Zagreb: Training of Trainers in intercultural sensitivity and skills development

WELCOMM is about supporting integration of third country nationals through developing learning and collaboration tools to build welcoming and inclusive communities. That is why we are developing and piloting training curriculum for intercultural sensitivity and competences for public servants, NGO professionals and activists and volunteers, working in the field od reception and integration of third country nationals.

From 3 to 7 December 2018 we held a training of trainers in Zagreb in order to exchange the knowledge and expertise within the partnership, increase our own knowledge and skills and develop comprehensive training curriculum for the target groups in each of the countries participating in the project. 15 trainers for all 5 partner organizations took part in the training.

Training was conceptualized and organized in a way that trainers from each partner organization transfer knowledge and skills, which is specific field of expertise for that organization and constitutes intercultural sensitivity and competences. This knowledge and skills will be also a part of the training curriculum to be piloted in four countries with target groups, and latter offered to other experts in the field through WELCOMM Community of Practice.

On the first day training was led by SUEDWIND trainers Leila Salehiravesh, Anita Roetzer i Carolina Lebesmuehlbacher. The topics of the day were culture, cultural differences and cultural diversity, relations of culture and identity, stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination.

Second day of the training the trainers were Georgia Chondrou, Giulia Di Carlo and Cloe Saint Nom from CESIE. They lead the workshops on the topics of the development model of intercultural sensitivity of Milton J. Bennett, intercultural competences, cultural shock and Critical Incident analysis in understanding and overcoming cultural shock.

The third day of the training was dedicated to intercultural communication. Slovene Philanthropy trainers Helena Liberšar and Tina Veliščak lead the training based on the concept of non-violent communication of Marshalla Rosenberga. They presented the method and technics of non-violent communication as well as ways to set the personal borders and protect oneself from emotional fatigue and burnout in the role of helper.

Fourth day of training of trainers was about mental health and trauma. Sandra Šipka and Dragana Knezić, RCT trainers, presented the model of training on challenges forced migration poses to mental health, concepts of stress, crisis and trauma and overcoming the consequences, elements that make up trauma informed services, organizations and programs.

On the last day we analysed the offered content and training methodology and how we will implement this learning experience in training with target groups of public servants, NGO professionals and activists as well as volunteers in Italy, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria. The piloting of the intercultural sensitivity and competences training will be organized from February to March 2019.