"Theater for Youth" International training course for youth workers,  Schwanden-Sigriswil,  Switzerland
(November 6 - December 3, 2017)

An international training course on the methodology of Theater of the Oppressed for youth work. Theater of the Oppressed is an innovative educational method intended for people with no experience in acting or expressing themselves on stage or in public. With the Theater of the Oppressed method, participants can discover empowering solutions for everyday life when working with young people. The learning experience can be implemented by youth workers, social workers, teachers and educators to analyze and discover difficulties in real life situations to create trust and mutual respect and understanding not only on stage but also in everyday life.

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Cross the Gap - 2 cultures in one city,  Pristina, Mitrovica, Kosovo
(November 23 - November 26, 2017)

"Cross the Gap" invited young adults from German and French Switzerland to visit places in Kosovo where people with mixed cultures live. Kosovo - like many states in the region after the war in ex-Yugoslavia, has a number of places with different populations (e.g. Serb and Albanian populations). A famous example is the town of Mitrovica, where the river forms the border between the two communities and where the only crossing bridge was closed for many years. During this study visit we saw projects that support community living together and bring together young adults from different cultures in Switzerland and from different cultures in Kosovo to share their experiences and feelings about the cultural divide in a country - and possible approaches to overcome it to discuss.

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Building Walls - Breaking Walls, Kibbutz Gezer, Israel 2017
(November 4 - November 13, 2017)

The participants share their experiences one year after the project in Israel: "The "Building Walls - Breaking Walls" in Lotan was a very memorable experience. We got the opportunity to meet other cultures, traditions and customs through many activities, presentations and direct contact to explore and get to know with others.The program certainly had an impact on me, I became more open to listening and leaning towards other cultures even if it is difficult at times, it also showed me how similar we all are to each other, and with some encouragement at how easily we can become accepting and more open. We also leaned into how to build adobe and walls, about farming and architecture, and through that process we were all able to connect and learn more about each other." Nimati, Palestinian participant

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Study Visit - Theater for Human Rights, Belgrade, Serbia
( October 13 - October 16, 2017)

A study visit for projects of the Theater of the Oppressed and Human Rights and Social Change with our partner from Belgrade - Organizacija Kreativenog okupljanja. Young adults and youth leaders from Switzerland and Serbia met in Belgrade and discussed equality and discrimination issues. They visited places and projects where young people from Serbia work on these topics with the help of theater methods. Through an introduction and workshops to the methodology of Theater of the Oppressed, they found ways to deal with human rights issues and develop strategies to avoid/improve them. The project was funded by the SAJV-Ost project.

Building Walls - Breaking Walls Jura,  Grenchenberg, Switzerland
(20th of August  - August 28, 2017)

Young adults from Switzerland, Ireland and Northern Ireland, Israel and Palestine built a dry stone wall in the Jura together. They explored conflicts and challenges around borders and walls in different countries, shared cultural life, cooked together and experienced Swiss cultural heritage by building the stone wall in the mountains. It was a week full of laughter, shared ideas, intensive discussions and many new learning successes.

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Building Walls - Breaking Walls,  Cape Clear Island, West Cork, Ireland
( July 16 – July 24, 2017)

Young adults from Switzerland, Ireland and Northern Ireland, Israel and Palestine came together for a week and built a dry stone wall on an island in western Ireland. They explored conflicts and challenges around borders and walls in different countries, shared cultural life, cooked together and experienced Irish heritage and life on the island by building a stone wall by the sea.

Study Visit: Youth Empowerment for Jobs – Kosovo/Switzerland, Bern, Switzerland
(May 11 - May 15, 2017)

Unemployment is a challenge for young people in both Kosovo and Switzerland. Young adults and youth leaders from both countries meet for 2 study visits to exchange the situation of young people in both countries. In addition, a number of best-practice projects in Switzerland were jointly visited, in which young people receive support against the risk of unemployment. The project was funded by the SAJV East Project.

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Project Kick-Off: Theater for Human Rights,  Biel, Switzerland
(March 16 - March 20, 2017)

A workshop on Theater for Human Rights - in partnership with Organizacija Kreativenog okupljanja (Serbia). Young adults and youth leaders from Switzerland and Serbia researched together and exchanged views on everyday human rights issues on a personal and professional basis in both countries. Through an introduction and workshops to the methodology of Theater of the Oppressed, they learned to find ways of dealing with human rights issues and develop strategies to avoid/improve them. The project was funded by the SAJV East Project.