PROJECT THE COLORS OF DIVERSITY

It was a Volunteering Project implemented in Bulgaria by Association of young psychologists in Bulgaria“4th April” with financial support of the Erasmus + program of EU and with partnership of organizations from Spain (Ayuntamiento de Maracena, public body) and Turkey (Karaman Youth Club Association, NGO) in the period 01.12.2018 - 31.11.2019.

​

​

​

PROJECT JUSTIFICATION

These problems were detected:

• Young people lacked motivation to practice a healthy leisure that has a positive impact on their physical and mental health. Because they are increasingly moving away from the positive values ​​promoted by the European Union.
• Lack of interest among European youth for their own and other people's traditions and culture, which results in the loss of these and the associated values ​​of these cultures.
• Many young people feel insecure in multicultural environments, especially those in more isolated areas and with less economic resources, who do not have the opportunity to travel.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

General objective:

To stimulate the European dimension of the preservation and promotion of the cultural identity of the EU member states, values ​​of freedom, tolerance and respect for human rights.

​

Specific objectives

1. To revive and stimulate the interest of young people in the traditions, customs and moral values of their and other European peoples.
2. To develop skills and competences for intercultural communication among young people who have no experience outside of their country.
3. To develop skills for young people to share common values of freedom, tolerance, intercultural communication and respect for human rights

TOPICS OF COLORS OF DIVERSITY PROJECT

​

The project addressed these issues

• Creativity and culture
• Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning
• EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy

​

VOLUNTEER PROFILE

• 4 Volunteers aged 17-30 with citizenship from Spain and Turkey, without experience in volunteer projects.
• With low to medium economic and social origin or isolated geographic areas.
• With interest and knowledge, skills, experience in the topics:
• Health and wellbeing.
• Youth inclusion and work.
• Intergenerational dialogue and lifelong learning.
• Outdoor and in-contact activities.
• Connection to nature
• Also: creativity, culture, customs, traditions, crafts,

LOCATION

• Volunteering activities were realized mainly outdoors: in parks, gardens and more with the aim of mass, accessibility, publicity and transparency of voluntary activities, project Erasmus +. Furthermore they visited centers for the elderly, centers for children, young people and adults with disabilities.
• The activities were generally carried out in these places: Velingrad, Rakitovo and Yambol.
• In order to learn about the Bulgarian culture, traditions, life-style and meet other institutions, volunteers also made trips around Bulgaria

TIMING 01.12.2018 - 31.11.2019.

​

1º) Preparatory activities (01.12.2018 - 31.05.2019) broadly included:

administrative procedures such as the development of the necessary documentation to start the project, selection of volunteers, of your sending organization, logo design and promotional material. As well as the previous training of volunteers in their country of origin.

2.a)First part Volunteering

(01.06.2019 - 24.06.2019)

It included intensive training in the work area, period of adaptation to the host country, user observation and promotion of activities.

​

2.b) Rest of the volunteer time: (25.06.2019 - 22.10.2019) carrying out the programmed activities, the festival, as well as a cultural trips around Bulgaria to meet and learn more for Bulgarian tradition, historical and life-style.

3. Follow-up activities (03/10/2019 - 30/11/2019) that included the dissemination of project results and good practices from the host country by the AYPB “4th April” association as in the countries of origin of the volunteers by these.

PREPARATION

Prior to their departure (03.2019-05.2019), the volunteers undergone organizational, linguistic, specialist and all-round preparation for their fieldwork, so that they had the peace of mind for the quality performance of the project tasks and responsibilities.

In addition, when they arrived in Bulgaria, volunteers received specialized intensive training to acquire, update knowledge, skills and competencies related to project users (03.06.2019 - 24.06.2019).

​

THE VOLUNTEERS ACTIVITIES

The volunteers carried out activities in Bulgaria from 02.06.2019 to 21.10.2019, after the preparatory training, they were divided into pairs in the cities of Velingrad and Yambol, where they had the task to promote, organize and carried out regular activities with children, young people and adults and common activities in kids garden and daily centres for people with disabilities and with fewer opportunities:

• Theater scenes and more formats to recreate traditions, customs, crafts from the region, the country and other EU member states, etc. formats and events to promote the values ​​of freedom, tolerance and respect for human rights.
• Sports events and activities in and in contact with nature.
• Trainings and brief training sessions.
• As creative and craft workshops.
• Lectures and discussions.

FESTIVAL

OF OLD CRAFTS, ARTS, CULTURE, SPORTS AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Another important aspect of the volunteer work was the organization and realization of the Festival of Old Crafts, Arts, Culture, Sports and Outdoor Activities and in contact with nature.

The festival was 3 days, 23-25.08.2019. Taken place in Velingrad with 4 different locations, with entrance free and with total of 14 workshops and performances for the general public as a space to bring together people of different ages and interests to put the themes and issues of the project. More than 70 people taken a part of our Festival.

