PRESENTATION OF THE PROJECT

Project:
TOYS - TOlerance in Youth Sport Youth in Action Programme (Action 3 Sub-Action 3.1)

Time span: Activity

1st August 2013 31st March 2014

12th 19th January 2014

Partnership: Coordination of the project

Association of Local Democracy Agencies (ALDA)

Partners
ICEC (Intelligent Citizen Enlightenment Center Public Union), Ganja, Azerbaijan Local Democracy Agency of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina IPCP (International Platform for Citizen Participation), Plovdiv, Bulgaria UBBSLA (The Union of the Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities), Varna, Bulgaria Vejle Kommune, Denmark LDA Georgia Local Democracy Agency Georgia, Kutaisi, Georgia ISBEM (Istituto Scientifico Biomedico Euro Mediterraneo), Brindisi, Italy Provincia di Gorizia, Italy ASD Mesagne Volley, Mesagne (BR), Italy ULE (Universit delle LiberEt del Fvg), Udine, Italy Local Democracy Agency Kosovo, Peja/Pec, Kosovo under UNSC Resolution 1244/99

Aim
The aim of the project TOYS is to tackle racism and discrimination among youth in sport by promoting social inclusion and integration, volunteering and active citizenship. The topic is particularly relevant due to the recent prevalence of high profile cases of racism and discrimination in the sporting world. To tackle this issue that is evidently also manifested at the local level, a 5-day seminar encompassing numerous activities, debates, discussions and workshops, as well as indoor and outdoor sport activities, will explore the possibility of using sport in youth activities as a tool to challenge racism and discrimination. The seminar will promote values such as volunteering, mutual understanding and cultural diversity among youth; core principles of
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European citizenship. By promoting these activities and values, TOYS hopes to contribute to the fight against discrimination and racism. By focusing on youth workers and participants that can have a large multiplying effect, TOYS complies with the Youth in Action 3.1 requirements. Participation of young people, in particular those with fewer opportunities and always mindful of the gender balance, will be ensured, as they are the main target of our initiative. European cooperation, values and principles will be promoted through the involvement of participants from 9 EU and non-EU countries, each contributing their own cultural, political, economic and social identities. This will stimulate intercultural learning and diversity and contribute to a diverse set of experiences that will help achieve the aims of the project. TOYS will provide the participants with the skills and best practices to increase the quality and capacity of youth work in dealing with racism and tolerance in youth sport. Volunteering and active citizenship, two of the priorities of the Youth in Action programme, will help support social integration and strengthen communities.

Objectives
TOYS envisages to achieve the following objectives:

Promote anti-discrimination and tolerance through sports and araise young peoples awareness and sensitiveness regarding the promotion of tolerance , using sports as main tool to achieving it Highlight the strong relation between sport, healthy habits and active citizenship in a wide sense Fostering the European Year of Citizens, using sports as a way for civic engagement and promoting the idea of active citizenship in every aspect of life Help young people develop skills and competencies that will increase to act as "full" citizens Responding to individual aspirations and needs and for developing creative and social skills Social and personal development of the participants using not only the critical thinking approach but also participants bodies through sport activities Better understanding of the role of participants as "citizens of tomorrow" at local and European level Meet people with different ethnic, religious, cultural and educational backgrounds Exchange ideas with each other and in a whole to get to know, accept and respect each other: in other words to get to know better the EU, its diverse identity Promote fundamental European values, such as democracy, solidarity, tolerance and respect for human rights Strengthen bonds between youth organisations with similar aims and aims at leading to the development of a network of grass-roots sports institutions across Europe united in their stand against discrimination.
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MAIN ACTIVITY
The project envisages one main activity:

5-days Seminar in Mesagne (Italy)

The Seminar is conceived as a platform for discussion and exchange of good practice, based on theoretical and practical inputs on social inclusion, volunteering and active citizenship related to sport. The project will strengthen bonds among youth organisations sharing similar objectives and aims at leading to the development of a network of grass-roots sports institutions across Europe united in their stand against discrimination. TOYS will bring together 46 participants from 9 countries such as Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Georgia, Italy, Kosovo and Moldova, taking part in this 8 months project. Objectives of the activity: 1. To promote integration, tolerance and diversity among youth 2. To engage in dialogue and learn about how to tackle discrimination and exchange methods and initiatives that stimulate social inclusion, volunteering and active citizenship
Role of each partner: please refer to the action plan of the seminar

The activities foreseen are: 1) Preparation phase a) Promotion of the project by all partners at local and European level b) Selection of suitable facilitators and speakers by all the partners ICT tools will be used by facilitators/speakers to get in contact and define the detailed programme and methods of the Seminar; interested young people will also be invited to take part in the "on-line" preparation phase to give their contribution of ideas; c) Recruitment of participants d) Define accommodation, board, travel details, emergency and communication strategy issues 2) Implementation phase Workshops, discussions, working groups, indoor and outdoor sport activities; public debates, role plays, intercultural activities, visits to institutions/organisations dealing with the topics of the project. 3) Evaluation and follow-up phase It starts from the preparation phase and ends after the end of the main activity. All participants, together with professional staff of all partners and facilitators and/or speakers, will define strengths, weaknesses, best practices and appropriate methods.
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TARGET GROUP
The main target group of the initiative is composed of young people, in particular those with fewer opportunities, interested in sport and in the objective of the project. Please always be mindful of the gender balance.

VISIBILITY
Mainly through ICT tools (on-line tools, partners' websites and newsletters, media and press presence).
Partners in charge: All partners

DISSEMINATION
Participants will be asked to write at the end of every day, what they learnt, what they liked, what they did not like, what they would like to be different: as a result a quality charter will be produced. All these reports of the participants and the conclusions from the evaluation of the activities, will be used in order to write a final report of the project, including its evaluation, best practices and suggestions. In addition, a video will be produced presenting best practices and methods of the Seminar. This material will be disseminated throughout the network of the partners (using ICT tools), at local and European level, with the objective to reach anyone interested, from young people to youth organizations.