Newsletter

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CEIPES’ CEIPES ’ Human Rights Week to celebrate the 66 th anniversary of the UDHR

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CEIPES NEWS

CEIPES Monthly Newsletter

December 2014

by Ana Silva th

Editorial Team Alessandro Imborgia Ana Catarina Silva Irene Cappozzi Mariana Mesquita Patricia Rivera Prieto Leonardo Matias Carla Santos

Marking the 66 anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) that is th celebrated on December 10 every year, CEIPES promoted this year several local and online activities that took place over a week – from 5 to 12 December – in order to raise awareness for the importance of human rights in today’s world.

The activities ranged from workshops and games for kids to online actions such as a photo competition, and were conceived to reach the widest possible audience in order to draw attention to the cause of human rights. During eight days, there were constantly different activities to mark the week and we have invited everyone to join us in taking action for human rights!

Our Human Rights Week 2014 started on 5 December (Friday) with a workshop for kids on the right to food, which took place in the context of the fair Fa' la Cosa Giusta. On Saturday (6 December) we continued with our workshops on the right to food, and on th Sunday we celebrated CEIPES 7 anniversary. On Wednesday (10 December) CEIPES took part in the celebratons of the actual Human Rights Day at Moltivolti, where we led a Human Library activity from 15h00 to 17h00, which was very enriching for all the people who participated.

On Thursday (11 December) our EVS volunteers organized a Peddy Paper on human rights th for the pupils of the 4 grade at the school Cuore Immacolato di Maria,

who have been following human Era da Tecnologia Edição 00 Mês Ano rights lessons prepared by our volunteers once a week. We have contributed to some online campaigns of the United Nations, such as UNICEF’s #IMAGINE campaign.

Finally, on Friday (12 December) have launched the Newsletter of CEIPES, with the latest updates on our activities.

L at e st A ct iv i t ie s …

CEIPES celebrates 7th anniversary P . 1 Street action to fight violence against women P . 2

W ha t w e ha ve be e n do ing ...

Sustainable lifestyles at Fa La Cosa Giusta P . 3

Our EVS volunteers working with school pupils P .4 Sit amet, consec tetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam

7 year s o f CE IP E S …

by Alessandro Imborgia.

Seven years have gone by... seven years since

local intervention in

that day when three young people coming from

contexts.

faraway places, infatuated with Italy and in love

Our relation with the Danisinni neighbourhood

with Sicily have come together, united by the

and with the institutions that are based in that

same ideals and the same passions.

territory is nowadays consolidated. Moreover, in

During these seven years what used to be hope

these past few days CEIPES has been involved in

has become a reality, thanks to the will of these

the

people who never lost their willingness and have

consumption “Fà la cosa giusta”, and has put

managed to arrive where many, often too many,

together a series of activities to mark a week of

fail.

human rights. In this newsletter you can find

Exactly seven years ago CEIPES was born, the

information about all these events, as well as

International Centre for the Promotion of

several others. A special word of thanks to all

Education and Development, a name that was

the volunteers and collaborators that have

maybe too pompous at the time we were

contributed and continue to contribute to the

starting but that is now, more than ever,

growth of CEIPES, they are the real lifeblood of

adequate to reflect and describe what we have

the organization. Meike, Kacem, Nur, Ana,

managed to accomplish during these years.

Burak, Cagla, Liliana, Joana, Lelde, Cintjia, Keke,

Today, CEIPES has a gleam of international

Patricia, Mariana and many, many others. These

intervention, thanks to its branches in eight

are all precious, all unique, wonderful people,

European countries (Italy, Hungary, Greece,

lifelong friends to whom we address our

Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Serbia and Turkey) and

heartfelt thanks.

this year it has been officially recognised by the

CEIPES celebrates seven years, seven years of

Council

International

success, of ups and downs, certainly seven years

Organization. Today, more than ever before,

of constant change. It is said that the capacity to

CEIPES does not lose its contact with the

adapt to change is one of the most obvious

territory, conciliating its international vocation

symptoms of an organization’s intelligence… well, if that is true, we are genius.

of

Europe

as

an

and its activities with European partners with a

organization

of

disadvantaged urban

the

fair

for

critical

WHAT OUR VOLUNTEERS SAY… I came to Italy with my cousin, Burak, so I used to talk with him in my mother tongue. I was a bit quiet when I arrived because I was in a different country, with a different system and very different things.

Then I began to get used and everything became simpler.

Regarding the city, I had a plan and made a list of important places to go to, and I visited most of the historical and famous places in Palermo. I tried to learn Italian culture and also Italian language. I tried some typical foods, which I liked.

In my work at the school, I used to take care of children with 2, 3, and 4 or 5 years old and I played with them. I also worked in the office, researching how to create a web radio and finding out how to do it.

Thanks to this EVS I met many people here from different countries, and we have shared our experiences and helped one another.

