Eastlinks & ICYE: Volunteers and Local Communities beyond the East-West European Divide

Training course for youth workers/Eastern-Western Europe/Started in February 2001 and ended in March 2003

As result of a two year long and very fruitful co-operation, ICYE and Eastlinks deemed it necessary to consolidate and articulate their transnational partnership to promote and further develop youth mobility and international voluntary service activities between EU and pre-accession countries in Central and Eastern Europe in the form of a Large Scale YOUTH project. In order to meet the emerging needs of young people in relation to intercultural learning, volunteering and informal education opportunities in both, EU- and future member countries, ICYE and Eastlinks are intending to strengthen their operational and networking capacity at regional and sub-regional level. In particular, a plan of action was adopted to: organise two major networks’ meetings and a series of sub-regional meeting in the Baltic countries, South Eastern Europe and the EU; enhance the exchange of good practice between relevant community projects and youth NGOs across Eastern and Western Europe; build on ICYE and Eastlinks’ expertise so as to act as resource for community project, and promote and document examples of successful experiences to influence practice and policies around youth mobility and voluntary service activities.

Training courses for sending/host organizations’ responsible persons and volunteers, to support the implementation of the ICYE-Eastlinks pilot project “EVS multilateral Project on HIV/ AIDS Prevention in EU and CEEC”

Training course for organizations/23 to 28 July 2002/Kijv, Ukraine

Training course for volunteers/Berlin, Germany/15-21 September 2002

According to WHO recent statistics the rate of HIV infections in CEE countries is one of the highest in the world. To illustrate this it suffices to mention that in the Ukraine, for example, every month there are about 2000 new infections, being the average age of the infected population between 15 to 25. Similar scenarios can be found also in other countries such as Estonia and the Russian Federation. This project, which follows on the UNESCO supported Regional Conference on AIDS Prevention and Voluntary Service Organisation organised in September 2001 in Tallinn, Estonia, was an integral part of the ICYE-EASTLINKS Large Scale Project, adding to its scope one urgent and important issue facing young people across the EU and CEE countries. The training events aimed at supporting the implementation of a long-term European Voluntary Service exchange of volunteers – supported by the European Commission – whereby for the first time HIV/AIDS prevention projects in EU countries and Estonia, the Russian Federation and Ukraine were working together. Both the training and the exchange of motivated young volunteers supported the work of respective host projects, as well as demonstrated to the wider society the importance of contributing to the fight against AIDS beyond mental and national borders.

ICYE-EASTLINKS Training Seminar to improve quality delivery of EVS Programme activities between EU and CEEC countries

Training course for youth workers/Budapest, Hungary/20-27 October 2001

The aims of the training seminar were twofold: on one hand to enable ICYE and Eastlinks network members to improve the quality of youth mobility activities, especially in relation to the EVS programme, and on the other, to share knowledge and expertise to ensure the meeting of the minimum quality standards as spelled out in the YOUTH Programme guidelines.

These aims were accomplished through the training of staff/youth workers on the distinct phases of the establishment and implementation of EVS long-term voluntary service exchanges, and on intercultural learning and team building techniques. Equally, this seminar aimed at identifying and assessing the needs of ICYE and EASTLINKS members in relation to fundraising, lobbying, advocacy and training for trainers. By adopting a peer-to-peer training approach, this seminar secured a homogeneous level of knowledge and expertise between the more experienced and new networks’ members (i.e. in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia) resulting in  enhanced quality and innovation of the EVS programme between EU and CEEC countries.

Young People building a new South Africa

Euro-African Exchange on Youth Participation in the 21st century/Nelspruit, South Africa/18-26 November 2000

In this one-week exchange project which was co-organised and hosted by the Mpumalanga Youth Commission youth workers of European and African youth exchange organisations met to discuss and exchange examples of good practice in relation to various forms of youth work which aim to promote young people’s active participation in society. In particular, group discussions and visits to distinct South African youth groups focused on fostering a better understanding of the problems and challenges faced by local Youth in the post -Apartheid society.

EVS and Youth for Europe assessment & training seminar to strengthen Euro-Latin American networking and support systems

Training course for youth workers/Puerto Vallarta, Mexico/10-17 September 2000

In this activity participants from European and Latin American countries gathered to evaluate past ICYE Euro-Latin American EVS and Youth for Europe activities. In addition to that the new YOUTH program 2000-2006 was introduced to the participants and several training sessions were held on it. The seminar was also a forum to discuss and formulate recommendations to the EC as well as elaborate a mid and long-term plan for future Euro-Latin American activities within the framework of the EVS, Youth for Europe and Support Measures programmes.