The official newsflash of Don Bosco Youth-Net ivzw

NF 102 (October 2009)

NEWS FROM THE NETWORK

You(th) for Human Rights

The project is on a roll now: The first national meetings which are part of the project are currently being organised. The host team is making the last preparations to for getting ready the international congress. Only 2 more weeks and we are at our first international youth congress.

More info: http: www.youthforhumanrights.eu

Erasmus internship

In the beginning of September we had a meeting with the candidate Ms. Martina Finck at the Salesianum in Munich. On the basis of this meeting we set-up a training programme for her. This training programme was submitted to the College which she is attending, and passed all the commissions it needed to pass. If everything goes well, we can welcome our first intern at the DBYN office in February 2010.

Reminder ... looking for ex-volunteers

Like we described in our previous newsflash, we are looking for participants to take part in our first meeting for international ex-volunteers. If you are interested check the website for more info, or contact your local DBYN contact.

More info: http://www.donboscoyouth.net/node/561

Projects approved!

Last week we received the good news that our applications for activities in spring 2010 were approved by the Executive Agency. The first activity is a seminar on Youth Advocacy which will take place in Prague in March. The second is the STEP 2 training course on Project management, which is taking place in Benediktbeuern in April. Because we know the results well before the start of the project, we are able to also have a better selection and preparation. We hope the approval of both applications is the start of a close cooperation with the Executive Agency.

NEWS FROM THE PARTNERS

Video competition on Human Rights (VIS - Italy)

The International Congress "Preventive System and Human Rights", that took place in Rome from 2 to 6 January 2009, promoted by Salesian Youth Ministry Department and organized by VIS (International Volunteers for Development), was an important event for the Salesian Family as the outcome of a process aiming to enhance human rights education as one of the tool to implement the preventive system and the whole education of good Christians and honest citizens. The challenge we want to tackle during the Congress is how to educate young people to individual and social commitment for human rights, to become active subjects of a responsible global citizenship.

As underlined by the Rector Major, don Pascual Chávez Villanueva, the International Congress "did not set out to be the closing event for the Strenna for 2008, but intended to provide a decisive impulse for sustaining the development of a path of research, training and action which we now have to take forward in our provincial and local circumstances." Following the Rector Mayor's words, VIS is promoting a Video Competition on the theme of active citizenship entitled "CITIZENS OF THE WORLD ... FOR A POSSIBLE WORLD", through the platform www.donbosco-humanrights.org - the primary tool for preparation and subsequent development of the International Congress - addressed to boys and girls from 18 to 25 years who are invited to share own videos and images representing their ideas of being active and responsible citizens, capable of building a fair world.

Please, take note that the deadline has been postponed to November 30th 2009, with aim to give to a larger number of boys and girls the opportunity to participate.

In order to better understand the terms and conditions of the competition, please find attached the specific call for participation; we strongly invite you to visit the platform www.donbosco-humanrights.org. We also take the chance to remind you that, from July the 1st 2009, on the platform, it is possible to participate to the online self-training Courses "Educate to Human Rights", available in three languages (Italian, English and Spanish).

EUROPEAN YOUTH FORUM

YFJ call for input to the shadow report on the state of Youth Rights in Europe

The European Youth Forum is inviting all Member Organisations to give input to the shadow report on the state of youth rights in Europe.

Following the beginning of the lobbying process towards a Convention on the Rights of Young People in Europe, the need was identified to support this process with documentation on the state of youth rights in Europe today. The YFJ has in this regard proposed to the European Court of Human Rights to establish a case-law compilation on cases related to youth. This instrument could support the lobbying, since it would become more concrete which themes that actually need to be tackled by a separate convention.

In addition to this tool, and in light of the co-management system within the Council of Europe Directorate of Youth and Sport, the YFJ finds that it would also be imperative to explore the perspective of the young Europeans in regard to their enjoyment of human rights. A process will hence commence, which will be aiming at publishing a report on the state of youth rights in Europe, from a youth perspective. This publication will be launched in a high-level visibility event in March 2010.

More info: emailthe international secretariat.

CALLS & PUBLIC INFORMATION

Youth in Action Programme :: Action 4.6: Partnership

There has also been a call for Action 4.6 ?Partnership ??Youth in Action ?Programme (EACEA 22/09). The aim is to support partnerships between the European Commission and those regions, municipalities or European NGOs which aim to develop or reinforce their long-term actions, strategies and programmes in the field of non-formal learning and youth.

More info: http://t.ymlp155.com/usyqadaemeazajwqakayy/click.php

A Digital Shift: Youth and ICT for Development - Best Practices

The Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA-GAID) recently published "A Digital Shift: Youth and ICT for Development - Best Practices." This document was prepared by the UNDESA-GAID Committee of eLeaders for Youth and ICT, in collaboration with TakingITGlobal and the Youth Unit of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.

"A Digital Shift: Youth and ICT for Development - Best Practices" showcases the best practices of community transformations through ICT, to ensure the survival and growth of these projects, and to learn from their lessons for the improvement of future initiatives.

The publication was launched at the "Global Forum 2009: ICT & Innovation for Education", which was organized by UNDESA-GAID in Monterrey, Mexico at the beginning of September. Several e-Leaders were present and gave a vibrant presentation about their work.

More info: http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/gaid/unpan036084.p...

Doors open for participation of Switzerland in EU education, training and youth programmes

The European Commission has today submitted to the Council a proposal for an agreement with Switzerland to allow Swiss universities, schools, students and other young people to participate in the EU's programmes 'Youth in Action' and 'Lifelong Learning Programme'.

The signature of this agreement will mean that Switzerland will take part in these programmes alongside the Member States of the EU, the European Economic Area and Candidate Countries. Under the terms proposed Switzerland could participate from 2011 and would contribute a total of €50.1m in 2011-2013.

More info: http://ec.europa.eu/education/news/doc/com642_en.pdf

Conclusions from the European Youth Event, 12 - 14 September 2009, Stockholm

Around 250 young people from all over Europe and representatives of ministries in charge of youth affairs in the European Union, EFTA Member States and EU candidate countries, and the EU institutions met together to discuss the future EU Youth Strategy in the Swedish EU Presidency Youth Conference in Stockholm. For the first time, young people and decision makers worked together on concrete proposals for the EU's youth policy 2010-2018. The themes of the conference included: high rate of youth unemployment in Europe, transition from education to the labour market, social inclusion, and health and well-being among young men and women in Europe.

More info: http://www.se2009.eu/en/the_presidency/about_the_eu/education_youth_and_...

Electric December 2009 video competition

European young people under 21 years of age, who made a short film this year already or are thinking of making one, now have the chance to showcase their talent to the rest of Europe. They just have to submit their mini masterpieces to Electric December 2009. The short films should be less than 5 minutes long, completed after September 2008, of any productions techniques, in English or providing English subtitles.

More info: http://electricdecember.org/generic/submit.html

Public consultation: "Green Paper on Promoting the Learning Mobility of Young People"

The Green Paper on Promoting the Learning Mobility of Young People is being put forward with a view to raising a wide number of issues linked to the learning mobility of young Europeans in all disciplines and contexts. The European Commission is calling upon all stakeholders, from governments to individuals, to support its efforts to make youth mobility the rule rather than the exception. While recognising that this is challenging objective in the current economic context, learning mobility is a key element in the overall strategy to equip Europe with the skills needed for the future.

More info: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/consult/mobility_en.html

PICTURE OF THE MONTH

The picture of the month is a picture of the newspaper article on the group EVS project in Belgium this summer.