Sport for Change, is a multilateral Erasmus+ youth exchange project which aims to address social discrimination, unemployment and social exclusion among young people from isolated socio-economic backgrounds in UK; Azerbaijan; Israel; Morocco. Focusing on young people who are primarily unemployed and from struggling economic backgrounds, Sport for Change, will mobilize Sport and Informal learning techniques to develop young people to become full rounded adults.

With the recent EU Parliament elections, where voters overly supported Right-focused parties across Europe, there is an ever increasing shift towards political and social ideas such as: Intolerance; Discrimination & Racism; and Community social exclusion.

Over the project’s lifetim, young people through Sport for Change, will participate in Multilateral Youth Exchanges, incorporating 4 stages of activities, with the aim to develop their Life Skills; Work experience; Cultural engagement; and provide them with the skills required to connect with Decision-makers, instead of relying on Right Political Parties and populist movements.

Young people will also learn about Sport for Development and International Development sectors, to assist their understanding these areas, especially communities benefiting from international and aid programmes.

Sport for Skills: mobilising Adapted Sport, young people will engage fellow young people from other countries, to develop Life Skills, including: Communication; Inter-personal; Leadership; Team-working; and Budgeting. Furthermore, participants will develop their behaviours and come to respect key concepts as: Respect; Fair play; and Tolerance.

Work-based learning: all participants will benefit from work-based training using informal learning methods, throughout the 2 year programme, with particular focus during the youth exchanges. Work-based training will include: Business admin; Customer Service; Health & Social Care; Sport Coaching; Teaching; Work-place behaviours; Marketing; Fundraising; Project management; etc.

Inter-cultural Dialogue: young participants will engage with peer young people from other countries during the Multilateral Youth Exchanges, to allow them to experience life in other countries and cultures, to develop international communication skills, language skills and most importantly to understand people, whether they be from their own community or a different one. The key objective is to overcome the increasing embedded idea, that that migrant workers are different and the incorrect idea that migrant workers ‘take all the jobs from local people’, which is not true. Through Inter-cultural activities and dialogue, Sport for Change will connect young people together, and reveal the reality that ultimately they are just people, with the same problems, hopes and needs.

Express Yourself: Express Yourself, will develop the skills young people need to engage with Decision-makers, while developing their wider skills to: debate; communicate; and persuade decision-makers of their issues and the changes they need to happen in society. Young People will meet with MPs; Councillors; Civil Servants; Bankers; and others who they feel have influence over their lives.

Dates

Israel – 16th June 2016 to 22nd June 2016

UK – February 2017

Morocco – To be confirmed

Azerbaijan – To be confirmed