Digital Education as tools against racism

Name of the project: digital Education as tools against racism

Dates: 19 -25 OCTOBER 2022 (excluding travel dates)

Place: Thessaloniki, Greece

Nature: Youth exchange

Ref: 2022-1-FR02-KA152-YOU-000063673

About the project:

Our NGO participated in the project “digital Education as tools against racism”, According to the EU Action Plan against Racism 2020-2025, discrimination based on racial or ethnic origin is prohibited in the European Union (EU). Yet this type of discrimination persists in our society. Being against racism is not enough. We must also act. Racism harms society in many different ways. In its most direct form, it means that many people in Europe face discrimination which undermines their dignity as human beings, their future prospects, their prosperity and their well-being, and often also to their personal safety. Discrimination is also synonymous with failure to respect the fundamental values of the EU.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of terrorist attacks are just the most recent examples of situations where people from a racial or ethnic minority group have been subject to unjustified accusations. People of Asian and African descent, Muslims, Jews and Rums have all suffered from intolerance. But other, less explicit forms of racism and racial discrimination, such as those based on unconscious bias, can be experienced just as much.

However, further efforts are needed to tackle persistent inequalities within the Union. In order to illustrate the role of youth work in this expectation, together with the young people of our organization and the chosen partners, we have decided to neglect these efforts by organizing a youth exchange within the framework of a project called "digital Education as tools against racism" which will bring together 42 young people from 8 different countries (France, Greece, Romania, Spain, Tunisia, Jordan, Georgia and Ukraine) and will take place in Thessaloniki, Greece and which will address the theme of education in particular.

media education, posed as a practice that can contribute effectively to the fight against racism and xenophobia, prejudices, stereotypes, and to recognize human and cultural diversity.

This youth exchange is designed and dedicated to young people concerned with digital education, and the fight against racism and xenophobia, offering them the opportunity to exchange ideas and points of view, to work together and to express themselves.

During 07 days, participants will face different challenges, meet new people with different backgrounds while sharing and developing new skills. At the end of this learning journey, these new skills will be a building block to create possibilities and explore new opportunities when they return home.

In this project, self-reflection and non-formal education are the key elements. Using non-formal and informal educational tools, participants will work on the topic of digital education and human rights.

The specific objectives of this project:

We can summarize the following objectives:

- Develop the digital competence of young people by allowing them to exchange ideas, approaches, useful information and to put into practice new methods of non-formal education and digital education for the fight against racism and xenophobia.

- Combat hate speech online and in the media and the portrayal of negative stereotypes, and foster acceptance of diversity

- Equip young people with media skills and digital creations.

- Promote critical and analytical thinking among young people.

- Reaching young people targeted by online hate speech and fostering acceptance of diversity, providing alternative scenarios and emphasizing positive role models through non-formal and digital education.

- Better understand the opportunities of the Erasmus+ program and non-formal education to promote the European values of tolerance, understanding and respect for human rights.