Y.M.D.R.A.B.Human rights for all, equality of opportunities and social responsibilities
20 young people from rural municipalities Botevgrad, Pravets, Etropole and Velingrad took part in the training course “Human rights for all, equality of opportunities and social responsibilities”. The training took place from 1st to 8th April, 2011 in Velingrad. It was organized by “Youth movement for development of the rural areas in Bulgaria” /YMDRAB/. The participants were between 18 and 30 years old – equal number Rroma and Bulgarian youth.
The main idea of the youth initiative was to bring together in neutral place equal number young people from both ethnic groups who to try to build model to develop intercultural sensitivity and dialogue between young Bulgarian and Rroma. The main aim was to improve their human rights and social rights awareness as a preconditions to develop more inclusive rural communities.
During the training participants:
- shared and anallised the reality of the young people in the rural areas and they identified the challenges and the opportunities to develop a more inclusive villages;
- broke mutual stereotypes and prejudices and developed awareness on concepts such as identity culture and intercultural sensitivity;
- developed their awareness about human rights and social rights;
- increased their understanding of the local context (including institutions, authorities, relevant progammes, legislation, ect.), which can faciliate their access to social rights;
- identified ways and generated ideas to decrease the level of unemployment between young Rroma and other youth in rural areas;
- identified ways to overcome the mutual exclusion and to increase the involvement of the Rroma community in the social life of these villages.
In spite of all prejudices and stereotypes, all the participants really enjoyed themselves and laid the foundations of many new and hopefully lasting friendships.
This project was being implemented with financial support from the Council of Europe by the European Youth Foundation.