"""Youth Participation as a Pledge for Democracy"" Mobility of Youth Workers - partner countries Location: Estonia, Tartumaa Tervisespordikeskus near Elva Dates: 22.07.2018-30.07.2018 Number and profile of participants: 24 youth workers and leaders above 18 from non-governmental organizations from Estonia, Armenia, Georgia, Czech, ItalyContext/background of project: The idea of ""Youth Participation as a Pledge for Democracy"" has arisen during a youth exchange on gender equality in the frames of ERASMUS + programme in Armavir, Armenia. The representatives of Sustain Development Initiative (Armenia) and MTÜ Tartumaa Noortekogu (Estonia) were participating in the exchange and together has come with an idea to organize a training course in a field of youth participation, which is an important issue in both countries. So, a call for partnership was developed and shared it in online platform, as a result of which 3 NGOs also joined the project. This project arises from the need of filling the gaps in youth participation through capacity building of youth workers and leaders, as all the partners of the project believes that the role of non-governmental organizations is of great importance in this sphere, as they are one of the main pillars to work with young people and foster their participation and civic activism. Objectives of your project: The main goal of this project to build the capacities of youth workers and leaders on youth participation and active citizenship with further goal of fostering effective local level dialogue and advanced democracy. The objectives of the project are the following: 1.Improve knowledge and skills of youth workers/leaders on youth participation and active citizenship in order they become mentors in that field 2.Enhance the participants’ competences (knowledge, skills, attitudes) in fostering and empowering other young people in their communities/countries to participate in decision-making processes 3.Provide/practice facilitation skills, techniques and methodology for organizing local level dialogue forums and advocacy 4.Develop organization's skills to ensure sustainable and effective promotion on youth participation in their communities/countries 5.Facilitate networking and further co-operation between participants and their organizations for active citizenship and advanced democracy across EU member and neighbouring countries.Description of activities: The context of the activities is characterized by a type of program that is based on improvement of knowledge and skills of youth workers/leaders on youth participation and active citizenship on one hand, practicing facilitation skills, techniques and methodology for fostering and empowering other young people in their communities/countries to participate in decision-making processes, on the other hand.Working methods: There will be used group discussions, dialogue, debates, demonstration, presentation, interactive lectures, reflection, brainstorming, simulation, study visit, review. Open Space Technology will also be used during the training for giving participants an opportunity to self-facilitate and discuss issues of their choice. Utilizing of this method will giving them responsibility for creating both their own agenda and experience. It's important to mention, that the participants will mainly learn through practice, by getting more practical skills for facilitation, techniques and methodology, which they will be promoted to use at their organizations for organizing local level dialogue forums and advocacy. Results: The project is expected to impact on the participants, participating organisations and target groups, each one in its own way. The participants will improve their knowledge/skills on youth participation and active citizenship and become mentors in that field. They will enhance competences in fostering and empowering other young people in their communities/countries to participate in decision-making processes as a result of which their ideas and opinions will be raised. Passing professional growth will impact on their positive self-esteem and self-actualization. Participating organizations will have youth workers and leaders who are equipped with practical skills, techniques and methodology, which they can use to organize local level dialogue forums and advocacy on civic activism in their communities/countries. Effective youth participation can contribute to structuring programs, policies and services that affect young people’s lives to adequately address their needs/interests as well as benefiting and contributing to the organization's success. The project will impact on increased status and stature of young people (target group) who will get involved in civic activism. This will foster young people's participation in decision-making processes affecting target group's greater control over their lives, enhancing their sense of responsibility/ownership, feeling of being valued, which can contrib"

Because we can - for future cooperation is a project which was created to increase quality of future projects in frames of Erasmus+ programme. Partner organizations from Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Georgia, Turkey, Armenia, Czech Republic and Belarus will take part in our meeting (28 participants). PArticipating in Open Space session we will generate ideas for future projects. Ideas will be developed and programmes organized in next 2 years in whole Europe. Result of our meeting: High quality and innovative projects in frames of Erasmus+ programme, closer cooperation between partners. Meeting will take place in Youth House in Motycz Leśny near Lublin, Poland (17-21.10.2014).

