With the project Re-GROUP, workshops for youth in Latvia were held from June 2021 to May 2022 with the aim of reducing violence and promoting awareness of gender equality in the youth environment. More than 50 young people aged 12 to 24 participated in the long-term group sessions, developing the skills needed to build and maintain healthy relationships with themselves and their peers.
The group sessions were based on the Youth Group methodology developed by Center MARTA, which consists of 17 non-formal education sessions on topics relevant to young people such as relationships, emotions and their management, sexual reproductive health, issues of gender equality, prevention of addictions, recognition of violence and the ability to solve conflict situations.
Young people spoke very openly about the conflicts and disagreements they experienced with friends, rarely did anyone want to speak about their family. Young people like the methods and approaches used in the group sessions. Everyone relearned all stages of conflict resolution and began to realize that sometimes conflict is not so difficult to resolve, often prejudices and ignorance keep them away from the goal of reconciliation. / group leader in Gulbene
Young people realized that stereotypes help us distinguish things faster but can also be harmful by placing different people in certain “boxes” and from a young age our perception and gender are influenced. In the youth environment and among their peers, they do not feel the problems of gender inequality so strongly, but they recognize that it still exists in society as a whole. / group leader in Alūksne
Re-GROUP is Erasmus+ strategic partnership project between Centrs MARTA, Latvia, MUNDUS, Spain, The Future Now Association, Bulgaria un Innovation in Local Development, Romania