.:EUROPEAN YOUTH=EUROPEAN FUTURE-DOJRAN 2007, MACEDONIA:.

NEWS!!!!
--2008--

We are very proud to introduce you that last year on our Youth Exchange “European Youth=European Future” we successed to involve actively our partners from Bulgaria in Youth In Action Programme.

From 1 to 11 July 2008 they will have their first youth exchange as host organization.

They already had their APV for this exchange from 5 to 8 June 2008. The name of their project is “Friendship without borders”.

Resume of the project “Friendship without borders”

The project activities will be done in the Yundola vilage, Bulgaria. Twenty eight young people from four different countries will take a part in the project. The participants have to communicate, to exchange experience and ideas, to make friends. The following activities will be included: instructive and discussible sessions, presentations, working in teams, creativity, excursions and so on.

Training sessions:

The world of the variety - worths and ideals.
Intercultural dialogue – respect, equality, justice.
European democratic citizenship –the human rights, gender equality, voluntarism and so on.

Agenda:

In the mornings- Instructive and discussible sessions, presentations and work in teams.
In the afternoons- creativity (manufacturing ornaments, knitting and cooking (traditional meals and so on.), folklore club and sport.
In the evenings- national cultures presentations.
Cultural program- Excursion to Plovdiv, visit of the monastery in Bachkovo, the mosque and synagogue in Plovdiv.

Name of the applying organization: NGO “Euroalternatives 21”, Bulgaria.

Names of partners organization:

Association of Citizens”Lotos”, Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Organization of women in Municipality of Sveti Nikole , Macedonia;
Infourmal group “Gocmenalemi”-Bursa, Turkey.

--2007--
Ten-day summer educational camp was organized for the realization of this project with the participation of youth from the neighbouring partner countries: Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the programme countries: Bulgaria, Slovenia and Italy The summer camp took place from 01.07 – 10.07.2007 in Dojran, Macedonia.

The following workshops were effectuated during the ten-day period:

Intercultural cooperation - Familiarizing the culture of the counterpart and accepting the differences and similarities:

-Processes of integration in EU.

From these workshops the young people were informed about what is European Union, how does it work, which are its parts, which are the benefits from the membership in EU, also the obligations that each of the citizens should accomplish and respect.

-The identity, the respect of the differences and the tolerance.

On these workshops the young people were find out more about the specific identity that each person possess, the similarities and the differences between the young people from the countries and they found out about the influence of the specific identities over the creation of conflicts between the young people. Through interactive work identified the ways for finding solution for the conflicts without using violence. Through this workshop it will be clear whether the young people who come from different countries have the same interests, the same problems and whether the ways for finding solution of the problems are same or different. This will be an opportunity to accept the differences, but at the same time there will be a chance for sharing the positive experiences about the solution of the conflicts especially those which come as a product of the national and cultural barriers.

-Non-violent solution of the conflicts.

Through the workshops the young people were identified the most common conflicts between the young people and the ways which can be used in order to stop the violence.

-Introduction to the basic human rights and their protection

During the educational part, the young people were familiarized with the basic human rights in accordance with the International protection instruments.

-Gender relations workshop where the differences between men and women were discussed and the stereotypes stemming from those differences.

-Presentation of the Youth in Action Programme and discussing the potential future cooperation in one of the activities of the Youth in Action Programme.

Other workshops:

-Creativity (manufacturing ornaments and plaster figurines);

-Sports club (table tennis, basketball, football);

-Music-folklore club (vocal and dance techniques) – participants learned dances and songs characteristic for participating countries;

-Drama club;

-Web design – The basics in web site designing – end result designing a web site (English version) for the activities and participants of the youth exchange. This web site will be updates (with information from the participants) in the following 12 months.

In the evening hours of the summer camp, each participating country had its own national night when they presented their organizations and countries including a presentation of their traditional cuisine and cultural activities from the country they come from. The participants had a preparation period in their own countries prior to the summer camp in order to arrange and prepare for this activity.

people from local community were invited to the final performance and exhibition prepared by participants (from Music-folklore club and creativity workshops) so they had a chance to meet the culture of another European countries;

More information about activities you can found in the table with activities in the annex (daily timetable of the planned activities, just click on link PROGRAM).

"This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein."