SONGS FOR ACTION TRAINING, Phase 2: Albenga, Italy
In December 2024, Phase 2 of the Songs For Action training brought together 24 incredible change makers from around the world.
Building on the songwriting process we started in the Netherlands (where we created six powerful songs), we moved onto the ‘Produce’ and ‘Advocate’ stages of our LACPA method in Italy. Together, we recorded the songs and created videos—both professionally and using DIY methods, which you can listen to below.
This was a truly collective and creative journey, exploring how music can be a powerful tool for community empowerment and amplify human rights advocacy.
SONGS FOR ACTION TRAINING, Phase 1: Utrecht, Netherlands
In September 2024, 14 participants from across Europe gathered at Het Wilde Westen in Utrecht Phase 1 of for our Songs for Action workshop. Over the course of 5 days, they not only deepened their understanding of human rights, but also explored how music can serve as a powerful tool for collaboration and expression.
As Chris, one of the participants, reflected: “What I learned is that when you stop talking and start acting, the music flows, and it becomes much easier to create something.”
This workshop wasn’t just about music—it was also about learning how to facilitate. With the supportive guidance of trainers Alan Ibrahim und Rian Evers, our participants are transitioning from learners to leaders. Throughout the SfA program, they faced the challenge of working as a team, learning to give constructive feedback, as well as receiving it with openness. The experience of shifting from participant to facilitator was a key highlight of the program.
With a focus on spreading passion for learning and connecting through music, the atmosphere encouraged everyone to lead with empathy and creativity, laying the groundwork for the second phase of the project.
SONGS FOR RIGHTS TRAINING, Landesmusikakademie, Berlin
It was a pleasure to host our first Songs for Rights Training in Berlin from 13-16 October at the Landesmusikakademie Berlin. Together with 15 selected musicians, human rights activists, youth workers and educators from around the world, the SfR team Juan David Garzon, Jonas Deitert, Jochen Schell and Linn Radtke created an unforgettable learning experience.
Over 4 days, participants discovered the innovative Songs for Rights LACPA approach – an effective method for learning, assimilating, creating, producing, and advocating for human rights through the art of music. We spent an intensive, inspirational time together where inter-connectedness, learning and collaboration were in the centre.
Participants also had the possibility to enhance their skills in facilitating effective training sessions for others. The development of facilitation skills, including active listening, group management, and communication techniques to encourage participant engagement and how to create an interactive learning environment was a key focus of the week.
Another important part of this Training was for the group to write, compose and record their own Human Rights Song together. The video below shows the produced song “Turn over the rock” as well as some highlights of the creation process and the Songs for Rights Training.
SONGS FOR CHANGE TRAINING, Herl’any – Slovakia
The Training of Trainers (ToT), which took place in Herl’any, Slovakia in February 2023 hosted 15 participants from Italy, Greece, Germany, Slovakia, Portugal, and the Netherlands.
The training was held within the context of the Songs for Change project (www.songsforchange.eu), a spin-off project of Songs for Rights, which is co-funded by ERASMUS+ and focuses on promoting EU Values through music.
Through the Songs for Rights method, the participants of the ToT were trained in becoming Songs for Change facilitators. They are now running Songs for Change workshops in their communities in which young people with fewer opportunities learn about EU values through non-formal and musical methods, how to write, compose and record songs about EU values and how to produce their own music videos. In September 2023, young people from this project will meet in Utrecht, the Netherlands, for a youth exchange and will set up a podcast-based web radio through which they will promote their produced songs and advocate for EU values.
Stay tuned for more news about Songs for Change and watch the feedback of the participants of this Training of Trainers below.
Testimonials of Trainers and Participants
Juan David Garzon, Columbia
Federico, Italy
Rian, Netherlands
Slavo, Simona, Ondrej – Slovakia
Dilja, Syria
Elisa & Ioanna, Greece