Association “AlternativeI International” welcomed a group of volunteers in Blagoevgrad for a period of 40 days under the program “European Solidarity Corps” / ECS /. The Diversity Fest project brought together young volunteers from Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Georgia and Turkey, who transformed the local environment with their presence. The focus of the project was to promote intercultural dialogue, diversity, tolerance and solidarity, raise awareness on human rights issues and hate speech and discrimination more specifically. The volunteers were working with local kids, organizing workshops for promoting peace, diversity and intercultural understanding and dialogue as well as activities for the leisure time of the youth from the local community.
During their stay in Bulgaria, the volunteers organized a number of workshops and initiatives for children and youth, participating in cooking and serving for disadvantaged people, cleaning the local park and restoring and renovating a kindergarten in a village.
For another year, the young volunteers organized as well the “Youth Caravan” campaign in Varna, Burgas, Plovdiv, Razlog and Blagoevgrad cities in Bulgaria while meeting with hundreds of young people, informing them about the programs for mobility, training and education for young people in Europe such as Erasmus plus, ESC, Erasmus for young entrepreneurs.
As a result of the project we have raised awareness about issues of human rights violations, informed thousands of youth about EU mobility programs; increased the visibility of ESC and Erasmus+ programs; promoted volunteering and increased the interest of local youth to volunteer.
You can get acquainted with the volunteers and their adventures and activities in Bulgaria here trough their blog and some cool videos!
And here you can be inspired by the colorful Holly Festival of Tolerance, organized for August 12 – International Youth Day, along with graffiti workshops, information stand for mobility and training programs, painting for Tolerance workshop, Free Hugs, Solidarity Flashmobe and much more.
The Diversity Fest project is organized by the Alternativi International Association with the support of the European Solidarity Corps program.
Active Youth for Europe 