The official newsflash of Don Bosco Youth-Net ivzw

NF90 (October 2008)

News from the network - News from the partners - European Youth Forum

Calls & public information - Picture of the month

NEWS FROM THE NETWORK

Network meeting in October (23-26/10/2008)

From the 23rd till the 26th of October we will have our 6-montly network meeting in Munich.  On the programme this time are some things to prepare our upcoming meeting of the General Executive Body (next March).  We’ll work on our next master plan and work plan.  Next to this there will be workshops on our communication structure and representation plan.  To issues which will become more important in the future.  There will be time available for our exchange market, where this time we will take a closer look how we can reapply our failed applications.  Of course there will be the usual time available to have fun as well.  We expect around 20 participants for this meeting.

Facebook

Yes indeed, Don Bosco Youth-Net ivzw is from this moment on group on www.facebook.com as well.  At the moment we have 114 members, but we are convinced that some Newsflash readers are on facebook, but not member of our group yet.  Look for us and join us !

Meeting regional

On the 26th of September Fr. Stefan Turanksy, Regional Councillor for North Europe of the Salesian congregation visited Jeugddienst Don Bosco vzw and the international secretariat of Don Bosco Youth-Net ivzw.  The purpose of the meeting was getting to know each other, but we could ask some questions as well.

DIALOGUE

In the September edition of the newsflash, we announced the possibility to submit projects to the European Youth Foundation before the 1st of October.  The international secretariat did submit a project for this deadline.  DIALOGUE is the development of an informative game and interactive website based on the exchange on values.  If the project would get approved, it will be developed between April and November 2009.

Communication structure

The international secretariat has a drafted policy paper on DBYN’s communication structure.  This document will be presented during our network meeting in Munich.  At our next meeting of the G.E.B. in March 2009, the policy paper should be adopted, which is the starting point of its implementation within the network.  The document will be available on our website in the near future.

NEWS FROM THE PARTNERS

Video report Summer Exchange in Belgium (SPYS, Malta)

Benji and Matthew, two Maltese volunteers which took part in our Summer Exchange programme in Belgium posted a video report of their experience on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPdtbtDbtV4.

Training for youth ambassadors for MDGs (SMVS, Poland)

From 16th to 21st September the training for Youth Ambassadors for MDGs took place. 36 young people from Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Cyprus arrived to the small city near Budapest to learn, exchange experiences, gain new working methods with MDGs.

„During those 5 days we were we had an opportunity to get to know more about MDGs but the most precious for me were the moments of discussions when we could see the point of view of people from different countries. We could also work out some new strategies and concrete plans for promotion of MDGs in our countries and we hope that we will manage to implement them after coming back home.” - says one of the Polish participants of the training.

The host of the training was the Hungarian Baptist Aid and the European Perspective from Greece was responsible for the essence of the training. Hopefully the enthusiasm and plenty of good, creative ideas will stay with our youth ambassadors long after coming back to their countries and will be transferred to the real MDG campaigns.

The training is implemented within the project "Youth Ambassadors for MDGs", coordinated by the SWM Youth for the World and financed by the European Commission.

Ghana, West Africa Youth Leadership Programme (SPYS, Malta and Salesian Youth Ministry Office Ireland)

8 September, 84 young people from different parts of West Africa gathered together in Sunyani–Odumase in Ghana with the aim of exploring what leadership is all about in the context of their own youth reality.  The young people came from our different Salesian houses in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Nigeria, as well as from the Diocese of Sunyani and were representing their friends in the different centres.  Their respective Salesian Youth Directors were also with them, participating fully in the programme.

The Youth Leadership programme was organized by Fr George Crisafulli SDB and facilitated by Fr Martin McCormack SDB, an Irish Salesian who has worked for a number of years in Africa and who was assisted by two Maltese volunteers from SPYS (Salesian Pastoral Youth Service) Ryan Bugeja and Keith Cassar.  Fr. McCormack and the two Maltese volunteers are members of Don Bosco Youth-Net ivzw.

Supported by the Rector Major`s Office, the training programme challenged participants with new ways and methods of thinking and leading groups. Through the use of multimedia presentations, role play and simulation games, ice breaking exercises and energizers, participants were able to learn leadership skills with non formal methods which can in turn be used with other young people they work with. During the various sessions, the participants were also given space to reflect and discuss about their roles and responsibilities as leaders.

Time for sports activities and spiritual moments were also crucial to the holistic experience lived throughout the eight days of training, and even here, the participants were challenged and exposed to more creative methods of setting up such activities. The Youth Gathering was visited by the Bishop of Sunyani Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi who presided at an opening Mass; the participants were also honoured by the presence of Fr Guillermo Basañes SDB, Regional Counsellor for Africa and Madagascar, who, following a creative Marian evening, answered questions from the  young people present.

EUROPEAN YOUTH FORUM

General Assembly

The bi-annual General Assembly meeting will take place in Rotterdam from the 13th to 15th of November.  At the General Assembly the member of the Youth Forum will elect a new bureau: 1 president, 2 vice-presidents and 8 bureau members.  Next to this there will be the adoption of the new work plan, which outsets the lines the new bureau needs to accomplish in their 2 year-mandate.  Next to this there will be working groups, interest groups, social events, etc. 

The General Assembly of the European Youth Forum is their most important meeting.  At the same time it is a high visibility event for the youth work sector.  Proof of this will be a debate on the future of Europe with Nicolas Sarkozy (president of the European council), Hans-Gert Pöttering (President of the European Parliament) and José Manuel Barroso (President of the European Commission).

INFO & PUBLIC CALLS

Strategic choices for young Europeans: an EU-wide public consultation on the future of youth policy

Today the European Commission launches an online public consultation on how the EU's youth policy should develop in the future. This year, the EU's Youth policy is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and this consultation will help the Commission to evaluate the achievements of European cooperation on youth policy since 2000. In the months to come, it will also lead to definition of fresh objectives for the next decade.

The consultation seeks to answer questions about the main challenges or opportunities which will have the most direct impact on young people. The questionnaire will cover issues regarding education and informal learning, employment, discrimination, social integration and voluntary activities of young people. The results of the consultation will be taken on board by the European policymakers in order to prepare concrete measures to help young people integrate into society, find work, improve their general well-being and get involved in society as citizens. The consultation is addressed both to individuals and organisations which are interested in the future of young people in the EU 27, in other countries participating to the programme - Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein - , in the candidate countries - Turkey, Croatia - , as well as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

The consultation will be available on http://ec.europa.eu/youth/youth-policies/doc1220_en.htm and will be opened until 25th of November.  The outcome of the consultation will be published on http://ec.europa.eu/youth.

Launch of the publication of the White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue

The Council of Europe has developed a White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue.  You will find it on the Intercultural dialogue website the publication of the in PDF format or HTML format.

The White Paper provides various orientations for the promotion of intercultural dialogue, mutual respect and understanding, based on the core values of the Organisation. The Ministers welcomed it as a “significant pan-European contribution to an international discussion steadily gaining momentum” as well as to the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue.

Be the Change! (BTC!) Programme - Small Scale grants for Youth-led Projects

Peace Child International has created the "Be the Change!" Programme (BTC!) to support young people to get involved in local community action and development projects. They aim to encourage young people to BE THE CHANGE they want to see in their communities and to make it possible we created a small scale grant programme for youth-led projects.

If you are below 25 years old and have a project that concentrates on the development of your community at a local level, take a deep look in the requirements for the grant programme and submit your proposal to Peace Child International.

The Be the Change! desk officers will guide and advise you to identify your own local issues, priorities and problems and also help you to provide your own solutions.

The kind of projects supported:

• are projects that are genuinely youth-led
• are projects, which benefit the community rather than an individual need (no support for school fees or personal trips)
• are projects up to $1,000 with a detailed budget
• have two experienced and committed adults to mentor the project: following the principles of the co-management
• have measures of achievement (indicators) by which projects may be evaluated
• can be either income-generating (funds to start up a small business and creating jobs) or it can be non-income generating (for health, education, environmental clean-up or community improvement) social programmes which are of genuine and lasting community value.

Deadline: 31 October 2008

If you fulfil these requisites make sure to download the application form the website and send your proposals to the appropriate desk officer at Peace Child International before the deadline:

European Competition 2008: Children's right to protection

The European Commission launches the competition entitled "The right of the child to protection", which is open to all young people in EU. European children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 18 are invited to design a poster on the right of children to protection in the European Union. The aim of the competition is to ensure that these young European citizens are more aware of their right to protection and are better equipped to defend it. Participants are required to create a poster illustrating the idea of their right to their own protection in the EU.

The following rules apply:

• poster format: A2 paper (42X59 cm)
• the descriptive form for the work submitted must be enclosed

Selection and prize:

• the entries will be judged first at national level, and prizes will be awarded to the three best teams in each age category at ceremonies to be held in each country on 20 November, International Children’s Rights Day.
• the coordination of the competition at national level will be the responsibility of the European Commission Representation Office
• the winners of the first prize in the national competition will compete in a second round at European level. The three top teams in each age group will be invited to visit Brussels from 7 to 9 December 2008 for a tour of the city and the European institutions and to attend a European award ceremony hosted by Commissioner Jacques Barrot, Vice-President of the European Commission.
• the best posters will be displayed on the websites of the Commission’s representations in the Member States and on the Europa server. They may also be used in future European campaigns on children’s right to protection.

The competition is open to young people residing in one of the 27 EU Member States and is split into two age categories: 10-14 and 15-18.

How to enter:

• candidates are required to form teams of at least four young people and one adult who will be responsible for the team throughout the project, including travel to awards ceremonies.
• there is no maximum limit for the number of young people per team.
• deadline registration form: 31 October 2008
• Select your country from the map on this web page: http://www.europayouth.eu and you will find all the information you need.

PICTURE OF THE MONTH

The picture was taken at the training for Youth Ambassadors for MDGs near Budapest: