International Youth Leadership Academy 2013

The 4th international training programme of IYLA will take place on 31 August- 4 September 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey. The training will be conducted based on the experience and knowledge of experts and trainers from UNICEF and Habitat. The main aim of this programme is to provide young people with equal opportunities for leadership and develop their capacity to actively contribute to their own communities.

The training aims to develop the knowledge, skills and experience of the participants on human rights, youth and child rights and participation as well as more specifically on Intercultural Dialogue, Gender Equality, and Conflict Resolution. During this process, the participants will be followed by the experts and supported with various materials that will enable them to get prepared for their own leadership role in their communities.

Aims and Objectives:

The International Training Program on Youth Empowerment for Equity including a focus on the Post 2015 Agenda will have the following aims and objectives:

• To provide an equal opportunity for young people from Turkey, the Balkans, CIS and the Caucasus to exchange information and experiences on participating in civil society work and establish a network for further collaboration,
• To empower young people to take an active and effective role in advocating the rights of children and youth within their ethnic, sexual, socioeconomic or other minority/marginalized group perspective,
• To raise awareness and knowledge about social responsiblity towards children and youth,
• To equip young people with the relevant information and skills, enabling them to contribute to the post-2015 Regional Consultation,
• To share good practices and tools in the area of democracy, intercultural dialogue, gender equality, conflict resolution,
• To provide young people with negotiation skills for their effective participation
• To empower young people with the necessary leadership skills for them to outreach to other young people/children in their own communities after the training

Methodology

The training includes the following non-formal education methods:

-          Introductory sessions

-          Workshops

-          Small group discussions

-          Verbal and visual presentations

-          Role play games/simulations

-          Participation to Youth Forum

-          Feedback and evaluation sessions

Participants:

30 participants (15 international, 15 national) will be selected from countries in the Balkans, CIS and the Caucasus. Priority will be given to applications from youth belonging to or identifying with ethnic, sexual, socioeconomic or other minority/marginalized groups.

Applicants should:

• be between 15 and 30 years of age,
• represent marginalized/minority youth groups or NGO and/or be experienced in minority youth and/or child work,
• work with marginalized and disadvantageous youth and/or children,
• be willing to play an active role in the sessions,
• be able to and willing to follow the process and actively implement the activities required by the programme,
• be able to participate in training and regional consultation on post 2015
• have the opportunity to share their new knowledge, skills and contacts within their own organizations following the program,
• be committed to carrying out follow-up activities and be active in localising the knowledge,

Working Language: The language of the program will be English, with simultaneous interpretation provided in Russian and Serbo-Croatian.

Accommodation:

Travel costs, accommodation, and meals will be provided by IYLA. Full details will be sent to selected participants later.

Insurance:

Participants are requested to have their own accident, civil liability and health insurance for the duration of the seminar. Health insurance is not provided and any costs incurred will not be reimbursed by the organizers. All participants are also strongly advised to purchase private travel insurance.

Application Process:

Young people interested in participating in the International Training Program must apply online: http://uglakademi.org/IYLA_FORM.html

Candidates will be informed by 2 August, 2013 (the earliest date) whether they have been accepted, put on the waiting list or refused. Accepted candidates will receive the program documentation directly.

The 30 participants will be selected on the basis of the profile outlined above.  During the selection process, criteria will be applied to ensure a balance between genders, geographical regions, and the diversity of religions, cultures, organizations and experiences. Disabled young people are encouraged to apply.

The participant selection process will be based on a detailed application form, and letter of recommendation from the organization(s) whom the young people may be involved with. Please send your recommendation letter to ugla@habitatkalkinma.org by 26 July, 2013 17.00 (GMT+2)

Letter of Recommendation:

Your reference letter should explain how important your participation is for your community and how your NGO/ community will support you in conducting further activities or similar training in your own communities, after the IYLA summer school. 

Language of application:

You are requested to write your application in English.

Contact information:

Please feel free to contact us if you need help, have questions or need further information.

ugla@habitatkalkinma.org

11th International Youth Conference in Krusevo

Youth Alliance from Krusevo with many partners has promoted European Values for 11 years, particularly by supporting the mobility of young people, their encouragement to be leaders and creators of the future as well as civil society and youth leaders cooperation across Europe and South East Europe. Youth work and youth policy are more crucial than ever for South East Europe and Europe. We, the young people, need European solutions that are translated into practice at the national level.

The International Youth Conference “European Values for the Future of SEE Countries” is response to the challenge. 60 participants from South East Europe and Europe will come to Krusevo for the eleventh time to discuss current issues and explore new approaches in youth policy and youth work across South East Europe and Europe in general. Aim is to encourage young people to be facilitators of broad policy dialog and to be multipliers of the European values in their societies. Young People, as representatives of the potential for the future of SEE and Europe in general, are the key forces in the process of strengthening the efforts of the countries of South Eastern Europe in fostering peace, democracy, respect for human rights and economic prosperity. The International Youth Conference is taking place in Krusevo, Macedonia between 19 and 23 of September 2013.

Conference will cover the following topics of interest:

• European Integration of Western Balkans: From Reconciliation To European Future;
• Youth Unemployment – a View from Within;
• Young People and Political (In)Activism;
• e-Participation & Youth;
• Structured Dialogue as a Bridge between Young People and Decision Makers;
• Young People‘s Participation in Politics and Society – New instruments of democracy

Participants

Eligible to apply are youth leaders, workers and activists between the ages of 18-30 from Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Greece, Germany, Kosovo, Montenegro, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey; in particular participants that are experienced in the youth field and familiar with the Conference topic. They should be open to enrich their knowledge and awareness regarding the European values, Youth work and EU integration of SEE, and are willing to prepare themselves for the conference subjects, previous to their arrival and to do the remote work requested by the team in case of selection. The conference working language is English.

Costs

Participation is free of charge. All the other costs during the conference including accommodation, main meals and coffee breaks will be covered by the project grants. Participants will have to cover 20% of travel cost to reach the conference venue.

Application Procedure 

The applicants are requested to fill in the online application .The call for participants will be open till 10 September 2013. Selection of the participants will be based on “first come – first serve” if fulfilling minimum requirements and sending organization.

In case of any questions regarding the application and conference in general, please contact conference@youthalliance.org.mk.

For more information visit the official website

Youth Future Conference 2013 in Bonn

From September 1st to 7th, the European Conference on Sustainability for young adults (18-28 years) will be held in Bonn. This conference is organised by a German group of students within the network of the Youth Future Project.

Imagine that YOU can come together with 100 other young people from all over Europe, 20 junior scientists and about 6 Laureates of the Right Livelihood Award (“Alternative Nobel Prize”) and the German Environment Prize. Together, on an eye-to-eye level and from an interdisciplinary and multi-perspective angle, you will work on challenges and innovative solutions in the field of sustainability .

During workshops, lectures, and discussions you will learn about the views and actions of important activists in the field of sustainability and you can gain an integrated understanding of the multidimensional challenges of environmental problems. We want to enable you to make new personal experiences and encounter new methodological approaches to sustainabilty issues. The multi-perspective approach shall encourage us to go beyond our academic disciplinary frameworks.

Therefore, during this four-day-long process, we will take a look at central challenges in the field of sustainablity in small working goups. During the conference lecturers from various fields (e.g. economy, ecology or social science) will be present in the working goups. So we will learn to understand the different challenges sustainability poses to various stakeholders and actors.

 

During the conference we will use our new knowledge and experiences as advice for future actions and practical next steps that you can implement through journalistic, academic research, civil-societal  or environmental projects, which we will initiate in the last days of the conference.

The most promising ideas, developed during the conference, will be supported for one year in the “Visionaries in Action”-support-programme. They will be offered a starting capital of up to 2.000 Euros as well as coaching and professional seminars in NPO-project management.

 

Costs 

The contribution-fee for early applications amounts to 115 EUR until May, 31^st. From June, 1^st on the minimum contribution is 145 EUR, although you can choose to pay more in order to help other participants come to the conference who would otherwise not be able to join us.

Scholarships

If you want to come to the conference but can not cover the expenses for the participation fee and/or the travel cost, you can apply for the Youth Future Conference’s Scholarship. The scholarship follows the principle of solidarity: People who can afford paying a higher participation fee enable financial less situated people to come to the conference by paying more than indicated. The scholarship is dedicated only to people between 18 and 30 years living or studying in Europe.

The number of scholarships granted depends on how many people apply for the scholarship and for how much money they apply. For the organizers it is much easier to cover the participation fee than the travel expenses. Of cause it is possible to, for example, only apply for a part of your travel expenses. For example when your whole itinerary is about 200€  and you can only cover 100€ by yourself, you can apply for the remaining 100€. You can check more info and apply for scholarship grant here.

The first places will be confirmed from the 3rd of June on. After this more places will be given out continuously.

If you would like to participate, but do not know, if you are really invited, for example because you feel to old, or to young, or because your are not living in Europe, please get in touch. In many cases we will find a solution. Just shoot us an email at conference@youthfuture.de

Apply NOW!

Global Entrepreneurship Summer School 2013

Don’t miss the chance to be part of the most exciting Summer School around the Globe. Apply now and meet leading entrepreneurial talents from around the world for more than one week in Germany. The Global Entrepreneurship Summer School under the general topic Rethinking Education will take place on Sep 18 – Sep 26, 2013 in Munich.

The vision of the Global Entrepreneurship Summer School is based on the claim „Billion Dollar Projects to Foster Societal Change“. We want to encourage and connect outstanding students from all over the world to challenge society’s problems by entrepreneurial means. We want the students to think big and contribute to sustainable change in the dimension of billion. The Global Entrepreneurship Summer School is a collaborative project of the four leading university-based Entrepreneurship Centers in Munich – that’s why we believe in the power of entrepreneurial thinking for a better und sustainable future.

During the Summer School the student teams develop ideas that have both a sustainable impact for society and a self-sustaining, profitable business model. The students learn about entrepreneurship, develop their own sustainable business ideas and build a long-lasting network of international excellent and entrepreneurial students. The Global Entrepreneurship Summer Schools fosters the important role of education, entrepreneurship and networking for a sustainable development.

Who can apply?
You have to be enrolled in any university at any time during 2013 and you have to be between 18 – 27 years old. Example: If you are enrolled only until February 2013 you can apply even if you won’t be enrolled in September 2013.”Enrolled” applies in our definition also to MBA or PhD students.

Application process
This year we will accept 35 outstanding students from around the world who will get an invitation to Munich. In addition we will accept 15 virtual participants. All applications will go through a very strict, but fair selection process. The deadline for Early Bird applications will be April 30, 2013. The regular deadline will be May 31, 2013 (GMT -12). We will inform everybody at the latest during the last week of June about their application status.

Accommodation
Participants won’t have to pay for their accommodation. We will provide accommodation from Sep 17 until Sep 27 either in the guesthouse of the LMU or at other places such as appartments of other participants from Munich.

Global Scholarships
International students who are invited to Munich will automatically receive a travel scholarship. The Global Entrepreneurship Summer School will contribute 50% of your total travel costs (mostly flight tickets) up to a cap of € 500,-. Just to remind you, accommodation, travel during your stay and lots of food during the week is also included!

Food & travel in Munich
We will provide you for free some exclusive dinners as well as many snacks and coffee during the whole week. In addition we will cover your travel expenses for the public transport in Munich throughout the whole week.

Tuition
We will charge a tutuion fee of € 79,- for early bird applicants and € 119,- for regular applicants per selected participant. (Note: Previously we mentioned here that this only applies to students from Germany. We changed that recently due to the following reason: For our international guests the fee covers part of the the medical insurance including an ambulance transport or even a emergency transfer back home. We will get back to those applicants who have applied before 26.03. if you get selected on how to handle that individually.)

If you are a student from Germany and you can provide accommodation to an international participant you won’t have to pay a tuition fee – no matter when you apply.

Please apply here with your CV and motivational letter (max. around 200 words) as PDF attachments.

 
If you have any questions please please send a mail to info@globalsummerschool.org

ISWiB 2013

We are more than happy to announce that the next ISWiB will take place from 14th to 21st July 2013. This year, the International Student Week in Belgrade is going to be held for the 7th time. 

The International Student Week in Belgrade (ISWiB)  is a one-week student festival which has been traditionally held every year since 2006 in the city of Belgrade, Serbia. The Festival is open for students from all universities in Europe. Every year, ISWiB gathers over 200 young people, including participants, moderators and volunteers.

The idea of the festival is binding young people through work in several different workshops created so that every workshop covers a significant field of our society which we live in. Through workshops, close communication and cooperation, interactive lectures and various open activities, students will be able to gain new knowledge and exchange ideas. Students will also have an opportunity to establish professional contacts with eminent professors and professionals from different sectors  and develop  and create new projects by themselves. The Festival has been traditionally organized by association World Youth Wave.

