Simulation Games: Bricks of Hope

Dates: March, 29th – June, 5th, 2017

Location: Sumy, Ukraine

Who: youth workers, trainers, youth leaders, educators from Poland, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Latvia, Romania, and Bulgaria

The International Training Course is designed to help youth leaders and youth workers, trainers and educators to learn how they can use simulation games (role play simulation games) to teach young people the issue of forced migration and refugees; to help their integration into local communities and to prevent or solve conflicts between the locals and forced migrants.

The European migration crisis or European refugee crisis began in 2015, when a rising number of refugees and migrants made the journey to the European Union to seek asylum, traveling across the Mediterranean Sea, or through Southeast Europe. Local armed conflicts, such as the one in Eastern Ukraine (ongoing since 2014) or in Georgia (in 2008) always lead to such consequences when people are forced to leave their homes and to seek refuge in another area in their own country or a asylum abroad. Thus the interactions between locals and migrants is a very critical issue when many open and hidden problems emerge. Communities from all over the Europe should work on solutions to overcome challenges connected with today's phenomenon of forced migration.

The participants of the TC will learn about the method of the role-play simulation games: how to use, how to adapt for the certain learning purposes, and how to create their own simulation activities based on the local realities. We will start with more abstract simulations and then will continue to develop the games and simulations that will help to prevent or to solve existing conflict between locals and forced migrants.

• to discover the challenges which appear in the communities in Europe connected with the forced migration and refugees and to look for solutions to these challenges;
• to learn about how youth can be active on the local level to help in the integration of the forced migrants;
• to learn about the role-play simulation games method (structure, specifics, usage, adaptation for the certain needs, creation of the games) and how it can be used to prevent or solve problematic issues connected with forced migration;
  
• to create new role play simulation activities based on the participants’ realities which will be used in future for prevention or solving local conflicts connected with forced migration.

This is the draft of the programme and there might be slight changes. The final version of it all the participants will receive prior to the project start.

• Poland - Fundacja FREYA
• Ukraine - Center for Euroinitiatives
• Armenia - Today Art Initiative
• Georgia - Student-Youth Council
• Romania - Asociatia Tinerii 3D
• Bulgaria - The Change Is in You
• Azerbaijan - Modern Youth Public Union
• Latvia - Express Youself

The participants background:

• youth workers, trainers, youth leaders, educators who have direct access to young people to multiply new experience and skills in their communities;
  
• coming from the community which is linked to the issue of forced migrants, refugees or coming from such group;
  
• having guaranteed support from their sending organisations in the implementing future activities based on the experience gained in the TC;
  
• motivated to take part in the TC and to be personally interested in the topic of the TC;
  
• motivated to implement the experienced gained on the TC in their communities;
  
• motivated to build and support international partnerships which will be created during the TC with the future Erasmus+ projects;
  
• no younger than 18 years old (due to the international travel restrictions), no upper age limits.

Each of the partner organisation should delegate their participants to take part in the TC:

• Fundacja FREYA (Poland) - 4 participants;
  
• Center for Euroinitiatives (Ukraine) - 5 participants;
  
• Student-Youth Council (Georgia) - 4 participants;
  
• The Change Is in You (Bulgaria) - 3 participants;
  
• Today Art Initiative (Armenia) - 4 participants;
  
• Modern Youth Public Union (Azerbaijan) - 3 participants;
  
• Express Yourself (Latvia) - 3 participants;
  
• Asociaţia Tinerii 3D (Romania) - 3 participants.
  

Accommodation: the participants will be accommodated in rooms for 2 in the hotel situated in the very center of the city - Reikartz Sumy (1 Voskresenska St., Sumy, 40000, Ukraine).

Food: you will have three meals and two coffee-breaks a day. Please, inform about your food habits and needs (fast, vegetarian, vegan etc).

Working language: English.

Internet Access: there will be free wi-fi available in the hotel.

Plugs: the type of the plugs in Ukraine is European. Make sure that you have adapters for your electrical devises.

