Embracing Diversity and Inclusion

About the project

When we look closely at social exclusion, one underlying factor stands out: our ability to embrace diversity and enhance inclusion. Rising political polarisation has made this harder, and violent or racist words and behaviour are too often justified by fear of "the others". Building mutual respect for and acceptance of diversity helps protect young people against these dynamics, so they can be inclusive and stand up against exclusion and xenophobia.

Embracing Diversity and Inclusion was an Erasmus+ youth exchange coordinated by EMOTiC that brought 42 young people to Vienna for nine days, from 4 to 12 September 2022. They came from Austria, Croatia, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Spain and Türkiye, with partners Culture Clash Croatia, Maison de l'Europe des Landes Wipsee (France), You in Europe (Greece), Youth Bridges Budapest (Hungary), ICSE & co. (Italy), Servicio Voluntario Europeo (Spain) and Younclusion (Türkiye). For most participants it was their first international exchange.

The exchange aimed to improve understanding of diversity, social inclusion and intercultural awareness, and of the importance of peace and human rights in society. It also helped participants explore practical methods for diverse groups to work well together, multiply the positive impact of interculturality, and grow their communication skills and self-confidence around diversity values. The approach was solution-oriented: problems were discussed, but just as much time went into solving them.

The project had three stages. In preparation, each country group researched inclusion and diversity practices at home. The mobility in Vienna combined team building and intercultural evenings with sessions on racism, discrimination, stereotypes and prejudice, intercultural communication and the way misinformation shapes how we see others. Participants acted out scenes of discrimination and changed the plot to find solutions, played empathy games and made banners for a diversity and inclusion demonstration.

Participants produced a series of short videos explaining diversity, inclusion, integration, positive discrimination, tokenism, ethnocentrism, racism versus discrimination and stereotypes versus prejudices, plus one on the 1993 Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. They also created a project booklet, an e-dossier documenting their experience as inspiration for future activities.

In the follow-up stage, the country groups organised events at home that reached more than 100 people directly. These included a half-day workshop for a school class in Greece, a presentation for a school class in Hungary, a presentation and workshop for newcomers at the immigration office in France, and a presentation and workshop in Türkiye.

Beyond these tangible results, the main outcomes lay in the practical, emotional and theoretical competences participants gained around diversity, which they documented for their Youthpass certificates. Both the informal and the formal evaluations showed high satisfaction with the process and the content.