In 2021, the PULSE Foundation joined the Re-Group initiative. The Re-Group project brings together partners from four European countries, Latvia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Spain, to work with young people from the four countries to increase their knowledge, skills, and self-knowledge in order to reduce the risk of young boys and girls experiencing violence, to become victims of human trafficking, as well as to be perpetrators of violence. 

The project is implemented through training and piloting of youth groups of trained youth workers, and the objectives of the project are:

• Reducing societal beliefs and understandings that support violence through direct work with young boys and girls (aged 13-18) and by changing harmful social norms and stereotypes that promote gender inequality and violence among and towards children and young people;

• Through the training of youth groups to provide knowledge and skills to young people to build healthy relationships through topics such as belonging to a group and society; strength and connections; what violence is, what it looks like and how to protect ourselves; understanding my behaviors and emotions; making decisions; how to take care of ourselves and others; relationships at school, family, other friends; conflicts and how to deal with them, and others.

• Through further localized activities and international cooperation within this project and as well as subsequent ones, to help achieve the UN Global Sustainable Development Goals - Goal 5 for achieving gender equality; Goal 4 for quality education and Goal 16 for peace and justice.   

From 10 to 15 January in Zaragoza, Spain, a meeting was held to exchange experiences, ideas and good practices of the project "Re - Group", aimed at preventing violence among young people by piloting youth training groups aimed at personal development, development of interpersonal relationships and better health.

The exchange brought together specialists from four countries: PULSE Foundation and Future Now Association (Bulgaria), Centrs MARTA (Latvia), Asociacion MUNDUS (Spain), CRIDL (Romania),  during which they exchanged their useful practices and know-how regarding the adaptation and development of a Methodology for Youth Groups established by the Marta Center (Latvia) and the specifics of conducting pilot training youth groups to build harmonious and healthy relationships among young people.

The meeting for exchange of experience and good practices was filled with workshops and discussions, which gave each of the organizations the opportunity to share their approach to conducting training groups and make suggestions on what and how should be changed, supplemented, and improved in The methodology in order to be more efficient and achieve the goals set in the project. During the exchange, the challenges facing each of the organizations and the strategies for overcoming them were also discussed.

The exchange provided an opportunity for the partners to discuss the plan for the future development of the project and the possibilities for its continuation at national, regional and local level, as well as provided space for building a long-term partnership at national and international level.

The project is funded by the Erasmus + program of the European Union, Key Activity 2: Cooperation for innovation and exchange of good practices (2020-2-LV02-KA205-003201).

For twenty-one years now, the PULSE Foundation has been developing a program for prevention of violence through non-formal education, conducting youth activities, raising awareness by organizing campaigns, trainings, conferences against violence, etc. The PULSE Foundation's prevention program aims to prevent, intervene and eliminate all forms of violence and exploitation of children so that they have a better future and in turn grow as valuable people and defenders of human rights.