PEACE WAY for YOUTH was a project about peace building and conflict resolution topic for youth leaders and youth workers from Erasmus+ partner countries that aims to improve skills, competencies and abilities of youth workers to work with groups of people and individuals in peace building and integration activities within their local communities and abroad. ''PEACE WAY for YOUTH'' brought together 74 youth workers and leaders from Sweden, Latvia, Belarus, Greece, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Lithuania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russian Federation, and Georgia. Three training courses took place in different locations, Belarus, Latvia and Sweden to explore different situations and expand knowledge and experience about peacebuilding topic from three different perspectives (cultural and social, political and personal-inner peacebulding). Participants learned and explored new methods for peace building trainings involving creative and experiential non formal education methods in youth work.The objectives were: expand knowledge about importance of body and movement in learning processes, and to promote use of embodied learning methods and experiential learning in non formal education; work together, collaborate and support each other to exchange good practices related to migration policies in Europe and neighboring regions; facilitate self-awareness, professional and personal growth and increase participants self confidence as peace-builders in their communities; provide participants with skills and equip with knowledge of how to support and promote peaceful conflict resolution and respect for different cultures, nationalities, and religions; promote cooperation among international group of youth workers for further cooperation between European Union, Eastern Partnership and Western Balkan countries.''PEACE WAY for YOUTH'' addresses the recent issues with conflicts that are happening also close to Europe, as well the immigration wave, due to armed conflicts in middle east. This project involved youth workers coming from countries having unsolved political conflicts with their neighboring countries. Project supported and underlined the importance of various methods to be used for peace building, with a focus of personal or inner peace. To work together and support peace in order to overcome past conflicts, and build a better future for themselves and next generations. During the main activities participants were given the opportunity to be trained as peace-builders and facilitators of educational trainings through experiential, embodied and non-formal learning. Further cooperations have been established among the partners. A movie has been shot as an output of the project.

“Twist and shape yourself” is project made of various activites and focused on the topics of volunteering, of the recognition of competences gained during non formal education experiences, of interculturality and of the work within social-educational contexts. The main goal is twofold: on the one hand, to give volunteers the chance to live an intercultural learning experience and to acquire new competences in the social-educational sector that allow them to grow as persons and as future professionals and, on the other hand, to provide youth workers involved in EVS volunteers support new methodologies and tools. The project idea has been developed through PECO’s positive experience within EVS coordination and from the willing to extend EVS opportunities both for volunteers and hosting organizations. The project also responds to the need of providing EVS volunteers with appropriate training and support, also using new methodologies, in particular Competences Assessement method inspired to the RDA methodology (Reconnaissance Des Acquis). This methodology, focused on identification, evalutation and recognition of non formal competences, has been specifically adjusted by our staff to be applied within EVS support for volunteers and guide them towards the Youthpass preparation. Within this EVS coordination, we will apply this methodology and the mobility of youth workers will be the opportunity to share it among sendign and hosting organizations with whom we’re cooperating.Twist and shape yourself is composed of two activities: the coordination of 12 EVS volunteers hosted by 5 hosting organizations in Italy and 1 in France and a mobility of youth workers on EVS volunteers support with a focus on Competences Assessment Methodology.Volunteers will be hosted for 7 months starting February 2016 at hosting organizatins working according to the scholastic year, CeLIM in Milan (Celim), Associazione Il Ce.Sto. Onlus in Genova (CeSto), Cooperativa Sociale Mignanego in Mignanego (Mignanego), near Genova and Istituto Walden Cooperativa Sociale Onlus in Menfi (Walden), near Agrigento. Volunteers hosted in Cooperativa di Sperimentazione Territoriale per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile (Panta Rei) in Passignano sul Trasimeno, near Perugia and Initiative et Devéloppement Citoyen (IDC) in Lastours, France - who are instead following the solar year, will be hosted for 10 months starting March 2016 for Panta Rei and February 2016 for IDC. The mobility of youth workers will take place in Genova, Italy, from the 15th to the 21st of December 2016, involving 20 participants actively involved within EVS volunteers’ support will participate. EVS coordination activites will have a strong personal and professional impact n volunteers because of the life and service experience within a new context. In the same way, EVS volunteers presence within structured realities like the hosting organizations will stimulate the development of knowledges, competences and skills useful not only in social and educational work, but also in daily life. Volunteers will acknowledge different contexts and work methodologies, will develop communication, relational, support competences and new practices, will use new methods in the work with minors, migrants and local communities. Project will also positevely impact PECO: the relatiion with EVS volunteers and hosting organization will increase staff’s intercultural and coordination competences.The project will positevely impact hosting organizations both in terms of intercultural learning and exchange of competences, in particular for Cooperativa Mignanego, at its first EVS hosting project. The mobility of youth workers will impact participants: the newly gained competences and the first hand-experience gained will positevely affect local communities, both in the short term, improving organizations’ work with EVS and local volunteers, and in the long term. Future EVS volunteers indeed, will be better supported during their EVS experience and will acquire more awareness on their non formal competences. The mobility of youth workers will also positevely impact Genoese local community: we are wishing that the encounter and exchange between local and international organizations will favour the spreading of good practices and future cooperations. Furthermore, this mobility of youth workers will allow to evaluate the impact of EVS mobility on the volunteers coordianted within this multimeasure activity, both at a general level of project and also for Competences Assessement Methodology Application.

