Press Conference given by the Hon. Jesmond Mugliett during the launching of the 3rd Phase of European Training for Youth Leaders and Youth Workers carrying out projects with young people in a Multicultural Context

The Long Term Training Course is the most intensive and longest training offered by the Youth Sector of the Council of Europe. It aims to enable youth workers and youth leaders, professionals and volunteers to give an international dimension to their work and to become more efficient there within. The partners of the Council of Europe Youth Sector, international youth organisations, national youth council and youth services, felt the need to offer their members a training which emphasises project development and intercultural learning.

Since 1990, the LTTC has allowed efficient and intercultural training to prove the value of the concept of multiplication through well-trained youth workers and leaders at international level. The construction of a social Europe, and the challenges European societies face in managing the cultural diversity, demand concrete action in favour of social cohesion and intercultural understanding.

The long-term training course aims to enable participants:

• to develop European youth projects and networks in favour of social cohesion;
• to play a more active role in international youth work;
• to act as multipliers after the training.

The concrete objectives of the training are to enable participants:

• to obtain the skills to develop, prepare, run and evaluate a youth project with an intercultural context, including the educational, financial and organisational aspects;
• to live through an intercultural experience with the opportunity to develop expertise and know-how on intercultural education;
• to acquire know-how on European youth policies and European institutions;
• to prepare young people for active European citizenship;
• to co-operate in a network with other participants and their projects;
• to strive for new approaches and actions in situations of social exclusion and marginalisation;
• to create operational tools and act as multipliers in passing on the training and knowledge acquired.

1^st phase - Introduction seminar at the European Youth Centre,

Strasbourg: 4-18 October 1998

The participants presented their projects, developing it according to the course contents and objectives, and worked on the essential contents of the course and the skills necessary for implementing the project.

2^nd phase - Implementation of the projects

Participants implemented their projects within the context of their organisation and/or service back in their respective country.

3^rd phase - Evaluation seminar at the European Youth Centre, Malta:May 1999

The 3^rd phase normally takes place in the European Youth Centre in Budapest but this was not possible this year due to the fact that this year happened to be the 50^th anniversary of the Council of Europe. The majority of the participants were keen to hold the next phase in Malta because they will attempt to use the social reality of the country as a method to work on the different themes.

The participants will evaluate their projects, the training will be completed and brought to an end. Participants will develop plans to maintain their network and define their role as multipliers.