#unexcited... talking about sexuality

THE BACKGROUND Currently we are talking to thousands of adolescents in our workshops. We know firsthand how themes of sexual education are dealt with today: Young people DO NOT LEARN HOW TO TALK about their QUESTIONS and CONCERNS, their WORRIES and their WISHES. FINDING WORDS for your feelings is not easy, and they are not taught how. Sex education mostly takes place on the internet or within peer groups. The media teaches DISTORTED IDEAS about how bodies should look and these ideas are transformed into self-image. We have come to the following CONCLUSIONS: -Young people feel that their bodies must be adapted and optimized, if necessary through surgery. The promise of happiness through beauty is too tempting to pass up. -Many girls and boys have experienced violence, abuse, hate speech and mobbing. -Pornography functions as compensation for lack of conversations with trusted adults. Considering this internalized pressure that adolescents feel to perform, providing them support is necessary. However, the TABOO still stands: young people have a hard time asking their questions. They fear being laughed at. The lack of opportunities for discussion with peers reinforces their feelings that they are alone. Discrimination is the everyday reality for those who are threatened or affected by exclusion due to origin or milieu, social status, culture or ethnicity, gender identity and sexual orientation, disability, religion, etc. Diversity is not yet recognized as a resource. MANY BRIDGES HAVE YET TO BE BUILT. In youth education, sexual education is NOT YET A STANDARD, but rather A PRIVILEGE. Analyzing and reflecting upon these ever-changing challenges is becoming more and more important. What we want to emphasize is this: IT IS OKAY NOT TO WANT TO TALK ABOUT SEX AND SEXUALITY, but it is not okay to make it TABOO, to STIGMATIZE it or to treat it as something SCANDALOUS. Our objective cannot simply be to work with youth and youth educators, but also to MAKE THESE IDEAS PUBLIC. The public sphere is extremely influential and can mediate support to essential groups of adults. THE PROJECT The project at hand intends to create strategic partnership for practitioners in the EU. liebenslust* takes initiative in the founding of a low-threshold, comprehensible and communicative network with the goal of solidarity and togetherness. The THREE PILLARS OF THE PROJECT: -Strengthening the sex educational part of youth work via networking and exchange -Sensitizing the public -Developing intellectual outputs In the allotted project window of 2018 to 2020, thousands of people should profit from a new, interconnected cooperation. #UNEXCITED NOW! We are working with partner organizations from all over the EU with differing skillsets and experience: -The Gesellschaft für Sexualpädagogik (GSP, DE) is as a well-established organization that can function as a senior consultant -Stowarzyszenie Nowa Kultura I Edukacja (NKE, PL) contributes competences in low-threshold work as well as access to diverse audiences -Conversas Associação Internacional (CAI, PT) has worked for many years with youth in special target audiences -The partner organization Futuro Digitale (APSFD, IT) contributes know-how of technical implementation of intellectual outputs in the form of innovative communication technologies -The Verein für Männer- und Geschlechterthemen (VMG, AT) functions as an evaluative partner in the process. THE ACTIVITIES First, we will compile the needs and requirements of our partner organizations. We will create three concrete intellectual outputs: -A PLATFORM FOR COMMUNICATION and networking among people in the field -A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN -A RESOURCE KIT with materials to assist educators with everyday challenges All three outputs will be implemented and disseminated by the partners throughout the course of the project. The learned strategies for successful public relations work will be applied in the field. • YOUNG PEOPLE should have public access to good information and be supported in their learning process • EDUCATORs’ strategies and competencies in low-threshold communication should be strengthened THE VISION IMAGINE diversity has become a resource. Adolescents grow up autonomous and free from violence; gender equity is the norm in society. Thinking critically about discrimination is normal. All people decide independently how they live sexually, in their relationships and in their families. Imagine that doing all that is ordinary. BECAUSE… THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS “NORMAL”. Every person is UNIQUE and DIFFERENT and no one is wrong or abnormal. IT IS OUR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO LIVE ACCORDINGLY.