What does inclusion mean and who is our target group?

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What does inclusion mean and who is our target group?

Inclusion is about ensuring that everyone is treated equitably, creating an environment where everyone can develop their potential, where diversity can truly thrive. Artistic and creative activities, in particular, can encourage the exploration of diverse perspectives, challenge stereotypes, and provide a platform for marginalized voices to be heard. They can also foster empathy and mutual understanding between different groups, making them essential for building more inclusive communities. (Council of Europe, 2020)

Ultimately, engaging in creative activities energizes young people, helps channel their energy positively, and improves focus, leaving them feeling more motivated, alert, and engaged.

With this in mind and looking at our experiences with specific target groups, we have chosen to create the activities from this TOOLBOX for young people with fewer opportunities, especially those with disabilities, from rural areas and with a migrant or refugee background. However, the activities can be implemented with everyone and can be adapted to the needs of different other groups.

But what does ‘young people with fewer opportunities’ actually mean? According to the definition given by the European Commission in their Inclusion and Diversity Strategy, “young people with fewer opportunities, are those (young) people who for economic, social, cultural, geographical or health reasons, due to their migrant background, or for reasons such as disability or educational difficulties or for any other reason, including a reason that could give rise to discrimination under Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, face obstacles that prevent them from having effective access to. opportunities under the Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps Programme” (EUROPEAN COMMISSION, 2021).

Furthermore, to better understand and identify these groups, we have to look at the barriers they are facing in participating more in European programs and the European Commission has separated this into:

Disabilities,
Health problems,
Barriers linked to education and training systems,
Cultural Differences,
Social Barriers,
Economic Barriers,
Barriers linked to discrimination and Geographical barriers.

In our project, we focused on three main barriers faced by the young people our organisations and institutions are working with, especially disabilities, cultural differences and geographical barriers.

Disabilities

Include long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments that can hinder the full participation of the person in society in the same way as others.

Cultural differences barriers

Refers to people with a migrant or refugee background, especially newly arrived migrants, people belonging to a national or ethnic minority, sign language users, people with linguistic adaptation and cultural inclusion difficulties, etc.

Geographical barriers

Living in remote or rural areas, on small islands or in peripheral/outermost regions, in urban suburbs, in less serviced areas (limited public transport, poor facilities) or less developed areas in third countries, etc. (EUROPEAN COMMISSION, 2021)