Do you want to establish better contacts and co-operation with other youth
organisations all around Europe by sending a volunteer to a partner organisation
for a period of three to six months?
Do you want to be a volunteer in a youth organisation in South East Europe or
other parts of Europe for a period of 3 to 6 months?
Does your organisation want to establish better contacts with youth
organisations all over Europe by hosting a volunteer?
If you can answer YES to these questions, you should go on reading this
document. Maybe you will find that the BYP EVS project is exactly what you have
been looking for! THE BALKAN YOUTH PROJECT
The Balkan Youth Project (BYP) is an overall project framework aimed at
strengthening the youth sector in South East Europe. The BYP is jointly
developed and implemented by the European Youth Forum and CARE International in
Bosnia-Herzegovina/Croatia (CARE BH/C), and runs from 2002 until summer of 2005.
The BYP consists of youth NGO training activities, contact forums, study visits,
youth exchanges and production and dissemination of information, essential for
the further development of the non-governmental youth sector in South East
Europe and for contact-making with young people in the rest of Europe.
Furthermore, the political dimension will promote the development of national
action plans on youth policy in the SEE countries.
A Steering Group composed of 8 young and experienced people from the youth NGO
sector in South Eastern Europe ensures that all elements of the Project address
the needs of the young people in the region.
The BYP is supported by the grant from the European Commission.
For more information about the Balkan Youth Project, go to
http://www.youthforum.org/our_work/balkan.html. You can also contact Mateja
Prosek, Project Co-ordinator in the Youth Forum at
mateja.prosek@youthforum.org,
or Darko Paranos, Project Coordinator in CARE, at
dp.carebl@blic.net.
The BYP European Voluntary Service (EVS)
The European Commission (EC) supports non-formal education opportunities for
young people through transnational voluntary service which directly and actively
involves young people in activities designed to meet the needs of society in a
wide range of fields. Through an agreement with the EC, the BYP offers a number
of EVS projects to young people, aiming to promote a better understanding of the
youth NGO reality in South East Europe and other parts of Europe.
The aim of the BYP EVS action is based on following principles: ☼ To
enhance long-term development of a Proactive Youth policy and a vibrant and
democratic youth NGO sector in South East Europe.
☼ To provide a non-formal intercultural learning experience for young
people, encouraging their social integration and active participation, improving
their employability and giving them opportunities to show solidarity with other
people. ☼ To support the development of local communities. ☼ To
encourage the establishing of new partnerships and the exchange of experience
and good practice between the youth NGOs in the Balkan region and in other parts
of Europe. ☼ To promote the values of mutual respect and understanding
between ethnic groups and fight against racism and xenophobia.
What is a BYP European Voluntary Service project?
An BYP EVS project allows a young person to be a volunteer in another country
for a specified period, between 3 and 6 months. Voluntary service activities can
take place, for example, in the fields of environment, arts and culture,
activities with children, youth policy, the elderly, heritage, or sports and
leisure, media and communication, European awareness, etc.
Volunteers will participate in activities that comply with the following general
principles.
Activities must:
☼ take place in a country other than where the volunteer lives,
☼ be non-profit-making and unpaid,
☼ bring an added value to the local community,
☼ not involve job substitution,
☼ last for a limited period (maximum 6 months).
The EVS projects offered through the BYP are on a one-to-one basis, i.e. one
volunteer goes from one country to another. The BYP EVS project involves a
partnership between four actors:
☼ a volunteer,
☼ a sending organisation,
☼ a host organisation, and
☼ co-ordinating organisations (YFJ & Care International)
Within the BYP EVS project, one organisation should come from the following
countries or entities: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Serbia,
Montenegro and Macedonia. The other organisation should come from a EU member
state or any of the other programme countries of the Youth Programme.
What are the application deadlines?
Application deadline Projects starting between
28 February 1 July 1 December
28 July 1 January 1 June
SELECTION CRITERIA
Criteria for sending and hosting organisations:
· EVS project should contribute to the development of the BYP;
· Sending and host organisations should submit a list of activities over the
last 12 months;
· Organisations have to be democratic youth structures;
· Only youth NGOs are eligible (not youth service organisations);
· Clear planning and understanding between hosting and sending organisation;
· Projects should involve young people with less opportunities.
Criteria for volunteers:
· Must know the local language or agreed language of communication;
· Must submit his/her curriculum vitae and a letter of motivation with the
application form;
· Priority will be given to individuals who have not been involved in previous
international activities;
· Women are encouraged to apply.
GENERAL INFORMATION / DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
More detailed explanation of the EVS exchanges inside the BYP can be found in
BYP EVS users' guide. You can download the users' guide from
http://www.youthforum-org.ae.psiweb.com/our_work/balkan.html.
APPLICATION DEADLINE IS FRIDAY, February 28th, 2003.
THE APPLICATION FORM HAS TO BE SUBMITTED IN ENGLISH!
NOTE!! If the applicant organisation comes from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, the application form should
be sent to CARE International BH/C (attention: Darko Paranos), tel/fax: +387 51
211 309/ 214 146 e-mail: dp.carebl@blic.net.
Applicants from other European countries and applicants nominated by a Youth
Forum member organisation should send the application form to the European Youth
Forum (attention: Mateja Prosek), tel. +32 2 286 9423, fax +32 2 230 2123,
e-mail: mateja.prosek@youthforum.org.
If you have questions regarding the BYP EVS or are seeking more information,
please contact Mateja Prosek or Darko Paranos.
