Description (EN): AMPLIFY is a new youth-led initiative, delivered through an experienced cross border youth work partnership involving YouthAction NI, NI Youth Forum, Foróige & Youth Work Ireland. This creative partnership will maximise the reach to young people who have fallen on hard times & who experience volatile & chaotic lives & where their vulnerability is heightened. This innovative cross border & cross community programme will have personal, community & societal impacts, especially in making a positive contribution to building a cohesive society.
AMPLIFY has been informed & designed by young people over an 18 month period leading to the final project proposal & submission. This is complemented by literature which recommends a youth work approach focussing on personal development, cross community, cross-border & citizenship based programming. Particularly targeting areas of high deprivation & polarised urban & rural communities AMPLIFY, through relentless & persistent recruitment, will support 960 (80% attrition) marginalised & vulnerable young people (aged 16–24yrs) to complete a bespoke programme with core elements of personal development, good relations & citizenship. Targeting 11 NI Council areas & 6 Border regions of Ireland AMPLIFY will provide meaningful & sustained cross-community & cross border programmes, 3 days per week (6 x 3hr sessions) over a 6–9 month period for targeted groups of young people (Protestant-Catholic; rural-urban; male-female; LGB&T; BME; NEET; migrant; traveller; ROMA; & Garda Diversion). AMPLIFY will enhance personal development capabilities, build purposeful & long lasting relationships & support young people to be co-creators within a more diverse & respectful society.
The challenge for AMPLIFY is to identify & engage with young people who are hard to reach & who experience disadvantage, exclusion & marginalisation. Many of these young people will not be in education, training or employment &/or at risk of becoming involved in anti-social behaviour, violence or dissident activity at local community level. Skilled professional youth workers understand the multiple & complex needs (Including mental health & well-being) & will invest time building quality & trusting relationships with young people to support their full engagement. Once engaged the team will be diligent in nurturing young people throughout to support their sustained engagement.
The objective of AMPLIFY is to bring about transformational positive change to create stability & coping mechanisms for young people. It will provide a ‘key’ to unlock self-belief in which young people feel a sense of belonging & active contribution towards personal & societal change. Underpinned by a respect for youth participation AMPLIFY will nurture young people’s active involvement within the programme design & through social action.
Focusing on ‘good relations’, ‘personal development’ & ‘citizenship’ young people will benefit through;
-improving emotional intelligence, resilience, sense of purpose & motivation;
-increasing understanding of identity & respect for other people’s communities, identities & cultural backgrounds;
-improving relationships with community structures & recognition of their contribution.
The main output will be that young people have:
-creatively explored values, traditions, sectarianism & racism (thinking critically);
-debated sensitive & contentious issues.
-have a better understanding of the conflict, diversity & have less sectarian attitudes & more respect for diversity.
-developed meaningful & sustained contact with others from diverse backgrounds including Protestant, Catholic, BME, gender, sexuality (sports, activities, residentials).
-completed accredited training in Diversity & Community Relations.
-developed leadership skills through collaborative citizenship & social action initiatives.
-established ABCD (asset based community development) approaches which showcase their positive contributions (campaigns, fund-raising etc).
From this AMPLIFY will have contributed to change in attitudes & behaviours reflecting the overall result indicators;
-an increase in the percentage of 16 year olds who socialise or play sport with people from different religious communities–an increase of 20%;
-think relations between Protestants & Catholics are better than they were five years ago–an increase of 20%;
-think relations between Protestants & Catholics will be better in five years time- an increase of 30%.
AMPLIFY is based on the premise that young people are assets & actually have an inherent desire to contribute & to play their role. It is new & original in that it blends experienced organisations North & South to collaborate in practice engagement which nurtures existing practices & techniques while also learning from one another. The project will further embed a gender specific piece of work with young women in the North West & a targeted engagement with young Travellers who can both be overlooked in much peace-building.
AMPLIFY will be achieved through the lead partner YouthAction & 4 project partners all of whom are experienced in peace-building, youth work & citizenship building initiatives. A Youth Advisory Group (NIYF) will work alongside the partnership to advise & guide the project development as well as review the impact & outcomes. SLA’s & a clear partnership ‘terms of reference’ will support partners to deliver on all activities.
AMPLIFY aligns with various North/South strategies & policies including the NI Programme for Government 2016-2021, TBUC 2013, 10yr Strategy for Children & Young People (2017-2027), Equal Status Act 2000 (ROI) & National Youth Strategy 2014-2020 (ROI).
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