ABOUT THE PROJECT
The ,,Active Citizenship through New Opportunities Worldwide – Act Now” project looks at strengthening the Youth Empowerment Network-YEN by means of the development of thematic clusters of excellence in EVS, sharing best practice in youth work and needs analysis in terms of capacity to handle and manage EVS projects that brings the European, global, national and local dimension together.
    The strategic and political objectives are:
a. to learn more about the EVS opportunities, needs and risks in Latin America, Africa and the EU;
b. to develop EVS Country Guidelines for all countries involved;
c. to promote the EVS at the local/regional/national level according to the capacity of the organization;
d. to build on the expertise of youth workers to deliver technical assistance in EVS management; e. to give visibility to international youth work in Latin America and Africa;
f. to strengthen the trans-continental EVS network.

The project geography is defined at two levels: regional (at the level where participating organizations from Sierra Leone, Argentina, Peru, Cameroon, Romania, Sweden, UK operate) and international (in Romania, UK and Sweden).
 There are 464 participants out of which 420 are youth workers and 44 are trainers, facilitators and staffers.
Donor:  European Commission through the Educational, Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency Executive Agency, 'Youth in Action' Programme, Action 3.2 Youth in the World: Cooperation with countries other than the neighboring countries of the European Union, Call for Proposals EACEA/11/10
Project partnership:

1. Regional Association for Rural Development (main applicant)
2. Chibuzor Human Resource Development Organisation (Sierra Leone)
3. Jovenes de Buena Voluntad (Peru)
4. Organización Argentina de Jóvenes para las Naciones Unidas (Argentina)
5. Association Jeunesse Verte du Cameroun (Cameroun)
6. NBV (Sweden)
7. Norfolk Childrens' Services (UK)

Activities
  A1. Kick off meeting - an online conference to establish the working frame of the current project and the immediate actions to take
  A2. Kit on Needs Analysis and Risk Assessment on EVS - a tool developed for the country managers, as a means to ensure quality and sustainability in EVS projects
  A3. Working meeting - is to gather in Romania, for 4 days, the seven country managers within the project to plan for the in country trainings, job shadowing and information campaign
  A4. In country training courses - each partner is to conduct a training course back home, in his country on needs analysis and risk assessment
  A5. Job shadowing - 24 youth workers, 6 from Africa, 6 from Latin America, and 12 from the European Union will do an exchange of best practices, for a month
  A6. Online platform for trans-national volunteering - www.yesforevs.eu, is to continuously be updated with information, in order to ensure visibility of the project
  A7. Country reports - will be elaborated by the multi-national teams of youth works who will be involved in the job shadowing
  A8. Post job shadowing assessment - looks at evaluating the exchange of best practices in youth work, in terms of investments/results
  A9. International Conference ACT NOW! - will take place at the European Parliament in Brussels, to disseminate and to evaluate the results of the project and to attract partners in the network

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PUBLICATIONS