Writing Peace 13-22.06.2019

by admin · May 24, 2019

We welcome you to enjoy eight days full of writing, artistic experiments and creative expression, learning to tell stories that help to build peace, solidarity and empathy, and rewrite stories that justify hate and violence.

All kinds of educators can apply for the course. The course is for you if you love writing and want to develop your writing and creative skills, as well as to learn how to use writing in educational and community work with groups and individuals. We welcome also those who aren’t that much familiar with writing but wish to challenge themselves and perhaps discover new talents and abilities.

Participants should be able to understand and communicate in English. No perfect English needed! Applicants should be also at least 22 years old and willing to share their new knowledge back home in form of a workshop or other event.

Before applying, please, note that full participation is expected and that program will be rather intense. If you are looking for vacation or tourism opportunities this course won’t be for you. If you are interested in creative retreat – this might be just what you are looking for.To join the course, please, submit this application form before May 25. Check also the planned timetable and other content related and practical details about this project.

Creative writing is a powerful tool of expression and connection. And it contributes to personal and professional growth of the writer as well. With project Writing Peace we aim to increase competencies of youth workers, social workers and all kinds of educators – main target group of this training course – to apply techniques and elements of creative writing at their daily work with young people from different backgrounds.

Considering the current social and political situation in the Europe, growing nationalism and violence that is based on radical beliefs, increasing number of extremist groups aiming to recruit young people via internet channels, special focus during the course will be putted on potential of creative writing to foster intercultural learning and transform narratives that might support radicalisation of young people.

The main activity of this project is 8-days training course which will take place from June 13th to 22nd 2019 in Methoni, Messinia, Greece, and gather 35 participants and experts from Greece, Bulgaria, Latvia, Poland, Italy, North Macedonia and Romania.

Objectives of this training course are:

– To foster participants’ competence to use creative writing as a tool for intercultural learning and intercultural dialogue, bridging divided communities, combating hate speech and radicalisation at their work with various groups of young people;

– To support sharing lessons learned across participants’ countries and foster exchange of good practices in the field of intercultural learning and bridging divided communities;

– To explore ideas how creative writing might be combined with other learning approaches such as adventure education, somatic learning and digital technologies in order to create innovative and efficient learning programs;

– To enhance participants’ competences according to the ETS Competence Model for Youth Workers with special focus on facilitating individual and group learning in an enriching environment, communicating meaningfully with others, intercultural competence, networking and advocating.

The training course will be based on non-formal learning principles. Trainers will use set of diverse working methods to meet different learning styles and needs of the participants. During the training course the participants will take part in discussions and debates, team and individual challenges, simulation games, role plays, interactive presentations, problem solving and creative challenges. However the most of the time will be devoted to exploring and trying out various creative writing exercises and techniques – so expect a lot of writing!

The project “Writing Peace” is financed with the support of European Commission’s “Erasmus+: Youth in Action”. This blog reflects only the author’s views, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained there in.

Venue

The training course will happen Methoni, Messinia, Peloponnese, Greece, in hotel Finikas which is located here. Participants will be accommodated in apartments. Each apartment has two twin bedrooms and a bathroom. Bed linen and towels will be provided. Internet will be available in the hotel and working space.

Transportation

Participants should arrive on 13th of June and depart on 22nd of June. It is not allowed to arrive or depart earlier or later. You should book a flight to Athens or Kalamata and from there the hosts will organise the transportation to Methoni. Price of the organised transportation from Athens to Methoni will be 60-70 EUR per person for both ways and this sum will be reduced from your total travel reimbursement. There are also two public buses from Athens to Methoni: at 9:30 via Kalamata and at 15:00 there is a direct bus to Methoni. More information about transportation will be provided after completion of the group.

Financial conditions

This project is possible thanks to financial support from the Erasmus+: Youth Programme. Costs for accommodation, food and activities during the training course will be covered from the project budget. There is no participation fee.

Travel costs will be reimbursed immediately after the end of the training course via bank transfer on condition that participant has used cheapest means of transportation and submitted original invoices, tickets and boarding passes, has completed the participants’ report and final evaluation of form of the course.

Travel costs will be covered in amount up to 180 EUR for participants from Greece, 275 EUR for participants from Bulgaria, Romania, North Macedonia, Poland and Italy, and 360 EUR for participants from Latvia. Taxi and first class tickets will not be reimbursed.

Packing list

– Travel insurance, EHIC and passport. Please, obtain your travel insurance for the period of the training course.

– Comfortable clothes and shoes for physical activities indoors and outdoors, including hiking up to 15 km long distances. Swimming suite. Sunscreen.

– Water bottle.

– Your favourite writing and drawing tools and a notebook that inspires your to write.

– One two old magazines or newspapers. You might bring the one from the plane.

– Some snacks and drinks for intercultural night. There will not be presentations of countries – just an evening of tasting and sharing favourite national specialities.

– If you’d like to share some talents or creative expression time – music instruments and games.

Spreading the message

We hope that you will enjoy this training course, and we will do our best to make it great. To give a chance to even more people to learn and benefit from the project, we invite also you to spread a word about this event. Use hashtags #writingpeace, #EVECAthens and #erasmusplus and share on social media how do you prepare for the training course, your insights, learning points, questions and feedback before, during and after the course.

And what after?

The project doesn’t start and end in Greece. One of the best ways to learn is to put your new competences in immediate practice. Thus within two months after the training course each national delegation is expected to organise a follow-up event – a creative writing workshop. During the course time and support will be provided for planning this action, and you will have a chance to start to organise it even before departure home.

Trainers

Ilona Olehlova is a trainer and educator using creative writing methods and tools to bridge divided communities and to encourage people to do not be afraid to share their stories and to inspire others. Currently, she is living between the Balkans and the Czech Republic witnessing raising waves of radicalism and looking for the ways how to make people aware of the roots and the consequences of these waves for their communities and societies.

Inese Priedite has a master degree in Media and Communication and work experience as journalist and later as public relationship consultant. She has been designing and coordinating international and local training programs since 2008. Inese focuses on training courses about entrepreneurship and innovation and prefers less conventional learning approaches, including work with visual expression, embodied learning and creative writing tools. She has lived in Latvia, North Macedonia, Estonia and France, and in her free time enjoys activities such as trekking and photographing.