What can we – you and I – do to include others?
Contribute to mental health and quality of life for youth and children through participation and inclusion.
Can you for instance:
Invite your neighbour over for a cup of coffee?
Or ask her if she would like to go for a walk in the great outdoors?
Ask your classmate if he would like to play football?
Or ask the girl nextdoor if she would like to join your dance class?
This will make a difference in someone’s life :D
Blogg
Silje Bratberg
Founder and owner of Young Intro
Founder and owner of Young Intro, Silje Bratberg, holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from England, and A Master’s degree in International development from Australia. She has studied Human rights, multicultural understanding and conflict resolution at the University College of South-East Norway in Drammen. She has volunteered in Africa, and has studied outdoor education at Nord universitet in Bodø, Northern Norway.
ZIG-ZAG
ZIG-ZAG
In this video clip we are playing “Zig-Zag”. The purpose with this activity is to establish contact and relations in a group. Participation promotes inclusion, trust-building and cooperation. It also creates a group dynamic in a setting where people do not know each other. And also, to have a good time.
«We have had fun!»
Hva er Young Intro?
The objective of Young Intro is to help children and youth to gain greater insight about their own strengths and interests, skills and developmental potential.
Young Intro was established in 2015 with the intention of assisting unaccompanied minors to gain insight about their skills, interests, competencies and developmental potential. Through social activities, creativity and facilitation we promote social inclusion. In 2017 Young Intro received a public grant of 150.000 NOK from the Directorate of Labour and Welfare (NAV) to arrange activities for unaccompanied minors in asylum centers. This gave us the first opportunity to test our idea with picture cards for talent identification.
We are now implementing a pilot project in kindergartens in the county of Nordland to test our product solution of illustrated picture cards with an accompanying user manual for staff members, e.g. teachers, kindergarten teachers.
«I think that teacher is a holy job and a holy person. A teacher can teach people, and the society improves. The world gets better and better. Teaching is a good occupation. People who do bad acts in the world, have very bad thoughts.”
— Boy from Afghanistan, unaccompanied minor aged 16 and 18 years (2017)
Pilotproject: Picture cards for talent identification
How can we facilitate that youth and children more easily can talk about their thoughts and emotions?
In our pilotproject we are going to facilitate group discusions and individual conversations with youth and children. By using our own product with illustrations we will be identifying interests, skills, competencies and developmental potential. We focus on the individual child, as well as building relations in groups.
Previous testing has shown that minors give great value to listening to each other, giving each other time and space, and discussing values that are important in relations to friends, their families and overall in society. We have talked about values such as “humanism” and the importance of showing others respect, and listening to others. And giving each other time and space to express ourselves.
All of our work is dialogue-based and promotes participation and inclusion. By using our picture cards we will enhance cooperation, communication, tolerance and compassion. Hence, we find this as an appropriate approach to prevent bullying, discrimination and racism in society. And as a result, to also promote mental health and an improved quality of life in youth and children.
Based upon participatory assessments from children, parents and staff in our partner organisations we are going to develop a user manual. Our product package will consist of the user manual and our picture cards, to be used in various settings, for instance schools.
All of our work is dialogue-based and promotes participation and inclusion. By using our picture cards we will enhance cooperation, communication, tolerance and compassion.
Background for the foundation of Young Intro
– I started to develop my own ideas based upon my experience with refugee work, my studies and volunteer work both in Norway and overseas.
Initially, I started with my perception that the skills and competencies of refugees are not acknowledged in the public debate about “integration and inclusion”. I felt emotionally drained by having to compromise with my own principles, as a social scientist. One aspect being, that there is a lack of focus on mental health and social support for refugees in our own country. I hold a Master’s degree in International Development, having studied public health, public administration, gender, regional development and development theory.
Some people seem to think that life begins upon arrival in Norway, but people have had a lot of life experience prior to fleeing. Becoming a refugee is not a voluntary act - people have had to flee from persecution, war and conflict in their own countries.
Concerning refugees who are minors: We need to identify that they are youth and children who have suffered traumatic experiences. But, as other children, they also have interests, skills and personality traits, that gives them identity and a sense of belonging. Children and youth really just want to live a stable and safe life.
Through Young Intro I wish to promote social inclusion of refugees, as well as tolerance and understanding. I believe that our focus should be how we can promote a more inclusive society in Norway. The need to contribute and being useful is an essential part of being human, and is unifiying in itself.
– Silje Bratberg
«I enjoy helping and caring for others, especially elderly people who do not have family to look after them. I used to help out in caring for my grandmother. I loved her very mucy. I helped her finding her clothes, and to help her wash before saying her prayers. I found her prayer rug. It would be very nice if I could help others, other people in the whole world.»
— Boy from Afghanistan, unaccompanied minor in asylum center, aged 16 to 18 år (2017)