The official newsflash of Don Bosco Youth-Net ivzw

NF 105 (January & February 2010)

News from the network - News from the partners - European Youth Forum Calls & public information - Picture of the Month

NEWS FROM THE NETWORK

New working year

The beginning of 2010 also means for us the start of the new working year. For DBYN quite a few things will change in the way we work. The international secretariat is evolving more into the direction of a service organisation for its members. We are now applying directly to the European Commission for our fixed annual activities, which means that the whole application procedure (application and final report) is done by the international secretariat. Next to this we will be hosting our first Erasmus interns in 2010. Another novelty are the study visits to member organisations, which the international secretariat will be doing throughout the year. All these measure have one goal. Now the main structure of our network is complete, we can start focusing on supporting our member organisation in a more tailored way. We hope this logical step will result in more and better European opportunities for the young people we are catering for.

International secretariat visits Jugend eine Welt

From the 20th to the 22nd the international secretariat was invited to Austria by Jugend Eine Welt for a study visit. The aim of the visit was to informs different groups of people connected to Jugend Eine Welt: staff of J1W, staff of the Don Bosco refugee project and several "ex-"volunteers.

More info: http://www.donboscoyouth.net/node/615 [2]

Upcoming activities

In the first part of the year we are organising 3 activities for which we are looking for participants. If you are interested in doing something European, get in contact with your local DBYN organisation. These are the activities we have in store for you:

• 11-14/03/2010 in Prague: Seminar on youth advocacy "Speaking up - Youth Advocacy as Tool for Active Citizenship" (http://www.donboscoyouth.net/node/598 [3])
• 04-11/04/2010 in Benediktbeuern: Training course on project management "Empower and involve - STEP 2 training course 2010" (http://www.donboscoyouth.net/node/597 [4])
• 18-25/07/2010 in Krakow: Youth exchange on intercultural learning "Intercultural Crossroads in Europe" (http://www.donboscoyouth.net/node/599 [5])

NEWS FROM THE PARTNERS

J1W volunteers flashmobing for Street Children

On Don Bosco's day, the 31st of January, Jugend Eine Welt wants to put extra attention on the situation of street children. thçis years campaign included a series of "Flashmobs" performed by the volunteers of Jugend Eine Welt. If you want to know what this is, surf to following video: http://www.youtube.com/user/jugendeinewelt#p/u/0/2ud05MoBAHw [6].

More info: http://www.youtube.com/user/jugendeinewelt [7]

The young missionary volunteers celebrated their imminent departure at the "Salesianum" .

The 15 volunteers received their missionary crosses from Fr Petrus Obermüller SDB, the one in charge of the voluntary service section of the NGO "Jugend Eine Welt" They will be spending a year in various Don Bosco projects (youth centres, schools, vocational training centres and centres for street children) in India, the Philippines, Mexico, Ecuador, Perú, Zambia, Ghana, Ethiopia and Malawi. After the Mass, the volunteers, their families and the staff members of Jugend Eine Welt celebrated Don Bosco`s Feast Day. In the twelves years of its operations Jugend Eine Welt has sent abroad a total of 350 volunteers -always in projects run by the Salesians or the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.

Mexico - Meeting for Volunteers

(ANS - Tijuana ) - On the days 6, 7 and 8 at Tijuana 16 young people who are carrying out Voluntary Service in the Mexico-Guadalajara Province (MEG) came together for their annual meeting. They include young people from Mexico, Austria, Czech Republic and the United States. Leading the meeting was Fr Javier Prieto Medina, Provincial Delegate for Youth Ministry.

More info: http://www.infoans.org/1.asp?sez=1&sotSez=13&doc=4668&lingua=2 [8]

Volunteer... Step Forward!

A brand new year, and a brand new opportunity to think of others and actually take action. After weeks of preparation, the annual volunteering information session was held at St Patricks, with the main theme being that of having an opportunity to do something for others in 2010. The session brought together more than 50 youths who showed an interest in volunteering in 2010.

More info: http://www.donboscoyouth.net/node/605 [9]

Fundraising Calendar 2010

Ghana. A different country in a different continent, with a different culture. Through SPYS, six youths spent last August with the Salesians in Ghana, where they carried out voluntary work with the children over there. On their return, it was decided to create a 2010 fundraising calendar, using photos taken by the group during their experience in Ghana.

More info: http://www.donboscoyouth.net/node/604 [10]

EUROPEAN YOUTH FORUM

Youth Policy Watch

The European Youth Forum is happy to announce it has launched the first issue of the Youth Policy Watch, a new tool to follow youth policy and youth-related topics in Europe. Putting together official information, media coverage and other sources, the Youth Policy Watch is aimed at anyone who is generally interested in knowing more about youth in Europe. We believe that the Youth Policy watch will become useful to you, as it will provide an easy access to the latest changes in EU institutions, but also a quick overview of the media coverage of the latest topics concerning young people. Finally, we also aim to relate the news to the current work of the Youth Forum, so as to express the view of European youth organisations on the most current topics. The news will therefore be divided according to the five strategic priorities of the Forum, namely Education, Employment and Social Affairs, Human Rights, Youth Work Development, and Participation and Youth Policy Mainstreaming. To subscribe to the Youth Policy Watch, simply go on www.youthforum.org [11] homepage (on the top left corner you'll find the form to fill in). The bulletin will arrive directly into your inbox every two weeks, and you should have received the first one yesterday, February 2.

