ESC: Pride Begins - Volunteering Teams Project

Active Rainbow is an educational platform and community of people that celebrate personal growth and inclusivity. [Background] The platform was founded in 2014 and started at first as a self-organized initiative. It is active in the field of youth work and implementation of learning programs already for the past 7 years, working on a local, national, European, and international level through direct cooperation with different European organizations, collectives, and informal groups. Since March 2020, the team behind the platform has set its new foundation and has registered its first branch as an organization in Latvia. This decision took place after years of careful consideration, measurement of impact, and having contributed to a great extent in building the capacity of our partner organizations in the field of inclusive education for LGBTQIA+ youth. We are a young team of professionals with 20 years of combined experience in the fields of youth work, non-formal education, training and facilitation, project, and organizational management. [Our Vision] We contribute to the creation of a world where diversity is welcomed and celebrated as a value. [Our Mission] We are committed to strengthen the implementation of Human Rights and improve the quality of LGBT+ spectrum education, by offering learning opportunities for people to grow and thrive. Our motto is - learning made simple, yet significant. [Our Values] The foundation of our work as we pursue our mission and aims lies in the values and principles that we choose to live by and drive us to do what we do. Together, they provide a picture of who we are and how we want to be: Respect of individuality, in all aspects, Freedom of choice, Love & Care, Integrity & Honesty, Creativity & Expression, Growth & Learning, Collaboration; [Our objectives] At a local, national, European, and international level: ☑ Support (young) people in their learning, personal and professional development - equipping them with lifelong skills ☑ Offer safe and inclusive educational environments for everyone without discrimination, especially to LGBTQIA+ people ☑ Promote and participate in the development of youth work and the training of youth workers and educators ☑ Promote the initiatives, projects, and activities of young people ☑ Increase the visibility of non-formal learning as a type of activism ☑ Offer and foster volunteering opportunities, building young activists and social changemakers ☑ Develop and sustain an engaged and connected network of organizations, fostering international cooperation and cross-cultural exchange ☑ Create a more inclusive and cohesive society to ensure equal opportunities for all to achieve full potential in life [Our target groups] We work mainly with youngsters (aged 13-18) and young adults (aged 18-35) - especially those who identify themselves within the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, are allies to the community, those who experience social, economic, cultural, geographical and/or any other difficulties (including migrant and/or refugee people), and coming also from intersectional backgrounds. As well as we are working with those involved in youth work, education and training, and anybody else who is interested in our goals and values. [Our Activities] The core of our work lies in the design and implementation of activities connected to Personal Growth, Social inclusion, Active Participation, Community Building. We create safe learning spaces and take actions to effect social change, defined also as activism. For this, we perform the following activities at a local, regional, national, European, and international level: ☑Organization of international mobility programs through Erasmus+ and other funding opportunities (Council of Europe, local Latvian funds, etc.) ☑Organization of seminars, workshops, youth exchanges, training courses, conferences, public events, and other ☑Partnerships, networking, and participation in a variety of projects, including volunteering opportunities, also within the European Solidarity Corps program ☑Support for youth initiatives, offering mentorship & promotion ☑Online events and activities, such as podcasts with activists (Generation ACT series), webinars, TED Circles, online panels, etc. Among our regular activities are also community events, such as the Openly Queer Mic, Hiking with Pride, Volunteers Meet-Up, and more. Due to the covid-19 pandemic in 2021, those events have become mostly virtual, that also include online workshops and discussions, game and movie nights, etc. for the youngsters to connect with each other. We are in cooperation with the LGBT+ House Riga and the Mozaika organization, where we offer our activities, co-work, and meet with our youngsters there, when it is allowed. In 2021, we are organizing an ESC Solidarity Project called “Inspire ACTiON”, led by our local members and volunteers, as well as a Youth Exchange called “Come Out and Play” about wellbeing and community building.