Youth for volunteering, nature and inclusion Erasmus Project

Project Title

Youth for volunteering, nature and inclusion

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Capacity Building for youth in neighbouring and enlargement countries

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Environment and climate change

Project Summary

Focus of the project has been capacity building for youth workers in organizing youth voluntary projects in and with rural/remote communities in natural areas, including protected areas. The main aim of this project was to increase quantity and quality of inclusive youth volunteering projects for nature conservation in rural/remote areas. In addition to that, general project objectives were:

To build capacity of partner organisations and raise competencies of their youth workers in initiating, organising and leading quality volunteering projects for nature conservation in rural/remote communities in natural and protected areas
To empower youth organisations and their youth workers for strategic partnership developing and strengthening with different stakeholders on different levels
To give a positive example through organizing a youth exchange on topics of nature, volunteering and inclusion in one of the communities, by using skills and knowledge given and shared on in previous activities of the project – Nature connecting us (August 2016)
To provide time, space, framework and activities for representatives of youth organisations from various European countries to establish partnerships, learn and exchange about the youth work and volunteering for nature conservation in rural/remote areas
To include climate change projections and adaptation plan into the strategies of youth and voluntary projects in future
To improve, create and experiment with new and innovative tools for organizing youth projects and specific activities within projects in direct cooperation with rural/remote communities and youth organization active or based in those communities
To Introduce and promote the Erasmus+ Youth in Action programme and develop new projects & future local, Western Balkans and European level cooperation with topics explored in this project

Project “Youth for volunteering, nature and inclusion” consisted of three core activities:
1. Training course of youth workers (25th of June till 4th of July 2016, in Peja, Kosovo): Quality volunteering projects for nature conservation in rural areas. There were 30 participants, trainers and staff from 10 organisations from 9 countries (XK, RS, HR, MK, BG, GR, IT, AL, TR).

2. Youth exchange (15-26 August 2016, in Shtrpce, Kosovo): Nature connecting us. There were 30 participants and leaders from 6 organisations and countries (XK, RS, HR, MK, BG, GR).

3. Partnership-building activity (26th of November till 5th of December 2016, in Banja e Pejes, Kosovo): Together for sustainable future thanks to volunteering and youth exchanges. There were 32 participants, trainers and staff from 19 organisations from 17 countries (XK, RS, HR, MK, BG, IT, AL, TR, CZ, FR, DE, LT, PL, PT, RO, SI, ES).

Besides the training course, youth exchange and partnership-building activity, there are more preparation, evaluation and follow-up activities that all contribute significantly to the project achievement.

New sessions and useful materials on nature conservation, sectors, stakeholders and systems thinking are uploaded at the web-page of GAIA and available at this link: https://gaiakosovo.wordpress.com/session-outlines-and-useful-material/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 53528 Eur

Project Coordinator

GAIA & Country: XK

Project Partners