UNITED for Intercultural Action, in cooperation with the National Institute for Social Integration, Lithuania, connected NGO representatives at an international network conference on innovative methods in promoting active citizenship, entitled Modern-day Activism –  Listen to the Voice of Migrants, between 14-18 September 2018.

The network conference focused on presenting and transferring successful and innovative methods on engaging young people in civic life and increase their participation in the antiracist movement, and to enable European citizens to develop counter-narratives to hate speech.

Our objectives with this international network conference were:

• Empower NGYOs to boost youth participation in the antiracist movement,
• Build capacity of NGOs by sharing best practices on changing narratives and the perception of migration through youth  activism,
• Identifying and developing methodologies to improve the Internet and media literacy of youth.

During the conference, participants worked in 4 different groups (more information below):

1. Traveling exhibition of non stereotypical headlines
2. Project communication campaign
3. Migrant Library in the parliaments
4. Plan of working with media as a target group

The network conference was prepared by:

• UNITED for Intercultural Action Network, Netherlands
• National Institute for Social Integration, Lithuania
• United Societies of Balkans, Greece
• Szubjektív Értékek Alapítvány, Hungary
• European Youth Press -Network of Young Media Makers EV, Germany
• Associazione Trepuntozero, Italy
• Agenzia di promozione integrate per I cittadini in Europa- APICE, Italy
• S.O.S. Racismo, Spain

This conference was made possible with the financial support of:

• The European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe
• The Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union

The information contained herein does not necessarily reflect the position nor the opinion of our sponsors. Sponsors are not to be held responsible for any use that may be made of it.

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WORKING GROUPS

1. Traveling exhibition of non stereotypical headlines

During this working group, the participants developed the content, graphic design and technical solution for the traveling exhibition of headlines. An international team of experts from different educational backgrounds gathered headlines of articles that were published in their countries, in which content is based on bias and generalizations about migrants and refugees. During the workshop, the headlines were rewritten to draw attention on how media represent different groups of society. The travelling exhibition that was designed at the conference will reflect the situation of refugees and migrants in all participating countries.

2. Project communication campaign

During this workshop, communication experts from different fields developed a Voice4Migrant detailed communication strategy, visual image and posters for newsrooms. The communication strategy using innovative tools that was designed will be used to broadcast the message on how to welcome refugees and encourage them to become a part of our society. Participants of the working group also created a contact database to reach out to opinion-makers and multipliers during the course of the project in 2019.

3. Migrant Library in the parliaments

This innovative workshop focused on the design and implementation process of two large-scale meetings in Hungary and Lithuania in 2019 that will use an innovative methodology of Migrant Library. The Migrant Library gives an opportunity to migrants to enter the parliament buildings and discuss with politicians about their stories and struggles with politicians. The participants of this working group developed a strategic plan to implement this unconventional approach of lobbying. The eventual 4-hour-long Migrant Library will be an opportunity, especially for politicians, but also for the wider community, to meet the real people whose predicament has so often been misrepresented in the media and political discourse.

4. Plan of working with media as a target group

This working group focused on creating a strategic plan for the future journalist training course in Spain in spring 2019, in which participants will be expected to identify hate speech and neutralize it. Participating journalists and experts designed journalistic experiments and creative content in the form of posters that will be used in local newsrooms. The training course will include lectures and practical seminars, as well as more informal methods that include the ‘Human Library’, ‘real life modelling’ and creative workshops. The 8 journalistic experimental plans that were developed by the working group reflect the situation in each participatory country. The working group gave significant importance to journalism ethics, and the privacy of those individuals involved in experiments.