Also 45 participants from the Erasmus + Youth exchange project 2018-3-BG01-KA105-061099, "Supporting the cultural diversity of Europe and revealing the personal potential and realization of its youth" took part in the festival by playing performance "Our colorful Europe" on the mean central stage of Nicolay Giayrov square where they presented traditional songs, music, dance, arts, rituals and more from 5 European countries - Bulgaria, Turkey, Spain, Romania and Portugal. In the end of we played Bulgarian folk choir with our guests and audience.

​

COMPLEMENTARY ACTIVITIES

During the project there were these complementary activities:

1) Roundtable on Awareness Raising volunteering, EU projects, common European ones values ​​and cultural identity: We implemented 2 pcs: Round table, 1 pc. in the cities of Velingrad (17.05.2019, 14: 00h., Art Gallery "House of Tsveta") and Yambol (17.05.2019, 17: 30h., 2nd floor of a wine and Bulgarian lifestyle shop "Omaya") with a total of 61 participants. The event started working together on the project with each institution that has sent a representative. We met with representatives of institutions, local business entrepreneurs, craftsmen and stakeholders and young people.

​

2) Seminar: for 3 days (18-20.10.2019) with the participation of a total of 11 young people from different regional cities in Bulgaria (Pablo Guzman, the European volunteer for the project, also participated) in intensive format for accumulation of knowledge, skills and competences, through which to create an opportunity to make a qualitative change in their own and that of their peers and acquaintances a way of perceiving and treating the diversity of cultural identities of different countries, the meaning of practicing and communicating traditions, customs, moral values and the connection with nature.

​

3) Presconference: we organized and implemented 2 pcs. closing press conferences on presenting the joint work of European volunteers with local citizens and in the network as a whole - one press conference in Velingrad, 01/10/2019, 11: 00h. and Yambol on 26/09/2019, 17: 30h. We welcomed a smaller number of 36 guests (representatives of all sectors and groups of society).The focus of the press conferences was to present, through the methods of multimedia and interactive presentation, photos, videos and craft materials and products of the participants in the project activities, that the volunteers first-hand verbalize the positive aspects of the EU projects and the added value for them as guests personalities, the benefits of their subsequent career and professional development, etc. important points and questions for them. Important attention was given to issues of follow-up networking and new partnerships and project ideas.

​

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The implementation of the project had a direct impact on the attitudes, interests, skills, competencies, worldview and quality of life of the participants, especially in the volunteers, but also in the local community: children, youth and adults.

​

​

​

Numerically, a total of 63 volunteer activities have been implemented with and for all target groups. A total of 357 local and guest cities of Velingrad and Yambol participated, and a total of 750 institutional users participated in joint activities; 45 young people from Europe and 70 guests took part in the Festival.

​

1. All the participants acquired and / or improved on a personal level: greater effectiveness of learning, sense of initiative, entrepreneurship, self-confidence, better understanding and response to social, linguistic and cultural diversity, reinforcing attitudes towards non-discrimination, tolerance and positive treatment of differences
2. The volunteers improved on a professional level:
• A better understanding of the interconnections between formal and non-formal education.
• Greater capacity to meet the needs of disadvantaged people
• Opportunity to build international contact networks.
• Better employability perspectives.
• Greater foreign language skills.

European certificates:

1. Europass Curriculum Vitae
2. Youthpass Certificate
3. Europass Language Passport

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES AND DISSEMINATE THE RESULTS

The project also provides follow-up activities and disseminate the results through similar volunteer activities in the sending countries (Spain and Turkey) with local people (10.2019 -01.2020).

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS

Finally we would like to show our gratitude to all the entities that collaborated with us in this period and that allowed us to finish it successfully: the Daily Center for Social Integration and Rehabilitation of the Elderly with Disabilities "St. Nedelya", Rakitovo; Daily Center for Adults with Disabilities, Velingrad; Kindergarten "Sunshine", Velingrad; Art Gallery "The House of Tsveta", Velingrad; High school Aleko Konstantinov, Velingrad; Kindergarten "Valentina", Yambol; St. Francis Daily Care Center for the Disabled, Veselinovo, Region Yambol; Montessori Blue Academy Traffic Light, Yambol; Georgi Benkovski Regional Library, Yambol; Community Center - Yambol, Yambol; "Vasil Karagyozov" High School for Teaching Foreign Languages, Yambol

ASSOCIATION OF YOUNG PSYCHOLOGIST IN BULGARIA

“4TH APRIL”

CONTACT INFORMATION

Phone: +359 89 739 1375

Address: Bulgaria 4600, Velingrad, Georgi Benkovki Nº38

Email:

marinagrancharovaaa@gmail.com

smpb.4april@gmail.com

Facebook: Colours of Diversity vol. 1

Web side: http://www.4april.eu/

​

​

​