Open your Eyes, Empower You(th)

Name of project:
"Open your Eyes, Empower You(th)"

Action:
1.1 - youth exchange (Youth in Action programme, http://ec.europa.eu/youth/youth-in-action-programme/doc74_en.htm)

Location:
Leiria, Portugal
(map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=39.763158,-8.75061&spn=0.505648,1.207123&t=h&z=10)

Date:
September 17 to 24, 2011 (youth exchange)
(Date for the APV to be defined)

Partners:
Associação Cidadania Viva + 6 organizations based in programme countries (27 EU countries, Croatia, Island, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey), 1 organization / country. Organizations working with visually impaired people are particularly welcome to apply to be partners.

Teams:
4 participants (aged 18-25) + 1 leader (no age limits) per partner. A balance between participants with visual impairment and other participants is highly desirable.

Summary:
EU just announced a new strategy for deficiency 2010-2020, that reflects the commitment of each member state to build a Europe without barriers for the disabled persons, aiming mainly to contribute to the empowering process of people with some kind of impairment, in a way they are able to use all their rights like other EU citizens. Like this, EU plans to build an open and accessible society that stops seeing disabled persons as passive persons, but as persons equal to any other EU citizens without any kind of impairment. Consequently the main objective of EU is to contribute for the creation of a society based in the total integration of this persons considered with fewer opportunities, fighting discrimination and promoting the active participation of this persons in what concerns to their economic and social life.
In this context, ACV is planning to organize a youth exchange about this topic, that follows the general aim of the EU, in what concerns to the strategy to include persons (especially young people) with some kind of impairment (e. g. blindness). Vision help us to understand the world around us and at the same time it gives us the meaning for objects, concepts and ideas. The visual impairment consists in the lost of the visual capacity in both eyes. Blind people, especially youngsters, usually face some difficulties in society. Young blind people say sometimes they feel discriminated, not by the fact they are blind, but for the way they are treated in society. They wish to be treated as equals and sometimes this may not happen. With this youth exchange we are planning to give a chance to 35 young participants (blind and not blind) to gather and reflect the theme of the impairments in general, and also the blind impairment in particular, in order to understand the best way to integrate this youngsters in society, promoting their active citizenship.

Specific aims:
- To increase young participants' awareness of the impairment of blind persons, especially young people;
- To contribute to the intercultural development of the young participants.

Planned activities:
Brainstorming activities; simulations; team-building games, round-table discussions; debates and visits to non-governmental organizations to highlight the project's objectives, developed with the help of non-formal education methods and practices.

How to apply to be a partner:
Send an email to ines.duarte@cronoteam.net with...
- A brief description of your organization and how you can contribute to this project (activities, ideas, similar past experiences, etc.);
- Name of project coordinator / contact person, direct email address and phone number;
- If you will include people with fewer opportunities in your team (namely visually impaired participants), how many and what are their backgrounds;
- Extra costs that might be associated with participants with fewer opportunities (e. g. support persons);
- What is your nearest airport and the cost (per person) to reach it from where you live (round trip);
- Cost estimation for a round trip ticket between your nearest airport and Lisbon airport (IATA code: LIS);
- Cost of a visa to come to Portugal (if applicable);
- A scan of your fully filled part 3 (you can find the template enclosed, DO NOT USE OUTDATED FORMS) (alternatively, part 3 can also be sent by fax to +351 214 757 661, please mention that in your reply). To be sure your part 3 is correctly filled, please check the attached document.

Then, AFTER BEING SURE YOUR DIGITAL PART 3 IS CORRECT (CHECK THE ATTACHED DOCUMENT) AND HAVING SENT ALL THE INFORMATION REQUESTED ABOVE, send 2 ORIGINAL COPIES by post to:

Attn: Inês Duarte
Associação Cidadania Viva
Estrada Militar, 23A
Damaia
2720-192 Amadora
Portugal

The deadline to reply this call is Friday, March 11, 2011, at 24:00 (GMT).
Replies after this deadline and / or not containing all requested information will not be considered.
Selected partners will be contacted afterwards.