Theme

This year’s International Student Week in Belgrade will be directed towards the creation of an international youth network through which the participants will be able to continue to cooperate. The educational program will aim to raise the level of their knowledge in various fields, and through formal and informal meetings the participants will be able to connect with other young people who are also engaged in that field. Each workshop will have a concrete product of their work during the festival, either in the form of a project, recorded film, exhibition, etc. We want this year to bring together young people with ideas and help them hatch a concrete product; we will work together in order to hatch the network!

 

Young people are not just the future of the world nor does the world belong to them as it was often told. They are the present holders of the society as well as other groups, which is why it is important to work together, and for that you need a platform that will be hatched from this year’s ISWiB!

Eligibility

All European students and those from the other continents but studying in Europe at the moment can apply for ISWiB. All fields of study are welcome, there are no special requirements. Recently graduated students are also welcome.

Participation fee

The fee for foreign students is 100 Euros and it includes accommodation, food and workshop expenses. For domestic students, the fee is 40 Euros and it includes food and workshops expences. Students studying in Serbia have no accomodation provided during the festival.

Travel costs are not covered with the participation fee and ISWiB will not make any reimbursement of the costs.

The official language of ISWiB is English.

Accommodation

ISWiB participants will be accommodated in Petar Drapšin Student Dormitory.
 
Application

To apply, please fill in the online application form. Please check out www.iswib.org for any additional information regarding the application process before you fill in this form.

First World Youth Sustainability Summit

The international initiative “youthinkgreen - jugend denkt um.welt" organises the 1st World Youth Sustainability Summit in Berlin between the 10th and 20th May 2013. The international educational youth initiative is under the patronage of the Federal Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel, the Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC Christiana Figueres as well as the former President of the European Parliament, MEP Dr. Hans-Gert Pöttering. The members of the youthinkgreen movement currently numbers 220 youth from 10 countries. Together they campaign against the climate change and for the environment as well as more sustainable ways of living. 

 

The 1st World Youth Sustainability Summit will revolve around the evocative theme of “Youth and Sustainability in Everyday Life - Challenge, Reflect on and Develop New Global Ways of Living” seen as a great, worldwide challenge and collective task. More than 150 young people from industrialised, emerging and developing countries will come to Berlin to participate in the conference, along with top-class speakers from the scientific, cultural, economic, political and media world to analyse, question and develop the topic through speeches, discussions as well as various workshops. 

The objective is to draft a common, activity-oriented position paper in which the young people from the whole world will develop collective suggestions, impulses and demands for a more responsible future by which they will stand. 

Which lifestyle do I support for today – tomorrow – the future?

Fundamental questions are raised everyday about all kinds of aspects of our social existence throughout the world: how can the individual live, how does s/he orient her/himself? What are the responsibilities of politics, economy and civil society in the organisation of a humane life? Where lie the limits of individual freedoms? Doesn’t the wish for a future socially and ecologically secured belong to the catalogue of human rights? 

youthinkgreen calls for an “open competition” and with this invites young people, who would like to enrich the 1st World Youth Sustainability Summit with their personal experiences, to get involved in dialogs among one another and design common solutions. 

Formal conditions/requirements

The participants must meet the following formal requirements to apply:

- be aged between 15 and 20,

- possess basic knowledge on the fields sustainability and environmental policies,

- have a good command of English (the language of the conference will be English, simultaneous interpretation between English and German will be offered),

- be in good and healthy physical condition for the length of the stay,

- be in possession of a valid passport.

Both applications from individuals and groups are possible. However, in the case of group application, only the representatives of the group can be invited. 

