Call for Participants for International Training Course:

“Roma youth participation in youth policy process”

20-25 March 2012, Struga, Macedonia

Dear friends,

In this letter you will find all necessary information about the training course “Roma youth participation in youth policy process“ including the goals, program elements, some practical information and application conditions and procedure. We invite you to read it all so that you are well informed before you apply.

The Training course – “Roma Youth Participation In Youth Policy” will take place in Struga, Macedonia

20-25 March 2012. We hereby kindly ask you to recruit participants from your organizations that will be able to participate at the training course and give back their knowledge and skills in the topics to the projects within the organisations. Individuals without NGO support are eligible to apply too.

The training will gather 24 young Roma and Non Roma workers and leaders. Non Roma applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.

Only participants from the following countries are eligible to apply:

-          Hungary                                    -    Albania

-          Bulgaria                                    -    Serbia

-          Romania                                   -    Bosnia & Herzegovina

-          Turkey                                      -    Macedonia

The DEADLINE to submit the application form is 25.02.2012

This Training course is financed by European Youth Foundation (EYF).

European Youth Foundation (EYF) is a fund established in 1972 by the Council of Europe to provide financial support for European youth activities. This year EYF celebrate 40th anniversary.

About Roma Youth Centre

Roma Youth Centre is Roma youth led organization working on the empowerment of youngsters, to help them be active part of the civic society and the community they live in, to represent the voice of the new generation as potential of tomorrow. We are an all inclusive organization and we offer youngsters possibilities to integrate for a future as European citizens. Our main area of work include: non-formal education, intercultural learning, inclusion, human rights, Public awareness on European citizenship, promotion of youth mobility and youth participation; study and research of youth policies and activities, Supporting young people in democratic participation activities with social, cultural and educational topics, environmental activities, campaigns and trainings.

Aim and objectives of the Training course

This TC will enable 24 Roma and Non-Roma Youth workers/leaders and  young people who will participate in the TC to think in the frame of stakeholders’ approach, i.e. why and how all important social stakeholders could support Roma youth participation in youth policy processes and how that benefits wider society.

This training course will tend to achieve the follow aim: “Train and empower Roma young people with competent and responsible participation in international, national and local level, to develop Roma youth policy, associative strategies and political plans aimed at promoting responsible Roma members/leaders in their community/country”.

To reach the general aim of the training course, the objectives are:

• Engage Roma and Non Roma youth in a reflection process to analyze what went well and what could be improved upon in the future;
• Motivate Roma youth for volunteering in institutions, NGOs;
• Develop intellectual skills enabling Roma and Non Roma youth to think critically, to evaluate, to monitor and influence public policy;
• Identify a public policy problem in their community, to research the problem, evaluate alternative solutions, develop their own solution, and create proposal for political action plan;
• Develop practical approaches and methods for translating civic education, youth leaders and intercultural learning into Roma and Non Roma youth engagement on policymaking;
• Building sense for Roma and Non Roma youth cooperation.

Profile of participants

ü    Between 18 and 30 years;

ü    Roma and Non-Roma youth leader and multiplier, actively involved in youth organization or governmental service at national or international level, working with Roma young people;

ü       Ready to take responsibilities within their organization after the course; ready to learn and  further develop their personal competences;

ü    Well informed about their organization and prepared to explain its activities to the other participants;

ü    Actively supported by their youth organization or institution – before, during and after the training course.

Methodology

The trainers are coming from the SALTO training pool. This program is designed to provide democratic space for debate, reflection and development of competence on participating of Roma youth in process in different country of policymaking thought active engagement in youth policy. It will be using interactive, participative approach.

Program

In this training the participants will be able to experience what it is to work out of you full potential while being in tune life. The participants will realize:

ü    Asking questions;

ü    Learning to work out of own values and vision and take this as a basis for creating own projects/how to improve the quality of the own life;

ü      Story telling;

ü    Being aware of concepts and working beyond them;

ü    Guiding a team, learning to make interventions;

ü    Working with cultural differences;

ü    Handing sharing;

ü    Goal setting.

Travel cost and reimbursement

70 % of travel costs will be reimbursement only for the cheapest way of transport. The travel cost will be reimbursed after submitting all original tickets and receipts.

Only participants who attend the full program on the training will be reimbursed. All participants will be reimbursed on their bank account after sending all original tickets, invoices and receipts.

The travel reimbursement will not be done on the spot, but after the return of the participants to their homes and after they send the original tickets to the organizer.

The participants should use cheapest way of transport (bus, train, plan-economic class).

Working Language

The official working language of the Training course will be English. NO TRANSLATION SERVICES WILL BE AVAILABLE.

Application, procedure and selection of participants

The full filled application form must be sent to Ova adresa el. pošte zaštićena je od spam napada, treba omogućiti JavaSkript da biste je videli . The DEADLINE is 25/02/2012.

The preparatory team will select 24 participants (3 participants per country) on the basis of the profile outlined above. It will try as far as to respect the organizations` priorities, but also to ensure a balance between sexes, geographical regions, different types of experiences, cultural background and organizations, institutions and projects. A waiting list may be established. Candidates will be informed whether their application has been accepted, rejected, or if they have been put on the waiting list.