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Youth Cross-border Cooperation and Communication P.. (Yc3)
Youth Cross-border Cooperation and Communication Project
(Yc3)
Start date: May 31, 2009,
End date: May 30, 2011
PROJECT
FINISHED
The Yc3 is the result of a feasibility study initiated by Region Blekinge and ERB Youth Board. The feasibility study has been financed by Region Blekinge and SIDA the Baltic Sea Unit with the ambition to develop a youth project application to the South Baltic programme. The basis of the project is the political ambition within Euroregion Baltic to develop youth participation in cross-border cooperation. The Yc3 keywords are youth participation, influence, cross-border cooperation and intercultural dialogue.The general objectives of the project are to increase youth participation and youth influence in cross-border cooperation to stimulate intercultural dialogue, develop cross-border networks, enhance integration among young people and contribute to a common identity and a sustainable society in the South Baltic Sea area. The direct objectives are to strengthen the cross-border network ERB Youth Board to stimulate youth participation and youth influence of the ERB cross-border cooperation and decision making processes; develop a youth vision and action plan; extend the youth cross-border network to youth representatives and NGOs to create a platform to stimulate youth participation, youth influence, youth cross-border cooperation and intercultural dialogue in the South Baltic Sea area; and to stimulate youth involvement in the implementation of the EU Baltic Sea Strategy. The objectives will be fulfilled through workshops, an interactive web site, a Youth-in-Connection Summit, setting up a youth cross-border network, establishing one or more working groups with the task to develop new project ideas. The activities will contribute to the development of new methods, suitable for young people, resulting in a Youth Influence Concept and a youth vision and action plan. The main target groups of the Yc3 are the ERB Youth Board, youth organisations and Baltic Sea Organisations dealing with youth cooperation. The Yc3 project will lead to increased integration of local communities in the South Baltic area, in particular integration of young people. The cornerstone of the project is cross-border cooperation and it could not be implemented without a cross-border approach. Yc3 will enhance the exchange of experiences between young people and increase the understanding of each other, thereby reducing prejudice and contributing to a common identity in the South Baltic area. Yc3 will achieve the universal results higher political appreciation of the cross-border cooperation and increased stability of cross-border networks since the project is of high political priority for the partners and will be highly welcomed and promoted and the project aims to strengthen and extend the cross-border network ERB Youth Board that is based on formal agreements within ERB regulated by the ERB statues. Yc3 will achieve the specific result of measure 2.4 by stimulating intercultural dialogue and a broader involvement of youth in cross-border cooperation. Achievements: The project partners are working now to get the Youth Board network approved as a flagship initiative in the Baltic Sea Region Strategy (in relation to this the last indicator "formal agreement" is filled, since it is in progress). This could open even more for the opportunity for a new international youth project. As one of the leading politicians in ERB said: "The most important thing is that young people get the possibility to meet. It doesn't matter that much what you talk about, just that you meet!" This is the most important result of the Yc3, that friendship has occured and that social media makes it so easy to keep in contact and share photos, links and experiences etc. This can be difficult to explain with indicators and outputs, but it is fantastic to see the young representatives to meet the second and sometimes third time. They really get to know each other and each others cultures and countries. We have also achieved to make the two strategic documents Youth influence concept, which make it possible for Youth Board together with ERB to specify what is needed to integrate a youth perspective into the ERB organisation; and also the ERB vision and action plan on youth cooperation, which sets the agenda for Youth Board in the coming years. The document was proposed to be called only vision until it has been further developed with more detailed actions. Other progress overall is that the members of Youth Board has learned how to plan, invite and implement a seminar and to awake the interest of the invited target group. Also to learn other young representatives examples on how to influence, for example via EU open consultations or via social media. This has created a foundation of knowledge within Youth Board that hopefully will stay in the cooperation and keep being developed. It was also an important step taken with the closing session arranged to give the Youth Board and the ERB Board an arena less formal outside the board room to have discussions on how to realise a youth influence in ERB in the future. It was appointed a "youth ambassador" at the meeting, the ERB Board vice president will have the responsibility, to ensure that the youth representatives in YB will be taken care of in the board room and that a youth perspective is kept in different aspects in the work of ERB.