What to bring with you:

• “Standard international project equipment”: an alarm clock, any dictionaries you might require, music, comfortable clothes, personal first aid kit etc;
  
• To present your country: food, souvenirs and other materials you'll find useful;
  
• To present your organisation: posters, flyers, pictures etc;
• Additionally we will inform you about the things which you need to prepare and bring for the programme elements.

Participants from all participating countries do not need visa to Ukraine. Please, do not forget your international passports!

While crossing the border you might be asked to provide information about the hosting organization:

Center for Euroinitiatives

22 Naberezhna r. Strilky Street

40009, Sumy, Ukraine

+38 (0542) 79-86-68

Participants from Ukraine: bring your national IDs (national passport, driver license or student ID card).

The day of arrival to Ukraine: 29 March 2017

The day of departure: 5 April 2017

How to get to Ukraine:

The closest airport to Sumy is Kharkiv (HRK). But there are not many flights, so it may be more convenient for you to fly from Kyiv: Boryspil (KBP) or Zhulyany (IEV).

We will organize your trip from the airport to the venue:

1) If you fly to Kharkiv: the trip will take around 3-4 hours (~ 5 EUR, one way);

2) If you fly to Kyiv: the trip will take around 5-6 hours (~ 10 EUR, one way).

In case you are coming to Kyiv by bus or train we will also assist with the transfer to Sumy.

Before buying any tickets, please contact Larisa Kondratenko (larisa.kondratenko.cei@gmail.com) and provide her information about your travel plans (means, place of arrival, timing, prices). She will consult you about the best travel solutions and will help you to arrange your trip to the venue.

The organizers will reimburse 100% of participants' travel costs from your home city to the venue within the limits defined by Erasmus+ program.

Maximum amounts to be reimbursed (EUR):

Poland - 275

Armenia - 275

Georgia - 275

Azerbaijan - 275

Romania - 275

Bulgaria - 275

Latvia - 275

Reimbursement of the travel costs will only be done after submitting all original tickets, receipt/invoices, boarding passes and later sending of the return documents and boarding passes. Save the boarding passes from your airport check in as well. Please, be aware that in case you loose any invoices or tickets we will not be able to reimburse the cost. Reimbursement will be done in EURO, regardless of the currency indicated on your ticket and receipt/invoice according to the official currency exchange rate of European Commission.

! Note: in case of higher travel cost, you will need to cover excess yourself.

Important: the reimbursement of travel costs for participants will be done in cash at the last day of TC. To receive reimbursement participants should attend all the planned progamme elements.

You are welcome to consult with us before purchasing the tickets. Please make the copies (better scan or photo) of all the tickets and invoices before your arrival to the youth exchange. Email those to Larisa Kondratenko (larisa.kondratenko.cei@gmail.com).

The health insurance is not provided and will not be reimbursed by the organizers. All participants are strongly advised to purchase private travel insurance, as the costs of private health care in Ukraine are high.

The national currency in Ukraine is Ukrainian Hryvnia. Euros and US dollars can easily be exchanged across Ukraine.

At the end of March - beginning of April in Sumy is usually a time when spring really starts, but also it could be quite cold. Average temperature on the dates of the youth exchange will be around 7-15 degree Celsius.

Please check the weather forecast before coming and make sure that you have an appropriate cloth.

Sumy is in north Ukraine is situated between Kharkov and Kiev, the country’s two biggest cities. With a population of around 300,000 the city hosts its own cultural life, has several universities and is the economic centre of the Ukrainian Province called Sumy Region. Founded in 1655 Sumy is 361 years old, and combines great history with modern life. The central street, Soborna, after reconstruction in 2001, is an exact copy of the street's image at the beginning of the twentieth century, and the centre of Sumy is dominated by three big cathedrals. Outside of the small old town the city consists of large apartment buildings built in soviet times. The city is very green, lies on both sides of the Psol River, and is surrounded by lakes and forests. A city of beautiful churches and historical sights, Sumy also has a wide choice of the restaurants, cafes, and nightclubs.

The project is supported by Erasmus+ programme of European Union.

Anna Kovbasyuk – coordinator of the project from hosting organization Center for European Initiatives, info@eu.sumy.ua

Larisa Kondratenko – logistic support of the project from hosting organization Center for European Initiatives, larisa.kondratenko.cei@gmail.com