In many territories across Europe, there is an acute need for intercultural dialogue. Leap of Faith Together (LoFT) works to promote intercultural dialogue through a community volunteering scheme aimed at young leaders who want to make a positive difference in society.
LoFT is based around a simple idea: working as a team enables individuals to understand one another. This team work breaks down barriers of ethnicity, faith, and other cultural and social divides. Strong teams can also work together to tackle local issues and bring benefits to communities.
Partner organisations will be selected based upon their ability to work with young people in addressing local issues of intercultural sensitivity. This year the project will recruit eight young people aged between 20 and 25 from each participating city (Baku, Tbilisi, Tel Aviv, Wrexham, and Yerevan) who are already making a difference in their communities. The project will support them with resources, networks, and mentoring, helping them to realise their skills and become future leaders.
Last year, teams in Skopje, Edinburgh, Sarajevo and Cluj ran very successful projects in their cities and visited each other to experience different cultures and local issues.
Teams will be brought together to identify and plan a project that benefits their city, such as the conversion of waste ground into a public garden, or providing a small library for a local orphanage.
Teams will meet twice a week , for up to twelve weeks, to plan and deliver their project. We will also organise a series of exchange visits so that teams can experience other projects in other countries. They will then be expected to launch their project with a public event, where they can share their experience using talks, video diaries and presentations.
If you live in one of the four participating countries and would like to take part in a LoFT project, please visit this page to apply. There you’ll find the application form, information on the application process and our selection criteria.
The final decision will be made by 3 October 2008.
The team of eight participants selected in each country will be expected to begin work on the development of the local community project during the week of 13 October 2008.
For more information on the LoFT Project, please contact your local British Council centre:
| 
