EUROPE IS OUR PRIDE

In the wake of the success of the youth exchange "Be european - act with pride" in 2015 and as opportunity  of deepening of some questions, today ore current than ever, raised by its participants, Europe is our Pride aims to guide the young participants through a path of analysis of the  different facets that diversity can take in our contemporary reality and of the predjudices arising therefrom, stimulating them to take concrete actions to promote tolerance and solidarity in the society, so to realize the motto of European Union: "United in diversity" also in the daily life.
The youth exchange will be held in Palermo from 24th June to 2nd July 2017 and it will involve 20 youths (5 per Country), aged between 22 and 30 years old,  and 4 group leaders from Italy, Romania, Estonia and Poland.
The mixed group of youth, composed by young ablebodied and disabled people with different cultures and different socio-economical backgrounds, will cooperate in a supportive and inclusive atmosphere though a path of thematic deepening on cultural, racial and religious diversity, disability, omofobia and European Citizenship; this process will be mediated by peer education,  through the implementation of simulations, group discussions, case analysis, round tables and the realization of photo and video reportage and it foresees the subsequent planning and implementation of social raising awareness initiatives in terms of participative activities for the Palermo Pride 2017 parade, establishment of a photo exhibition with the participants' shoots, on-line pubblication of the video reportage, participation to a web-radiop programme. 
The daily activities will be diversified, ensuring the correct alternation between phases of structured learning and breaks, time for socializing and free-time  and they will be implemented thruogh non formal and informal learning methods within the peer group and based on the approach "the youth instructs the youth", the learning by doing and the work in small groups, able to assure everybody's active participation through the task division.
This will be mediated by the meeting among young people with different cultural backgrounds and the interculural dialogue that will take place in an atmosphere caracterized by tollerance and solidarity, able to  promote social inclusion and to disseminate the ideals of equality and peer opportunities through the creation of a cohesive group where everybody has his specific role and he actively participates to the ongoing activities. 
In this way Europe is our Pride aims to reach the following objectives:
- breaking down of stereotypes due to cultural, physical and social differences among the participants , promoting  tolerance, solidarity and reciprocal understanding
- promotion of the intercultural dialogue among young people
- promotino of the development of soft skills in the participants
- promotion of the active participation of young people in the society for the promotion of the European values and the sense of belonging to Europe
- to stimulate the active involvement of young people in planning and realization of initiatives aming at the prevention and fight racism, xenophobia, homophobia and other forms of intolerance.

​

Concrete results of the project will be the realization a video reportage on European Citizenship and the establishment of a photo exhibition, planned and realized by the participants, the participation to the Palermo Pride parade,  articles on on-line and local newspaper, multimedia and interactive presentations about the project, creation of a final leaflet, recording of a web-radio programme, photos e videos about the undertaken activities.

The project will have a strong persoanl and social impact on the participants in terms of acquiring of knowledge and competences related to the topic of the project, soft skills and organizational abilities. They will have the opportunity to apply their learning outcomes in their daily life and in their local community, through the proposition of similar events and through their renewed attitude to tolerance and solidarity; the partner organizations will have the opportunity to cooperate, exchange best practices and to create strong partnership.