Application procedure

To participate, the applicant must provide the following documents:

1. Résumé including personal information and annotation on the education as well as extracurricular activities

2. Cover letter (1-2 pages): state and explain your reasons for applying to take part in the Summit.

3. Topic-specific key points of your application: select one or more submission possibility that you would like to use to present yourself:

a. Presentation of a distinct, exemplary sustainable project (see youthinkgreen website – Summit 2013 – Project Presentation youthinkgreen – jugend denkt um.welt (PDF))

b. Position report on the topic “Youth and Sustainability in Everyday Life - Challenge, Reflect on and Develop New Global Ways of Living” in the form of: a comprehensive experience report, interviews, structural model, wish list, a contribution video (at least 10 minutes), cartoons, a caricature, a drawing or a comic strip. Research and question the ways of living in industrial, emerging and developing countries. Take the position of a world citizen and try to develop ways of living that would fairly address the big challenges of our time related to the topics “climate change and sustainable development”. Draw on the postulates sustainable mobility, sustainable consumption and sustainable use of energies and resources. To do so, you can base your reflection on the basic existential functions: live, work, support oneself (food, clothing etc.), educate oneself, get well, procreate, live collectively, recycle, contribute to commerce and get involved in communication.

c. Draft a concept “Environmental school: school of the future”. Describe the stepping-stones of your environmental school and create a model out of it.

d. Presentation of a script (idea, treatment, storyboard) for an environment-oriented advertisement (see http://www.youthinkgreen.org/project-news/).

e. Performance of songs that you composed on the topics sustainability and/or climate change.

Please send your submission in electronic format at: info@youthinkgreen.org

Selection procedure/financing

The winners will be selected on the basis of their submission by the jury of the project, composed of experts in sustainable education and who are invited to come to the summit in Berlin. The conference and tours programme, accommodation, catering along with the travelling expenses during the ten-days stay in Berlin are free of charge. In justified cases, travel and visa expenses can be subsidised. 

Closing date for applications

The closing date for applications is February 28th 2013.

For more information go to: http://www.youthinkgreen.org/1st-world-youth-sustainability-summit-2013/

For contact and questions: info@youthinkgreen.org

1st European Youth Conference: Strengthening the Recognition of Non-Formal Education in European Youth Work

Youth organization CULTURE GOES EUROPE (CGE) – Soziokulturelle Initiative Erfurt e.V. is looking for participants all over Europe for its “1st European Youth Conference: Strengthening the Recognition of Non-Formal Education in European Youth Work” to be held in Cracow, Poland, on 19th – 25th March 2013. 

One of the main challenges of European youth work is the recognition of the value of youth work as non-formal learning among public and private institutions as well as among the general population on one hand and the recognition of learning outcomes of youth participating in youth work activities on the other hand. Facing the challenges of the new EU program “Erasmus for all” the requested project proposal therefore focuses on the two interlinked processes of formal/political as well as social recognition of youth work and non-formal learning. 

The objectives of the project are:

• To facilitate the communication between the involved stakeholders

• To foster the transfer of knowledge within the EU27

• To increase the transparency and quality of YW and NFL activities

The participants of the Youth Conference (YC) will join an intense week working on sharing their experiences:

• How to facilitate the communication between the involved stakeholders

• How to foster the transfer of knowledge within EU27

• How to increase the transparency and quality of YW and NFL activities

The activities are based on principles & practice of non-formal learning including various activities as open space, lectures/speeches/inputs, floors include. exercises, simulations, which are creating situations for deeper personal reflection, followed by concentrated debriefing, work in small mixed groups, inputs, presentations & discussion of results, e.g. through fishbowl-method, field trips, meetings & roundtables, workshops, free time activities & intercultural activities. The methods are based on a learning process & stimulating creativity, active participation and initiative. Last but not least is to get connected and finding synergy-effects between us and new projects under the umbrella of YiA Programme of the European Commission.

You are interested to participate?

We launched an open call for participants. Nevertheless priority is given to participants who are applying via the official project partners.

The following organisations are involved in the project:

• ECEPAA – European Centre for Economic and Policy Affairs – Belgium

• Youth for Better Europe – Bulgaria

• International Initiatives for Cooperation – Bulgaria

• Municipality of Aradippou – Cyprus

• International Movement Youth Time – Czech Republic

• Be International, o.s. – Czech Republic

• Association Migration Solidarité et Echanges pour le Développement – France

• CGE Erfurt e.V. – Germany

• ELIX – Conservation Volunteers Greece – Greece

• Comune di Tortona – Italy

• SkillMaker – Latvia

• Youth center “Baze” –

• Kaunas Union of Youth NGOs ‘Round Table’ – Lithuania

• Strategies of Interactive Training Foundation – Malta

• DINAMO – Portugal

• Associação para a Formação e Desenvolvimento do Montijo – CMM – Portugal

• Team for Youth Association – Romania

• Zavod Nefiks – Slovenia

• Društvo mladinski ceh – Slovenia

• Gaziantep Youth and Culture Association – Turkey

• Çanakkale Koza Gençlik Derneği – Turkey

This Youth Conference is for 50 participants and recommended for youth workers, trainers, youth leaders, project managers, youth policy makers.

