Study Visit “Be the Change – Empowered Citizens, Empowered Communities”

Name: Be the Change Dates: 5.01 - 12.01.2018 Venue: Tirana, Albania Description The project “Be the Change – Empowered Citizens, Empowered Communities” aims to increase capacity building of 10 partner organisations, and involve 55 youth workers in citizenship education in order to contribute to a working civil society across the national borders in Europe. The general theme of the project is focused on Citizenship in general, European citizenship in particular and other concepts which associated it. Four dimension of citizenship will be in focus of working agenda, concepts such as intercultural dialogue, migration, rights and responsibilities, cultural identity and how each of the above concepts is translated in concrete activities with young people.

• The promotion of active citizenship has become a key policy concern in youth work. The one of the long-standing cornerstones of practice has been to “empower” young people through active participation. Much of this work draws on a rights-based approach to working with young people.
• To promote and use different programmes and structures in support of youth work on citizenship education, including Erasmus + Youth in Action programme;
• To explore four dimension of citizenship (political, economical, cultural and social) for encouraging youth worker to take concrete action in society;
• To explore the meaning, relevance and implications of European citizenship in youth work in all its dimensions  and in three main components (status, rights and responsibilities);
• To provide information to participants with the current talks on European Citizenship (its concepts, formal meanings and expressions)
• To bring concrete examples and the connection between European Citizenship, Human Rights, Democracy and Inter-cultural Learning.
• To improve participants skills in citizenship education for young people with fewer opportunities and guide them to be agent of positive change in communities they live.

The project will place the vision of a common European Citizenship into the context of European challenges. It will cement bridges of collaboration among European partners and elaborate on the potentials of the concept of European Citizenship to tackle existing issues of youth participation, active citizenship, migration and inclusion, discrimination and intolerance; issues that are currently dominating European debates. The project is offering innovative approach in working with the concept of citizenship with young people in local level. The concept that we propose is called: Citizen Lab and is new and is based in citizen-led approach. Citizen-led approach forges a new relationship with citizens, placing local residents at the heart of all its work to make our local community a good place to live. Citizens are invited together to provide ideas for better benefits but even to put those ideas in implementation through help of various stakeholders. As such the main project objectives are: * To discuss the concept of active citizenship and explore its common understanding among youth work practitioners from across Western Balkans and the EU countries. * To strengthen participants’ understanding of the key elements of active citizenship as the empowerment and community development tool. * To raise awareness of responsible and inspirational active citizens and their role in strengthening of the civil society. * To exchange tools and methods indispensability in implementing community actions, focused particularly on: youth active participation, empowerment and activism. * To prepare a Future Action Plan, project proposal development and follow-up activities. Above all, the project is seen as an excellent opportunity to develop key competences and to share good practices across Europe, to develop strong relationships between partners and thus to multiply the effects of the project by increasing the cooperation between partners through the development of new, future projects and initiatives. METHODOLOGY The project will see implementation of 3 separate mobilities for youth work practitioners taking place in Albania. All mobilities will utilize non-formal education methods such as ice-breakers and energizers, team building exercises, small group discussions, role-plays, and individual reflection, feedback and evaluation activities. Activity 1: 5-12 January 2018, Tirana, Albania Study visit will bring together 20 youth workers, 2 facilitators and 2 staff from 10 EU and WB countries for 7 days. Therefore, an exchange of tools and approaches for active participation of young people and means of influencing and exploring concrete youth works on local and national level will be core elements of the study visit. We all share the same values as Europeans and all should be responsible as citizens for constructing a democratic society and for the present and the future development of Europe where everyone dignity and rights should be respected. After the first activity, two more activities will follow. There will be separate calls for participants for each activity. Activity 2: Training Course 9-16 March 2018, Durres, Albania – The training course will provide a platform for youth workers from EU and non-EU countries to learn how young people can take an active role on local, regional, and international level and to have their voice heard regarding current European challenges. In the training we aim to explore the three interrelated aspects of citizenship. Activity 3: Youth Exchange 22-29 May 2018, Struga, Macedonia –  50 youngsters will discuss about the concept of European citizenship, inclusion and how useful are those concepts in everyday life of young people in practical terms.

ACCOMMODATION and FINANCES:

All costs related to accommodation, food and coffee breaks will be covered by the hosting organization. Travel costs will be reimbursed up to 180 EUR. The reimbursement will take place on spot. Deadline: 1 January 2018