Dear fellow young people, We are young people from Bulgaria, Italy, the UK, Spain and Georgia and what united us was SPORT or more specifically youth exchange Sport against violence and cyberbullying. The exchange was educational project, financed by the European program Erasmus+ and was implemented in Bansko, Bulgaria from 26.09.2021 until 05.10.2021. The project gathered in total 44 people who`s main focus was to explore the power of sport as a tool for fostering tolerance, solidarity and promote no discrimination. We had experienced amazing time, we have learnt a lot, we have empowered each other and discovered the true power of sport! First of all we would like to encourage everyone out there to explore Erasmus+ program-it is NOT only for university studentsthere is much more than that-you can go for short term educational exchange and training courses, get paid internship internship while you are students and many more! In this magazine you will find info about those opportunities, some useful websites with quality youth information and some information about our activities during our time in Bulgaria and some conclusions we made about the power of sport! Much Love, International Youth cyberbullying
team
of
Sport
against
violence
and
Information about the project The rise of social media has offered a new environment in which bullying can also occur to have serious consequences for the personal development of young people. The consequences of violence and cyberbullying in can lead to various health and mental problems in the younger generation, which in turn would be a prerequisite for the inability to building a morally stable European society.
Specific objectives:
- raising awareness and encouraging sense of and responsibility of young people to the problem and learning about the consequences that aggression and harassment online can cause -raising awareness of the power of sport as a mean of promoting solidarity, non violence and tolerance among young people, as well as a range of social skills developing knowledge and skills of young people in the field of combating aggression, hatred and cyber bullying - raising awareness of basic human rights and introducing to young people with The NO hate speech movement as a tool to protect those.
About Erasmus plus program and How you can take part in? Erasmus plus is the program of the EU that provides endless opportunities for development, education, gaining soft skills, training, sport, trainships, etc. For nearly 30 years, the EU has funded the Erasmus programme, which has enabled over three million European students to spend part of their studies at another higher education institution or with an organisation in Europe.
Erasmus+ brings such opportunities to all - students, staff, trainees, teachers, volunteers and more. It's not just about Europe or Europeans either - with Erasmus+, people from all over the world can access opportunities.
What is youth exchange? Youth exchanges allow groups of young people from different countries to meet, live together and work on shared projects for short periods. Youth exchanges take place outside the school environment. On a youth exchange, you can expect to participate in activities such as workshops, exercises, debates, role-plays, outdoor activities and more. If you are between 13 and 30 years old you can take part in! There is also group leader involved to support the groups. Group leaders can be 18+ with no age limit. Youth exchanges last between 5 and 21 days. This excludes travelling time. Usually the projects are about 7-10 days that you get to spend with people from other countries, cultures, religions, be engaged in discussing important topics and find their places as part of the civil society. Youth exchanges help us young people develop personally and professionally, meet other young people from different countries, learn by doing and from each other, raise awareness on important social topics, make friendships, get engaged, learn, have fun. You can find more information in the European Youth Portal https://europa.eu/youth/home_en
Sport is more than just games and fun. Sport is about creating togetherness, empowering social changes, promoting values of tolerance, solidarity and kindness. Time and again, sports have always been a great tool for creating global positive social change. From providing livelihood to bridging the social gap, sports play a significant role in creating a real global social change. Millions of people watch sports tournament regardless of their age which clearly signifies how impactful sports is. Even if we go back to history, many moments in sports highlight positive social change such as inclusion, gender equality, unity, etc. Sports have helped to introduced many social changes across the globe. Sports is not merely a physical activity as it can help people learn lifelong lessons creating a positive change in society. The idea is to use sports as a tool to address various issues of society is highly essential as it is sports only that unites the people of different socioeconomic & cultural backgrounds. Sports help in bringing people from all walks of life together helping all of us to appreciate the diversity. Sport is a powerful tool that can establish healthier communities by inciting social change.
How sport actually foster social change?
Sports encourage national unity Be it the Olympics or any world cup tournament, sports encourage people across the globe to come together & show their support to their country. It breaks down the racial barriers by bridging gaps in society. Sports act as a common denominator in all the divided society as people of all ages & group equally enjoy sports. Sports automatically brings solidarity that helps in positively engaging all the people & encourage national unity.
Sports promote gender equality The next positive change that sports help in creating across the globe is gender equality. Both men and women have access to resources, structure, and active membership in a leading position which helps in promoting gender equality through sports. By giving the females the same opportunities as their male counterpart, it can change the patriarchal mindset of society.
Sports contribute to the socioeconomic progress Entertainment sports represent a billion-dollar company that has a huge impact on the economy of the country. It generates employment and boosts the local economy which helps in creating a tangible change in society.
Sports help in tackling obesity Due to the sedentary lifestyle of contemporary society, obesity has become a major problem among youngsters. The young children who take sports athletes as their inspiration are more likely to follow in their footsteps and stay fit. Sports inspire the young generation to tackle obesity by staying active from an early age.
Sports bridges social identities The next important thing that sports contribute is bridging the gap between people of different social identities. Sports teaches people with conflicting social identities to work or play together without placing their social differences forward. Sports instill the skill of team building & conflict resolution which largely helps in bringing a positive change in society.
Sports promote discipline & nonviolence Another positive change that sports introduce in society is that it helps in promoting discipline & non-violence. Major poor communities in the world have the problem of lack of discipline & violence due to lack of direction & education. Sports play a crucial role in educating the important lessons which further helps in creating a positive social change.
