The project „Inclusive Bridges to Future – Empowerment, Gender, Culture“ (from now on: Bridges) is composed of four parts: Three inclusive youth exchanges and one training for multiplicators. Each part of the project has its separate, appropriate setting for a partner, but some core partners, however, are involved in multiple activities. Overview of Activities 1) Bridges: Traditions and customs – Inclusive Youth Exchange – December 2014 with partners from DE, PL, CZ, AT 2) Bridges: GIRLS – Exchange for Disadvantaged Girls – February 2015 with partners from DE, PL, HR, FR 3) Bridges: Circus – Inclusive Youth Exchange –May 2015 with partners from DE, PL, LT, RO 4) Bridges: Training – Multinational Seminar for Multiplicators with emphasis on “Gender” – April 2015 with partners from DE, PL, HR, RO, TR Background In order to insure that disadvantaged and handicapped youths profit from the project series in particular, methods of inclusive education are used to approach the topics empowerment, gender and culture. The UNESCO Declaration of Salamanca defines Inclusion as the notion, based on the fundamental human rights, that all human beings are equal and that they should be respected and valued equally. Human rights also provide for the Universal Right to Education, as concretised by Article 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which is directed towards an inclusive educational system and the opportunity of lifelong learning at all levels. Goals • Dissemination of the idea of inclusion • Integration of new target groups into international youth exchanges • Creation of experiences which are impossible in everyday life • Fostering the appreciation of diversity and of plurality as an opportunity • Promoting employability through empowerment • Open and creative discussion of gender specific topics Project Implementation Each activity has its own thematic headline: 1) Traditions and Customs -> intercultural diversity is made visible. It will be shown that interculturalism is not limited to the diversity of national cultures, but that seemingly homogeneous cultures in themselves encompass different traditions as well. 2) GIRLS! -> In a protected space, the girls are enabled to strengthen their self-confidence and to experience empowerment. 3) Circus -> Pedagogical methods based on a circus are suitable especially to overcome barriers between cultures and disabilities and cultures and non-disabilities. 4) Traning: Gender -> Particularly gender specific methods are presented and discussed. On a meta-level, the question of gender as a construct and its effects on youth work are elaborated Number and Profile of the Participants The three youth exchanges will each bring together disabled, disadvantaged and non-disabled youths from four countries. Ten youths will come from each country. The training program will bring together multiplicators from five countries and will deal with gender specific questions in inclusive youth work. Achievements, Impacts and long-term Benefits Inclusion is made possible and visible. For all participants, this will be a formative step in their biography. This ensures the multiplying effect, which is strengthened further through the incorporated training. The participants will be motivated by the activity-oriented and intentionally open-ended pedagogical approach of the project.