The official newsflash of Don Bosco Youth-Net ivzw

NF 97 (May 2009)

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

Calls & public information - Picture of the month

NEWS FROM THE NETWORK

Equippping young volunteers - STEP 2 training

Maybe you already heard from the participants, but the STEP 2 training course on project management "Equipping young volunteers" was a big success. It brought together participants from 13 EU countries, including Hungary which is not yet member of our network! We hope that all participants enjoyed the training as much as the host and training team. Actually, I'm are sure they did. Don't believe me, than check out the video report on www.youtube.com/dbyntv [2] . Next to a video report the host team created a website especially for the training course http://www.dbyn.nl/tc2009/ [3] and also a new group on facebook http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=71657073774 [4].

Nice to meet you(th) ! - STEP 1 training

We recently received the good news that the application or the youth exchange Nice to meet you(th) has been approved by the German National Agency of Youth in Action. The course "Nice to meet you(th)!" is the step 1 of the DBYN training Structure. Topic of the exchange is intercultural learning. Participants with few experiences at international level are invited to join! Group activities, open discussions and reflections, excursion and outdoor activities will make this week funny and useful for a future engagement in activities at European level.

More info: http://www.donboscoyouth.net/node/429 [5]

You(th) for Human rights - Youth Democracy Project

More good news was received when also the Flemish national agency approved the application form for the youth democracy project You(th) for Human Rights. "You(th) for Human Rights" brings together young people active in organisations who are working with non-formal education on one side and young people working with youth who are facing fewer opportunities like minor-aged refugees, Roma youth, homeless young people and young people in special youth care. They will exchange their experiences and opinions with peers from different countries and with policy makers active in the field of Human Rights. The framework of this exchange are methods coming out of Human Rights Education. Furthermore the project promotes local and international youth initiatives as a way for the participants to keep on being listened to. From preparation to evaluation the project will take up to 6 months. The main activity of the project is a European Congress on Human Rights Education, which will take place in Brussels. Around 50 young people from 12 EU countries will attend this Congress, representing the local organisations.

More info: http://www.donboscoyouth.net/node/546 [6]

NEWS FROM THE PARTNERS

SPYS prepares more volunteers! (SPYS - Malta)

SPYS.int is many projects within a project, by and for young people who are interested in having a voluntary experience abroad offering young people the opportunity to make adifference through its voluntary network based in different parts of the world.

More info: http://www.donboscoyouth.net/node/490 [7]

Air Solidair by Jeugddienst Don Bosco vzw (Jeugddienst Don Bosco - Belgium)

During the last weekend of March, Jeugddienst Don Bosco vzw organised Air Solidair, the first meeting of international volunteers in Belgium.

More info: http://www.donboscoyouth.net/node/537 [8]

AZ meets MYDG (Aktionszentrum - Germany)

On the 17th of April representatives of the Aktionszentrum visited the organisation Muirhouse Youth Deveopment Group in Edinburgh, Scotland. The two organisations have been working together since the early '90: youth exchanges and EVS-projects are the main topics of this collaboration. Last year a group of youth workers and volunteers from MYDG came to Benediktbeuern in April to visit our youth centre. A group of young people also joined the European Youth Week. We are planning future activities together and we hope to make the partnership even stronger for the next years.

More info: http://www.donboscoyouth.net/node/538 [9]

Publication on Cardinal Stepan Trochta (SADBA - Czech Republic)

SADBA is working on English translation of publication about Cardinal Stepan Trochta - remarkable Czech Salesian, martyr who was persecuted during Nazi and communist era. If you are interest in a copy of this book, please contact sadba@sadba.org [10]. We need this information to estimate the edition. The Book itself is 56 pages. the price will be around 2-3 € depending on the total amount of the edition. You can order until the end of May 2009 on sadba@sadba.org [10]. The book will be printed during autumn 2009 so it will be available by the end of the year.

5 Years Don Bosco Youthnet Nederland! (DBYn NL - The Netherlands)

On the 15th of April we celebrated the 5th anniversary of Don Bosco Youthnet Nederland. The celebration took place in Rijswijk in the presence of the Salesian delegation of Netherlands, the provincial and his vicar and many local and international guests. During the celebration a convenant was undersigned by DBYn NL with the 'Stichting Don Bosco Werken Nederland'. After the formal part, the dinner and a reflection the celebration was closed with a party.

50 years Jeugddienst Don Bosco vzw! (Jeugddienst Don Bosco - Belgium)

Jeugddienst Don Bosco vzw celebrates 50th anniversary! On April 25th, Jeugddienst Don Bosco vzw opened the doors widely in the school of Don Bosco Haacht where the big celebration for Jeugddienst's 50th anniversary took place. Nervously waiting for the first guests and visitors to come, the last details were fixed: colorful balloons were blown and spread all over the school and parking guards took their positions to welcome the (VIP)guests properly.

More info: http://www.donboscoyouth.net/node/549 [11]

EUROPEAN YOUTH FORUM

Turn the EU Strategy for Youth into a strategy with youth!

The new EU Strategy for Youth is ambitious in its scope, but fails to outline mechanisms that would allow an effective implementation. Moreover, the Strategy for Youth is unfortunately not conceived as a strategy with youth. The YFJ calls upon the Council to focus on designing effective implementation mechanisms and ensuring that youth participation will become the underlying principle of the implementation of the new framework.

