(DE)radical

Background There is a growing phenomenon of radicalisation in Europe and, as it turns out, this is happening especially among young people. There are a number of studies that examine the causes of radicalisation among young people from the perspective of political opinion or ideology. However, very little is said about the psychological or social reasons - the need to belong, the feeling of power, the lack of leisure opportunities or the effects of trauma. In the (De)radical project we have tried to indentify these needs and bring an effective tool for youth workers to meet these needs in a more alternative and safer way. The fact is that this topic has been usurped by political science, criminology, religious studies and the prison system, and little is said about primary and secondary prevention, how to work with young people in schools and leisure facilities or counselling centres. Therefore, we have created a training module for youth workers, teachers, members of support teams in schools, psychologists and counsellors on how to navigate and work on the topic of radicalisation and violent extremism. Objectives Young people at risk of radicalisation and extremism are increasingly coming under the spotlight of social work and youth work (see our publication Foundations of Social Work with Youth at Risk of Extremism and Radicalisation, Street Youth, 2016). Consideration is being given to how the risk behaviours of these young people can be reduced. Youth workers in organisations at home and abroad are increasingly encountering this target group. However, they often do not know exactly how to set up a way of working to approach this type of client (see the publication mentioned above). Our aim was therefore to share our knowledge, experience and know-how in working with young people at risk of radicalisation and extremism. Ultimately, not only youth workers, but also the young people themselves and the whole society benefited from the project. Sub-objective 1 was to develop a training module for youth workers working with young people at risk of radicalisation and extremism. Sub-objective 2 was to train male and female youth workers - to acquire knowledge and skills to work with the target group. Implementation The main activities of the project were the development of a training module for youth workers in a short-term training event for staff, which we then disseminated in the framework of the training in the different countries - Mixed mobility of adult learners. The training module produced a manual and a video which told the story of our approach. We met regularly at transnational project meetings 4 times over the duration of the project and also at smaller online consortium meetings each month. Finally, we disseminated the results of our research in multiplier events and also through social media, articles and press releases. Achievements The main outputs of the project were a manual for youth workers in the field of working with youth affected by radicalisation and violent extremism and a video promoting our specific approach. The manual consists of two theoretical parts - Knowledge, Skills, Values and Why youth work should lead to change, it also contains examples of good practice and annexes with activities for youth workers and their own self-development, as well as inspiration for working with the target group. The video consists of three short videos. Press releases about the training in the national countries and the project were handed over to the press agencies. Also, 22 posts were published on CAI website, 6 in the Italian organization Giosef Torino, 12 in the Slovak organization Mládež ulice. The results of the project were disseminated at multiplication events in each of the countries, where the manual and also the video were distributed. At the same time, the Slovak organization presented the approach of working with young people created within the project in 2 podcasts, one show on RTVS radio, in a discussion organized by the Municipality on the anniversary of the death of Daniel Tupí, also in 3 vlogs and one bolg.