LIFE ON THE EDGE

Call for Partners
Project title
LIFE ON THE EDGE
Project type
Erasmus+ KA2 Capacity building in the field of Youth (Western Balkan Youth Window)

The main aim

The main aim of this project is to train people working with young people that are facing economic barriers (young people in long-term unemployment or poverty) and to raise their awareness about the situation that make this young people sex workers.

The taboo that has always existed around this topic does not allow people to realize that a large number of young people (most of them while still underage) are forced into this kind of business.

The main idea

Main idea of the project is to train people/educators how to help this vulnerable group to overcome problems that come with this kind of „vocation“(health problems (STDs), problems with legal employment, unemployment, social obstacles, discrimination, abuse, hurrasement, precarious situations, etc).
This project intents to show people how to act correctly with this vulnerable group, to minimize prejudice, to present how they should be protected by law and by World Health Organisation.

We wish to teach public about problems, situations and consequences that come with this kind of „vocation“. To give everyone valid, truth information about real situation in their countries. Idea is to open everyones eyes about possible consequences which come with every victim.
We wish to inform the public that a sex worker can become someone who they love, mostly not with their own will.

Activity 1: Study visit

This will be the first activity and it will take place in Germany.
Germany is one of the few countries in Europe, and in the world, that has solved this problem in the best possible way. We want the project participants to see good practice so they can influence on the other people minds, to think about this topic without taboo and without hypocrisy.

Activity 2: Training course

Training course will take place in Netherlands.
We will use previously knowledge from Study visit in Germany to organize tribunes, discussions, interviews with psychologists with pedagogues and people who are in contact with sex workers.
We will organize interviews with representatives of the police and civil society who came into contact with sex workers and also invite lawyers to the forums, so all of them can give us recommendations for a law that can protect this very vulnerable group.

During the training course participants will make a resume of things they have learned and they will make recommendations what to do to help to improve life of this vulnerable group.
Based on the experiences of all participants of the project and based on the recommendations of people from different professions, who are related to sex workers, participants of this project will make a e-handbook containing recommendations, that will be one of the first steps to legalize this profession in the future.

Activity 3: Practical work

This activity will take place when our participants are already educated enough on this subject. During this activity, project participants will have the task of organizing educational forums in their local communities. They will focus on young people and their goal will be to create as many peer educators as possible so they can spread their knowledge to new young people. This activity will take place in local communities from where our participants come from. It will last 90 days.

Activity 4: Evaluation

Evaluation will take place in Serbia. We will see what we did and what we learned from this project , and did we manage to change anything.

Target group:

Target group of this project are people working with young people that are facing economic barriers (young people in long-term unemployment or poverty).

It is a fact that our target group includes several marginalized groups so our intention is to educate people who are working with young people that are in danger to become sex workers one day .
- people with a low standard of living, low income, dependence on social welfare system ( young people in long-term unemployment or poverty, people who are homeless, people in debt or with financial problems)
- people facing discrimination because of gender,sexual orientation,
- people with limited social skills or anti-social or risky behaviours
- people in a precarious situation, (ex-)offenders, (ex-)drug or alcohol abusers; orphans
- victims of trafficking

Products

We expect to make very elocvent end highly professional Handbook (E-book) which people will use to educate others, to minimize prejudice and help this marginalized group to feel appreciated for the first time in their lives. This e-book will be used as a tool in non-formal education.

A short movie that shows advantages and shortcomings about this theme that will guide public how to treats this topic.

A 24/7 emergency servise for help that will continue to live after this project is finished.

Expectations

We expect to train people working with young people that are facing economic barriers (young people in long-term unemployment or poverty) so they can raise awareness about this very specific problem in their local communities.

We want to influence the breaking of taboos and controversies that accompany this topic. To encourage active conversation in communities that are generally very conservative on this issue.

Objectives:

- To educate as many educators as possible to speak on this topic and to create new educators
- To raise awareness of people about the everyday problems that sex workers face
- To educate young people, in the first place, on the pathways of prostitution and how they can be protected
- Raise awareness of people about the health risks that this profession carries, not only for sex workers but for the entire population
- To inform people about the importance of legalizing this profession and to point out why legalization would be positive think (impact on trafficking, protection from sexually transmitted diseases. Prevention of unwanted pregnancy, orphan children, abuse and forcing young people to engage in prostitution…)

Profile of partner organizations:

We are looking for civil society organizations dealing with young people that are facing economic barriers (young people in long-term unemployment or poverty), organizations dealing with risk groups and working with them, teachers, psychologists, pedagogues and medical workers.

Deadline for receiving partnership agreements is: 28 of January 2018

Host organization: Evropski centar za ekologiju - European Centre for Ecology is a voluntary, non-profit association, founded in indefinite time to achieve the objectives in the field of environmental protection.

The objectives of the association are: environmental protection, organization of activities on the rehabilitation of affected areas, raising cultural awareness, organization and participation in humanitarian action type, the protection of human and minority rights, the promotion of education, science and information, the impact on local policy development, development of local communities, the impact on youth policy, promotion of youth activism, organization and participation in sports and recreational events, organizing training of all categories of the population in all areas of the stated goals, civil society capacity building, networking with organizations and associations that promote the same or similar goals at home and abroad, promotion of all activities of the association.

If you are interested to become partner organization in our project please send to us:
Filled partnership identification form – like word document (.doc) by E-mail: eu.cen.eco@gmail.com

For further Information, please contact us:
Dejan Pavlovic / project manager
E-mail: eu.cen.eco @gmail.com
Mobile: +381 64 4111444