Implementing organizations:
- Međunarodno udruženje “Interaktivne otvorene škole”, Lead applicant, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Organizata Kosovare për Talent dhe Arsim – TOKA, Partner, Kosovo*
- Forum mladi i neformalna edukacija – Forum MNE, Partner, Montenegro
Summary of the project
The main project goal is to expand the platform for active engagement of young people in key societal developments that affect them, by building stronger links between the youth and public authorities who should support them. The project will leverage the experience and best practices regionally from partner CSOs in the project, to improve the grassroots civil society participation in decision making at local, national and/or regional forums. The stakeholders involved will include government authorities, but also other authorities that play a crucial role in community mobilization – such as schools, youth centers, universities. It will focus on two thematic topics of digital literacy and fight against fake news, which affect young people greatly due to their high exposure to social media, as well as facilitate peace-building regionally through exchanges at multiple levels of stakeholders. Last but not least, the Network will specifically focus on advocating the use of the Service-Learning approach for mobilizing vulnerable youth, since its combination of learning and doing has proved by be very effective with such stakeholders.
Project goals:
Overall goal (impact): Boost the local and regional partnerships between CSO and local governments (administrations) for good governance with youth participating in decision making processes and strengthening participatory democracies in the Western Balkans.
Specific objective 1: Support CSO network growth to one Western Balkans country – by sharing the Service-Learning methodology and involving them in the CSEESLN. The project envisages interventions at all relevant societal levels to affect change – youth, youth leaders, local and government.
Specific objective 2: Build the capacity of youth leaders and young people to advocate more effectively in specific governance topics that are relevant to them (the focus of this project will be on digital literacy, civil society participation, fight against fake news) – locally and regionally. Use these topics as a platform for peace-building dialogue between youth from WB6 countries.
Specific objective 2:Strengthen the cooperation with public authorities in the field of youth activism, and secure an increase in their concrete support for community service initiatives that are identified, designed and implemented by youth – thus boosting sustainability.
Beneficiaries
- WB6 CSO partners – Regional partnerships will be developed and strengthened between CSOs from WB6, with a specific focus on increasing citizen influencing public authorities
- Youth Leaders from WB6 countries -teachers and youth workers from the six countries will increase their capacity in developing and implementing civic activism projects in the fields of digital literacy and fake news, as well as in building partnerships between vulnerable youth and public authorities.
- Public officials from WB6 countries – in addition to being engaged at the local level, public officials will also be invited as speakers and advisors at the key regional capacity building events of the project.
- Vulnerable adolescent youth from WB6 countries – will directly benefit from improving skills in digital literacy and fake news, and how to engage more effectively with public authorities.
- Community beneficiaries in the WB6 countries – where the youth projects are implemented
Activities
Partner Inception Workshop; Youth Leader Workshop on advocacy & partnership building; Youth summer training camp on digital literacy/fake news and project management; Regional Service-Learning Award; Regional Activism Conference; Impact measurement.
