From November 3 to 12, Sfântu Gheorghe hosted the Erasmus+ training program “Say NO to Racism.” The event brought together 66 young people from 11 countries, including Georgia, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Moldova, the Czech Republic, Armenia, Portugal, Azerbaijan, Romania, and Hungary.
Over the ten-day program, participants learned about different forms of discrimination and the effects of social exclusion. They also had the opportunity to interact with the local Roma community to gain a better understanding of their challenges and values.
Éva Grüman, the program coordinator, emphasized: “With every action we take, we can contribute to combating racism and creating a fairer world.” The young people also collaborated with the Maltese Relief Service, gaining a deeper understanding of the importance of social inclusion.
Bahar Abulfat, a participant from Azerbaijan, shared: “During the project, we created valuable presentations together and experienced intercultural diversity through developing integration and critical thinking. It was an excellent opportunity for me to learn more about the Erasmus program and to explore the cultural diversity of different countries. I can honestly say I enjoyed every moment of the project.”
At the end of the program, participants returned home with new knowledge, friendships, and experiences, ready to take active steps against racism within their communities.
On the following link you can watch the short movies created by participants from 10 countries during the Say no to racism Youth Exchange project, held from 04-11.11.2024 in Sfântu Gheorghe, Romania. These short movies serve as an example of music as a non-formal learning approach for eliminating prejudice and developing intercultural conversation among young people from varied cultural backgrounds.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yGnY6uCdyMKQ87bCxUVPn1tc-VnrrO6n?usp=sharing
You can find our further results in the following links:
Voice records of the musics composed by participants during the workshops: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1mRPzbJZAglXLsHUaigtcQ-x61FXCQ1G7?usp=sharing
Participants made a photoblog about music as an informal means of intercultural conversation and anti-racism education. The captured moments that promote diversity, intercultural and interreligious dialogue, common values of freedom, tolerance and respect of human rights. They built meaningful connections among different cultural backgrounds.
You can also read about participants’messages and opinions on how to use music against racism, intercultural learning, intercultural discussion, and the Erasmus+ project, among other topics:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pEKBgRgamlfC8btMvS696-pkCuj-__SJ/view?usp=sharing
