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Urban Sports Culture - youth inclusion in urban environments in Lithuania, Denmark and Sweden

Nyhet
publiseringsdatum Publicerad 2020-05-08
plats Fryshuset Global

Fryshuset is working together with partners in Denmark, Lithuania and Sweden to promote youth inclusion in urban environments in Lithuania, Denmark and Sweden using urban sport and culture as a vehicle and instrument. The Nordic countries have a long tradition of sport activities being seen as part of civil society movement with big focus on sport of all and inclusion. In Lithuania, sport is still often regarded as activity leading to professional carrier with focus on competition and results. The role of sport as a tool of engaging youth in urban development, solving problems of health and social exclusion is not yet fully exploited.

Overall goal is to create thriving urban sports communities of youngsters in the partner cities of Denmark, Lithuania and Sweden, with especial focus on Kaunas, as European Capital of Culture in 2022.  The project will provide youngsters with skills using urbans sports and culture as tools for their further active inclusion in programming city development.  At the same time, the project aims to help youth in building new cooperation for sports, cultural and social initiatives, increase the motivation for volunteering, strengthen bonds between Lithuanian and Nordic countries youth organizations,  increase social inclusion of vulnerable groups and provide opportunities for everyone willing to do sports linked to health and wellbeing or start their cultural initiative.    

More specific objectives are:

  • Social cohesion and inclusion: Help youth and provide methods for them to participate in city’s life, express their ideas and implement them using sports and culture as tools for inclusion. 
  • Cooperation: Help youth from Lithuania and Nordic countries learn and build new cooperation for sports, cultural and social initiatives. Promote volunteering as important skills gathering action towards personal growth. 
  • Create equal opportunities: Motivate youth for volunteering, engage and provide knowledge to all about importance of being socially active and building community.  

The project ’ Urban Sports Culture’ will run from March 2020 – April 2021 and is funded by the Nordic Council.