Promoting Inclusion and employment through art was a youth exchange organized in Romania, Dognecea commune and took place between 1st and 10th September 2021. The project has brought together participants from different corners of Europe. The purpose of the program has been learning about refugees and the situation of migrants in Europe in a non-formal way. During the timeframe of 8 days, the participants organized sessions meant to achieve the objectives of the project.
The most significant assembly was the visit at LOGS - a non-governmental organization from Timisoara aiding directly refugees and asylum seekers. There, participants learned about the dire situation of refugees, how they fled wars and how homelessness is their main struggle given the lack of financial support from the government.
Another important aspect of this project was the public event organized at Dognecea Cultural House. Theater forum plays were put on stage by the participants. These plays were meant to raise awareness about the subject of the project, especially because refugees arrive more frequently in the West part of Romania and they are portrayed negatively in mass-media and social media. The theater play was entitled ''Purple People'' which is a metaphor for the refugees. The plot revolved around aliens arriving in Romania and the population managed to accept and bond with them instead of persecuting them. In the end, the spectators from the public got personally engaged and were also culturally educated about some traditions of the countries involved in the program; the locals spending time together with participants increased the cultural dimension of this international project.
This project was funded by Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission.
