Good Practices from Croatia to be Replicated in Slovenia, Italy and United Kingdom!

Program of intercultural education “Start the Change” recognized and supported by European Commission and will be implemented in Croatia, Italy, Slovenia and United Kingdom.

On 22nd November 2016 Forum for Freedom of Education signed the grant contract with Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) for the project “Start the Change – Embracing differences through intercultural education and volunteering”. The grant value is 480.063,00 EUR and the project duration is 24 months.

The project was approved within the program Erasmus+ in partnership with Think Global from United Kingdom, Centre for Creative Development “Danilo Dolci” from Italy and Youth Centre Dravinje Valleyfrom Slovenia and with Network of Education Policy Centres as the associate partner. Altogether 22 projects were selected for funding, out of 277 project proposals submitted from all EU.

This call supported projects in the fields of education, training and youth, which aim at upscaling and disseminating innovative good practices falling under the scope of the Paris Declaration. The Declaration acknowledges the major role of education in tackling violent radicalisation, promoting inclusion and ownership of Europe’s fundamental values, in order to help children and young people become responsible, open-minded members of our diverse society.

Forum for Freedom in Education, together with partners, recognized the importance of this Call considering the current situation in Europe and in Croatia and suggested project activities that aim at preventing radicalization and violence and promoting democratic values, fundamental rights, intercultural understanding and active citizenship.

Start the Change project will lead to project results such as: established cooperation between 40 schools and local CSOs in implementing the intercultural and peacebuilding projects reaching out to over 2000 young people in Croatia, United Kingdom, Slovenia and Italy.

It is a large-scale coordinated action that will motivate children and young people to be active, critical and brave in stating their opinion and fighting for what they believe in. It will also motivate their teachers and mentors to start up projects on their own aimed at developing sensitivity towards the „different“ and „others“; and engaging young people in socially aware and peace-building projects.

Also, the creative tolerance contest “Colour the World” will give opportunity to young people from Croatia, United Kingdom, Slovenia and Italy to creatively express their ideas about tolerance and acceptance of differences in our societies.

Project outputs and useful materials like publications and research reports will be available for free download on the online platform on Croatian, Italian, Slovenian and English language.

More information on the project can be found on the web site  www.startthechange.net