Sports teaches important life lessons Another way sports acts as a social tool is by teaching important life lessons to the people. Sports help in developing the mind by teaching important life lessons. Sports has always taught the world to appreciate diversity which further strengthens democracy. Sports as an institution has successfully maintained social continuity and build friendship beyond the social differences. Sports is not just meant for entertainment, it has a deeprooted social impact on society which helps in global progress. The government and various organizations are working together to use sports as a tool to bring social change. The contribution of sports towards the welfare of society is immense as sports have given exposure to better opportunities that have created positive change in society. Many sports initiatives contain the possibility of social change which is why it should be encouraged by everyone. The social power of sports can bring a major difference globally. Sports should be encouraged in every society as it contributes to the overall development. It focuses on all aspects of society and promotes human value, equality, teamwork, etc. It also activates the collective spirit among the people and become a medium to unite people despite their linguistic & cultural barrier
Useful Tools and Resources The Farenetwork is an umbrella organisation that brings together individuals,informal groups and organisations driven to combat inequality in football and use the sport as a means for social change. Fare’s commitment to tackle discrimination through football’s inclusive power is based on the principle that the game, as the most popular sport in the world, belongs to us all and can propel social cohesion. Fare combats all forms of discrimination, including racism, far-right nationalism, sexism, transand homophobia and discrimination against disabled people. The network Fare has grown in numbers to become an international organisation with more than 150 members in nearly 40 European countries. Many more groups and activists join Fare’s activities, campaigns and events throughout the year. Through the annual Football People action weeks, which with more than 1500 activities is the largest initiative against discrimination in football worldwide, Fare has been able to expand its sphere of influence to countries outside Europe. The organisation works not only in more than 45 European countries, but also with activists in the United States, South Africa, St. Lucia and Brazil. What does Fare do? Fare works across all levels of the game to advance social inclusion of marginalised and disenfranchised groups and to engage policy makers, key players and governing bodies in the anti-discrimination movement. Fare: ·Challenges discrimination at all levels of football ·Uses football as a tool to tackle societal discrimination ·Fosters networking and the transnational exchange of good practice ·Undertakes activities to empower and build capacity of marginalised and discriminated groups ·Gives a voice to those combating discrimination in football Fare also uses its expertise to provide advice and support in combating discrimination and promoting social inclusion and regularly organises and supports initiatives, including: ·Hosting international events and conferences ·Producing best practice guides and educational materials ·Organising pan-European and international campaigns, including the Football People action weeks ·Delivering activities at international football competitions Monitoring matches and reporting discrimination
#FootballPeople weeks The #FootballPeopleweeks unite supporters, clubs, players, minority groups and communities affected by discrimination to stand for equality and inclusion. This year’s weeks will take place from the 7th to 21st October 2021.Join the movement. The #FootballPeople weeks is the largest campaign for social change and diversity in global football. During the two-week period over 150,000 people in more than 50 countries organise and participate in events and activities to bring about social change. Join the movement! Who is it for? The #FootballPeople weeks are open to everyone regardless of who you are or what your role in football is. Supporters, players, clubs, ethnic minorities, LGBTIQ+ groups, women’s groups, activists, schools and NGOs all take an active role. #FootballPeople activists are united in their love for the game and the belief that football belongs to everyone and can be used to create positive change. We want you to be involved irrespective of origin, race, religion, gender or sexuality. Football v Homophobia Football v Homophobia (FvH) is an international initiative opposing LGBTIQ -phobia in football, from grass roots to professional level. FvH uses football as a tool to remove prejudice based on gender identity and sexual orientation and to take a clear stand against LGBTIQ+ discrimination. In 2011, Fare and FvH joined forces to work across the different levels of football and help bring about a positive change. As part of this partnership, several initiatives, such as conferences, workshops, tournaments, and more, have been organised to advocate for LGBTIQ+ rights and ensure that everyone can enjoy, participate in and practice football. In addition to this, every year groups across Europe and beyond are supported by Fare and FvH to run football related activities to promote LGTBIQ+ rights during the Football v Homophobia Month of Action (February) and around the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOTB). You can get more information, get involved, promote, take part or even organize your sport event to spread tolerance, solidarity and no discrimination! https://www.farenet.org/
SALTO YOUTH-THE YOUTH RESOURCE CENTER
Here you can find useful information-about different methods, manuals, toolkits on different topics, some impactful activities and games you can use with other young people, you can also subscribe to receive information about training courses and seminars. What is SALTO-YOUTH? SALTO-YOUTH is a network of seven Resource Centres working on European priority areas within the youth field. As part of the European Commission's Training Strategy, SALTO-YOUTH provides non-formal learning resources for youth workers and youth leaders and organises training and contactmaking activities to support organisations and National Agencies (NAs) within the frame of the European Commission's Erasmus+ Youth programme, the European Solidarity Corps, and beyond. On this website you'll find lots of tools: ·European Training Calendar is where you'll find trainings and seminars run by SALTO, European Solidarity Corps Resource Centre, Erasmus+ NAs and NGOs in the youth field ·Toolbox for Training contains hundreds of tools and activity ideas for youth work ·Otlas Partner Finding puts you in touch with thousands of youth projects, so you can build strong partnerships and apply for Erasmus+ ·Trainers Online for Youth is our directory of over 500 trainers, who can deliver your international training activities https://www.salto-youth.net/