Participants from the following countries are eligible: Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Turkey.

Your profile:

• you’re head over heels for non-formal education

• you’re familiar with non-formal learning methods

• you took part at least at one Youth in Action activities

• you’re an active member of a NGO or youth organization

• you’re able to participate active at the Youth Conference

• you’re not a Youth in Action tourist

• you love to share your experiences, ideas and passion

A participation fee in the amount of 75 EUR per person is taken to cover expenses which are not covered by the YiA grant. The participants are accommodated in a Hotel. There the participants will receive breakfast, lunch and dinner. The kitchen is used to cook also vegetarian and vegan food. We will reimburse 70% of the travel costs for the YC on the basis of the cheapest possibilities.

A comprehensive guide with further information is available here.

Or apply directly via:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dExOMVpLY3BRTXM5MGt3Q3IyRG1vbGc6MQ#gid=0

In case you cannot access the given information/links/documents please contact us directly via: recognitionnfe@gmail.com

 

Please apply online till the 22.02.2013.

The project is funded by the Youth in Action programme of the European Union.

World Perspectives: Minority Voices

World Perspectives: Minority Voices – a conference for young media makers that will take place in Budapest, Hungary, on 22-28 April, 2013 – will bring together 26 young media makers, from across Europe, to study how the international news media portrays issues affecting minorities, migrants and refugees. Participants will learn through practice based training, to critically analyse different forms of news media and also to further develop their own skills to more effectively participate in the creation of responsible media. In particular, the study session will motivate and enable young media makers to develop strategies to ensure minorities, migrants and refugees are themselves able to influence how issues affecting them are portrayed in the news.

Project Aim

The project aims to support civil society in the participants’ countries by raising their awareness about biased information presented in mass media and developing their competences as young media makers.

After the study session, participants will:

• Have greater awareness of issues affecting minorities, migrants and refugees in Europe.
• Know how to recognise and quantify biases that appear in the media and in political discourse.
• Be able to apply improved media and journalistic skills to develop responsible and balanced news media.
• Be able to develop improved strategies to ensure the participation of minority, migrant and refugee communities within mainstream media.

The study session will also seek to work with participants to establish a platform for young media makers in Europe, working on issues relating to minorities. As well as develop networking opportunities between young media makers.

Participant Profile

The study session is planned for 26 participants. This call is open to legal residents in countries which are members of the Council of Europe. We aim to give priority to participants from the following countries: Belarus, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, the Russian Federation, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and Ukraine. Young media makers of minority backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply. Participants should be between 18-30 years old. Participants should be active or able to show a demonstrated interest in any of the following; journalism and media, working with young people, human rights, issues relating to minority, migrant and refugee communities and also the Middle East and North Africa. These can include, for example:

• Young journalists and media makers, working in the field of news media
• Representatives of civil society and youth organisations, working to involve young people in different forms of media
• Representatives of civil society organisations working on human rights issues, especially those related to minority, migrant and refugee rights
• Young leaders from minority, migrant and refugee communities, who wish to learn how to better represent their community in the media

Priority will be given to those applications from participants, who, as well as showing an active commitment to the study sessions topics, can demonstrate they are able to act as multipliers and are able to develop effective strategies to share their learning with the organisations and communities they represent.

Selection of participants will take into account both geographical and gender balance, and will seek to ensure a diverse range of participants. We actively encourage applications from participants from minority, migrant and refugee communities, in particular those from Middle East and North African backgrounds.

The language of the study session will be English; therefore participants should feel confident in working in English, including drafting articles and other media.

Financial Information

The study session is supported financially by the Council of Europe and will be held at the European Youth Centre in Budapest. International travel costs will be covered 100% and reimbursed to participants during the training. Accommodation, all meals and local transport will also be provided for in Budapest.

A 50-Euro participation fee will be charged by the European Youth Centre and will be deducted from the participant travel reimbursements. Although travel costs will be reimbursed, participants will be expected to make and book their own travel arrangements.

Application and Deadline

Deadline: February 3rd, 2013, 24:00.

