A Week of Action, Education, and Empowerment in Trenčín
The «Youth in Action: Changing Narratives» conference recently wrapped up in Trenčín, Slovakia, with active involvement from our network. Our board member, Panoulis, participated as a trainer throughout the program, sharing his expertise and guiding participants across all four days(14-17/9).
The conference brought together youth workers from diverse backgrounds to combat hate speech (No Hate Speech), tackle discrimination, and build positive narratives for young people.
Day 1: Team Building and Defining Hate Speech
The opening day focused on team building and establishing a strong foundation for trust and cooperation. Through interactive icebreakers and group exercises, participants overcame initial shyness, shared personal experiences, and united as a cohesive team.
The first day also included an introduction to the conference’s main theme—No Hate Speech and the fight against discrimination. Youth workers learned why it is important to pay attention to these issues and what role they can play in their work with young people. Together, they reflected on how to challenge established narratives, promote respect and tolerance, and create a safer and more inclusive environment for young people.
Day 2: Critical Thinking, AI, and Practical Skill Workshops
Day two centered on digital literacy, critical thinking, and practical skill development.
-The morning was devoted to lectures and activities focused on recognizing AI-generated content on the internet and detecting deep fakes. Participants learned to distinguish between real and artificially created posts while discussing why it is important in today’s digital world to verify information and approach online content critically.
-The program also included a presentation by Stefan Manevski from the Council of Europe, which provided additional perspectives and insights related to the conference topics.
-The afternoon was devoted to parallel workshops, during which participants could choose from three different topics—Public Speaking, Nonviolent Communication, and Creative Content. Each workshop provided an opportunity for active participation, gaining new knowledge, and developing skills applicable to youth work.
-The day concluded with a creative activity—the creation of vision boards for each participant’s pilot actions. Through this activity, they were able to give concrete form to their ideas and visions and begin thinking about how they would apply what they had learned in their practice.
Day 3: Developing Pilot Actions and Exploring Trenčín
The third day combined focused action planning with local cultural immersion.
During the first half of the day, participants worked in small groups to refine the concepts from their vision boards. Through peer feedback and collaborative brainstorming, they turned initial ideas into concrete, actionable project plans to implement in their home countries.
In the afternoon, the energy shifted outdoors for a interactive City Game across Trenčín. By completing various challenges, participants discovered Slovak history, culture, and local landmarks while bonding in an informal setting.
Day 4: Project Presentations, Reflection, and Closing
The final day highlighted the work accomplished throughout the week.
Participants had the opportunity to present their individual pilot actions, which they had been working on throughout the conference. This allowed everyone to explain their idea to the others, including its goal and how they plan to implement it upon returning to their home countries.
The afternoon was primarily devoted to reflection and a joint closing of the conference. Participants looked back on the entire week, sharing their experiences, new insights, memories, and the moments they would take away from the conference. The presentation of certificates was also part of the program, symbolically bringing to a close this shared journey filled with learning, collaboration, and new experiences.
The end of the day was marked by an emotional atmosphere filled with hugs, smiles, and goodbyes. Although the conference has ended, participants are taking home not only new knowledge and concrete ideas for pilot actions, but also new contacts, friendships, and motivation to continue working on the No Hate Speech initiative, fighting discrimination, and creating positive narratives in their communities.
The conference may have ended, but the movement against hate speech continues. Stay tuned to see how these pilot actions unfold in our partner countries!
