Moving Out of Circles

Since 2004 UILDM Lazio has been organising EVS hosting and sending projects to promote active participation of young people with physical disabilities in international nonformal learning experiences. In 2010-2012, we have been part of the TO-GET-THERE network to improve the quality and quantity of inclusion projects by creating short term group EVS projects and offering local and international mentoring trainings.

With this current project, we are looking for improving our network of organisations who work with young people with fewer opportunities (and special needs) on a daily basis and who want to participate and propose similar activities for this target group.

This project is aiming at giving an opportunity for young people with fewer opprtunities, who often do not find the chance to participate in EVS projects, to have a safe first EVS experience of two months. This way, the volunteers will be able to participate in longer term EVS projects in the future.

The project will host 4 to 6 EVS volunteers from April 1st, 2016 to May 31st, 2017 in Rome, Italy. (The final number of volunteers will be decided based on the profile and specific needs).

EVS volunteers will be working together with long-term Italian Civil Service volunteers of the organisation to document "mobility" stories of people with physical disabilities living in Rome, who are also immigrants for different reasons.

In the beginning of the project the volunteers will be exploring the concept of "mobility" from different angles: from disability to architectural barriers, from immigration to walls against movement; from finding your place in a big city to getting lost in chaos.

The stories will be documented in various formats based on interest and competences of volunteers: on a blog, on UILDM Lazio's quarterly pubblication "Finestra Aperta", on web radio "www.finestraperta.org", on several social media platforms (such as Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Tumblr). This way, the results of the project will reach thousands of people in and out of Italy.

Considering the nature of this work, we are NOT accepting applications from individual volunteers at this stage.
We are looking for partner organisation who:

* are accredited and experiences in sending EVS volunteers with fewer opportunities/special needs;
* have a target group matching the profile of the project who will be interviewed over Skype calls during September 2016;
* have established systems to support the learning processes of young people (sending mentors, pre-departure training procedures, follow-up plan etc.);
* who are also willing to create similar hosting projects for the next year.

Please contact us by September 5th with information on your organisation, the support systems in place and profile of potential volunteers at mida@uildmlazio.org.
Based on partner composition, volunteer selection will be done during September 2016.

For more information on UILDM Lazio, please visit:
https://europa.eu/youth/volunteering/organisation/944681934_en
www.uildmlazio.org
www.finestraperta.org