More info: http://www.youthagenda.eu [12] and http://www.youthforum.org/en/node/831 [13]

Youth votes

Between 4 and 7 June 2009, the citizens of the EU will, for the 7th time, directly elect their representatives in the European Parliament. The European Parliament is playing an ever more important role in EU decision-making and is becoming a true co-legislator, co-deciding on a wide range of legislation that affects EU citizens. However, since the first direct elections to the European Parliament in 1979, turnout numbers have consistently fallen, to below 50% in 2004. In many countries, even smaller percentages of young people found their way to the polling stations. It will be important to reverse this trend: a higher turnout of young people at the upcoming elections will be of crucial importance, both to strengthen democracy in the EU and to add force to the voice of youth in the European Union.

More info: http://www.youthforum.org/en/node/52 [14]

CALLS & PUBLIC INFORMATION

YouthPass Guide Out Now

SALTO-YOUTH Training & Cooperation Resource Centre has finally published a guide to the YouthPass. It provides background and support material to implement Youthpass in your "Youth in Action" projects.

More info: http://www.youthpass.eu/en/youthpass/guide/ [15]

Seminar on Working with Roma

The Slovak National agency is organizing a contact making seminar (24 - 28 June) for organisations which have experience with working with Roma youth with fewer opportunities or similar groups of young people with fewer opportunities. It is for youth leaders, activists, those experienced in working with Roma youth to meet each other, and to exchange experiences, encourage networking, and develop youth exchanges, youth initiatives and/or volunteering projects together. It is open for participants from Programme countries.

More info: http://www.salto-youth.net/find-a-training/1500.html [16]

Call for Action 3.2 projects

The European Commission has just opened the call for projects between Programme Countries and Partner countries other than those which are neighbours of the European Union. The deadline for submission of applications: 01 June 2009 (date of the postmark being conclusive). The projects must start between 1 November 2009 and 31 December 2009. The total duration of a project is minimum 6 and maximum 12 months.

More info: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/youth/funding/2009/call_action_3_2_en.php [17]

JIVE project

A contact making seminar is being organised within the project "JiVE. Youth Work International - Experiencing Diversity", that will take place in Berlin on October 2 -5, 2009. This project is part of a longer term project aiming at improving the integration of young people with a migration background into and through international youth work. The contact making seminar itself aims at creating viable international partnerships between organisations that are active in the field of international youth work and/or in the field of migration-related youth work. Moreover it is to impart necessary basic skills for planning and carrying out international projects.

More info: http://www.jive-international.de/en/events/International%20Contact-Making%20Seminar/ [18]

Practical educational publications from SALTO Inclusion!

One of the ways to learn and get inspired is through reading, reflecting on and putting into practice new knowledge from publications. SALTO Inclusion has worked out series of "Inclusion for ALL" publications on topics like how to start international youth projects with youth from specific target groups and/or facing different obstacles or work on diversity or impact of youth projects... They are all available for free download online. However, since the request for these publications as paper copies is much higher than we are able to provide with our resources, in order to make them available for ALL!, we have set up a SALTOinclusion eBay-Store, where we now sell our SALTO Inclusion publications for only 6€/booklet, incl. sending costs.  Please note that this is no profit making initiative BUT these contributions are used to reprint the booklets that are out of stock - and make them available for ALL!

More info: http://www.salto-youth.net/InclusionForALL/ [19] and http://stores.shop.ebay.ie/SALTOinclusion [20]

European Commission: New EU Youth Strategy

Entitled "Youth - Investing and Empowering", the new strategy acknowledges that young people are one of the most vulnerable groups in society, especially in the current economic and financial crisis, and in our ageing society, young people are a precious resource. the new strategy is cross-sectoral, with both short- and long-term actions.

Together with the adoption of new strategy the Commission is also publishing a Youth Report. The Youth Report is a compilation of data, statistics and brief analyses on the situation of young people in Europe. It provides an overview of the situation in the EU Member States in a range of different areas and outlines as well the differences between countries.

More info: http://ec.europa.eu/youth/news/news1458_en.htm [21]

Schwarzkopf Europe Prize

The "Schwarzkopf Europe Prize" was, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Foundation, offered/created by the Board of the Heinz-Schwarzkopf Foundation Young Europe as an honour/distinction to be awarded annually. With this award institutions or persons in public life are to be honoured who have in a special way served European accord and the integration of Europe and its peaceful and responsible role in the world. The winner will be selected by the "Young Europeans" of the previous years. The award was granted for the first time in the year 2003.

More info: http://www.heinz-schwarzkopf-stiftung.de/prize [22]

12 August: International Youth Day 2009

The theme for International Youth Day 2009 is Sustainability: Our Challenge, Our Future. Sustainability encapsulates three facets of life: the environment, society and the economy, and sustainable development can only occur where these three intersect in symbiotic fashion. Therefore, in order to embrace the challenge of sustainability in its fullness, we must all adopt a global sense of social responsibility. The United Nations Programme on Youth is encouraging youth organisations around the world to host community barter fairs for International Youth Day. Remember, with bartering there is no money involved, only pure exchange of goods and services. How will YOU celebrate International Youth Day 2009? Are you ready to take on the challenge?

More info: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/iyouthday.htm [23]

PICTURE OF THE MONTH

The picture of the month is a group picture of the wonderful participants of the training course Equipping young volunteers in Rijswijk.