Cagla, 23, Turkey

WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND

The role of youth work: Employability, peacebuilding and gender in Europe and beyond

I worked in the kindergarten and a little bit in the office.

Actually I didn't like the office work so much, so I will rather speak about the kindergarten. At the start

by A n a A f o n s o “Ventures that bring together people from communities in conflict become a tool to bridge communication gaps”

CEIPES at the HOW training course in Romania b y Inge Arends

As part of the project ‘Voices of change: Employability, peacebuilding and gender in Europe and beyond’, a youth worker from CEIPES (Italy) had the chance to spend some time working at UNOY Peacebuilders (Netherlands) with the aim to exchange know-how and reinforce the cooperation between the two partner organisations. In the framework of this project the youth worker collaborated in several of the activities implemented by UNOY on the subjects of youth employability, social entrepreneurship for peacebuilding and gender equality. The most important dimension touched by this project was the relevance of youth work to the field of social entrepreneurship, with a special focus on the peacebuilding and gender dimensions.

Social entrepreneurship is quite a trendy concept nowadays and many youth organisations in Europe have it as a strategic priority in their annual working plans. Yet, as youth workers we should ask ourselves an important question, that is ‘whether or not youth work has a real role to play in this field and what kind of role would that be?.’

THE ROLE OF YOUTH WORK The experience of this mobility enabled me to take part in a long-term project on social entrepreneurship, involving youth from several European and African countries.

Due to the complexity of the subject youth workers cannot expect that short-term trainings on social entrepreneurship will transform young people in social entrepreneurs enabling them to create their own social venture. While this is an unrealistic expectation, it is true however that youth workers have a privileged role to play in this field. That role is defined by being intermediaries and networkers, mentors and trainers of specific skills. This role should be nurtured keeping an eye on the holistic dimension of the intervention, meaning that it should be a long-term and local intervention with a specific group.

Therefore my recommendation to youth workers is to be specific and realistic, planning interventions and trainings that address the specific aspects mentioned. As well do a lot of networking and

establish partnerships with local public and private entities with the goal of working in close cooperation.

Keeping in mind that young people will need support after the training course have finished it is essential to put in place mentoring mechanisms where experienced social entrepreneurs give support throughout the development of the ventures.

PEACEBUILDING I would also like to highlight the relevance of social entrepreneurship for peacebuilding. In the project experience all the social ventures proposed by the participants were aimed at peacebuilding in their communities. But what is peacebuilding? In a world where literature on the topic is so vast it is almost impossible to come up with a concept that is not too broad and that can embrace peacebuilding in various contexts, since peacebuilding seems to embrace everything that relates to achieving a better society (peace within, peace with the other, peace with nature). It is important to highlight that social

entrepreneurship has something to contribute to peace building, especially if considered in the context of post-conflict countries or communities in conflict. The first aspect to mention is the fact that ventures that bring together people from communities in conflict become a tool to bridge communication gaps. On the other hand, social ventures are concrete ways to enhance economic participation and increase quality of live, what is a positive factor in combating violence and conflict.

Finally, a third possibility is a venture that addresses the factors behind the conflict, ensuring a solution-based approach that at the same time becomes a source of income.

From the 25th of October to the 1st of November some members of CEIPES (Irene la Pera, Emanuela Firetto and Inge Arends) participated in a partnership building training course in Craiova, Romania.

The topic of the project was about HOW best to manage all the stages of a project and implement them successfully.

During the days of activities new E-learning methods such as Big Blue Button were discovered, , the pros and cons of E-learning were discussed and a test panel was created.

Even though the weather was quite challenging for our Italian participants, they had a wonderful time meeting with the other participants from Georgia, Jordan, Turkey, Armenia and Romania.

They shared about the current situation in the different countries and brainstormed about future projects that could be implemented.

Here are some quotes from our participants: Irene: ‘I met great and interesting young people from different countries and I hope to cooperate with them in the future for interesting projects’ Inge: ‘I am a big believer in a world of peace and one-ness, this project showed me that no matter where we all come from and what our religious backgrounds are, It is possible!’ th

On the 10 of December Emanuela and Inge have flown to Hatay, Turkey, to attend the 2nd part of the project.

They will discover more about E-learning and have an online training session with Irene and 4 volunteers back in Italy.

Will E-learning future?

hold

the

WHAT OUR VOLUNTEERS SAY…

INTERNATIONAL DAYS

What are Human Rights?

by Patricia Rivera Prieto

I worked in the kindergarten and a little bit in the office. Actually I didn't like the office work so much, so I will rather speak about the kindergarten. At the start, it was quite difficult. I thought I couldn’t do it.

15 September International Day of Democracy

“ Recognizing that peace is the universal aspiration of mankind and that peace and justice are indispensable to the full realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms… ” Proclamation of Teheran, 1968

CEIPES present at Fa’ la Cosa Giusta 2014

by Irene Cappozzi

Because I was a stranger for the children and they didn't know me, I couldn't understand them and they couldn't understand me.

But I played with them, helped them and smiled at them. They did the same. I learnt it is enough to love each other.

Sometimes there were some problems; sometimes I wanted to speak too much with them. But generally we could communicate.

Maybe if the Italian course had started earlier, it could be easier. And now I miss all of them, I don't want to forget their smile. The best smile. From Ankara to Palermo with love.

Burak. 20, Turkey

After the Second World War, in 1945, the United Nations noted the need that everyone should enjoy fundamental rights and freedoms, so considering the dignity as a base, th Human Rights were proclaimed on 10 December 1948 in Paris. The only purpose was that they were respected by all peoples.

Nowadays there is much talk of Human rights, but in reality there is too much ignorance even though they have been around for over 60 years. We should ask ourselves something: are these rights met worldwide? Does everyone know the Human Rights or even his own rights? Are we aware of their importance?

Without thinking too much, we would give negative answers to both questions.

To acknowledge their importance we must first understand that every one of us is different but that does not mean that there is someone inferior to another. Regarding this issue, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights says that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights; are entitled to life, liberty and security; no one shall be held in slavery or inhuman treatment; all are equal before the law; no one can be banished; have the right to free expression; to seek asylum in any country; to work, to enjoy their free time and education. And likewise, everyone has duties to the community.

It is important to know Human Rights because

this is how we can defend ourselves against any abuse; without the knowledge of the rights we could not really ask for justice.

Ignorance of rights is largely due to the society which had a wrong idea about what are Human Rights, and the narrow dissemination of them, but the main point is that when they come into force in the country, there is no planning to inform the people what they are and what their purpose is. On the other hand, conflicts and violence have accompanied our societies at all times in our history, it is an evil with which we live with every day and which have not yet learned, despite the many experiences lived (World War II 1939-1945, Cold War 1947-1991, Persian Gulf War, 19901991, invasion of Iraq in 2003, War on Terror 2001-ongoing).

So where is the real importance of knowing what are exactly Human Rights? Based on the humanity’s history of violence and in our capacity as individuals with beliefs of "own truths", which often do not want to accept the remote possibility of being wrong, the real importance of knowing about Human Rights can be defined through the knowledge of these instruments of protection for all mankind, which contain patterns and behaviour concepts to follow, either individually or and socially, as set out common desires of all societies on the planet.

CEIPES Human Rights Week 2014 th

Marking the 66 anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) that is celebrated th on December 10 every year, CEIPES promoted this year several local and online activities that took place over a week – from 5 to 12 December – in order to raise awareness for the importance of human rights in today’s world. Learn more about these initiatives in our website.

This year, CEIPES is ‘doing the right thing’, and thus we were present at the fair for critical consumption and sustainable lifestyles ‘Fa’ la Cosa Giusta’, which took place in Palermo th th between the 5 and 7 of December. We were present not only as spectators, but putting all our human resources in action at the fair.

Our volunteers and trainees from Portugal, Spain and Turkey have actively participated during the three days of the fair, by providing support to the staff of the fair, helping with logistical aspects, providing information at the info points and welcoming the visitors but, above all, bringing to the event a multicultural touch.

Furthermore, CEIPES organized two workshops for kids focusing on the subject of human rights, and in particular on the right to food. th On Friday (December 5 ) with the workshop “I biscotti del re” (The King’s Biscuits), we aimed to make kids understand in a simple way the reality of inequality among the global population regarding access to food. On th Saturday (December 6 ) we held our workshop “L’avventura del cibo” (The Adventure of Food), in which we used a funny life-size board game to explain to the young players the different aspects that impact positively and negatively upon the production of food and access to food.

to food. The fair was an important occasion to get a general overview of all the different Sicilian forces that are driving towards sustainable development and the respect for human rights, to raise awareness among the population towards behaviours that are ethical and respectful of one’s own community, and to invite the people to participate in moments of sharing that have allowed exchanges of opinion and experiences of cultural diversity.

IT-CALL TOOL IS NOW ACCESSIBLE ONLINE CEIPES is a partner organization in athe project IT-Call: Integrated eTraining and e-Stage for People with Physical Disabilities to Work at Home as Call Center Representatives.

During October 2014 we tested the portal it-call.net in order both to assess the capacity of the website itself and to evaluate the educative impact that the training can have on the students. The class was formed by 7 participants with different backgrounds who voluntarily took

backgrounds who voluntarily took part in the testing. The testing phase was followed by an assessment test performed as a questionnaire.

At the end of the testing phase it was important to assess the feedbacks regarding the accessibility of the platform, easiness of use, quality of the contents, possibility of selfassessment and overall feeling of learning.

21 September International Day of Peace 1 October International Day of Older Persons 2 October International Day of NonViolence 16 October World Food Day 17 October International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 24 October United Nations Day 16 November International Day for Tolerance 20 November Universal Children’s Day 25 November International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 3 December International Day of Persons with Disabilities 5 December International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development 10 December Human Rights Day