Grant application pending - final decision expected mid-august

Project description

“Common Ground - Seminar on youth advocacy in local communities”, is a 4-day training seminar in which we shared good practices of youth advocacy on local level and train the participants in starting up youth advocacy in their own local organisations and communities. The seminar takes place 11-14/10/2018 in Krakow, Poland. This seminar is the action of the larger “Common Ground” project.

Training programme

This is a 4-day training seminar in which we shared good practices of youth advocacy on local level and train the participants in starting up youth advocacy in their own local organisations and communities.
 
The first 2 days follow a deductive learning process. The pax will be introduced to different conceptual frameworks influencing the development of our own approach to youth advocacy. The first day we focus on the Human Rights and Advocacy, which is the basis for our advocacy. After this framework is built up, we will revisit it exploring how advocacy works on all these levels. The second day will reflect on Catholic social teaching as the foundation of social justice within the catholic worldview. The pax will be introduced to key concepts and methods applied, and will reflect on the interreligious dimension. From this introduction they are to identify obstacles, challenges and good practices which can be relevant for building our own conceptual framework and strategies. Through the European participants we are bringing in a broader perspective.
 
The last 2 days we switch to an inductive learning process. The pax will first develop a conceptual framework, defining key concepts and procedures. Afterwards they develop advocacy and representation strategies which allow us to use the conceptual framework to influence policy makers. This includes strategies to collect input from and give feedback to our grassroots, and capacity-building processes for our network and MOs. The last day the pax bring everything together into a draft a Youth Advocacy Toolkit, which will be the product we work on towards the end of the project.

Project partners

Costs & Application process

• There is no cost for the participants. The Visegrad grant covers participation, food, accommodation and insurance, as well as travel costs and VISA costs (as long as they remain in the budget).
• Deadline applications: 15/09/2018
• Apply through your national DBYN organisations

Objectives

​The training seminar puts forward 3 objectives:​

1. bring together volunteers engaged in different roles of the network in order for them to exchange and debate insights on youth advocacy on resulting in a strong personal learning experience.
2. To create a conceptual framework for youth advocacy, and record it in a Youth Advocacy Toolkit.
3. To disseminate the outcomes of the seminar to the wider youth work sector using digital media.

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Profile Participants

In total we have 18 places available for the training seminar. There are 2 places for each young volunteers from Visegrad countries (CZ, PL, SK) and 12 places for young people from other European countries. We are looking for following profile:
 

• 18 – 30 years’ old
• Active English knowledge
• Active in local partner organisations of DBYN
• Interest in advocacy work
• Interest in Human Rights Advocacy
• Interest in Catholic Social Teaching
• Being able to act a multiplier within the local community and/or DBYN after the activity

 
From the participants 6 will be selected to be in the editing team of the Youth Advocacy Kit which is being developed through the programme.

Common Ground project

Don Bosco Youth-Net aims educate youth towards full participation in society and youth autonomy. For this we define 4 types of active citizens: educator, social entrepreneur, leader in faith and youth advocate. These 4 types of active citizens each play a different role in changing local communities. In order to achieve change in society, our education and advocacy should go hand-in-hand. We noticed that our educational strategy offers the right framework to advocate for quality education. However, it falls short when advocating for social justice, young people’s access to work, or intercultural and interreligious tolerance. The Common Ground project will help us developing the capacity of youth organisations to engage in advocacy in these fields. It will also train key volunteers from our member organisations to multiply this new capacity on local level, and achieve a wider impact. In order to achieve this aim, we will develop 2 actions:
 

1. “Common Ground - Seminar on youth advocacy in local communities”, is a 4-day training seminar in which we shared good practices of youth advocacy on local level and train the participants in starting up youth advocacy in their own local organisations and communities.

 

1. “Common Ground – Youth Advocacy Toolkit” is a publication which provides basic information, guidelines and other resources to youth leaders aiming to start-up youth advocacy in local communities.

Venue

The Salesian centre in Tyniecka is accommodating different organisations of the Salesians in Krakow.  The main building serves as a seminarie for young Salesians.  Next to this it accommodates the Salesian Centre of Education and Youth Ministry, the Salesian Missionary Voluntary Service, a Salesian film & documentary organisation, a Salesian oratorio, a Salesian sports club and an theme park for development education.  In weekends and during holidays the centre rents rooms to national and international groups.