Author: labyrinthofsenses

For the last 2 years, due to COVID-19, we have been working on inCLUEsion and our primary motivation for undertaking this project was the need for accessibility, diversity, and inclusion that affects everyone, let alone youth. Experiential learning and non-formal education have proven to be the most effective technique for KINITRO not only for educating a broad range of youth, but also for motivating them to take an active role in finding solutions.

We believe that it is our goal to provide the young with all of the necessary tools and calls to action in order to foster a more involved and active community among them.

One of the key goals of “inCLUEsion” was for participants to obtain a MOTIVE for action, while also gaining a better knowledge of concepts such as “disability”, “accessibility,” and “inclusion” as a result of participating in this empowering process of the project. 

Throughout the project, the participants we wanted to discover “clues” that would help them become more familiar with disability terminology, as well as with the values of inclusion and respect for others. They would also be able to recognize what is accessible in their universities, places of employment, neighborhoods, and communities. “inCLUEsion” didn’t want to claim to be the panacea for all of society’s social diversity, rather,

seeking to teach individuals from all walks of life to be inclusive, open to accepting and learning from others from diverse walks of life.

The aims of the project were:

• to promote equality, acceptance, and respect for people with disability
• for the participants to gain, through this empowering process, a motive for action as well as a better understanding of notions, such as “disability”, “accessibility” and

“inclusion”.

• for the participants to get to know and familiarize themselves with terminology about disabilities, and the values of inclusion and respect towards other people.
• for the participants to recognize what is accessible in their universities, work, neighborhood, and their communities, based on the knowledge and experiences through the

workshops

• to examine modern issues, such as civil society, Sustainable development, disability, and accessibility. This happens in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable

Development Goals, as Quality Education (Objective 4) and the reduction of Inequalities (Goal 10) are the primary goals of this project.

• to motivate the participants and give them the tools to work towards social change in their communities, on a national and international level.
• to empower young people in Greece, Europe and partner countries to start and lead their own social project, but also foster intercultural dialogue between the youth groups.

The objectives of the project were for the participants to:

• gain self-esteem while interacting with individuals with disabilities, as well as patience and understanding towards all other social groups, while the project’s aims were to

teach them how to deal with people with disabilities.

• as they gain new skills and improve their communication skills, the participants would be able to reflect on what they already know about the world of disabilities, as well as about their own personal talents
• to encourage critical and creative thinking, as well as to improve collaboration and interaction between persons with and without impairments
• to provide participants with knowledge about how to use their talents for social benefit.
• to provide participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to address key social challenges and provide fresh, innovative solutions for social change.
• to provide a forum for young people from participating nations to engage and exchange stories, ideas, and best practices on inclusion, diversity, and accessibility is our goal.
• to promote intercultural discourse and cross-cultural communication among youth groups, as well as to promote an understanding of other nations and languages.
• to encourage interactions between young people throughout Europe and Africa
• to provide learners with the knowledge and skills necessary to participate with and contribute to their local community.

It’s time for you to experience some moments from our unique program “inCLUEsion” that took place at NISI Raches in Lamia from 17-21 September with more than 30 young people from Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Spain, and Tunisia, respecting, of course, all the necessary protection measures.

 The project is co-funded by the European Commission’s Erasmus+ program and supported by Erasmus+ Youth Greece

Thank you for your special support: Prognosis Biotech, Xerox, Starbucks, Ode to socks, KLEEMANN, La Pasteria.

In addition, we would like to thank also our partners who supported us throughout the project, namely:

AMICS, FOCUS, Academy for Active Youth, Le Quai Culturel, Youth Forum of Odorhei, Foteini Giannopoulou, Ethical Paths, HawKar, SKEP, Me Alla Matia, Youbehero, Youth Active Minds, Handbrake Short Film, HandsUp, IASIS, Odyssea, Wheeling2help, NISI, Solidarity Mission

Watch the aftemovie of the project for further inspiration: