A common concern between seven European and neighboring partner youth organizations lead to the decision to implement an international youth exchange project. This concern is based on the fact that young people today are pushed towards individualism, apathy and contempt of social and political life. This is also something that has troubled social and state stakeholders several times in the past and also consists a main social discourse of our times. Therefore the project will be held under the title: "Youth participation: from the recognition of the right, to its implementation" and our youth exchange under the slogan: "Be A.C.T.I.V.E. (Aware, Critical, Tolerant, Involved, Volunteer, Empowered)".
The Youth Exchange with partner countries, will take place in Larnaka, Cyprus, between 27th of June and 3rd of July. Seven different youth organizations, from six different countries, European and partner, will participate. More specifically, the participating organizations will be from Cyprus, Lebanon, Palestine, Russia, Belgium and Portugal, with 58 young people as participants in total. Additionally, the young people involved in the exchange will be between 13-16 years old and the leaders will be young people over 18 years old.
The project and the activities are inspired by volunteers participating in the organizations and it will be implemented with the active participation, teamwork and direct or indirect involvement of all the participating organizations and several other volunteers. The working methods used during the exchange will be based mostly on non-formal, interactive and educational activities focused on the subject of the exchange. The programme activities are all aiming at meeting the project objectives. The activities are inspired by existing educational tools, good practices of the participating organizations, as well as good practices and suggestions from previous youth exchanges.
This project’s objectives are to raise awareness on the right of youth to participate, among the participants and other youth that will receive the project results. More specifically it will aim to raise awareness on the legally established right of the youth to participate; on the influences that affect, positively or negatively, the youth to participate, such as media, social media, school and family; the obstacles that youth face in participating based on discrimination or the social-political-economic situation in their countries, such as young refugees; the support, space or opportunities that are actually given to youth to participate, such as officially recognized youth bodies, participating in the decision making process; ways to empower the youth to participate, as well as to promote and enhance their right to participate.
At the same time this project will aim to practically promote active participation of the youth; cooperation between the participating youth organizations, European and partner; exchange good practices and experiences between the organizations in order to improve their capacity, their analysis and way of approaching important youth issues, such us the subject of this project; develop competences to channel all the knowledge and experience gathered to their own local communities, and even at national and international level, using their own network of national and international contacts, leading to the desired impact of the project.
This youth exchange was designed to have a positive impact on both the participants and participating organizations. The fact alone that a project related with youth participation, is implemented and carried out by so many organizations, from different countries ensures that this project will have an impact on many levels. It is our aim through this impact to enhance respect and reinforce the active participation of youth in public life and in the decision making process. At the same time this learning process will empower the participants and participating organizations to reach to and have an impact on other young people from their organization or social context, as well as on stakeholders and decision makers on youth issues.
Participating organizations:
EDON-Eniea Dimocratiki Organosi Neoleas (Cyprus)
PPPY-Palestinian Peoples Party-Youth (Palestine)
LCYU-Leninist Communist Youth Union (Russian Federation)
Associação "Os Pioneiros de Portugal" (Portugal)
PDYU-Palestinian Democratic Youth Union (Palestine)
ULDY-Union of Lebanese Democratic Youth (Lebanon)
LES PIONNIERS-jeugdatelier pionierke asbl (Belgium)
To flyer του ERASMUS 2017 ΕΔΩ
Το τρίπτυχο του ERASMUS 2017 ΕΔΩ: