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Call: ERASMUS-YOUTH-2023-CB
Type of action: ERASMUS-LS
ID: 101130743
Acronym: Youth Will be Free
Duration (months): 24

Data di inizio: 01 Aprile 2024 – Data di Fine: 31 Marzo 2026

Summary

The project You(th) will be Free aims to enhance the quality of youthwork in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) countries so it can become a tool for social rehabilitation for young former inmates or youth at high risk of criminality, offering them the opportunity to pursue a career as socio-educational animators and thus find dignified employment.

Specific objectives

Enhancing the specific skills of 24 socio-educational animators from the 8 partnership associations in psychology, deviant pedagogy, and cultural mediation.

Introducing the profession of socio-educational animator, its objectives, career prospects, and necessary skills and competencies to young former inmates or those at high risk of criminality from the Mediterranean and MENA regions.

Developing a pilot training program for 9 young former inmates to become youth workers and role models, empowering them to train other young people and so on. This pilot program will be replicated, on a smaller scale, in all partnership countries, involving 30 young people from 8 different countries (Italy, Greece, Malta, North Macedonia, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia).

Outputs

A specific manual for youth workers on training young people at high risk of criminality.

A report on the role of the youth worker in MENA countries.

A scalable and replicable training pathway in various contexts.

Activities

A training course for trainers.

A workshop for young former inmates and youth at high risk of criminality.

A training course and job shadowing for former inmates to start them on the path to becoming youth workers.

Youth Empowerment

Consortium

ASSOCIAZIONE SOS EUROPA 🇮🇹 Italy

Via Pietro Romano 33 – Roma, Italy

www.soseuropa.it

 

INTERNATIONAL E-LEARNING INSTITUTE LTD 🇲🇹 Malta

40, VILLA FAIRHOLME SIR AUGUSTUS BARTOLO STREET

XBX1095 TA XBIEX

ASSOCIATION FOR PROGRESS, EDUCATION AND LOBBYING NEL SKOPJE  🇲🇰 North Macedonia

UL DIMO HADZI DIMOV 54B1000 Skopje

Website: https://www.pel.mk

NEANIKOI ORIZONTES M.K.O. 🇬🇷 Greece

K PALAMA 9 191 00 MEGARA

 
AL-EMAD ALKABEER FOR TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT CO. 🇯🇴 Jordan

TALA CENTER TALA AL ALI 11180 Amman

Website: https://sites.google.com/view/syleader

Arab International University 🇸🇾 Syria

DARAA GHABAGHIB DARAA

Website: http://www.aiu.edu.sy

 

MEDITERRANEAN YOUTH FOUNDATION FOR DEVELOPMENT 🇪🇬 Egypt

OFFICE 1 BUILDING 2013 AL EYADA STREET EXTENSION ZAHRAA MADINAT NASR 11528 CAIRO

Website: http://myfmed.org

 
FARHAT HACHED INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH AND DEMOCRACY 🇹🇳 Tunisia

20 RUE SOMAA MOUROUJ 5 BEN AROUS 2074 MOUROUJ

Website: https://www.fhird.tn

KICK-OFF MEETING

06.10.2024 (ZOOM)

The kick-off meeting of the project YOUTH WILL BE FREE, funded by the European Commission under the ERASMUS+ program, Capacity Building in the Youth sector, was held on October 6, 2024.

The project was written and coordinated by the Italian association SOS EUROPA, and the partnership is made up of PEL association from North Macedonia, the international e-Learning institute IELI from Malta, the Farhat Hached Institute for Research and Democracy (FHIRD) based in Tunis, the Arab International University (AIU) from Syria, the Support Youth Leaders (SYL) association from Jordan, and the nonprofit and nongovernmental organization Youth Horizons (YoHo) located in Megara, Greece.

The meeting was attended by 2 participants from each association, for a total of 14 participants, who, due to logistical problems, kicked off the project by meeting on the Zoom platform instead of in Cairo.

The meeting began with a brief presentation of the items that would be discussed, specifically:

  • The presentation of the project and the activities, with associated timelines and deliverables, to be implemented for the purpose of project implementation;
  • Visual Identity, the different dissemination channels, and the budgeting and reporting part;
  • The presentation regarding activity T2.2 of good practice research regarding the identification of good practices of youth work as a tool for inclusion for people at other risk of social exclusion.

After a brief introduction in which each partner had the opportunity to introduce themselves, the goals of their association, and their area of operation, the general and specific objectives of the project, the target group to which they relate, and the project roadmap were addressed. The participants, in addition, analyzed the various activities proposed by the project and the results to be produced in order to collaborate for the implementation of the project.

After that, all participants agreed on a dissemination plan that includes, depending on the nature of the dissemination object, both online and offline channels such as social media platforms, newsletters, events, trainings, and the like. In addition, all partners discussed a commitment to share these activities by including the project and European Commission logos and an explicit reference to the Commission as a funding source in the spaces dedicated to dissemination.

At the end of the meeting, a short research corresponding to T2.2 (Collection of Good Practices) was presented, highlighting the definition of youth work and youth worker, the type of profession he or she practiced, the soft skills that contributed the most to the target group actually improving their living conditions and in what terms, and the good practices of youth work as a tool for inclusion for people at other risk of social exclusion (e.g., ex-prisoners, people subject to drug addiction, youth from critical family backgrounds, etc.).

This research will be the starting point for the next meeting in Amman, where the youth workers will undergo training, which will see them engaged in improving their educational approach to the target group and in drafting general guidelines in the socio-educational field (D2.1), which are essential for carrying out WP3 activities.

 

Youth Empowerment

Youth Empowerment is the process of equipping young people with the skills, knowledge, and opportunities to take control of their lives, contribute to their communities, and achieve personal and professional growth. It focuses on fostering confidence, resilience, and active participation in decision-making, enabling youth to become agents of positive social change.

Social Rehabilitation

Social rehabilitation focuses on reintegrating individuals, particularly marginalized or at-risk groups, into society by providing them with the tools, resources, and support necessary to rebuild their lives. It emphasizes mental, emotional, and social well-being, offering pathways for employment, education, and community participation to reduce recidivism and foster social inclusion.

 

MENA Region Development

MENA Region Development refers to initiatives aimed at improving social, economic, and educational conditions in the Middle East and North Africa. These efforts address challenges such as unemployment, inequality, and social instability by promoting innovation, skill development, and community empowerment to foster sustainable progress and regional stability.

 

 

Youth Workers Capacity-Building

Youth Workers Capacity-Building
Youth Workers Capacity-Building focuses on enhancing the skills, knowledge, and competencies of individuals working with young people. It includes specialized training, resources, and tools to help youth workers support vulnerable youth, promote inclusion, and act as mentors and role models in their communities.

 

 

 

 

Socio-Educational Training

Socio-educational training combines education and social support to equip individuals with skills to address social issues and promote inclusion. It involves teaching methods of cultural mediation, deviant behavior management, and psychological tools to empower youth workers and educators, fostering social change and personal development.