Youth in Action

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EVS multilateral project in EU (Lithuania, Spain) and LA countries (Colombia, Honduras, Mexico)

8 long-term volunteer placements from June 2005 to March 2006

The main project aim was to enhance young people’s participation, leadership skills and their engagement in civil society in European and Latin American countries by involving as host and sending organisations both youth associations and public institutions running youth participation and civic education programmes. The young volunteers engaged in local hosting projects dealing with youth civic education and active citizenship programmes, ranging from youth clubs and youth initiated networks to community development and social work projects, offering a rich sample of civil society where volunteerism definitely brought an added value to the respective local communities.

EU CIS – Multilateral EVS Project

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EVS project in EU and CIS countries ( Armenia, Russian Federation and Ukraine)

14 long-term volunteer placements from September 2004 to May 2005

The objective of this multilateral EVS project was to enhance the participation of CIS countries, namely Armenia, Russian Federation and Ukraine, in long term voluntary service projects and further articulate the experience acquired by the ICYE partners. The 14 young volunteers engaged in a range of quite different local hosting projects dealing with disadvantaged youth and children, ranging from orphanages, disabled care centres and schools to youth centres and initiatives, where volunteerism definitely brought an added value to the local communities.

Youth and European Solidarity

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EVS Project in Eu-SEE countries (Bosnia and Heryegovina, Croatia, FYR of Macedonia, Serbia and Montegro)

15 long-term volunteer placements from June 2004 to March 2005

This project was the third and final phase of a series of projects titled “YOUTH AND EUROPEAN SOLIDARITY” promoting voluntary service activities as a tool for young people to work for solidarity, respect of human rights and reconciliation in EU and Balkan countries and to contribute to the development of civil society. The project empowered NGOs in EU and SEE countries to network and engage in multiple partnerships working on the theme Refugees, Human Rights and Reconciliation.

ICYE Europe-wide Project on Refugees: “Youth and European Solidarity”

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EVS project in EU countries (Austria, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania)

12 long-term volunteer placements from September 2003 to June 2004

The project followed an initiative of youth NGO’s to promote European solidarity with marginalized and disadvantaged groups such as refugees and migrants. Involving refugee and migrant organizations as host organizations, the EVS project was a great opportunity for the volunteers to learn about and get involved in working with refugees, migrants and for the defense of human rights. The European and intercultural dimension and the spirit of young persons willing to share and participate brought an added value to the projects. At the same time the volunteers through practicing active citizenship proved that Europe can be an open house where refugees from all parts of the world are welcome.

SEE II – ICYE Eastlinks

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EVS project in EU and SEE countries (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro)

10 long-term volunteer placements from June 2003 to December 2003

This project aimed to foster long-term voluntary service between the participating EU  and SEE countries offered young people the possibility to acquire experiences and knowledge about voluntary service and civil society in general by living and working in EU and SEE countries, including for the first time also Macedonia and Montenegro.  The volunteers as well as the coordinators learnt from each other and engaged in multiple initiatives promoting youth volunteering and civil society.

SEE I – ICYE-Eastlinks

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EVS project in EU and SEE countries (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro)

12 long-term volunteer placements from February 2003 to August 2003

The project aimed at building one European identity at grassroots level in EU and SEE countries.5 young volunteers from South East Europe worked in EU non-governmental organisations, disabled care institutions, as well as projects working with refugees and homeless people. At the same time 7 Western Europeans got the chance to volunteer in Bosnian, Bulgarian, Croatian and Serbian non-governmental organisations in conflict resolution, new media, environmental issues and youth work, offering a rich sample of civil society where volunteerism definitely brought an added value to the development of local communities.

ICYE-Eastlinks VI

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EVS project in EU and CEE countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia )

long-term volunteer placements from November 2003 to June 2003

The objective of this multilateral EVS project was to enhance the participation of Central European Countries, namely the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia in long term voluntary services between the ICYE and Eastlinks partners. The young volunteers engaged in a range of quite different local hosting projects, ranging from children care institutions, youth organisations to cultural heritage and environmental protection enhancing direct bilateral cooperation between sending and hosting organisations.

ICYE-Eastlinks pilot project

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EVS project in EU and CEEC  countries

10 long-term volunteer placements from November 2003 to June 2003

Project Documentation

The involvement of motivated young people in HIV/AIDS prevention projects aimed at enhancing cooperation between themselves and the wider HIV/AIDS prevention sector. The volunteer’s presence added an intercultural dimension to preventative and care work, as well as an input in term of human resources and networking links, which eventually became a source of inspiration for similar joint future projects. In more general terms, this project  advocated the cause and visibility of HIV/AIDS projects towards civil society, with a view to promoting a more widespread responsibility in the fight against AIDS across all frontiers.

ICYE-Eastlinks V

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EVS project in  EU and CIS countries ( Belarus, Russian Federation, Ukraine)

long-term volunteer placements from  October 2001 to June 2002

Through this EVS multilateral project for the first time ICYE and EASTLINKS were able to offer voluntary service opportunities in EU member countries for young people from CIS countries. Volunteers worked in projects mainly dealing with orphans, and children and youth at risk in Belarus, Russian Federation and the Ukraine, as well as in similar projects (including alternative educational institutions) in Austria, Finland, Germany and the UK.

Besides the participating volunteers, the project directly benefitted children and other socially disadvantaged groups catered for by the various hosting projects as well as their staff and local volunteers. The project also enhanced cooperation between sending and hosting organizations, and during its implementation a growing number of returnees from Central and Eastern European countries got involved in supporting volunteers and host projects alike.

Euro-Latin American Youth Exchange on Indigenous People, Human Rights and Youth

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Training course for youth workers/Concepcion, Chile/7-16 December 2001

This exchange activity aimed at offering an opportunity to European and Latin American young people to meet, discuss and share experiences around issues such as social exclusion, violation of human rights and educational opportunities affecting indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities. In particular, participants learnt about resilience strategies employed by indigenous groups against acculturation, struggle for self-determination; they were exposed to various types of activities run by and for indigenous groups, and human rights organisations at large; promoted the participation of youth representing indigenous people in youth mobility and international voluntary service activities. As part of the exchange process, participants learnt to appreciate differences and commonalities of issues affecting indigenous groups/ethnic minorities in Europe and Latin America, as well as the importance of young people’s commitment to promoting respect and more just relations between dominant and minority cultural, social and economic groups.