In 2016, Asociatia Lumea lui Pinocchio carries on its commitment in the field of youth…but this year with a new perspective! Youth activities in 2016 have a major international prespective than in the previous years.
Asociatia Lumea lui Pinocchio, in close collaboration with a network of 16 EU youth organizations, won an Operating Grant within the Erasmus+ programme – Key Action 3 – Civil Society Cooperation in the field of Youth.
The other organizations that are taking part into the EU-wide informal network are: ESTYES (Estonia); GRENZENLOS (Austria); Association des Compagnons Bâtisseurs asbl (Belgium); IJGD (Germany); COCAT (Spain); UNA Exchange (United Kingdom); Rota Jovem (Portugal); Associazione Bambini in Romania (Italy); Bulgarian Youth Forum (Bulgaria); No idejas līdz attīstībai (Latvia); Centrum Współpracy Młodzieży (Poland); Young Leaders CZ (Czech Republic); Youth Europe Association (Lithuania); Aktív Európai Fiatalokért Egyesület (Hungary); Stowarzyszenie “ZYJ KOLOROWO!” (Poland); Educatori Senza Frontiere (Italy).
From January to December, the associations’ network will realize a wide range of activities, thanks to many collaborations, supporting programs and financing opportunities. These activities mainly consist in:
– hosting of foreign young volunteers (long term) through EVS or other programmes. Main beneficiaries are volunteers, that develop skills useful for their future employability, but also children and youngsters attending the Daily Socio-Educational Centre Pinocchio;
– sending of Romanian volunteers abroad through EVS or solidarity workcamps. These are long-term and short-term experiences and are promoted paying a special attention to the inclusion of youngsters with fewer opportunities or NEETs;
– solidarity workcamps in Panciu, for the involvement of a higher number of international volunteers. A short-term intercultural experience is a first step towards a more active and responsible involvement in civil society;
– adhesion of LLP to Alliance Network “Involvement Programme”, an innovative proposal for involving new associations active in the voluntarsim/youth field. This is fundamental for widening collaborations;
– joint conceiving and submission of KA1 project proposals;
– youth workers’ exchange of experiences in Panciu for sharing educational methodologies and approaches, to raise quality of youth work across EU borders, share experiences and good practices;
– online network coordination meetings;
– Solidarity-Education Workshops in local schools;
– 4 meetings/year with representatives of local authorities, in order to foster collaborations among public and private sector;
– organization of 2 online training courses, one for young volunteers (peer education) and one for youth workers;
– realization of communication material (a video and a booklet) for the dissemination of activities, objectives and results;
– Volunteer’s Photo Contest 2016 for engaging young volunteers in disseminating and witnessing their experience in a creative way;
– annual LLP General Assembly;
– seminar in Focsani (Vrancea county) for the dissemination of Erasmus+ program at regional level, of the project’s results and achievements.
The network balanced “vis-à-vis” and “virtual” activities, bilateral actions and actions involving the entire network, impact at local/regional level and at international level.
Activities directly targeted at young people aim at promoting their development, common civic commitment, relationships, positive confrontation. Activities for youth workers answer to the need to enhance the quality of their work at EU level, to exchange experiences and good practices.
The Operating Grant constitutes an added value for our organization, which is active in regions where there is a high need to be informed and to feel the sense of belonging to a wider EU community. The Grant sustains local staff, as well as an international meeting among partners in order to contribute to a better structuring and training of youth&voluntarism sector.
