A youth exchange in Curaçao with partners from Portugal, Georgia, Hungary.
The youth exchange activities were led by participating youth using various methods of nonformal education such as presentations, working groups, creative workshops, outdoor event planning and group discussions.
The overall objective of the youth exchange PROJECT EMPATHY OPENS THE DOORS is to reduce bullying in our social surroundings through finding working solutions for that problem. For this reason, this project aims at empowering youth from Curacao, Georgia, Portugal and Hungary with skills and knowledge which are important for realizing how they can help to stop bullying in their social surroundings.
The project is not meant to judge if students’ opinions are right or wrong, or instruct them how they should think. Instead, the classes aim to encourage reflection and listening to others’ viewpoints to promote critical thinking and empathy — the ability to understand other people’s feelings and the basis for living together in peace. For this, the following objectives has been set:
- To share participants’ own experiences and learn from each other on the topic of bullying;
- To learn how to notice and prevent bullying in an early stage;
- To develop empathic abilities through a few simple self-care practices;
- To learn how to spread all they learned during the exchange to reduce bullying in their social surroundings.