Application for Swiss Residents

Application „We make Democracy“ for Swiss Residents

Aims of the Exchange Meeting

We want to make a change and explore ways to access democracy for all!

Youth Organisations and society as a whole can only benefit from their active members being as diverse as possible. Unfortunately, there are still different groups of youth facing barriers to access Youth Organisations and participate in democratic processes.

While the Exchange Meeting is addressing manifold underrepresented groups, a special emphasis is made to use the synergies between Switzerland, the Western Balkans/Moldova and its diaspora in Switzerland in order to support intercultural understanding in Youth Work.

The Exchange meeting is aiming to improve the inclusiveness of Youth Organisations in Switzerland and the Western Balkans/Moldova through decreasing prejudices against marginalized or underrepresented groups. The activity is focussing on the exchange of knowledge as well as capacity building on inclusive participation by the involved participants, leading to strengthening the network and building sustainable cooperation. The activity is lead by an international group of Youth Workers with expertise on intercultural understanding, non-discrimination and active citizenship for all.

Organisers

The Exchange Meeting  is coordinated by the Swiss National Youth Council (SAJV-CSAJ). It has been prepared in an international consortium of partners including Youth Center Perspektiva (Albania), Institut za politicni menedzment (Slovenia), Nasa djeca Zenica (Bosnia and Hercegovina), A different Generation (Moldova). Together with the European Students’ Union, these founding partners will provide experienced trainers for the meeting.

In Switzerland,  i-platform is as a partner assuring the work with the diaspora and okaj is involved as a partner linking to the local Youth Work in Richterswil.

Further partners serving as country coordinators supporting applicants include KOM18 (Serbia), Youth can (North Macedonia), United Youth Task Force (Kosovo) and NGO Prima (Montenegro).

The Exchange meeting is funded with the help of movetia – exchange and mobility and the Citoyennete Programme of the Swiss Federal Commission of Migration.

Practicalities

• There is no participation fee and all costs for travel and accommodation are covered by SAJV-CSAJ.
• The Meeting is taking place 15 Sept – 20  Sept 2019 (including travel days).
• It is held in the Youth Hostel Richterswil close to Zürich. Participants will be accommodated there in bedrooms of four. Full board is provided.
• The venue is accessible and  we are able to offer and fund special assistance (e.g. personal assistants, sign language translators)  according to the needs of the participants.
• Public transport tickets to and from the venue in Switzerland are covered by SAJV-CSAJ. Pleas indicate in the application form (link see below) in case you would like to benefit from a prepaid ticket.

Detailed information and programme will be provided to all selected participants in advance of the meeting.

Interested? In case you are fitting the following participants profile, please apply!

• Young adults from 18-35 who are junior trainers in Youth Organisations
• All participants must know English in order to be able to follow the program
• Eligible countries of residence: Albania, Slovenia, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Northern Macedonia, Moldova and Switzerland
• All participants should attend the entire event. Participants being present for less than 80% of the event will be invoiced for the costs occurred and will not receive the certificate proving their attendance and newly gained competencies
• Experience in group leadership in order to be able to share experiences and to disseminate the gained knowledge is desirable
• Participants from groups facing specific barriers will be given priority. The most diverse set of participants possible is the declared goal of the organisers to be able to explore manifold facets of inclusion and exclusion

You can apply for participation through this form: Application Swiss Resident  

The deadline for applications is the 1st of August 2019. You will be informed about the selection results the latest by 15th of August 2019.

In case of any further questions or need for support, please address Lea Meister, Project Coordinator at SAJV-CSAJ, lea.meister@sajv.ch