The purpose of the project is to bring together young activists and youth workers from the non-profit sector in Europe and Asia to discuss global issues affecting youth and share field-tested practices of addressing the Millenium Development Goals, combating poverty and social exclusion, prevention of trafficking and drug addiction, etc, implemented by youth organizations. An international forum "Youth in Development" will be organized in Sofia, Bulgaria to discuss the role of youth activists and youth workers in the voluntary sector in addressing the abovementioned issues in innovative ways and finding sustainable solutions.The forum will take place in June 2011, and will involve about 100 participants from youth organizations in European Union member states, China, and South East Asian nations including Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal, India, and Bangladesh. Youth activists from the age of 18 - 25 will work together in multi-interest, multi-ethnic groups to develop dynamic, multi-facted projects for implementation in their home countries. These projects will be grassroots initiatives that have far reaching impact, involve multiple countries, and address the issues posed in the UN's Millenium Development Goals. The culmination of this forum will be 10,000 EU in starter grants for the youth-developed projects as created during the course of the forum.The preselection of participants will be accomplished by means of 3 competitions:Essay Contest "Youth in Development"Photography Contest "Youth in Development"- Contest for "Best Youth Project Proposal Addressing Development Issues"Each partner organization is expected to:disseminate information about the forum and the electronic newsletter to youth organizations in the countries in which it works;collect submissions for the 3 contests above, evaluate them and nominate finalists, who will become participants in the forum;organize the travel to Bulgaria;provide technical support to the participants during the forum;- disseminate information about the outputs from the forum in its country/region;assist the follow-up activities of the young people, which will be planned during the forum.Dissemination Strategylaunching of forum web site and of a monthly electronic newsletter;- dissemination of information about the forum and its outputs in internationalnewsletters and on the EVE website of the European Commission;using online social networks, such as TakingltGlobal, Global Youth Action Network,ldealist.org, Facebook and Twitter to reach out to youth.Envisaged impactin-depth analysis of global issues affecting youth, produced by youth activists and youth workers in voluntary organizations, highlighting the youth perspective on development;better understanding of both the cultural differences and common issues affecting youth development in each of the partner countries involved in the project;development of grassroots, innovative project ideas for addressing issues affecting youth;building of new international partnerships among youth organizations/activists;"viral" dissemination of the knowledge generated during the forum and inspiring follow-up discussions and actions.