EWAC – Euromed at work for active citizenship

October 9^th 2012

CESIE is urgently looking for:

• 1 participant from Malta
• 1 participant from Israel

for the Euromed at work for active citizenship – EWAC training course (Action 3.1 of the Youth in Action Programme), that will be held in Palermo, Italy, from 3^th (arrival day) to 11^th (departure day) of November 2012.

Euromed at work for active citizenship – EWAC is a Training Course (TC) that will be held in Palermo (Italy) during 8 days. The project involves 16 partners & 40 participants that will take part in the TC (youth trainers/workers, peer educators, volunteers, youth with fewer opportunities) from:

Italy, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Lithuania, Norway, Estonia, Slovenia, Malta, Turkey, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Palestine, Israel and Morocco.

The project’s inspiration derives from the recognition that there is a close link between the current economic crisis and the socio-political transformations in EUROMED countries, so all dimensions of civic engagement (active citizenship, volunteering and participation) are increasingly placed at centre of the national and international agendas, leading many countries to adopt specific strategies or policies directed towards increasing civic engagement. EWAC aims to address these issues from young people’s perspective, by stimulating them to use the different opportunities of participation that YiA and other programs offer, as a way to tackle unemployment and social challenges.

MAIN ACTIVITIES: theoretical presentations by trainers, active debate with all participants, presentations of local contexts by participants, non-formal education techniques & games, 2 days artistic workshops & artistic exhibition, creation of new projects by participants.

DATES and PLACE:

3th (arrival date) – 11th (departure date) November 2012

Total nights in Palermo: 8

(4 in Baida Convent and 4 in the hostel in Ballarò)

PARTICIPANTS PROFILE:

Participants can be youth trainers, workers, peer educators, volunteers, youth with fewer opportunities, or people which might be interested in the Training Course.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

TRAVEL COSTS: 70% of the travel costs will be reimbursed (the 30% must be financed by the participant)

ACCOMMODATION & FOOD:

100% covered by the project.

MATERIALS for the activities:

100% covered by the project.

There is no fee for participating.

If you wish to participate please send an e-mail to maja.brkusanin@cesie.org

Free places will be completed following the order of receiving the confirmation e-mails from participants!

November 2^nd 2012

CESIE is  delighted to inform you that on the 9^th November at 7 pm  we will present you a exhibition which will demonstrate the link between active citizenship and youth unemployment perceived and revealed through the mastery of art and movement.

The exhibition is part of the Training course “Euromed at work for active citizenship” – EWAC in which 40 participants from Italy, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Lithuania, Norway, Estonia, Egypt, Slovenia, Turkey, Tunisia, Algeria, Palestine, Israel and Morocco will exchange good practices and experience as a mechanism to deal with the current economic crisis, the high rates of unemployment and active citizenship as response proposed by youth in Euro-Mediterranean area.

The exhibition will take place at the Convent of Carmelitani (via G.Grasso 13a) and is open to the public. There will be a free buffet and aperitif.

The project has been funded with support from European Commission – Youth in Action Programme, Action 3.1.

 December 18^th 2012

Euromed at work for active citizenship – EWAC, a Training Course under Action 3.1 of the Youth in Action Programme, was held in Palermo (Italy) from 3^rd till 11^th November. Participants, youth trainers/workers, peer educators, volunteers, youth with fewer opportunities, from: Italy, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Lithuania, Norway, Estonia, Slovenia, Malta, Turkey, Tunisia, Egypt, Palestine, Israel and Morocco shared their experiences and knowledge considering active citizenship in their local communities and examples of youth unemployment.

The TC was an open space for exchange of ideas, acquisition of new working methods to apply in different contexts to work with young people. It has stimulated active participation in youth and it generated many new project ideas to be developed at Euro-Med level.

Through the use of non formal education methodologies (team building, group discussions, art methods, etc.) and new technological tools the true meaning of active citizenship was conveyed raising awareness of the possible benefits of promoting it to local communities and society in general.

After the theoretical part of the TC, the participants worked in four groups:

• movement,
• painting & collage,
• forum theater,
• video making & social media.

They took active role in all activities and were eager to share experiences and good practices as a means towards developing common strategies for civic participation. The training course was closed with a final exhibition & performance which demonstrated the link between active citizenship and youth unemployment perceived and revealed through the mastery of art and movement.

The exhibition was opened by the art group which conveyed their conception of active citizenship through panting and collage. The second group presented active citizenship through the prism of movement with artistic choreography. Another group was dedicated on the use of video and social media as a means towards expressing their message and presenting active citizenship through the camera lens and web 2.0.

The forum theater group closed the exhibition with a magnificent story which was a true example of today’s reality and the scourges of our society- violence, power, authority, and the need of active citizenship for social change. Their message was successfully conveyed by the public, which had the opportunity to interrupt the action and to intervene substituting one of the actors in order to offer the solution to the social problem.