ENGAGEMENT 1.0: Grassroots Conflict Transformation

About the project

Young people are the cornerstone of the present and the future, and their social participation needs to be strengthened. ENGAGEMENT 1.0: Building a Sense of Initiative and Intervention was the first local pilot project in this EMOTiC series. Its week-long training of multipliers on grassroots conflict transformation, held in Vienna from 19 to 25 August 2021, brought together 25 young leaders aged 18 to 30 based in Austria, citizens and residents, with diverse intercultural backgrounds and disciplines.

The training helped young people become active changemakers and multipliers in their communities. It showed participants how to analyse community issues and design initiatives for positive change, using the framework of visible and invisible violence. Participants chose the issues themselves, from social inclusion and integration, diversity and migration, cyber education, women's empowerment and equality to mental health and social solidarity, racism, discrimination, justice and human rights.

The programme opened with participants defining and discussing concepts such as conflict, violence, peace and solidarity to build a common understanding, followed by theoretical input on visible and invisible violence. Over the week, conversations turned to culture, conflict definitions and analysis models, as participants learned to trace violence and conflict back to their roots. Educational games had a particularly strong effect, letting participants experience communication as a core conflict transformation tool.

The last days were about designing their own initiatives. After a brainstorming phase, participants formed small groups, defined a local issue and drafted initiatives with execution plans, setting out the problem, the solution and the intervention. They also learned how to apply for funding through a Solidarity Project, and presented their ideas to the whole group for feedback.

With continued support from the EMOTiC team after the training, the groups went on to run a podcast on mental health, a networking event for young women, a photo competition promoting diversity and a workshop on digital security for young people.

Beyond new knowledge, participants bonded strongly over seven intense days. Openness, respect for others' views and the diversity of cultures, languages, genders and backgrounds made the training even richer. As participant Anja Münzer put it: "Bringing together different cultures and people from various backgrounds gave us great opportunities to connect with each other and share our experiences. This training definitely widened my horizon."

The training was free of charge thanks to the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe, which covered training, materials, meals, breaks and transport, with EMOTiC as main coordinator and beneficiary. Participants needed at least B1 English, committed to at least 80 per cent of the programme and signed a learning agreement. The experience laid the groundwork for ENGAGEMENT 2.0 in 2022.