With the project „Here we are!“ the department of Educational Cooperation at the Language Department of Goethe-Institut, Prague, reaches out to focus on Romani youth, mostly living under marginalized condition in many of the European countries. The Youth Exchange in Dresden/Germany, taking place from 3rd to 9th of August, 2014 in the premises of Bruecke/Most-Foundation is designed and planned by Goethe-Institut in cooperation with its partners Bruecke/Most-Foundation (Dresden), the NGO Zdruzenie pre lepsi zivot (Association for a better life) in Rankovce, Slowakia, the NGO Romska budućnost (Association of Youth Roma) in Rijeka, Croatia and the Bulgarian Foundation Areté Youth, Sofia together with informal groups young people from Czech Republic, Romania and Germany. 36 young Romani and Non-Romani in the age between 15-18 years will come together in Dresden in order to spend one week of formal and non-formal learning together. „Here we are!“ bases on the principle that young people in general are enthusiastic to learn and possess many creative resources. Through the means of various creative workshops, debates, role-plays and other activities this potential will be discovered, developed and enlarged. The design of each workshop is thoroughly developed in cooperation with the involved artists and pedagogical experts as well as with the participating young people. The planned Youth Exchange will foster and promote Arts Education, formal and non-formal learning among young Europeans. The week of jointly designed and performed activities will set a positive signal towards the public: Romani youth, living and performing next to Non-Romani youth are a self-confident, talented and important part of a multicultural and multilingual European society as a whole. Activities planned: - Workshop Film/Directing: “Lights on!” - How to make a film (5 days) - Workshop Music: “Listen to that!” - How to produce music with the help of IT-based applications (4 days) - Workshop Theater: “Act up!” - How to play theater (4 days) - Workshop Art: “We are Europeans!” – Art, which will manifest, who and what we are (1-2 days) - Opening event (arrival day) - Routine to start and to evaluate the day’s outcome together (daily) - Lectures by external guests (topics to be negotiated by all partners) - Cultural program to learn more about Dresden - Public closing event with live-concert (Czech Romani band „GITANS“) - Language unit (daily) - Editorial staff meetings (daily) The planned Youth Exchange will promote the European goal of Multilingualism. Each of the workshops and activities will be interpreted consecutively, so that the transfer of knowledge and the communication among all the 36 young participants will be guaranteed. The follow-up will include an evaluation of all activities, the public presentation of the documentary film, which has been produced during the Youth Exchange in all of the six participating countries during the 2nd half of the year 2014. The further dissemination and use of the learning outcomes will be discussed in a future workshop. All participants, regarding German as a second language, will be invited to take part in an online-German-language course. Those participants with German as a first language will be invited to learn a second European language of their choice. All steps of the project – planning, organization, preparation of the Advanced Planning Visit, communication, design of the workshops, lectures and other activities, as well as the dissemination will be developed in a common process by all partners using participatory methods. Eligible participants will be addressed through the network of partners and contacts by all partners of this project. The overall project management will be coordinated at Goethe-Institut, Prague, Departement of Educational Cooperation. There, the overall media and public relations activities will be coordinated, as well. With the project “Here we are!” Goethe-Institut and its partners are making a contribution towards the promotion of a wider public acceptance and social integration of Romani youth into the European society. Furthermore, the project aims to open up a new perspective of the so-called marginalized minority of Romani people, living at the edge of our society. As well, Goethe-Institut and its partners in this project are promoting the development of competences and the professionalism of international youth exchange. The international dimension of the project will empower and strengthen the participating NGOs on a strategic level as well as professionalize the youth workers, involved in the implementation of the project.