Last Friday, Antonio Ponce, EVS responsible of Asociación PROJUVEN, had the pleasure to meet youngsters in our local community where he could present the EVS group project “Volunteers 4 tolerance”, its objective and results.
Our participants, Marta and Tania took part in the short group EVS mobility organized by Alternativi International between 15 of May and 14 of June, in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. Through different non formal education activities they were introduced to the topic of Hate speech, understand more about human rights and hate speech movements. Together with the other participants, Marta and Tania had the chance to work in teams and design promotional materials and videos, that were used later during their visits in local schools. In the framework of the project, was organized a public action in the local park in Blagoevgrad, as a part of the initiative Alternativi Week which main aim was to raise awareness about No Hate Speech Movement and how to combat hate, racism, discrimination and bullying through art and graffiti. Everyone had the chance to try their luck on the lucky wheel, to take a picture with no hate frame, to write their positive message on a “positive wall”, to take part in the per-prepared flash mob and, to draw with graffiti.
The main aims of this project were:
- To help young people to better understand hate speech, to realize the implications for society and to be able to distinguish it from freedom of speech
- Providing youth with ways and channels for reporting hate speech online
- Promoting media literacy and safe and tolerant use of the Internet and knowledge of basic legal frameworks among young people to combat cyberbullying
- To familiarize young people with the Council of Europe No hate speech Movement
- Promoting tolerance, mutual understanding and dialogue between young people of different nationalities
- Getting acquainted with the processes of migration and realizing its benefits for Europe
- Promoting tolerance and solidarity among local community for refugees and migrants
