Partnership building seminar "Let’s WORK with our Neighbours"

View several photos from the event here!

Intro

In 2007 Regional SALTOs Euromed, SEE and EECA together with European Commission and French National Agency organised a seminar "Let's meet our Neighbours and the World".
The idea of having a big kick-off seminar that would open possibilities for cooperation with the Neighbouring Countries and the World within Youth in Action Programme arose in the end of 2006. The summaries of previous Youth Programme and experiences that many organizations gained in projects first with Third Countries, then with Partner Countries and now with the Neighbouring Partner Countries clearly showed a big need to support and develop the cooperation that goes much beyond the borders of European Union.

Please visit the web-site with the report and photos from this event here!

The following Partnership Building Seminar "Let's WORK with our Neighbours" was a continuation of cooperation between Neighbouring Partner regions.

Date and Venue

Five full working days - arrival 2nd June until evening (Monday), departure 8th June from morning (Sunday) 2008.

Place: Velenje, Slovenia.

Aim:

• to increase the cooperation within the Youth in Action Programme between Programme and Neighbouring Partner Countries

Objectives

• To motivate participants to establish sustainable partnerships through exploring and learning about the Youth in Action Programme (especially Actions 2 - EVS and 3.1- Youth in the World) and Neighbouring Partner Countries.
• To explore quality aspects of the Youth in Action Programme: (1) Youth in Action Programme priorities, in relation with actions and youth work reality; (2) regional procedures; (3) good project practices; (4) expected results.
• To support participants to identify and develop concrete bi- and/or cross-regional projects in the frame of the cooperation with Neighbouring countries.

Organisers

This Partnership Builidng Seminar was co-organised by regional SALTOs South East Europe, Eastern Europe & Caucasus and Euromed as well as Slovenian, French and Polish National Agencies of the Youth in Action Programme with support of other National Agencies of YiA.

Participants

The Partnership Building Seminar "Let's WORK with our Neighbours" brought together 72 participants (12 participants from each of the three neighbouring regions and 36 from Programme Countries).

Target group

Participants were youth workers/youth leaders/project managers:

• Who had mandate from their organisation;
• Having experience in Youth in Action Programme/YOUTH Programme/other international youth programmes;
• Represented organisations should have experience in Youth in Action Programme/YOUTH Programme/other international youth programmes;
• Motivation to promote projects with neighbours;
• Priority to former participants that developed a project.

Team of the trainers

Team was composed of 6 trainers coming from different countries (3 from Programme Countries, and one from each Partner region), experienced in partner countries cooperation.

• Davide Tonon, coordinator, Spain
• Areg Tadevosyan, Armenia
• Hiba Tibi, Palestine
• Lidija Burič, Croatia
• Behrooz M. Afshari, Germany
• Mara Arvai, Hungary

Additionally one officer from each Slovenian, Polish and French National Agency as well as one officer from each regional SALTO Euromed, SEE and EECA composed the Team.