More info: http://www.youthforum.org/en/node/1892 [12]

CALLS & PUBLIC INFORMATION

Youth in Action Programme 2010

The new Youth in Action Programme Guide valid as of 1 January 2010 is available for download from http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/youth/programme/programme_guide_en.php [13]. It is a tool for anybody who would like to participate in the Youth in Action Programme. It includes the necessary information about the priorities, actions and main features of the Programme as well as the criteria and conditions on how to participate. Anybody willing to submit an application for funding is invited to read it carefully in order to understand the Programme's objectives and criteria, and to identify the types of projects that can be supported by the Programme. In view of the changes in regulations reflected in the new, 2010 Youth in Action Programme Guide, a new set of application forms are now out and available at http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/youth/funding/2010/applications_permanent_call... [14] These application forms are valid retroactively as from 1 January 2010 and will therefore apply for all deadlines of Youth in action in 2010.

EU launches 2010 European Year: Stop poverty now!

The European Commission and the Spanish Presidency of the EU will tomorrow launch the 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. Under the slogan ?Stop Poverty Now!?, the campaign aims to put the fight against poverty ? which directly affects one in six Europeans ? centre stage across the EU during 2010. European Commission President José Manuel Durão Barroso and Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero will inaugurate the Year at a launch event to be held tomorrow in Madrid.

More info: http://t.ymlp155.com/eswwakaeqhavauehhavayy/click.php [15]

Join the European Action on Drugs www.action-drugs.eu

Young people with fewer opportunities are especially vulnerable to drug risks and abuse. Doing drugs is often a costly affair - both for the young people's wallets, but also for their health and social situation. Part of your inclusion work is probably also to raise awareness of the risks of drug abuse or to support young people to get out of miserable drugs-related situations. And you should get recognition for that! The European Action on Drugs (EAD) www.action-drugs.eu [16] gives you a platform to register your drug-prevention & support activities and get visibility Europe-wide. Individual persons as well as project teams and NGOs are welcome to join the European Action on Drugs. Participation in EAD is based on signing a pledge that outlines common aims and doing a practical action in the drug-field. EAD is an initiative of the European Commission.

More info: http://www.action-drugs.eu [16]

"No East, No West" -Intercultural Dialogue Conference (26-30 April, Malaysia)

"No East, No West" is an international conference on Intercultural Dialogue and aims to foster understanding and build bridges across cultures among young people of Asia and Europe. The International Conference is tentatively scheduled to be held from 26th to 30th April 2010 in Malacca, Malaysia. During this 5-day event, young people, religious leaders, politicians and business communities will come together and exchange views and experiences based on their respective religion, spiritual and cultural traditions. The International Conference will also reflect on how religions can assist in facing critical issues that concern our societies, and will try to discover and create new pathways to peace through intercultural/inter-religious cooperation. Leadership training sessions will also be conducted during the Dialogue. Among the topics that will be presented are the different leadership styles, how to lead change, how young people can make a difference and what change tools and approaches work. A young successful leader will be invited to share with the participants on why characteristics like integrity are important to make an effective leader.

More info: www.wyf.org.my [17]

What's cooking? SALTO Inclusion for you in 2010

Youth Unemployment is one of the big causes of social exclusion of young people. Therefore SALTO Inclusion will be working over the coming years on a variety of Un/Employment challenges. If you are working on Inclusion and Un/Employment of young people, you sometimes need some support; not to feel alone fighting wind-mills. The Inclusion training offer (by SALTO Inclusion & YiA National Agencies) can help you to get new inspiration:

• New Perspectives: young people with fewer opportunities use the Youth in Action programme - cooperation with German NA
• Non-formal learning, key competences and the transition to the labour market - cooperation with the Slovenian NA
• Paths to Working Life - training course - cooperation with the Finnish NA
• Mobility of young people with fewer opportunities - emphasising the outcomes of mobility projects - part of the Belgian EU presidency - cooperation with SALTO Participation

More info: http://www.salto-youth.net/training/ [18]

The European Drug Prevention Prize 2010

The Pompidou Group is launching its European Drug Prevention Prize 2010 and calling for projects to apply. This 4th Prize will be awarded at the Ministerial Conference taking place on 3-4 November 2010 in Strasbourg. For the first time, projects from all 47 Council of Europe member states are invited to participate. These projects must be currently running, managed by young people, targeting children and young people and be innovative in as many ways as possible. Three youth projects will be rewarded for their work and will each receive a trophy, a diploma and the sum of € 5,000. The applications should reach the Pompidou Group Secretariat by 31 March 2010. They are to be sent by e-mail to the following address:preventionprize2010@coe.int

More info: http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/youth/News/Calls_for_applications/022_Pompidou_... [19]

Training Course on Democratic Leadership and Management of Youth Organisations

The Directorate of Youth and Sport of the Council of Europe is organising a Training Course on Democratic Leadership and Management of Youth Organisations on 6-14 April 2010 at the European Youth Centre Strasbourg. The theme of the training course will be "Strengthening the sustainability capacity of youth organisations through their democratic leadership and management."

More info: http://courses.opencontent.it/ [20]

PICTURE OF THE MONTH

The picture of the month is a DIY picture from a DIY campaign on rights for street children, ripped from Jugend eine Welt's youtube channel. Check out all the videos of this campaign on www.youtube.com/jugendeinewelt [21]

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