Challenge Accepted
Start date: May 18, 2016,
End date: Dec 17, 2017
PROJECT
FINISHED
"Challenge Accepted" is a European Voluntary Service project organized by the Italian association Scambieuropei, in cooperation with the Ukrainian hosting partner CEI. It involves 3 volunteers from Italy for 9 months, in the city of Sumy. (01/11/2016-31/07/2017). The main focus in about European integration and promotion of European values, to apply in the society in working with local youth and raise awareness about human rights and the related regulation, since the volunteers will work with refugees and IDPs. The idea is to provide tools and sensitiveness to young people in order to help them face the recently emerged challenge in Europe - refugees, internally displaced people, minorities - and their integration into the European society. The Ukrainian organization has experience of working with refugees/internally displaced persons who fled from the military conflict zone in the east of Ukraine, due to the conflict. They organize local and regional activities with the purpose of aiding these people and often need volunteering support, enriching the experience with the involvement of EVS volunteers and Peace Corps. We believe that the experience which Italian volunteers can get working through the Ukrainian organization will be valuable for their future personal and professional development in European countries which are combating with the similar issue, participating more in local community in activities that tackle the migration issues. The value of volunteering will be strongly promoted and supported by this action.Furthermore, the project aims at the exchange and dialogue between 2 different cultures: Italian and Ukrainian, with the added value of getting in touch with other EVS and even Peace Corps. Together they will learn to celebrate the broad diversity that exists in Europe, and help to strengthen the way to a larger, more encompassing European Union. Plannedobjectives:1. Promote Erasmus Plus Programme as an opportunity for integration/inclusion of youth in the local community and in an international context; strengthen the cooeration between EU and EECA in youth work through the promotion of EVS opportunities for partner countries2. Provide Ukrainian youth with information on EU policies and the EU integration process and encourage intercultural learning;3. Assist Ukrainian youth in creating and conducting youth projects of their own with the longlasting aim of increase youth participation in community and civic life of the community involved; 4. raise awareness about human rights and diversity through the direct experience of working through non formal methods with refugees and disadvantage groupPlanned activities: participating in and leading Euroclubs involving local school youth focused on promoting European values, active citizenship, civic responsibility, community service, providing them with knowledge about EU, European integration, what it means to be European citizen; everything will be done with creative workshops in schools, co-organized by the volunteers and language clubs as well. The promotion of cultural diversity, of voluntering and overcoming stereotypes will be enforced by the participation of the volunteers in activity that target refugees and IDPs. Planned Methods: discussion groups, debate, intercultural diaologue, creative workshops; workshops on EU issues, project design, management and implementation; facilitating shared information and collaboration between organizations; conducting native language clubs; events to promote EVS, voluntary work for first aid of refugees, development of future EVS opportunities for Ukrainian youth.All these measures, arranged in accordance with the volunteers' needs and skills, aim at the best involvement of the volunteers in the project, giving that both organizations believe in Evs asdeep momenti of personal growth and self-development.