AHEAD aims to promote between youngsters non–discrimination, inclusion, tolerance, mutual and multicultural understanding, and to combat racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance against Roma people and communities and other Ethnic minorities (mostly migrants). In order to spread these values, AHEAD uses an innovative approach that combines researches, training (national and international) on antidiscrimination and on hate speech, round tables, seminars, exchange of good practices, meetings between different representatives, stakeholders, CSOs and youth associations, and a massive dissemination campaign (managed by Ipazia).

One of the main focuses of the project is strengthening the capacity building of young victims and of youngsters belonging to minorities, supporting them in structured new mechanisms in public consultations in each partner country (replicable all over Europe) on the issue of non-discrimination and fighting every form of hate speech against ethnic minorities, Roma and migrants.

AHEAD’s objective is to tackle hate speech made in presence and online and to combat discriminations that target minorities in 5 areas of civil rights: education, labour, housing, health, goods and services. It will fulfil this purpose through specific training offered to 200 participants and through using our aforementioned innovative approach. After providing expertise, building competences, advocating and raising awareness among youth people, partners will support the mobilization of young victims and will focus on capacity building actions for youth, in order to involve youngsters in decision making and into new structured automatic mechanisms to empower their active participation on hate speech and antidiscrimination.

One of the main points of this project are awareness campaigns between youngsters, which will be held in 20 high schools and faculties for 800 students. AHEAD will carry 3 campaigns of 4 months each during the project period, online and in person, using non-formal methods of combating and raising awareness of discrimination among Roma people. The role of these campaigns, which will be managed by Ipazia, will be to raise awareness and combat harmful stereotypes of Roma and migrants and thereby support their integration into mainstream society. AHEAD’s innovative approach will combine these awareness campaigns to comparative research both in discrimination against young victims (part of minorities) and in hate speech (online and in person) through representatives of the public institutions, NGOs, activist in the field of Roma and in Ethnic minorities discrimination.

AHEAD also focuses on promoting non–discrimination by working on innovative good practice approaches and human rights-based narratives and through trainings. Activists (two for each partner country) will be trained in the field of ethnic discrimination in order to network and potentially increase impact, and secondly 150 participants will test and evaluate an innovative toolkit to understand the dynamics of hate and Roma discrimination, and be able to react.