EVERYBODY'S SONG - MUSIC AS A TOOL FOR THE PROMOTION OF DIVERSITY AND INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTENDING

(EC YOUTH programme, Action 5 – Support Measures, Priority theme: Cultural diversity and tolerance)

Names of organisations involved

General coordination: Cyprus Neuroscience and Technology Institute (CNTI, in the process of being renamed to Future Worlds Center), Youth Promoting Peace Unit

Partner organisations: Workshop of Civic Initiative Foundation (Bulgaria), Cyprus Youth Council (Cyprus), Youth Forum EYE (FYR Macedonia), Hellenic Youth Council (Greece), Center for Peace and Democracy Development (Serbia)

Project coordinator/s

Overall coordination: Reinhard Eckert (Cyprus)

National coordinators: Dimitar Tzolov (Bulgaria), Maria Lazarou (Cyprus), Jovan Poposki (FYR Macedonia), Elpiniki Thomagianni (Greece), Jelena Mihailovic (Serbia)

Dates of the project (beginning and end):

01/12/2006-30/05/2008

Venues of the project :

In all partner countries: Bulgaria, Cyprus (both parts), FYR Macedonia, Greece, Serbia

Project synopsis

The general aim of the project is to reflect on, and to work with the role of music in intercultural understanding.

Objectives:
- raising awareness about cultural diversity, anti-discrimination and the role of music in intercultural understanding
- training youth organizations and young musicians in cultural diversity, anti-bias and non-violent conflict transformation
- establishing partnerships between youth NGOs and musicians
- creating a network between youth organizations from 5 different countries
- encouraging musicians to use their role model for young people in order to promote cultural diversity, mutual respect and non-violent conflict transformation
- promoting and increasing the visibility of the EC youth programme in SEE

Target groups:

- youth, young musicians and youth organisations: We plan to bring musicians and their creative potentials together with youth organisations already working on issues of mutual understanding, promotion of diversity and non-violent conflict transformation. Both sides are attracting youth as their joint target group.

Main activities:
- international contact making and training seminar
- country-specific activities: workshops, intercultural music events, researching shared heritage, campaigns and other awareness raising activities
- online-platform for ongoing communication
- final conference/seminar
- website and booklet for documentation of good practices

Expected results:
- A set of elaborated tools and well documented good practice examples for using music as a tool in intercultural understanding and youth work for the promotion of diversity, anti-discrimination and non-violent conflict transformation
- Raised awareness about shared cultural heritage in South Eastern Europe
- Improved cooperation between youth organisations and artists (musicians)
- Increased visibility of the participating youth organisations and the EC youth programme

For more info see:

http://www.everybodys-song.net/