"Projektis osales kokku 26 noort, viielt maalt, noortevahetuse projektis """"Street Art"""".Kasutades Street Art-i, kaasasime noori ja aktiivseid osalejaid millega muutsime linna imidzi positiivseks, et tekitasime linnaelanikus positiivseid emotsiooneTõusis Kunda noorte kultuurikasvatus, mis on võtmetähenduslik kultuuri tarbijate järelkasvu tagamisel.Tegime Kunda linnast turistidele meeldiva objekti, kaasasime noori erinevatest maadest, tutvustasime neile meie kultuuri ja õppisime nendelt midagi uut. Edendatult sai üldiselt Kunda linna noorte kodanikuaktiivsust, suurendades nende osalust kogukonna elus. Meie idee juhtida tähelepanu, et noored ja linna elanikud tunneks ,et meie linn võib ilus olla ja seda enda kätega tehtult.Selle projektiga soovisime pöörata tähelepanu kultuuride vahetusele ja luua dialoogi erinevate noorte vahel, murda eelarvamusi ja stereotüüpe osalejate vahel, läbi Street Art-i kultuuri. Samuti Street Art projekt propageerib tänavakunsti kui kunstiliiki. Kunda linnaelanikel oli võimalus näha oma silmaga erinevatest riikidest pärit kunstnike kätetööd, mis kõik valmis huviliste silme all. Kõige paremad kunstnikemeeskonnad tegid koostööd, et näitasid oma loomingulisust ja oskusi ning luua suured kombineeritud seinapildid. Samuti andis projekt võimaluse elada paar nädalat võõras keskkonnas, leida palju uusi sõpru ja tuttavaid. Arvestades, et projektis osalesid inimesed erinevast sotsiaalsest keskkonnast, siis võis tekkida kogemus , kuidas konfliktiolukorras tegutseda ning grupisiseselt konsensusele jõuda meeskonnatöös. Ja mis on veel oluline , et meie KUNDA SOTSIAAL- JA TERVISEKESKUS MTÜ sai uusi ja vajalikke rahvusvahelisi kogemusi , mis laiendab meie võimalusi ja aitab leida organisatsioonile uued arengusuunad. Seda tüüpi projekt, nagu Street art on unikaalne kogemus meie linna jaoks. Ta kindlasti kutsus esile positiivse resonantsi elanikes ja teistes organisatsioonides. Edaspidi võib see tõsta huvi noortel rahvusvaheliste projektides osalemise ja koostöö võimaluste vastu , arvestades Erasmus+ uut tegevusperioodi. Kõik need faktorid elavdavad väikse linna arengut ja soodustavad Kunda linna imidzi rebrändingut uues suunas.Projekti jäätkusuutlikkusest räägib see fakt et märtsis 2015 Kunda kooli õpilased , kes osalesid meie projektis , tegid iseseisvalt grafiti Kunda Ühisgümnaasiumi seinal ja samuti kirjutavad uurimistöö samal teemal. Mai 2015 olime kutsutud osalema sarnases projektis Poolas ; kuhu sõidavad 20 Kunda noort vanuses 13-18 aastat. English:Youth exchange “Street Art ” was a project aimed at promoting active youth participation and European citizenship through using street art. It involved 26 young people from 5 countries (Gruusia, Russian, Poland, Estonian, Urakine). It lasted for 9 days. The youth exchange covered the themes of social activism, inclusion of urban youth into active participation, active citizenship, street art as means of transforming social issues. The event took place in Kunda. The objectives of the youth exchange was to use street art as means of bringing up topics important in society; raise awareness of people about different issues existing in the community through street art; it created a space for urban youth to find a way to express their artistic skills and to involve them into life of the community; it promote the idea of diversity in Europe; it promoted inclusion of young people from deprived urban area through their active participation in the life of community; it encouraged youth to be social activists in their communities. The participants of the youth exchange are youth who are involved into street art and love to make graffiti. The methodology of the youth exchange was based of the methods of non-formal, intercultural and experiential learning. The programme was structured on the principles of active participation. It included: integration activities, simulation activities, presentations of the participants about the use of street art in the cities and countries, workshops on making graffiti organized by graffiti artists, workshops on social activism, creating message, cultural nights, city quest, etc. As the result of the youth exchange the participant created the graffiti art work and performed it on one of the walls in the center of the city. KUNDA SOTSIAAL- JA TERVISEKESKUS MTÜ has a role of a hosting and coordinating organizaiton within the project."