An international study trip for groups of students and professionals interested in social work (Germany, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia), consisting of two ten-day stays in Brandenburg, Germany, and Lika, Croatia.

Part 1: Gerswalde, Brandenburg, Germany // 20–28 October 2016
Part 2: Vrhovine, Lika, Croatia // March 2017

In the first part of the training programme, participants familiarise themselves with the specific conditions of the regions and, through short presentations by experts and exchanges of experience, develop joint courses of action to improve the local youth landscape. Participants discuss their experiences as well as youth-specific initiatives and challenges in their respective regions.

The second part of the training seminar is dedicated to active engagement. Local stakeholders are visited and interviewed on questions raised by the participants regarding international youth mobility. This provides space for discussion and reflection on the value of intercultural encounters, particularly as it is often local decision-makers in municipalities and communities who need to be convinced of the societal benefits of international partnerships and exchanges.

Methods of intercultural learning are introduced by teams of intercultural trainers and applied through appropriate introductory activities and role-playing exercises. In addition, the Erasmus+ programme and its opportunities are presented. Local initiatives and existing practitioners and providers of alternative, self-sufficient ways of living—such as permaculture, ecological gardening, and species-appropriate animal husbandry in agriculture—are visited and share insights into their everyday practice. This enables participants to develop new project ideas and to identify potential partners for future project spaces.

Further information is available at: www.mikub.org