Enhancing Youth Cooperation and Youth Exchange in the WB6
Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO)
March 2019 - December 2021
Overall Objective
To respond to the need to contribute to the process of reconciliation in the region of the Western Balkans by enhancing youth mobility, cooperation and activism.
The focus of the Action directly responds to the need to intensify regional cooperation, as highlighted in the Berlin Process. It further responds to the Western Balkan Strategy for A credible enlargement perspective for and enhanced EU engagement with the Western Balkans, while also being in line with the Strategic Plan of RYCO 2019-2021.
Summary of the Project
Through the Enhancing Youth Cooperation and Youth Exchange in the WB6 project, the European Union supported RYCO to create a more enabling environment and new opportunities for young people to travel and explore the WB6, get to know their peers, and cooperate on shared projects in the field of community activism, culture, sports, environment, and many more.
The project builds upon the RYCO’s previous experience in grant-making and innovates it by making it more youth participatory. The project aimed to include young people in informing the priorities of RYCO work, increase their awareness about opportunities for youth participation across the region and work on strengthening the capacities of CSOs in the WB for the implementation of regional youth mobility projects.
Recognizing that youth mobility provides a multitude of benefits on the individual (change of values, attitudes and behaviour) and social level, this project strived to better inform young people about mobility opportunities and benefits of exchanges through the organization of events and campaigns, and the production of an Awareness Raising Strategy on youth mobility and its benefits. It supported youth organizations and young individuals to enhance their capacities in better voicing their needs, contributing, and benefitting from an enabling environment with reduced prejudice and discrimination.
Activities
Work Package 0:Action Management and development of RYCO project management capacity
- Activity 0.0 Action Management and Setting up the Action Implementation Team
- Activity 0.1 Onboarding training for the Action Implementation Team
- Activity 0.2 Dedicated, hand-on mentoring by external experts at key project cycle milestones
Work Package 1: Increased level of youth participation in informing priorities of RYCO work
- Activity 1.1 Regional survey conducted
- Activity 1.2 Consultative meetings held
Work Package 2: Increased awareness of young people about opportunities for youth cooperation across the region
- Activity 2.1 Outreach and communication activities organised
Work Package 3: Dedicated Call for Proposal for the CSOs in the Western Balkans for the implementation of regional youth-related projects
- Activity 3.1 Call for Proposals designed, launched, and promoted
- Activity 3.2 Applications evaluated and selected; successful projects contracted
- Activity 3.3 Lead applicants trained
- Activity 3.4 Supported projects monitored
- Activity 3.5 Implementation evaluated
- Activity 3.6 Closure events organized, in order to disseminate the results and the outcome of the Call for Proposals, Action Closure
Expected Results
- Increasing levels of youth participation in informing priorities of RYCO work;
- Increasing awareness of young people about opportunities for youth cooperation across the region;
- Strengthening capacities of the CSOs in the Western Balkans for implementation of regional youth projects.
