The Talking About Conflicts toolbox is a resource developed by a group of Youth Workers from five European countries who took part in a training course series held in Romania in October 2024 and Greece in May 2025. Over seven days of intensive learning in each course, they explored a variety of non-formal methods with the support of the trainers Thomas Desset, Alba Llucia, and Lara Riboni, and the graphic contributions of cartoonist Maxime Jeune. Many of the methods learned during the training have been documented here, making this an open resource for the public.

This toolbox is more than a record of the participants’ experience. It is intended to be a practical, accessible guide for youth workers and anyone interested in gaining new tools for non-violent communication and conflict management. Rooted in principles such as non-violence, peace education, respect for diversity, and cooperation, it provides a collection of methodologies and exercises ready to be adapted to different contexts.

The project that inspired this toolbox encouraged participants to reframe conflict as a moment of potential growth. It focused on strategies to constructively address tensions within teams and youth groups, equipping participants with skills to navigate challenging dynamics. The methods compiled here reflect those experiences and offer youth workers concrete approaches to apply in their practice.

Organized around three main objectives, increasing awareness of personal and group dynamics, improving communication practices, and introducing effective conflict management strategies, this toolbox supports broader goals such as intercultural awareness, social learning, and active engagement.

By providing open access to these methods, this resource seeks to make non-formal education on these topics widely available. It invites Youth Workers to thoughtfully approach conflict, offering tools to transform tensions into opportunities for dialogue and cooperation.

The European Commission’s support to produce this Toolbox does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

This Toolbox is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution. This indicates the work is freely available for use, as long as you credit the author, you share any adaptations under the same license, and you do not use it for commercial purposes.