Approche transversale de la participation : outiller les professionnels du secteur de la solidarité internationale pour plus d'inclusion intergénérationnelle

The project aimed to make the international solidarity (is) sector more inclusive and participatory by strengthening the role of young adults within organizations. Our overarching goal was to supp...

The project aimed to make the international solidarity (is) sector more inclusive and participatory by strengthening the role of young adults within organizations. Our overarching goal was to support their full and meaningful participation in their projects and structures at the european level, through the creation of an interactive and reflective toolbox. More concretely, we aimed to: 1) strengthen the skills of staff members, volunteers, and organizational leaders so they can better support young adults’ engagement; 2) expand and structure the range of methodological tools, adaptable to the sector’s diverse realities; 3) create intergenerational spaces that foster the exchange of experiences and inclusive practices. The project thus aimed to reduce barriers to engagement, encourage cooperation across generations and cultures, and promote a transversal approach to inclusion within their practices. By bringing together young adults, volunteers, and professionals, it aimed to sustainably reinforce the cohesion and the representativeness of the associative sector.

Six major activities were carried out as part of the project: 1) A kick-off meeting in Paris was held to define the partnership framework and project management tools, while agreeing on a common vision of young people and their participation. 2) Collective resources identification workshops brought together professionals and volunteers from the sector to select existing tools and identify missing topics. 3) A design meeting in Bologna finalized the selection of resources and built the interactive tree structure of the future toolkit and the self-assessment tool. 4) Each organization then ran experimental workshops to test the clarity, adaptability, and ergonomics of the toolkit, as well as the effectiveness of the self-assessment. 5) Following these tests, the toolkit was produced and digitized with the support of a graphic designer and a web developer. 6) Finally, several feedback and dissemination events were organized in France, Belgium, and Spain to present the toolkit and encourage its adoption by international solidarity actors at the European level. Also, a final transnational meeting to close the project was held in Paris.

The project resulted in the creation of an interactive and reflective toolkit, available in four languages and aimed at two target audiences—professionals and volunteers of NGOs and young adults—in order to support teams while empowering young people in their commitments. It brings together some 50 methodological resources and a reflective process through a self-assessment tool that enables organizations to analyze and develop their practices. Designed in a participatory manner with young people, employees, and volunteers, intergenerational and intersectoral workshops conducted in the four partner countries have helped to strengthen skills and improve understanding of the challenges of youth participation. National workshops and feedback sessions facilitated the appropriation of content and promoted the exchange of practices. In this way, the project has contributed to making IS more inclusive towards young adults, equipping teams, and strengthening the network dynamic around the issues of citizen participation and inclusion.