Please submit the following:

• Your CV
• 2 media clips (of any type) (media clips that are not in English should have an English summary).

to Katarzyna Mortoń at k.morton@youthpress.org 

The study session is organised by European Youth Press - www.youthpress.org, Minority Rights Group Europe – www.minorityrights.org, and Concordia International in cooperation with the Youth Department of the Council of Europe.

International Student Festival in Trondheim 2013

Do you want to be a part of the world’s largest student festival? Apply for participation at ISFiT 2013 for an experience unlike anything you have ever known!

ISFiT is short for the “International Student Festival in Trondheim”. What the name does not say, is that ISFiT is also the world’s largest international student festival. ISFiT is arranged every other year, and each festival has a theme related to social and political topics with international relevance. The theme for ISFiT 2013 is global trade, and the festival is held from the 7th to the 17th of February, in the city of Trondheim, Norway. Here, over 450 students from all over the world gather to attend 17 different workshops and take part in the festivals culture program. ISFiT is a non-profit organization and is brought to life with the efforts of more than 400 student volunteers.

In addition to the workshops, ISFiT highlights the festival theme through a vast cultural program consisting of concerts, plenary sessions, art exhibitions, performing arts and ceremonies. The culture program offers an extensive range of events for the visiting participants, but is also available for the population of Trondheim.

ISFiT 2013’s vision is to create a better future for young people in the world. By being a meeting place where people can discussion and debate, ISFiT aims at fostering inspiration and being a starting point for international cooperation amongst students. Here, where friendships are made and valuable lessons learned, the participants can trade their ideas and visions.

If you are interested in participating in ISFiT 2013, you must fill in the application  form by the 30th of September 2012. Please note that you have to be at least 18 years old and a student at the time of participation.

When you apply for the festival, you apply for one of the seventeen different workshops, and you will be attending this workshop throughout the ten days of the festival. You can read more about the workshops here.

No fees are required to attend the festival itself, but all participants will have to cover the travel expenses to and from Trondheim.

ISFiT 2013 aims to have skilled participants with diverse backgrounds regarding geography, culture, class and gender. To achieve this goal, ISFiT 2013 will be able to offer some participants financial support. To apply for financial support, fill in the corresponding section of the application form. 

Please note that ISFiT 2013 only has a limited sum to offer, so we encourage you to search for alternative ways of financing your travel. Travel funds are only meant to cover travel costs to and from Trondheim and your home city. We do not have the possibility to fund visa costs. Travel support is only awarded to students who are invited and who attend the festival.

Applications will be read after the 30th of September, and those who are selected to participate will receive an invitation by e-mail. Instructions on how to obtain a visa and other formalities, will be given to the invited students. Due to limited capacity we cannot invite all applicants. 

Deadline for submitting the application is the 30th of September 2012. 

Apply here: http://www.isfit.org/participants/new

"Way Home": Volunteering in a New Ecovillage near Kiev, Ukraine

We are a group of sustainability enthusiasts from Kiev, Ukraine. We're starting an ecovillage near Yushky, Kiev region.  This year we are going to build our first, common house, which will become the community center later.

We are looking for volunteers to share the joy and help us with the construction.

The first leg of construction started on 28 April 2012. The construction will go on until October. The ecovillage is only 1h on a bus from Kiev, so you may come for any period of time you feel like.

We offer vegetarian food three times a day. Living in tents on the building site or in a local club building 4km away whichever you prefer (you will have to take a sleeping bag and a rug with you anyway). Nice, cheerful people. There is mobile network coverage on the building site. The toilet is outside. Shower water is heated by the sun.

Expect to work 6 hours a day. In spare time we will practice various crafts including pottery, woodcutting, wickerwork, macrame. During the main work you will receive a hands-on experience of building with local materials.

We have place for sleeping in our club building in Kiev. So you may come earlier and spend some time in Kiev and getting more acquainted with us.

The ecovillage will be situated in a beautiful draw. There is a stream, a forest, a beaver dam. A forest reserve is situated 2km from the building site.

No alcohol or any other drugs are allowed on the building site.

If you are interested please fill in this form: goo.gl/1rIUl

We will reach you via email with further details.

