Debate in the Neighbourhood Strategy

Introduction In 2007, IDEA initiated a project in the Netherlands focusing on engaging young people from ethnic minorities in debates and discussions Debate in the Neighbourhood (DIN). The project was a response to a low level of participation of young people in the Netherlands in general and particularly low level of participation of young people from ethnic minority backgrounds and/or students from vocational schools. DIN began as a pilot project targeting neighbourhoods in Amsterdam and Rotterdam and different cities in the Province of Zeeland. The project had three phases: 1) capacity building through curriculum development and organisation of trainings for debate mentors (youth workers and teachers) and debate trainees (youth leaders from the target groups and youth interested in promoting debates and discussions among their peers in selected neighbourhoods); 2) Training of youth from the target groups by the debate mentors and trainees, supported by the staff and trainers of IDEA. 3) Organization of debates (including public debates) engaging youth (as well as members of communities). The Foundation for Democratic Youth and IDEA NL cooperated on a similar project in Hungary called Living Together Debating in the Neighbourhood in 2008. IDEA has built a track record in the Netherlands and Belgium since 2008. DIN trainings for trainers have been given in Rotterdam, Zeeland, Amsterdam and Antwerp. Vocational school students were trained in debate and communication capacities. They were enabled to debate with local authorities, politicians and policy makers about issues which are relevant to them. Besides the localised trainings in neighbourhoods, IDEA also organised exchanges for the DIN participants and their youth workers in 2011 under the Welcome in Fraz project. The aim of these exchanges was to train these young people in democratic values and to practice various formats of debates among each others. These exchanges end in public debates with local politicians. We have learned that these exchanges were very joyful for the youth; they gave an extra reason to the young people to be part of debate in the neighbourhood community. Participants from Amsterdam and Antwerp are still meeting each other and work towards a new exchange. Following up on the success of the project in the Netherlands, IDEA set up a European DIN project pilot in 20102011. The 2010 DIN Europe pilot was set up in cooperation with seven partners from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Estonia and Lithuania. The pilot project encompassed a translation of the curriculum into English, partner meetings to set out strategies, train trainers and learn from each other and building up e-learning capacities for each of the participating partners. Three exchanges took place between representatives of the IDEA members in Antwerp, Rotterdam and Vilnius aiming to inspire these members to include Debate in the Neighbourhood activities in there general debate programs. Some have since implemented DIN projects locally, - or are in a process to do it- for example the United Kingdom and Romania. Some of the members like in Romania, Estonia, Slovakia and Hungarian want to pilot a local DIN project in their own context. One member said: it is time to share our capacities with those who are not yet there. Need for building a track record We cannot say what the impact is of Debate in the Neighbourhood activities, but we can elaborate on some successes. For instance quite some debates were finally organised between young Dinners and local authorities with concrete reflections of the debates in their youth or housing- or security policy. In Zeeland youth are invited
IDEA NL, Donker Curtiusstraat 7/501, 1051 JL Amsterdam, T 020 6927299, W www.idebate.org/nl , Contact person: Anne Valkering, avalkering@idebate.org, T 06 241 284 78

by policy makers themselves to debate annual budgets, and annual plans. Another success is that young people in Amsterdam are organising their own public debate and they facilitate it themselves. Some of them aim to be a junior trainer and they want to train their peers. We are able to mention some of these best practices but miss in general proper records of outcomes, best practices, lessons learned and successes. Keeping this track record will be essential for the future if we would like to consolidate debate in the neighbourhood. We can learn about it and we can communicate about it. It is for this reason that we want to start more active with small scale evidence based researches in neighbourhoods, together with the University College of Amsterdam. Since we have now the debate in the neighbourhood micro site it would be good to use this also as a source for building a joined track record with other countries who are implementing DIN.

Some Lessons learned which need to be sustained and proofed by research Previous Debate in the Neighbourhood projects have shown us the importance of teaching youth to debate in their own neighbourhoods. Besides the important skills that they learn, they develop citizenship skills and start to consider themselves as active members of their communities. As they gain confidence through debate and get in touch with policy makers, state representatives, policy and community members, their belief in their own efficacy grows. They will feel more strongly attached to their communities, and become more active citizens. This is particularly true if the discussions are driven by what youth find to be the most pressing issues to discuss. Youth will be more motivated when they are able to share their ideas and desires for change with authorities than when the topic has been prepared without consulting them. In our experience, they choose difficult and important topics such as unemployment, racism, exclusion and education when they are asked for their opinion. The combination of being able to choose the topics they care about most and the discussion with local or community authorities strengthen young peoples feelings of being included and being able to bring about meaningful change. Discussions between youth and neighbourhood authorities will include an intergenerational dialogue. These discussions can become heated and antagonistic as they sometimes include partners that youth feel are against them. In all cases, independent moderators have been welcomed by participating youth as well as community representatives at these debates. These moderators should not be the local youth workers or teachers that have taught the youth, as they are often considered partial as well. Our partners have had to reorient their approach beyond their usual target groups of high school and university students and work with youth from disadvantaged backgrounds or neighbourhoods. They have now built up capacity to coordinate trainings for trainers, provide moderators and continuously support the trainers with expertise. The trainers presence in the program is essential to continue to stimulate the youth to engage in the debate trainings and public debate. Youth feel motivated by support from people they are in regular contact with, rather than trainers from outside. On-going capacity building, guidance and feedback to youth workers, teachers and other debate promoters are necessary to support the trainers.

IDEA NL, Donker Curtiusstraat 7/501, 1051 JL Amsterdam, T 020 6927299, W www.idebate.org/nl , Contact person: Anne Valkering, avalkering@idebate.org, T 06 241 284 78

We also learned that it is important to be known by the youth workers, teachers and young people, to give them enough guidance and coaching in order to make the final public debates a success. The self-esteem of young people grows as soon as you are next to them. We also learned how important it is to be in close contact with youth workers, teachers and youth when topic of the debates will be determined. It is for this reason that we learned how important it is to have focal points in areas where we are active or where we would like to be active, like in the Randstad, Zeeland, and Antwerp and soon we hope also to be more active in Northern Brabant. We have valued the importance of long term partnerships because you can envision change in a neighbourhood or region, but you also build a long term program in which you develop perspectives for the young debaters. For instance in Combiwel, Diamantbuurt Amsterdam, we keep on developing debate activities in order to contribute to an open debate climate in which the debaters are seen and heard by policy makers. Finally we have learned that we need to enrich the concept: we already included film and debate in the neighbourhood as a new way to support stronger representation of neighbours in the debates. We also want to work in the nearby future around the question: how to support real change in the neighbourhoods via debates, what is possible and what is impossible in this? Finally we have learned that the commitment of both the youth workers/teachers as well as the commitment of the trainees will be stronger if incentives are given. One important incentive is a certification after having followed the training succefull. We also believe that certified trainings are taken more serious than ad hoc trainings. We are working on the certification of the trainings for the trainers (youth workers, teachers) and for the trainees (young people). This will be on our agenda for next year. This could be also related to offer high potentials internships, or to connect them for instance with the local government who could offer them internships. Based on this lesson learned we have the following goals with Debate in the Neighbourhood: Goals Overall goal Our long term goal is to avoid social exclusion of youth in disadvantaged neighbourhoods by providing them with the skills necessary to become active citizens in their communities. Debating empowers by teaching participants to analyse problems, present opinions and carefully listen to those who oppose. It allows participants to be heard by teaching them how to advocate for changes they desire and by allowing them to practice those skills in trainings and public debates. We identify the following external goals which will be the basic pillars of our final program: 1. We aim to enable and empower young people as active citizens who are able to debate in their neighbourhood with other relevant stakeholders about their desired changes and plans of actions. 2. We make DIN sustainable in the Netherlands and Belgium and other Dutch speaking countries (Suriname, Antillean)
IDEA NL, Donker Curtiusstraat 7/501, 1051 JL Amsterdam, T 020 6927299, W www.idebate.org/nl , Contact person: Anne Valkering, avalkering@idebate.org, T 06 241 284 78

3. We motivate other stakeholders (like policy makers, politicians etcetera) in the neighbourhoods or cities to listen to, and give due weight to the opinion of young marginalized citizens 4. Other members/partners in Europe and the USA are inspired by the DIN approach and include DIN in their own strategies and practices 5. Youth workers, teachers and participants who are involved in our IDEAs international DIN program feel part of a wider community of citizens who are supporting each other to actively take up their roles as citizens and to contribute to changes at neighbourhood level.

5.

