Living Together project is being delivered in more than 15 countries, with the support of the Council of Europe, within the framework of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. This is a British Council initiative which aims to strengthen and promote social cohesion and active citizenship. The project will increase the capacity of current and future leaders to engage in international dialogue and collaborative action towards building more secure, cohesive societies, where people are able to participate fully, positively and on equal terms with one another. This network of influencers includes policy-makers, civil society groups, educators and next generation leaders.
The concept of ‘living together’ is pertinent in Europe, where increasingly complex and diverse societies have emerged as a result of international migration and mobility. The project focuses on the impact of new migrant communities on their home and receiving societies; and on the ability of minority communities to participate in public life – from representation in politics and the media, to feeling at home in their own neighbourhood.
The Living Together project incorporates a range of approaches and activities in Armenia:
Imagine Your Future – A media project aimed at enabling young influencers from migrant and minority communities to articulate their ambitions and agendas. They will be assisted in sharing their own vision of their communities with the wider public through digital media. A series of short digital films around the theme ‘Imagine Your Future’ will be launched across South East Europe.
Leap of Faith Together (LoFT) – A community volunteering project in which teams of young social entrepreneurs from different social, ethnic and religious backgrounds work together to develop community projects. The young entrepreneurs also have the opportunity to experience a different country and culture by visiting one of the other teams.
The project will encourage an exchange of best practice in the teaching and learning of citizenship-related subjects between ministries of education, education authorities, schools, teachers, and students across Europe.
Citizenship Materials – The project will review school curricula and develop new materials and tools which will support the teaching of citizenship and civic values in secondary schools across Europe. This will complement the Council of Europe’s work in Education for Democratic Citizenship.
School Links – Schools in Europe will be clustered and work together on projects; gleaning inspiration from the materials developed by the Citizenship Foundation to explore themes of community cohesion, tolerance and diversity. They will also have the opportunity to attend the Living Together exhibition and workshop programme.
Living Together exhibition – A photography and film exhibition from eight of the region's emerging artists that explores the themes of migration and displacement. The exhibition will tour to 13 cities in South East Europe and the United Kingdom, where there will be local activities. The exhibition will also complement the Migrant Cities debates and our work with schools.
Photography competition – A photography competition will be launched at the opening of the Living Together exhibition. This will be widely publicised and open to aspiring photographers from the countries participating in Living Together. Submissions will be exhibited at the International Congress.
Living Together International Summit, London, March 2008 – a three day forum for 180 high level contacts, which included senior policy-makers, media and civil society groups, to exchange views, develop new ideas and forge relationships for future collaboration. Speakers included the President of Slovenia, the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the British Minister for Europe and heads of state and senior ministers from around the region. There were also practical workshops for participants to work with their peers on issues ranging from the social impact of economic migration, to radicalisation among young people from minority communities. The event included a special preview of the Living Together photography exhibition.
Living Together Congress, Poland, March 2009 – a forum for young influencers and leaders from the Living Together programme to network, attend intercultural training workshops, plan future collaborations and demonstrate their achievements through an awards ceremony. The young leaders will also have the opportunity to present their agendas and visions to the policy-makers who attended the original Summit.
For further information about Living Together, please visit Living Together website or contact Lucine Ghulyan.
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