13/08/2025
“LOL – Laugh Out Loud, Stand Proud”: When Comedy Meets Human Rights 😂🤪🤡🎓⚖️
Welcome to LOL’a’Land. A land of hope and laughter.
From June 23–29 in Vilnius, 22 youth workers, educators, and human rights activists from eight countries gathered for an unconventional mission: to explore how comedy can be used to tackle stereotypes, discrimination, and human rights issues.
We often hear big words like Human Rights - printed in declarations, discussed in institutions. But in daily life, these rights are violated far more often than we notice. Do we even see it when it happens around us? Do we know how to react? Do we stop to reflect and ask ourselves if something is right, just because it’s common?
And then there’s the next generation. We say youth is the future, and we truly believe it. But young minds don’t just shape themselves. They need space to reflect, to be challenged, to question, and to grow. That’s where youth workers come in - those who work with young people every day: in NGOs, in classrooms, through volunteer programs, or community centres. They carry the potential to spark something important. But how do you speak about sensitive topics - like discrimination, hate speech, or freedom of expression - without sounding preachy or making people shut down?
These questions stood at the heart of the first edition of this project - "Erasmus+ Open Mic: Raising Awareness of Human Rights", which took place in June 2024. It was an interesting experiment: can comedy help us deal with difficult topics in a meaningful, respectful way? The answer was yes. So, building on that experience and narrowing the focus to the very core of human rights, the second edition took shape: “LOL – Laugh Out Loud, Stand Proud.”
But what is the “core” of human rights, really? For us, it’s not just law or policy. It’s me. My dignity. My voice. My values.
During the training course, participants entered what we called LOL’a’land - a space where human rights weren’t just discussed, but truly experienced. Through simulations, role-plays, storytelling, and a lot of deep personal reflection, they explored how discrimination, prejudice, and freedom of speech show up in real life. Slowly, their own stories, about what they had lived, witnessed, or felt, took shape in the form of stand-up comedy routines.
It was not always easy. Sometimes there was laughter, sometimes frustration. Sometimes tears. But those seven days were full of honest conversations, realisations, and growth. Participants explored not only how to talk about human rights, but also how to stand up for them — with confidence, with humour, and with their own voice.
One of the key moments of the training was the workshop with Paulius Ambrazevičius, often called the father of the Lithuanian stand-up scene. He didn’t come to make people laugh — though he did — but to share how comedy can be a serious craft. It takes thought, practice, and timing. He offered insights, stories, and practical tips, and yes, tips were needed. Because even though this project didn’t aim to train professional comedians, by the end of the week, every participant was one.
On June 28th, they took the stage in Erasmus+ Open Mic Night, organized in Vilnius. In just a few days, they had written and rehearsed their own comedy routines, based on real-life experiences. For many, it was their first time holding a microphone in front of an audience. For all, it was the culmination of a powerful process - honest, emotional, and guess what? Really funny!
And this wasn’t the end. It was a starting point.
Each national team is now planning and implementing follow-up events in their home countries - public workshops, open mics, community actions - sharing what they’ve learned and inviting local communities to reflect on the human rights issues that affect them.
In parallel, an online resource center has been created for youth workers, educators, and facilitators. It brings together practical tools and materials that were used during the training course. The Resource Center is available HERE - https://sites.google.com/view/lol-erasmus/home.w
