The project was aimed to empower youth activists from different parts of Europe with leadership skills and experience for practical grass-root work for strengthening civil society development at local level, promotion of active life position of young people and innovative youth work. Special accent was made on developing leadership skills of participants to work in intercultural context, involving local community, practical recommendations on organizing youth group and group dynamics, and sharing innovative methods of youth work in activities organized by and for young people.
To realize this aim, international group of participants from 11 countries met in Sevastopol, Crimea, during the first week of May. Participants – future leaders of different volunteer and youth activities, were coming from partner organizations of SVIT and SCI Network – Zavod Voluntariat Slovenia, SCI Germany, Ecocenter Zapovedniks, Sodruzhestvo and SFERA Russia, AVI Moldova, Volunteer’s Center of Vojvodina (Serbia), CVS- Bulgaria and OWA Poland, SCI Italy Sicilian local group, as well as local partners of SVIT – ECC “Bakhmat”, Sumy “Center of ecological research”, “Youth environmental center Sumshchina”,.
The program covered such issues, as what is international youth and volunteer projects, roles and expectations of different sides involved in its realization, group dynamics, leadership and decision making in the group, different leadership styles and their influence on group dynamics, what kind of leader am I and how ideal leader should be like, contacts with local community and interaction with local community during the project, work with media, intercultural learning and communication, practical aspects of international volunteer project, and much much more. Diverse and interactive program allowed participants to fully experience international atmosphere of the group, actively learn and exchange with each other during program and free time activities. One of the main issues during the training was educational activities in international volunteer workcamps, contact and interaction with local community, intercultural learning and communication. Role games, exercises, work groups, different forms of debate, practical work, presentations
International group of participants created a possibility to see in practice, how international group is developing, communicating, working together (during the training sessions), and of course having fun.
As a result, participants, empowered with new knowledge and skills, took part in wide range of youth and volunteer activities during the summer 2009, from
- Day of child in Artemovsk (organizing sport and game activities with children)
- Ecological camp in National Nature Park for children of disadvantaged background
- Volunteer projects on historic Jewish cemetery in Chernivtsi, Ukraine
- Youth exchange in Sicily
- Ecological project in Serbia
As well as other projects and events, which participants organized and were leaders at, from Sicily (Italy) to Krasnoyarsk (Russia), Chernivtsi (Ukraine) to Tepce (Serbia). Among other results is brochure report with information and materials, aimed to support young activists in their work, ideas and plans for future activities at local, national and international level in the sphere of volunteering, intercultural dialogue and social inclusion.
If you are interested to lead an international group next sumer - get in touch with us and join!