"A Society for Everyone - Strategies against Discrimination"

In April 2009 Interlog e.V. and its Georgian partners Association “Image Pro” and Academy for Peace and Development initiated a training course in Kobuleti (Georgian Black Sea Coast). Topic of the 6-day training was anti-discrimination in youth work and education. Participants from 10 European countries intensively exchanged their opinions on discrimination in their respective countries but as well about measures against it and counter-strategies.

The opening of the training consisted of some warm-up and team-building activities allowing everybody to get into the training and to participate actively. Of course there were first introductions of the topic as well as possibilities to getting to know each other.

Afterwards there have been intensive discussions about mechanisms of discrimination, daily forms of discrimination and examples for different forms of discrimination. The presentation of discrimination in the different countries had a great impact and helped understanding the importance of anti-discrimination work. Participants recognized strong similarities between the countries such as unequal pay for women and unequal education opportunities. And of course phenomena like racism, anti-Semitism and especially in Eastern Europe antiziganism do exist. Another important topic was the situation of Russian-speaking minorities in the former Soviet-republics in the Baltics.

All participants were highly involved during the learning process of the training as they gave the most important inputs. The whole training was designed to have non-formal and non-hierarchical learning process with the participants as main actors.

Besides the workshop session there were numerous possibilities to explore the Georgian countryside as well as the Georgian culture. The highlight was undoubtedly the traditional Georgian dinner we organized.

The last part of the training was dedicated to project planning. We introduced possibilities of financial support within the Youth in Action – Programme of EU and then let the participants develop their own ideas. Project ideas connected to combating homophobia and sexism were developed as well as a project on Russian-speaking minorities in Eastern Europe. We hope that these projects will soon be applied and granted.

We also want thank the EU´s Youth in Action – Programme very much for supporting our training course. Without their help it would never have been realized!

Project overview:

Name: „A Society for Everyone“ – Strategies against Discrimination”

Date: April 9th – 15th

Participating countries: Germany, Italy, Georgia, Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, UK, Estonia, Azerbaijan, Czech Republic, Poland, Belarus

Topics: What is Discrimination? Factors and Mechanisms of Discrimination? Country Reports, Strategies and counter-measures against Discrimination, Project Management, Youth in Action – Programme, Project Development