Six partners from different European countries – UK, Spain, France, Sweden, Poland and Austria – met and joined forces in the framework of CATLID – Cultural Ambassadors Target Loneliness through Intercultural Dialogue, project to train and up-skill people from diverse cultural backgrounds living in their counties to become Community Educators who will be a resource for inter-cultural dialogue in the local communities.

The Catlid training provided learners with presentation skills, enhanced cultural awareness, increased confidence and communication skills. Apart from the training framework the project consisted of a series of audio – video good practice case studies and a Handbook on Techniques to Creatively Tackle Loneliness through Intercultural Dialogue, which can be used as a resource to develop new ideas and approaches to creative engagement.

This project has been implemented during the COVID-19 crisis as we realized how beneficial it would be for our target group to also develop skills about digital tools. That’s why we designed a continuation – DICA project to create a new innovative, creative and digital approach to enable people from diverse cultural backgrounds become Digital Cultural Ambassadors and Community Educators and use their acquired knowledge to positively contribute to intercultural dialogue in society, with specific focus on using digital platforms to raise awareness of Equality and Diversity and the same awareness raising among the local population, particularly those individuals who face loneliness in their daily life.

The European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage states “intercultural dialogue is essential for avoiding conflict and the marginalisation of citizens on the basis of their cultural identity,” whilst on the theme of loneliness Eurostat identified (June 2017) “6 % of the EU population has no one to ask for help if they need it”. A survey from Statista (19/03/21, +23k respondents aged 16 and over) points that about 33% of adults experienced feeling of loneliness worldwide (36% in France, 34% in UK, 27% in Spain, 25% in Sweden and 23% in Poland). Those facts have been highlighted by the recent COVID-19 crisis.

The results of CATLID and DICA project are available on this websites in sections “Training Framework”, “Digital Training Course” as well as on CATLID youTube Channel and on the learning platform “My Green Training Box”