non-formal education specialty.
Leading Partner
NGO “UNIT” - a non-governmental organisation aimed to develop youth initiatives and implement innovative projects, both at the local and international levels. It was created in August 2015 by activists and volunteers of Ukraine.
The prganisation strives to unite socially active youth from all regions of Ukraine and develop their personal and professional qualities.
Activities of the organisation are following :
- Organisation of projects within the Erasmus + program (Outdoor generation, Sports Live, One nation – many lives, Innovative Tools for Peace Education etc.)
- Cooperation with USAID and the Polish embassy
- Launching educational events for young people about features of writing grant applications and receiving external funding for the organization of an international project
All the training sessions and activities are based on methods of non-formal education.
Contact information
Znanie Association - projects@znanie-bg.org
NGO Unit - unit.apply.ukraine@gmail.com