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Olympic Games for Inclusion
Olympic Games for Inclusion
Start date: May 20, 2016,
End date: Dec 19, 2016
PROJECT
FINISHED
Olympic Games for Inclusion is a youth exchange that involves 6 EU countries (Portugal , Spain , UK, France, Italy , Croatia and Czech Republic), bringing together 30 participants and 6 leaders, in Lisbon, with the main objective to promote social inclusion and equality through "non-olympic sports " and outdoor activities. The so-called Olympism "kicks in" to, through its various functions contribute to citizenship. Which functions we are talking about? We refer to its educational function (sporting activity is an excellent instrument to balance the formation and development of the human person, regardless of its age); its playful function (the sport is a key element of individual and collective fun); its public health function, the contribution of sport for good health and a better quality of life; its cultural function (its strength as a mechanism which encourages the creation of ties and roots of the individual to a territory, allowing a better understanding of that and even a sense of belonging to a nation) and, finally, its social function: sport is the most appropriate instrument for promoting a more inclusive society, fighting against intolerance, racism, violence, alcohol abuse and drugs, as well as contributing to the integration of people excluded from the labor market. These are also the great Olympic ideals symbolized by the Olympic Truce. Olympism does not ignore ethnic groups and refugees, once it promotes sport as a mean capable of integrating them into society and suppress the barriers between the different groups. In that ethnic context new sports are always welcome; there are attempts to learn and execute sports with origin in the immigrants home cities, among other things that make them feel fully inserted citizens in the world. That is why we decided that in Olympic Games for Inclusion, the target audience would be young people with immigrant origin or who can be classified as "with fewer opportunities".We wil do capoeira workshops, street football matches, paintball, orientation games in a park, group dynamics, audiovisual presentations followed by debates and think tanks. All activities will be completed with 30 minutes of debriefing and analysis. Therefore, methodologically, our activities will be framed in non-formal education and predict that learning happens in a playful, self-motivated and structured way.Regarding the expected tangible results, this project foresees the creation of a calendar with photos of activities and sentences written by the participants themselves and a specific project blog. The leaders also plan to analyze the whole process of carrying out the activities, evaluations, results, successes and failures to compose a TC model directed at the same subject and with similar methodology. Our intention is to test the model of this training course (multiplier effect) and to stone him so that, later, the course can be used by any organization wishing to work on social inclusion and equality through sport and outdoor activities .Our main impact will focus on the participants. At the end of theproject, they should be sensitized about the causes that generate social exclusion and should feel impelled to alleviate this situation from everyday situations (family context, school) to the more complex one (local public policy, greater participation). That means, should be affected to take on a micro or macro intervention of behavior in situations, where social inclusion and equality are not being respected. Another anticipated impact is the interaction between the community of Carnide neighbourhood with young foreigners during one full day of free activities. The community, already conditioned to reject the presence of "strangers" in their living area, will be sensitized to accept and see the Olympic Games for Inclusion as an opportunity to make healthy activities, while practicing intercultural dialogue. Finally, another impact to be highlighted is the meeting of six leaders (youth workers) who do not know each other, but in their day to day sought to achieve the same results in their activities: the promotion of citizenship and its conceptual developments. The proposal is to give the kickoff, create an embryo, of a network composed by non-profit organizations active at European level.