TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Kristina Zimaj
Regional Training on "Youth Civic Spaces - Western Balkans" was part of the “REVIVE – Revitalizing Youth Voices in Europe” Project, which was JEF’s 2023 Work Plan and funded by the Council of Europe’s European Youth Foundation (EYF).
This regional training explored and inspired action about the situation in the Western Balkans. Bucharest is a city bridging the Balkans with Eastern Europe while Romania is a leading example as one of the most recent countries joining the European Union, thus becoming the suitable location to assess the current situation of youth civic spaces and the on-going initiatives in the region. This context lead to the preparation of joint actions for awareness-raising about the Council of Europe Recommendation and the situation of youth civic spaces in Europe
The main objectives of this regional seminar were the following:
1. To promote the new Council of Europe Recommendation on protecting youth civil society and young people by raising awareness of the recommendations and developing the skills of young people to implement it.
2. To equip young people with the competences to act for safeguarding civic space especially in countries where youth civic spaces are particularly under pressure through capacity-building training courses.
3. To promote the exchange of good practices among young people across Europe on how to act for safeguarding youth civic spaces.
Open call: https://jef.eu/news/call-for-participants-revive-bucharest/
The participants of the initiative were young individuals aged between 18 and 30, all residing in Council of Europe member states. They were selected based on their strong motivation and interest in supporting youth civic spaces and promoting the active engagement of young people in democratic processes. All participants demonstrated the ability to work and communicate fluently in English, ensuring their full participation in the activities. Their profiles reflect a shared commitment to civic engagement, democratic values, and a desire to contribute meaningfully to youth participation across Europe.
The organizing team was composed of two external trainers and JEF team members all coming from different European countries.
The training sessions were designed and delivered based on the principles of non-formal
education, which prioritize practical learning, creativity, and flexibility. Each session was carefully
tailored to its specific objectives. Presentations and discussions were employed when the
session's objective was to enhance knowledge, workshops and practical exercises were utilized
to develop skills, and simulations were incorporated when the objective was to foster particular
attitudes. The program commenced with sessions dedicated to increasing knowledge about the
challenges facing youth civic engagement and democracy, gradually transitioning into sessions
focused on developing the skills necessary for project conceptualization and development,
encouraging them to apply for the mico-granting following the training.
The activity produced a wide range of learning outcomes that contributed to participants’ personal and professional development. Participants deepened their understanding of various strategies for creating social change, critically assessing their strengths and limitations, and recognizing the importance of combining multiple approaches when addressing community issues.
They gained practical knowledge on how youth civic spaces function, with specific insights into their role in fostering inclusion, such as integrating refugees into local communities—highlighted through case examples like work with Ukrainian refugees. The activity also fostered emotional intelligence, nurturing empathy and awareness of how privilege and discrimination shape experiences based on identity and background.
Participants were encouraged to reflect on and internalize the lessons learned, applying these insights to their own work. They developed a clearer understanding of the competencies required for meaningful engagement in youth civic spaces. Additionally, they enhanced their skills in advocacy, particularly in planning and preparing targeted actions, stakeholder mapping, and effectively collaborating with supportive authorities. These outcomes collectively aimed to empower young people to take informed and impactful roles in civic and democratic processes.
●Support the preparation of the event programme and prepare training session outlines based
on the programme for the Bucharest training session;
● Deliver training sessions during the event between September 18th - September 22nd 2023
based on the training session outlines;
● Prepare a trainer’s report containing an overview of the event and its learning outcomes
Kristina played an important role in the training! It was a pleasure for JEF Europe to collaborate with her. The training and its preparations were structured and she had an amazing ability to connect with the participants.