6. . Impact We expect the long term impact of this project to be to contribute to social cohesion and inclusion of marginalized young citizens in European neighbourhoods. It will have enabled young, marginalised people to have a (political) stake and to influence their own lives in their neighbourhood, country and Europe as a whole. This project will also have encouraged authorities at all levels of influence to listen to young marginalized people and to give due weight to their opinions in decision making processes at all levels in the European Union. Expected results Participating youth will have learned how to communicate their opinions confidently to a wider audience. They will have experienced the workings of public debate and the ways in which they can participate politically and influence local leaders. They will have gained confidence in their own capacities and have been stimulated to become active members of their communities. The trainers will have learned techniques to teach debating skills and stimulate youth to participate in debates. They have learned how to organise debate trainings and public debates and to become a link between youth and community leaders. They will have become part of a network of debate trainers in their country and even abroad through this project, a network on which they can fall back for aid and advice. Other neighbourhood stakeholders, politicians, policy, shopkeepers, police, teachers, etcetera have recognised the need and the joy to debate together and to listen to each others, including to young people. They gave due weight to these voices, ideas and plans in the neighbourhoods. Partners will have learned how to stimulate youth workers and teachers as trainers and how to develop trainings for trainers. They will use their experiences and the European exchange to analyse how to further develop Debate in the Neighbourhood projects and policies in the future. IDEA and partners will have set up a support network for each other and for new partners to set up DIN projects. We have built a self generating community/network of Debate in the Neighborhoods debaters, coaches, trainers and staff which will be motivated intrinsic.
IDEA NL, Donker Curtiusstraat 7/501, 1051 JL Amsterdam, T 020 6927299, W www.idebate.org/nl , Contact person: Anne Valkering, avalkering@idebate.org, T 06 241 284 78

Indicators of success: Indicators Result 1 (building capacities) The degree of positive and effective debate promoters educated by IDEA in neighborhood The degree of participation of young people in the trainings of debate promoters/and IDEA. The degree in which young people indicate to have a stronger self-esteem, to have grip on complex problems, to be more free when they speak in public and to feel more proud on themselves when they speak about their issues in public. The degrees in which young people recognize diversity as a positive value in the group, understands each others perspectives and are able to deal constructively with other opinions. The degree of being able to identify a local problem, to analyse this and to develop a constructive and sound opinion with strong arguments, and persuasive examples. The degree of being able to participate well-informed in debates and share your problem and alternative solutions with the audience in a convincing and constructive way. The degree in which active young people are able to organise, produce and moderate a local debate themselves. The degree of confirming the progress of young participants by incentives like having a certificate, winning a price to join a DIN exchange, gaining a higher level as debater or even being selected as a junior trainer, getting an internship via the youth center or local government etcetera.

Indicators Result 2 (developing sustainable DIN programs in Dutch speaking countries) The degree of having strategic partnerships with reliable and relevant partners who are able to support us in up scaling the DIN project in Dutch speaking countries. The degree in which we are reliable and enabling partners for the young people, partners and donors. The degree of which we are able to match partners-programs-required staff /trainers with needed funds. The degree of which we are able to build evidence based track record of our results. The degree of which we are and to promote this in a wider community. The degree of which we are known in relevant sectors like (civic) education, youth, development cooperation, The degree in which we are able to cooperate well in a wider, learning and inspiring context sharing best practices, new ideas, within IDEA and our members.

Indicators result 3: (young people are being heard by policy makers etc.) Degree of policy makers, politicians, other key figures attends the public debates in the neighborhood. Degree of active participation, a listening attitude of these key figures Degree of invitations by these key figures to the young debaters to listen to them in policy making processes. Level of recognition of young people in new policy and practices of policy makers, politicians etcetera Degree in which young people confirm that they are taken serious and being heard.

IDEA NL, Donker Curtiusstraat 7/501, 1051 JL Amsterdam, T 020 6927299, W www.idebate.org/nl , Contact person: Anne Valkering, avalkering@idebate.org, T 06 241 284 78

Indicators result 4: Level of having developed mechanisms to exchange best practices, lessons learned, evaluations, new ideas, exchanges. Level of developing, recording and sharing these best practices, lessons learned etcetera Level of developing an overarching DIN strategy for IDEA Level of finding new exchanges, synergies between different IDEAS and members, partners in the context of DIN.

Indicators result 5: Level of participation of youth and youth care takers in national or international DIN exchanges or other IDEA activities. Level of promoting IDEA and Debate in the Neighborhood activities via social media or other ways by young debater or youth worker in DIN themselves Level of participation of young people in public debates in the neighborhoods. Level of the continuation of young debaters and how they know to inspire others to join us. Level in which young people confirm to be stronger due to being part of this DIN community both in the Netherlands as international.

