The Young Ambassadors Programme goes online

29/11/2021
YAP goes online

 

The Young Ambassadors Programme (YAP) went online for the first time this summer, after six years of continuous growth and development and a pause in 2020 for reflection and adjustment to the new realities of the pandemic.  

The new format put the rich experience accumulated by the organizing team to the test. How could we stay true to our objectives? How could we give our participants a similar experience to that of those who have met in person at the beautiful Caux Palace? How could we build community, trust and a safe space on different online platforms? How could we enable young people to connect, share, learn, be inspired and gain confidence in their newly acquired skills? Creativity, flexibility and close teamwork brought all the answers that were needed.  

 

I have gained useful tools to explore / understand / reflect upon my own attitudes and actions.

YAP 2021 ran from 9 July until 29 August and featured live online sessions, community platforms, collaborative tools and communication groups. Over 60 participants, from a wide diversity of countries and cultures, took part. They all wanted to discover ways in which they could take an active role in transforming society. 

 

YAP 2021
Extract from one of the sessions

 

The programme explored the dynamic relationship between personal and global change, created space for the exchange of experiences and for reflection, and encouraged focused action. The facilitators adapted their methodology to work online. The participants even found a way to have virtual celebration of their cultures and diversity! 

It was very motivating for me to see so many engaged young people around the world.

When the participants were asked what they had gained from the programme, they said: problem- solving skills, critical thinking, active listening, empathy and understanding, listening with purpose, technical tools to share and visualize opinions, leadership skills, diverse perspectives on key global and national issues, respect in diversity, acceptance of different points of view, knowledge and appreciation of other cultures.

 

Cultural evening

 

On 26 November this year’s participants had the opportunity to meet YAP alumni in two networking sessions. Several talked about their current social concerns, and about the projects and organizations they are part of.

YAP 2021 was a wonderful growing opportunity for all involved, including the team, who now feel even more confident about organizing future YAP iterations, whether online or in person. 

I feel my emotional quotient and understanding of individual and group behaviour has increased after attending the sessions.

This year’s programme was the result of a partnership between Initiatives of Change Switzerland, Initiatives of Change UK, Initiatives of Change Netherlands, Initiatives of Change Denmark, the Centre for Social Transformation Romania, Foundations for Freedom Ukraine and Initiative Mittel- und Osteuropa e.V. It was made possible by the generous support of Movetia who have been a partner of the programme since 2018. 

 

YAP team
The YAP 2021 team

 

What other participants said

 

Thoughtful, collaborative, challenging, in depth. The international attendance and perspectives present in the room were so valuable.

_______________________________

Life-changing, participatory and perspectives-broadening.

_______________________________

Useful self-introspection and connections building.

_______________________________

A global platform for aspiring professionals to connect and share their expertise.

_______________________________

A brilliant opportunity to foster your emotional intelligence.

_______________________________

A great programme. Worth spending and investing time in. Interesting topics. Great speakers. Perfect organization.

_______________________________

Fruitful safe learning journey. Experiential learning space. 

 

 

 

 

 

Featured Story
Off

related stories

Viki square EN no logo.png

Europe: A Mindset of Diversity

Spanish journalist Victoria Martín de la Torre is passionate about Europe, diversity and interfaith relations. Here she reflects on different aspects of Europe, based on her PhD research which led her...

YAP 2021 article square

Young Ambassadors Programme 2021: Learning to listen

When Indonesian law student Agustina Zahrotul Jannah discovered the Young Ambassadors Programme (YAP) on Google she felt both excited and hopeless: excited because she hoped it might give her the skil...

Patrick Magee 600x600

‘Where Grieving Begins – Building Bridges after the Brighton Bomb’: a live interview with Patrick Magee

The second in Tools for Changemakers’ series of Stories for Changemakers took place on 25 August 2021, with an interview with Patrick Magee, who planted a bomb at the Grand Hotel, Brighton, in 1984, w...

Books for changemakers

Books for Changemakers

A bi-monthly drop-in book club to resource you and fellow change-makers. Dive or dip into important and inspiring resources and ideas, connect with kindred spirits and explore your inner wisdom. ...

Geneva Peace Week T4C square teaser

The Courageous Listener: Bearing Our Own Discomfort

Listening is a powerful tool that can have powerful effects on its recipient. It is also a difficult one to master. On 5 November 2020, Initiatives of Change Switzerland led an online workshop on the ...

Mohammed Abu-Nimer

Mohammed Abu-Nimer: Dialogue – Weaving peace into the fabric of society

Mohammed Abu-Nimer is Professor at the American University’s School of International Service in International Peace and Conflict Resolution in Washington DC and a Senior Advisor to the International D...

Sabica Pardesi

Learning to be a Peacemaker 2020

"I am really thankful to the person who introduced me to the Initiatives for Change programme "Learning to be a Peacemaker". It was life-changing in so many ways. It opened my eyes to things we know i...

SCreenshot keywords T4C 2020

Tools for Changemakers 2020 – Shaping the future together through dialogue

Can you truly listen? What if we all had the power to make our communities more cohesive and inclusive by starting to deeply listen to each other? The Tools for Changemakers conference was a three-day...

YAP 2019 congratulations

Fresh air for Young Ambassadors

This year’s Young Ambassadors Programme (YAP) brought 39 young people from across Europe to Caux for four intensive days of training in how to work for change in their communities. They then took part...

Armenian-Kurdish-Turkish Dialogue 2019

It takes more courage to love than to hate

The Armenian-Kurdish-Turkish Dialogue 2019 took place during the Tools for Changemakers conference, bringing together people of Armenian, Kurdish and Turkish backgrounds to explore sensitive issues th...

Jens Wilhelmsen

Jens Wilhelmsen: IofC values as a practical tool for change

After fighting against the German occupation of his country, Norway, Jens Wilhelmsen worked with Initiatives of Change (IofC) in Germany and Japan. In over 70 years of fulltime work for IofC on three ...

LPM 2019

Healing the alienation of young European Muslims

How can the alienation felt by so many young Muslims be healed? Imam Ajmal Masroor believes that the alienation stems largely from the inner conflict generated by feeling caught between two value-syst...

Marc Isserles

How storytelling can foster healing and reconciliation

Marc Isserles’s poignant one-man show, We Must Save the Children, comes to life when you discover that his grandparents sought shelter at the Caux Palace in 1945 as Jewish refugees. The play took plac...

Tools for Changemakers 2019

Rebuilding Trust in Europe: An Overview

The first edition of the ‘Tools for Changemakers’ conference took place from 14-18 July 2019 at the Caux Forum. It was based on the conclusions from the conference ‘Addressing Europe’s Unfinished Busi...