“Close Up” – is a Youth Exchange - Programme Countries on European Citizenship and Cultural Diversity within local and international youth work activities in EU to be held in Beja, Alentejo, Portugal, during the 1st to the 9th of April of 2015. Activities will take place in IPDJ and Agrupamento de Escolas nº2 de Beja. What can we do to promote social and cultural awareness? During the YE we will use non-formal learning methods and tools to overcome European cultural struggles and better educate citizens. The participants will come from Italy, Croatia, Greece, Poland, Spain, Finland and Portugal During one week we will address intolerance as a symptom of the cultural issues in Europe and discrimination as the reflex of the non-acceptance of diversity. The inter-cultural dialogue, will fight the intolerance and the lack of knowledge of the "other". This actions are, not only inherent in the thematic of the project but also, in a transversal and global way, it helps youngsters to build themselves a peaceful and open minded conscience. With the variety and diversity of countries involved in "Close Up" this will provide participants with many opportunities to consider and discuss concepts of European Citizenship and Cultural Diversity. The world gets increasingly interconnected through globalization and individuals or different cultural backgrounds interact with each other in all spheres of life more intensively than before. This integration is increasingly exposing people to different values and ways of thinking and that's why cultural impacts cannot be avoided. The aim is to learn how to pay attention to cultural differences. The methodology of the YE will be built on the holistic approach of non- formal education and learning as well the maieutic approach will be used. Learn by doing, workshops, visits, group debates, group dynamics, ( team building, icebreakers, energizers, tolerance games and role play), lectures, group work, panel discussions, field visits, etc. will be used usually as tools to engage participants actively in the education process. Experienced trainers’ team will assess the needs and expectations of participants and, based on that, to invent new, creative and participatory methods. The methodological order of the programme will be: starting from the individual to arrive to the local and international levels. The phases will be: - individual assessment of cultural identity; - recognising cultural impact on individuals and cultural impact on local community; - exploring cultural challenges within society in locally and international level; - collecting good practices to tackle cultural challenges locally and international level; -Create a Cultures Market and a Erasmus+ enlightenment session in a local school (Agrupamento de Escolas nº2 de Beja) The "Close Up" objectives are: Promote solidarity and tolerance - through a multicultural group create the atmosphere to share cultures supported on acceptance. Promote active citizenship - through cultural awareness make youngsters more committed and active in society, family and promote European suffrage participation. Promote mutual understanding between young people - by promoting the meeting, communication and acceptance of different cultures and cultural backgrounds and including young people with fewer opportunities in a different linguistic environment (where they can get in touch with Portuguese language). Promote European cooperation in the youth field - by gathering youth people and youth workers sharing their activities and promote equity as a common tool. As stated in EU 2020, entrepreneurship and self-employment are recognized as key to achieving smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, to reach it we will draw on non-formal education methodologies and tools that will promote entrepreneurship in young people, especially for young people with fewer opportunities. This project provides the chance for development of entrepreneurial skills of youth people in order to encourage the taking of initiative and provide the tools in their quest for employment opportunities. More than just the promotion of entrepreneurship, with the "Close Up" we hope to contribute ,so this entrepreneurship is based on social responses who respect the values and culture of each one. Enabling tools for the creation of self-employment, but above all, to provide time and place to personal assessment and development as a human being in a society where all count, and whose principles are based on altruism by the possibility of inclusive responses to issues of social and community action.