Project description and details:

With ROW, we want to strengthen the knowledge, skills and behaviors of youngsters and communities to fully accept and support the social inclusion of disabled and disadvantaged people (especially for youths). Thanks to the direct experience of the partners in the work field of social inclusion we identified the following main needs that we want to address:

* disabled and disadvantaged people experience difficulties and barriers leading to marginalization;

* there is not a wide awareness and application of international rights about disabled and disadvantaged people among professionals and at community level;

* the existence of standards and laws is not enough to assure social inclusion and a substantial change at community level;

* the communities demonstrates low level of attention to the issue of social inclusion.

The acronym and the title have been chosen to recall the concept of rows in sports to make an analogy with social opportunities and rights. If life was a run, disadvantaged people could be represented by the runners in the last rows, with fewer opportunities to achieve the final prize. This project wants to help communities involved, to bring on the first ROW all the citizens by the means of raising awareness on human rights and EU values, as solidarity and equality, through international volunteering activities.

Our general objective is then to promote solidarity and social inclusion, especially for disadvantaged youths and people with disability through volunteering.

The volunteers will realize their activities in the context of the social and cultural services provided by Cooperativa Margherita in Sandrigo and the Eastern part of Vicenza Province. They will take part at the activities of different centres/services and projects in favour of disabled people, disadvantaged youths, elderly and the whole citizenships. Within this context, they will contribute to promote solidarity and social inclusion, especially for disadvantaged youths and people with disability as defined by project objectives. Some activities will be more focused on the direct interaction with disadvantaged and disabled people, while others will be more directed to reach out youths and community members. Each volunteer will participate to some activities of the others to understand all the services provided by the Cooperative and increase the solidarity with his/her peers. According to each activity flow, volunteers will collaborate with different services/centres and projects as follows:

* Flow 1: the volunteer will provide support mainly in the centre for people with heavy disabilities “CALEIDO”.

* Flow 2: the volunteer will contribute in the centre for people with light disabilities “Agenzia Territoriale”.

* Flow 3: the volunteer will contribute in the centres for disadvantaged youths who are suffering mainly: educational difficulties, economic and social obstacles, cultural differences (second/third generation migrants).

Moreover, volunteers will also take part in the wider projects as:

* “Dopo di Noi” for the social integration and the promotion of autonomy of disabled people.

* “Mind Inclusion 2.0” for the inclusion of IDP thought the use of ICT tools and training activities.

* Visibility and dissemination activities, by taking pictures/making videos, in order to create media contents to be uploaded on the volunteers’ blog, the website of Margherita and the social platforms.

* Margherita In Festa: annual festival with events as theatre, concerts, etc. aimed at raising awareness on different social issues.

* BEE-FUN service linked to CALEIDO which propose events open to anybody who is interested in the relationship between people with and without disabilities.

* Social café “BarGherita”: cultural, social and artistic activities aimed at fostering social inclusion.

To contribute to project aims, each activity includes different types of tasks. Volunteers will support users of Margherita accompanying them, collaborating with current laboratories (music, recycled paper, cooking, etc.), supporting them in specific tasks, coaching them in acquiring new skills, etc. At the same time, they will promote new laboratories and activities related with the promotion of solidarity, participate/create events collaborating with their tutors and other stakeholders. This balanced structure of activities will allow them to acquire new skills and competences linked with the social field increasing their sensitivity towards diversity and tolerance.

All the activities will promote the involvement of local stakeholders (schools, informal groups, etc.). The tutors will guide the volunteers in learning new methodologies, skills and good practices in the fields of social work, cultural promotion and professional education. At the same time, they will stimulate them to use creativity and their sense of initiative to promote new ideas, activities, laboratories and events.

The project will involve three volunteers from Germany, UK and France from September 2019 for 12 months each. They will all pertain to the 18-30 and be selected in a fair, transparent and objective way, regardless of volunteers’ ethnic group, gender, religion, sexual orientation, political opinion, etc. and according to ESC principles. The participants will be youngsters interested and motivated to take part in the project and enter in relationships with people in need, committed toward volunteerism and solidarity, aware of ESC mission and principles and willing to develop their skills and promote EU values. No previous qualifications, educational level, experiences or language knowledge is required.

The project will include two volunteers with fewer opportunities facing social obstacles and educational difficulties.