EFHR Implements Project on Social Inclusion for Youth

European Foundation of Human Rights (EFHR) has launched a new youth programme “Better Together: Increasing the Social Inclusion of Lithuanian Youth through Human Rights Education”. The project is funded by the Vilnius City Municipality and is implemented in cooperation with two partner organisations – International Youth Cooperation Agency (JTBA) and Youth For Understanding (YFU) Lithuania.

The programme’s main goal is to educate Lithuanian youth on the importance and value of human rights, mutual respect, and social responsibility across their social groups and communities. It is also to promote civic activism and volunteerism as a self-driven way for personal growth, professional development, and intercultural understanding. During the implementation phase of the project (Nov-Dec 2019), the EFHR team is to conduct a series of workshops focused on human rights, inclusion, and volunteering.

On 12th November 2019, the first workshops took place at the Adam Mickiewicz Gymnasium in Vilnius, followed by sessions at the John Paul II Gymnasium. They were not just dull theoretical lessons – during theworkshops, students were encouraged to take an active part, express their opinions and discuss.

Participants worked both individually and in small groups. One of the programme’s objectives is to provide students with not just an opportunity to learn something new but also to examine ways in which the newly gained knowledge could be applied in their daily lives. They are encouraged to ponder and explore ways to take an active role in the promotion of human rights around them.

During the workshops, participants were also presented with international youth exchange and volunteering opportunities. The sessions were led by Marta Bednarczyk, who joined the EFHR under the European Solidarity Corps programme (funded by Erasmus+) and who is herself a YFU alumna.

We thank the Vilnius City Municipality for the opportunity to carry out the project and to spread the humanrights message in schools around Vilnius. Schools interested in human rights education are invited to contact Project Coordinator Monika Guliakaitė at m.guliakaite@efhr.eu.