Center for Intercultural Dialogue, Scout Association of Macedonia and Center for Research and Analysis NOVUS on behalf of the project “Youth – agents of change” funded by the European Union had the first evaluation round of the call for financial support for youth initiatives/actions with a focus on volunteering and activism among young people in the Republic of North Macedonia.
The following youth initiatives were selected for financial support:
- Меѓукултурен караван (Intercultural caravan) – Informal group of young people: Hristina Jovchevska, Radoslav Stanoevski, Jovana Kostencova and Georgi Radeski.
„The main goal of the project is networking of young people from different ethnic communities and different local governments. We believe that in our country there are not enough opportunities for intercultural dialogue and this leads to tension, hatred and further ends with more fatal consequences. The specific goals of the project are the creation of new friendships, the creation of a safe circle and the sharing of experiences between members of different ethnic groups, understanding the cultures of the peoples in R.N. Macedonia through informal dialogue and research of cultural heritage in the country.“
- Пикник у Пелинце (Piknik in Pelince) – Art and Culture Association “Music Connecting People”
“The main goal of the project is to promote inter-ethnic relations and reduce the segregation of young people in Kumanovo. Intercultural dialogue can unlock the power of religious traditions and provide the inspiration, guidance, and validation necessary for populations to move toward nonviolent means of conflict resolution. Such dialogues are an important tool for those trying to end violent conflicts around the world. For this purpose, the one-day event, “Picnic in Pelince” strives to improve relations between young people of different ethnicities, thus giving them the opportunity to build mutual interculture and acquire skills in the field of art, nature protection, etc. The project also aims to promote landmarks in the city that are of historical and cultural importance in the ASNOM memorial center in the village of Pelince. For this purpose, together with support from the Municipality, the young enthusiasts decided to give greater importance to the city and greater support to all young people.”
- Youth Call – Informal group of young people: Dimitar Kalapocev, Ana Marija Jovanova, Dance Kirova
“Our initiative aims to promote youth engagement, volunteering and activism in our community by addressing the problem of limited access to information about various opportunities and initiatives available to young people. To achieve this goal, our initiative will include the complete creation of an online platform that will cover all open calls for young people in our region, including Erasmus projects, volunteering opportunities and events. We will organize two workshops aimed at young people, giving them the opportunity to learn new skills and give feedback on the platform. Through our initiative, we aim to increase the number of young people participating in volunteer activities and initiatives and increase their awareness and knowledge of the various opportunities available to them.“
- Автопат на можности (Highway of opportunities) – Scout Unit “Metodi Mitevski-Brico”
“The main goal of the project is to develop and promote a tool for identifying opportunities for volunteering at the local level in the municipality of Kisela Voda, through participation in programs facilitated by youth organizations and youth organizations operating at the municipal level. Specifically, the same will be achieved through: mapping of youth organizations and youth organizations from the territory of Kisela Voda municipality and creation of a tool for identifying opportunities according to personal interests, skills and values which will be used by more than 1000 young people.“
- Социјално претприемништво за младинско вработување (Social entrepreneurship for youth employment) – Association of citizens for the provision of social services SOCIO
“The main goal of this project is to support and encourage young people to think in the direction of youth employment and encouraging social entrepreneurship. A good way to achieve this is through a process of workshops and campaigns where young people could understand social entrepreneurship and will motivate them to think in the direction of opening a social enterprise. Through the project, workshops will be conducted to strengthen the capacities of young people for social entrepreneurship and professional skills for employment, as well as raising awareness of social entrepreneurship through the creation of a page on social networks called “EDUCATIONAL CLUB FOR SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP”. The innovation of the project is not only to train and empower the youth, but also to improve the understanding of the phenomenon of social entrepreneurship in smaller environments such as Gostivar.“
- Здружени млади (United youth) – Cultural Art Association – “Kiril Pejchinovikj”
“Through the project we will achieve inter-ethnic rapprochement, interaction and cooperation of at least 100 young people from the various ethnic communities living in the municipality of Tearce. This will be achieved through the realization of a joint concert by various cultural art societies that exist and work in the territory of the municipality of Tearce. At least 100 young people from different ethnic communities from the municipality of Tearce will be made aware of the importance of inter-ethnic connection, cohesion and cooperation in the local environment in which they live. Within the framework of the project, an all-night concert of two cultural and artistic societies will be held, where young people from different ethnic communities will present their choreographies and performances. Macedonians, Albanians, and Turks will participate in the concert. As another activity, a fair of traditional food and handicrafts will be organized. Food characteristic of Macedonian, Albanian and Turkish cuisine will be presented at the Fair.”
- Заедно до почиста животна средина – (Together to a cleaner environment) – Association of citizens “Movement of environmentalists of Macedonia-DEM”
“The right to a clean environment has a key role in leading a healthy life, and this right is one of the most important for young people. Unfortunately, the environment is threatened for various reasons from air pollution, dirty drinking water to the dirt in the parks, and therefore our goal is to activate the youth from the municipality of Kavadarci, Rosoman and Veles through various forms of activism, discussions, trainings and participation together with representatives from institutions and organizations of the environment to try to protect it. Environmental activism is one of the most useful tools for correcting the work of institutions, especially when it comes to creating policies that will have to model the future and green development. As part of DEM, DEM YOUTH works, which will act with set challenges and will act at the local level in Kavadarci, Rosoman and Veles as ECO-Ambassadors who will bring encouragement and motivation to their peers for eco-activism.“
We congratulate them and wish them successful implementation of their projects.
The next deadline for submission of applications for financial support for youth initiatives/actions is on 31st of July! Don’t wait for the last moment, hurry up and apply today!
For more information about the call check out the following link.