How to find a partner group abroad?

• Add your tips and practices for finding international partners at the bottom of this page (log in with your SALTO username or create one)

How will you locate suitable partner organisations? Is there a list where you can choose from? Should you search for a partner organisation on the internet? Should you visit various organisations in a certain country and then choose one? There are more ways than one to find a partner organisation. Different organisations prefer different partner finding techniques.

Within the European Union's Youth in Action programme there are a variety of tools to help you find a partner group (for an exchange) or a project (for a voluntary service):

• Most National Agencies (NAs) in the Youth in Action programme have some kind of partner request form usually in electronic format on their homepage. The NAs can forward your completed form to one or more of the other NAs located across Europe. These NAs use different ways to circulate the partner requests to potential partners (e.g. e-mail lists, homepage, newsletters). You will find a list of NAs at http://ec.europa.eu/youth/youth/contacts_en.htm
• Some National Agencies also have a partner finding database online, e.g. the German and British NAs - you can locate these databases via the SALTO partner finding page at www.SALTO-YOUTH.net/partnerfinding/
• If you are looking for a host organisation for a European Voluntary Service project, you will find a host organisation database at http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_en.cfm
• Some centres for Regional Co-operation have addresses of youth organisations in so-called "partner countries" with whom Youth in Action programme projects are possible. e.g. SALTO Eastern Europe & Caucasus: www.SALTO-YOUTH.net/eeca/, SALTO South East Europe: www.SALTO-YOUTH.net/see/, the EuroMed platform for co-operation with EuroMed countries: www.euromedp.org

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International platforms such as

• EUROMET: www.euromet.nu is a European youth care alliance, a network of institutions covering both Eastern and Western Europe, providing various educational, socialisation, treatment vocational programmes, working pedagogically with seriously disadvantaged children and youth.
  EUROMET's objective is to encourage practical projects either on a bilateral or multi-lateral basis which increase the knowledge, skills, practice of its members. This is achieved through staff exchanges, youth exchanges and youth visits to other institutions, discussions and presentations, and projects of practical help and aid.
• Street work: www.streetworker.org is a common website of organisations dealing with street work in four countries (France, Spain, Greece and UK). The website aims to create a frame for professional street work, interventions, ethics etc.
• Youth Express Network, a network of youth and social workers working on local, regional and international levels with young people with disadvantaged backgrounds. A pan European non governmental organisation. They offer training courses for youth and social workers, study sessions and seminars, publication of magazines and newsletters, cooperation and cross border projects, awareness raising and advocacy... But they also offer a data base of potential partners in Europe: www.y-e-n.net
• Youth and European Social Work fosters a permanent dialogue about the needs and interests of socially excluded young people or those threatened by social exclusion. Promotes the cooperation between government bodies and non-governmental institutions in the field of youth social work in Europe and offers new instruments for the transnational dialogue as well as strategies which help to use them efficiently. Check www.yes-forum.org for more information.
• The European Commission also support the introduction, implementation, and promotion of innovative and qualitative elements in non-formal education and youth work. The projects must have a clear transnational European dimension and contribute to European co-operation in youth matters. You can find a list of these Innovative Long-term Youth in Action projects on www.salto-youth.net/InnovativeProjects/

While participating in various Training Courses, Partnership Building Seminars, or Short Study Visits, you may well meet youth workers from potential partner organisations.

This way of finding a partner group has some extended advantages, when working with young (ex-)offenders. In between these meetings there is time to exchange some vital information and personally get to know the other youth worker, social worker etc. From experience, many workers working with this target group have explained the importance of "the personal click" with this person from a potential partner organisation. Knowing you share similar opinions and visions on life, but also in how to work with this target group, how to proceed, the importance of international projects for them, ... is an excellent basis for (a long term) cooperation.

• Information about different training opportunities can be found in the European Training Calendar at www.SALTO-YOUTH.net/training/ or from your National Agency. A list of the contact details of the National Agencies is available at http://ec.europa.eu/youth/youth/contacts_en.htm
  
• Share your own partnerfinding techniques or tools you know at the bottom of this page (log in with your SALTO username or create one)

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