~Club for applied ecology.~

http://hatabobriv.org.ua

bthechangeu12c@gmail.com

International Novruz Festival 2012

The next edition of the International Novruz Festival in Azerbaijan - INFA 2012 - will take place on 15-22 March 2012 in Baku. This project will give you a unique chance to experience different parts of NOVRUZ holiday, such as jumping over bonfires and running through the streets, banging on pots and pans with spoons and knocking on doors with your hats and bags to ask for little presents (sweets and candies) and tasting national cookeries, such as shekerbura, pakhlava, goghal that you have never had before! Another essential part of this festival is a chance to visit the capital of Azerbaijan Baku – the city of centuries – old history, ancient traditions and modern reality became known as “Paris of the East”. And this is not all; lots of surprises are waiting for you…

Aims

• To create a culturally diverse and open environment where all of the participants will be able to express their own culture and appreciate the others, discuss different global issues (e.g. ‘tolerance’, ‘local traditions and globalization’, ‘culture in the modern world’, ‘music as a way of expression’ etc.).
• Gain mutual respect for the different cultures in the world and promote peace in our big home – Earth.
• To explore ancient traditions and habits of Azerbaijan culture, to celebrate the antique holiday of Novruz – the beginning of spring in Azerbaijan.

Eligibility Requirements

This event aims to bring together 70 motivated participants between the age of 18-35 who are interested in culture and ancient traditions.

Costs

There is a participation fee of 60 Euros. This fee covers the following costs:

• Accommodation and food throughout the whole week;
• Local transportation;
• Free entrance to the parties and other events

Participants will be required to cover their travel expenses by themselves. Only limited funds are available to provide reimbursement of the travel expenses of some qualified participants. The financial assistance requests for travel expenses will be considered individually.

Application Procedure

You can apply by filling the application form and sending it to aegeeinfa@gmail.com no later than February 15, 2012. Application from can be found here.

For more information please contact Nurana at aegeeinfa@yahoo.com

U-Active Forum: Networking for Developing Youth Projects

We are pleased to invite you to the first Forum of International Youth Projects, titled “U-Active: Networking for developing youth projects”. The Forum will take place on the 24-26 November, 2011 in Grodno, Belarus. The Forum intends to bring together interesting, initiative and active students all over Europe and let them exchange their ideas by providing informative sessions and learning opportunities with outstanding speakers who have a huge international project experience and a will to help us with idea and project generation.
 

This is supposed to be the Forum where there will be a chance to establish contacts with young people, share experience, find partners for interesting project ideas and probably for future social and business projects. U-active Forum idea has been developed by a group of students studying in Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno and acting in Youth-In-Club, nonformal group of students interested in developing and participating in international projects. “U-active” has a triple meaning: “you active”, “active youth” and “active University”. We are proud to welcome our delegates from all over Europe, especially those coming from our partner universities.

Important Dates
3th November, 2011 - Registration deadline
7th November, 2011 - Participant notification
24th - 26th November, 2011 - Forum days
 

Registration
Each participant has to register for the U-Active Forum. The deadline for registration is 3th November, 2011. Please fill in the Registration Form on-line carefully to provide us the relevant information (especially those who need visa to Belarus) and send us your short CV. There is a recruitment process for all applicants. All participants will be notified by e-mail until 7th November, 2011. The information about participants will be also published on the web-page.
 

Registration Fee
There is also a registration fee for participants of the U-Active Forum.
Participants have to make a payment of:
- 20 EUR: all participants
- 70 000 BYR: Belarusian participants
 

Donations from participants should be made on their arrival at the registration point. Donations in Euro are accepted equivalent to Belarusian rubles on the day of arrival.
 

The registration fee includes:

• participation in the Forum;
• access to all the program sessions;
• coffee breaks during sessions;
• conference materials;
• breakfasts, lunches and dinners throughout the Forum;
• accommodation in the student's dormitories during the Forum;
• cultural program.

Who can participate?
U-Active Forum intends to bring together interesting, initiative and active young people all over Europe and especially from partner universities. The Forum encourages the participation of both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

You can participate in the Forum if you:
- have high motivation and active life style;
- are a leader of a youth or student organization;
- have some experience of youth projects realization;
- would like to realize joint international projects;
- would like to exchange your experience with Belarusian students;
- have good knowledge of English (communicative level).
 

Main requirements:
- To fill in the registration form (on-line);
- Provide a short CV (1 page).

You can read more and apply here.

Contact Information: 
tel.: +375 152 731 954, fax: +375 152 731 910
e-mail: u.active.forum@tut.by