Methodology of IDEA NL

IDEA NL has basic principle to work in this Debate in the Neighborhood program. 1. IDEA NL is enabling debate climates where there is not a debate climate yet. In countries where we are familiar to via our trainers we will build capacity among youth workers, teachers, young people in debate in the neighborhood methodologies and skills. For instance in the Netherlands, Belgium or in Suriname, the Antillean. 2. We could upscale the debate in the neighborhood trainings to other countries as in Africa, Latin America and Asia, but this needs to be worked out more deeper in cooperation with local partners- as we did in Eastern Europe. 3. IDEA NL wont give local debate trainings to youth in places which we dont understand or know. We will stimulate and encourage debate promotors in these countries to train young vocational students, but we will not do it ourselves. Our aim in this international debate component is to foster the exchange and to facilitate the (online ) learning process and share best practices and ideas with each other. 4. We work in Debate in the Neighborhood with young people who have a short term concentration. For that reason we offer these young people various opportunities to practice their debate. We hope to sustain the relationship with them. So we offer them debate trainings, support in setting up your own public debate, we coach them when they speak with policy makers, and we support them in coming up with sharp motions and ideas to make debate in the neighborhood more powerful.

IDEA NL, Donker Curtiusstraat 7/501, 1051 JL Amsterdam, T 020 6927299, W www.idebate.org/nl , Contact person: Anne Valkering, avalkering@idebate.org, T 06 241 284 78

5. We want to work on a long term basis with debate in the neighborhood youth workers/teachers but also with young kids. Therefore we want to develop perspective and we want to differentiate our program in a way that different young people feel comfortable with it. Perspectives could be like getting a certificate, but also becoming a medior debater, or even a junior trainer in your own neighborhood center. We want to develop new multipliers out of the debate in the neighborhood kids, similar to the developments and learning cycle in the Youth Forum. 6. We foster debates about issues which are raised up by the young people these could be anything as long as it is coming out of their heart. 7. As soon as we train young people in organizing their own public debate, we define clear roles with the youth workers/teachers. This is to avoid too much interference of us, or even too much responsibility and too many tasks on our shoulder. We want the young people and the youth workers to own this process. We are supporters, trainers, coaches but they are doing the job. 8. We have one golden rule, the trainees can only participate in a public debate if they are ready for it, in a way that they feel comfortable to have a successful debate. Success is the trigger of energy and the motor for continuation. 9. The young people are in the middle of the process, they will be coached to ensure youth driven change. 10. We are making use of the didactical material written by Doutsen Langhout, both the teachers guideline as well as the manual. Of course each trainer within IDEA develops its own style and methodology, accents and groups dynamics, but the manual is the basis. 11. We are working in diverse groups, respecting the need for inter cultural approaches and communication. We respect diversity and each own identity but within boundaries of clear rules. See for our pedagogical approach of these young trainees the appendix. 12. We work with train the trainers. At this moment we have a group of 7 people who are trained by Doutsen and who want to practice debate training. Besides that we work with 2 strong and very experienced trainers in the neighborhood. But they are pretty expensive. However sometimes they gave discount. We want to build strong networks and relationships with good trainers who fit in our for DIN. Preferable we have our trainers spread over the Netherlands. Right now we have trainers in Den Bosch, West Brabant, Antwerp, Utrecht, Amsterdam, Leeuwarden. We have received suggestions for trainers in Rotterdam as well. This was the basic method under Boudewijn as well. 13. It will create space in the IDEA office as soon as we work with a pool of reliable trainers. This means that we in the IDEA office will have more time for fund raising, project development and relationship building etcetera. 14. New element in the DIN project is the idea to motivate students in the university project, to implement also DIN projects in their cities like in Berlin, Paris, etcetera. Anne Valkering would like to work on this and that is why we combine in her portfolio the target group of DIN as well as university students. I think it is a great idea.

IDEA NL, Donker Curtiusstraat 7/501, 1051 JL Amsterdam, T 020 6927299, W www.idebate.org/nl , Contact person: Anne Valkering, avalkering@idebate.org, T 06 241 284 78

Self generating DIN Community

Time.

Young Debaters

Coaches

Trainers

Staff

Motivating mechanisms to sustain this network:

debate trainings

Professional events Reliable follow up

Debate events (forum or Exchanges)

incentives Public debates with serous follow up Certificates Small income for junior trainers

Activities: (see workplan)

IDEA NL, Donker Curtiusstraat 7/501, 1051 JL Amsterdam, T 020 6927299, W www.idebate.org/nl , Contact person: Anne Valkering, avalkering@idebate.org, T 06 241 284 78